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Cricketers that you have met

marlonbrowndo

marlonbrowndo

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List all the international cricketers or ex cricketers that you have met. The criteria is that you are supposed to have interacted with them in some way even if you just greeted them, asked for an autograph etc. Just seeing them in public does not count. I'll start. If you have interesting stories about when you met one of them then share.

Younis
Afridi (this was after the Aane do series. Looked pretty grumpy probably because he was benched :srt)
Gul
Imran Nazir
Lendl Simmons
Kevon cooper
Badree (Met the 3 West Indians in Dubai Mall during PSL)
Ramiz (Met him in the commentary box in National stadium years ago)
Moin Khan
Wasim Akram
Jalaluddin
Mohammad Asif (Met him in Karachi in an elevator before the spot fixing saga. Seemed like a really laid back guy)
 
Have met Hanif Mohammad's grand kids, one went to the same high school as me, this was outside Pakistan btw.

Have said this before as well but Ramiz Raja and I are actually distant relatives. His wife is my dad's second cousin.
 
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Non Pakistanis

Ganguly
Kaif
Watson
Pollock
Kallis
Vaas
Shakib al Hasan when he was a nobody

Pakistanis
Whole tableeghi crew around 2006 period (Saeed Anwar, Afridi, Inzi) - Afridi on multiple other occassions to the point he would remember my name
Moin Khan
Anwar Ali, Shafiq
Miandad
Imran Khan (in a wedding)
The unbelievable duo of Faisal Iqbal and Imran Farhat at the same place, same time :))

(generally ive met most Pak team around Inzi and then Malik period but only listed above players ive talked to)
 
Inzamam ul Haq
Waqar Younis
Mohammad Yousuf
Younis Khan
Sarfraz Ahmed - told a story about he and Khalid Latif once called Ajmal up pretending to be a PCB official and told him that he'd been selected for the A team (while he was in the ODI squad in Australia) and the poor guy actually believed them at the start :))
Mohammad Amir
Mohammad Asif - met him when I was 6, before he even debuted at a New Years eve event in Sydney, asked him who he was :asif told me to ask Bob Woolmer to select him for the next match :))
Saeed Ajmal - met him at the SCG during the Sydney Test, asked him for a gatorade and he actually gave it, legend :ajmal
Khalid Latif
Salman Butt
Mohammad Sami
Rana Naved-ul-Hasan
 
Wonderful thread [MENTION=139150]aliasad1998[/MENTION] has the potential to get wonderful responses..
Met Jacques Kallis, Hashim amla, and Dale steyn in Kolkata during the world cup 2011 game vs ireland, apart from them met our indian stars Rahul Dravid, Dhoni, Dwayne Smith and chilling after an Ipl game, Dhoni as always had that unassuming demeanour with Rahul very tired and was literally sweating bullets. :msd
 
once i met afridi in my dream . he was sitting on bike . after greeting i said to him ( shaid bhai aap ki darhi to adhi sufaid hai tv mian to jawan lagte ho :))) ) shiad bhai half of your bread is white but in tv you look young .
 
Met Sohaib Akhtar, Tanvir and Sarfraz Ahmed at various occasions frequenting a joint in Dubai that I shall not mention because the post would get deleted.
 
Not many, truth to tell. Graeme 'Garth' McKenzie of Australia - lovely fella for a fearsome fast bowler of yore. Sat next to him on Black Saturday of the Lord's test in 1989 when Waugh and the tail went berzerk. He signed my copy of The Cricketer magazine. A bunch of the Middlesex boys of a few years back - Owais Shah, Bed Hutton, Ed Joyce. Owais and I had the same maths teacher at school.

My sis-in-law was compere of a jazz night and Sir Viv Richards walked in. They had a chat. This was in Brixton so he didn't have to buy a drink all night!
 
Indian Team
V Kohli - You get the star feel walking with him, amazing to see him train as well.
B Kumar - Looked very down to earth, a bit shy
MS Dhoni - A bigger star persona than Kohli, more Security, harder to interact with (because of the security).
R Ashwin - Simple guy
M Vijay - Seemed simple, and quiet but got annoyed when someone near me called him Murali, and he asked him to call him Vijay.
M Shami - Simpe
R Jadeja - Fun, crowd puller (generally people are looking to talk to him over the Vijays, Kumars, Sahas etc)
R Dravid - Gentlemen, no other word is fit for him. Brilliant character. So much respect for others. I think like everyone else I respected his character even before meeting him. But after this he just seemed to be really geniune and respectable.
S Dhawan - Macho feel
G Gambhir - I didnt get to interact with him a lot but he doesn't come across as someone who you could go up and speak to casually.
W Saha - Simple

WI
S Chanderpaul

I have a bat with signs of V kohli, R Dravid, Vijay, Jaddy, Dhawan, Saha, Chanderpaul and shami.
 
Have only met Saeed Anwar and Yousuf, both of them were nearby my location for Tableigh. Also Shahzaib Hassan as he was a senior in my school (St Patrick's High in Karachi)

Always wanted to meet Imran, Wasim, Waqar, YK, Misbah and our very own Forever 16 :afridi !! Although I have seen Afridi, Asad Shafiq and Sarfaraz all at some point or another in Karachi.
 
Met Azhar Mahmood and Yousaf Youhana(as he was known as at that time) during 1999 WC in England. Had the pleasure of bowling to them too. They both came to my primary school, I must have been around 10-11 at the time. There was also a couple of county players present. I remember being so excited and couldn't actually believe they were coming to my school :)) we were playing with the blue kwik cricket set and the typical orange wind balls at that time, those in uk should be familiar with these. I remember Azhar Mahmood smashing the ball out of the courts where we were playing and far into the field and remember my cricket coach saying with authority 'That's the furthest I've seen a ball go' and no I wasn't bowling lol.

Also met Abdul razzaq during that 99 WC at a warm up game, I went onto the field after the game or it was a break and asked if I could take a picture of him which he happily agreed with a gleaming smile. Later I thought to myself why I didn't get a picture with him and not just of him lol. Although there was no one else around when I approached him to take the pic. I was young lol and there wasn't no front cameras at that time so no selfies. How I wish it was 10 years later lol.

These two moments were my first proper cricketing memories. 99 Wc is where it all started for me - prior to this was the odd match on tv which my father used to watch religiously.
 
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1/Rakibul Hasan in 2010 in one saloon (didn't talk)

2/ Tapash Bashya in 2008 in Pathantula, Sylhet city beside a 'One bank' bank booth & branch. Said..hello.

3/Ashraful in Shahajalal International Airport, Dhaka in 2012. Took a photo too.

4/Shakib, Tamim in one five star hotel (Sheraton?? Forgot) in Dhaka when world t20 wc was going on. Very good behavior, humble!!

5/Tarek Aziz was my coach.

6/Pinak Ghosh, not senior international yet but u19s player in Dhanmondi, Dhaka beside Star Kabab Hotel in 27 OCT 2016 that means today! :farhat talked and told him best of luck.

Also could not talk but watched very closely (barring live match) - Afridi, Mushfiq in the same hotel where I talked with Shakib and Tamim.
 
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Rashid Latif when i was like 4 years old, but beside him none of the Pakistan Team Players

Patt Cummins- Super Human, good friend and extremely talented
Mike Hussey- Good guys but always paranoid

Jacq Kallis - Super Cool guy!

Andre Russel - so much energy and extremely down to earth
Aiden Blizzard- Talented and humble
 
Met with far too many to write and played with few so most interesting incidents were.

- Me smashing the cover drive through a whole in damaging Basit Ali's car back in 1998-99 he said (Bhai hath joor raha houn main ghareeb admi houn)

- Not being able to bring bat close to Wasim Akram in nets he was bowling with few steps run up and ball going like lighting blitz I was 13-14 year old was good for my age but not good for Wasim Akram.

- Smashing Razzaq for back to back drives and he switch from medium fast to his semi fast fast which was quite fast for me.

- Haroon Rasheed ruined my evening by non stop wicket keeping drill for more than 2 hours after I dropped 2 absolute dollies day before in a club match. (I was a weak Kid and absolutely not used to training like this back then and he was ****** about something and coach informed him about my heroics behind the wicket)
 
Met Younis Khan and his son at a barber shop. I invited him to my house and he obliged :yk2
 
wasim akram
Imran khan
ijaz ahmad
and the 1996 pak cricket team.

wasim got annoyed with us but he was an arrogant so and so in those days..ijaz was ok..
 
Mohammad Sami
Taufeeq Umar
Asif Hussain
Hasan Raza
Possibly someone else too

They were all at a friend's house, his dad runs a cricket competition of local teams as part of his business in UAE - completely forgot the names of those teams but many former pakistani/indian players would often play in it
 
ahmedwaqas92 said:
Have only met Saeed Anwar and Yousuf, both of them were nearby my location for Tableigh. Also Shahzaib Hassan as he was a senior in my school (St Patrick's High in Karachi)

Always wanted to meet Imran, Wasim, Waqar, YK, Misbah and our very own Forever 16 :afridi !! Although I have seen Afridi, Asad Shafiq and Sarfaraz all at some point or another in Karachi.
Click to expand...

I too have only met Yousuf and Saeed Anwar.I have met Anwar multiple times.Infact he had dinner at my house once.I have seen many cricketers though.
 
Saqlain
Inzamam
Azhar Mehmood
Afridi
Moin Khan

Met some of the team when they used to play the Sahara Cup in Toronto.

Met Imran Khan at a fundraising event
 
Absolute treat to meet

Akash, Wasim, Shoaib, Pollard, Lee, Kapil

Huge let downs

Sehwag and Zak, Kaif was meh
 
Shook hands with Saeed Anwar at a Deeni Tableegh show in my univerisity, needless to say I was very disappointed with what I heard, all he had to say was how he was living a life of 'ghaflat' during his cricketing career and how he turned towards God and found peace in his life..
All of that was in the past for him.. He could have so much to offer as a coach to our youngsters, but the only coaching he is interested in is the one that will give you success in the afterlife.. I'm no one to judge, but he could've balanced both things like Inzamam ul Haq is doing
 
Met Tanvir Ahmed at some wedding, I was surprised how huge he was loll.. maybe I was attributing his stature in cricket to his apparent size on TV :))
 
Bus armaan rehgaya hai deedaar-e-Misbah ka.. and my life will be complete :D
 
Met Javed Minadad in some charity event in 2000

Also met Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir and Iftikhar Ahmed in Diamond cricket ground(Islamabad)
 
I met him twice. The first time was when he came to our school for fundraising and then 20 years later..
 
My aunt was a kid back in 1996,in a match between Pakistan vs Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura Cricket Stadium. After the match girls gathered at some place chanting Wasim Akram's name ,asking for autograph. On his way my aunt asked the same but Wasim akram gave her a mouthful and went on to oblige the group of girls in their early twenties with a smile :)):))
 
Wasim Akram on a flight to London
Abdul Qadir in his palying days at his peak, at private function, lol he was talking more about his batting than bowling
Shahid Afridi in Dubai, was full of stardom and very reserved but gave autograph to my kids and took picture with them
Shoaib Mohammed in his playing days
Zaheer Abbas in his playing days, very well mannered and graceful
 
PakPassion has given me the opportunity to meet many many Pakistani cricketers. Many great encounters and stories.
Wait for the book :)
 
Imran Khan came to our house for lunch when I lived in Kuwait as a kid a few months after we won the 92 world cup. He visited to collect funds for SK hospital. Thorough gentleman and very simple person.
 
I have met sunil gavaskar. Also, was this close to take selfie with ab de Villiers last year in Indore. Alas! :(( opportunity missed.
 
Met wasim akram at karachi airport while we were going back to Lahore. I don't even remember how old i was, i still have the picture i had took with him lying around.
 
I met Mohammad Ashraful, got his autograph after he hit that majestic 100 in Cardiff was a pretty cool guy; he was so thrilled and really enjoyed the adulation from fans. Someone so young on top of the world, must have been really hard to live up to the expectations which came after that knock
 
Met Mudassar Bukhari Who plays for the Netherlands. Led the practice about a half year ago. Very kind and down to earth guy.
 
Not met any big players.

But once on my return back to London from Bangladesh in 2004. My First flight was from Sylhet to Dhaka I met few BD players in the Sylhet airport. I didn't even notice they were there, the whole airport people on the other side of the glass were looking and shouting their names. I brought a cricket bat from BD to take back to UK (I still have that bat 12years on). They thought I was some international cricketer seeing me carrying a bat or something, they came up to me, asked me if I play cricket, they shaked my hand. and later when inside the plane was seated next to them in the plane to Dhaka, had a good convo.They were; Rajin Saleh, Alok Kapali, Mafizur Rahman.
 
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Have met Chacha cricket. As for cricketer, Tim Bresnan who was extremely arrogant and rude.
 
Imran Khan came to my school after the 92 World Cup to collect donations. I am amazed that he came because I did not study in a big or famous school. Still remember he was wearing a white shalwar qamees with baggy sleeves that were in fashion in the 90's. He distributed these little badges which said 'imran's tigers'. Was a larger than life personality for a little boy.

I also used to see a gentleman who looked like a westindian in my school regularly. He probably came to pick up his children and I used to follow him around because I was pretty sure I had seen him on TV. The poor guy must have been confused with me staring at him all the time. It's a good thing I never approached him because the likelihood of Michael Holding sending his children to school in karachi is pretty low :yk

And finally this is a little weird but I once met Wasim Bari at a funeral. The situation was too awkward to talk about cricket.
 
The closest I've gotten to a recognized cricketer was about 3.6 KM. So jealous of some you.
 
Robert said:
Not many, truth to tell. Graeme 'Garth' McKenzie of Australia - lovely fella for a fearsome fast bowler of yore. Sat next to him on Black Saturday of the Lord's test in 1989 when Waugh and the tail went berzerk. He signed my copy of The Cricketer magazine. A bunch of the Middlesex boys of a few years back - Owais Shah, Bed Hutton, Ed Joyce. Owais and I had the same maths teacher at school.

My sis-in-law was compere of a jazz night and Sir Viv Richards walked in. They had a chat. This was in Brixton so he didn't have to buy a drink all night!
Click to expand...

Ed Joyce, best player you mentioned ;-)
 
Have met Azhar Mehmood, Abdul Razzaq, Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Yousaf, Shahid Afridi and Mohammad Akram. This was during the 2010 series, Mohammad Yousaf came across as humble guy who interacted with us, Mohammad Akram not so much!
 
Man the closest I got was YK at Umrah, and apparently I was sleeping at the time. :facepalm:

Was planning on going to SNGPL vs some other team (I think NBP) when I went to Karachi a few years ago, but some curfew or something happened so couldn't go. :facepalm:
 
Sachin at Dubai mall, even had a picture taken with him.

Imran Khan at Bani Gala (his residency) with a relative as he was on a meeting with Kaptaan. What a great guy honestly.. Loool even asked him for bowling advice on how to increase one's pace and he was so happy to answer.
 
I actually met Sunil Joshi, I got to bowl in front of him. I bowled a Leggie, Off Break and a Googly. He asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I said "university" :facepalm:. I was a talented bowler with little coaching/guidance and little opportunity. He said he was impressed but I think he was just trying to be nice.
 
I usually do not bother celebrities if I see them somewhere.

I have seen Basit Ali at a Friday prayers back in the 90s in Karachi when he was red-hot after that Sharjah inning. He was actually sitting next to me.

I once saw Mohammad family at a wedding. Hanif, Mushtaq, Sadiq, and Shoaib were all there.

I once saw Asif Mujtaba at a restaurant in Dallas. I think he coaches a local team.

My father in law had a family business of transportation in India. He drove several cricketers like Viv, Marshall, Kapil, Azhar, Gavaskar, Imran, Miandad, Malik, etc. He met almost all of the Indian, Pakistani, and West Indian cricketers of the 80s and several even used to come to his house for lunch or dinner. He has a whole album of pictures with some really big names.
 
I have gone out drinking with a few Lankan players who are about my age during school days.

It's a lot harder to meet cricketers in India and Pakistan considering how big the countries are I think. U will run into most SL cricketers in colombo if u go out even occasionally.
 
Usually see Umar Amin every time I go to Pakistan, met Mohammed Amir at his wedding and a few others.

Hopefully I can go back soon and meet Sharjeel and Rizwan.
 
Maindad used to live close to my place in Karachi. Met him a couple of times at friday prayers.

Kind of a rude bloke..
 
Oh yeah met Afridi too in Canada. His cousin lives a block away from my cousin's place, Afridi came to visit there. He came to say salam to me instead of the other way around. :ik :moyo :inti
 
Saj said:
PakPassion has given me the opportunity to meet many many Pakistani cricketers. Many great encounters and stories.
Wait for the book :)
Click to expand...

Hope you will publish it after you retire unlike some others....
 
anuk said:
I have gone out drinking with a few Lankan players who are about my age during school days.

It's a lot harder to meet cricketers in India and Pakistan considering how big the countries are I think. U will run into most SL cricketers in colombo if u go out even occasionally.
Click to expand...

Who are they ?
 
Thivagar said:
Who are they ?
Click to expand...

udawatte, kapugedara, kandambi etc etc. some of them i know from school too. it's not a big deal to know cricketers in colombo every single one of them lives in the same tiny city.
 
I've met Misbah, Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Irfan, Yasir Shah and Ehsan Adil. I was at the airport waiting for my flight when they just casually walked by me. And then I ended up taking the same bus to the plane with them as we were on the same flight. Yasir Shah sat in front of me. I shook Misbah's hand while we were waiting for our luggage to arrive on the conveyor belt. He's got a really strong handshake. If I remember correctly, they were headed to visit some victims of the army school attack in 2015.
 
Although I am an Indian, but I had the fortune of having dinner with Imran Khan and Wasim Akram at my uncle's home, ( who was the Director General of Police, and hence the customary dinner ).

Other than them, met jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn , Rameez Raja, Maninder Singh, Anil Kumble, Srinath, Agarkar . A few more. Out of them, Kumble was the most down to earth and approachable.
 
Thivagar said:
Better than Banuka ? Who is the best among these clans, Ramith/Vithanage or Bhanuka Rajapaksa and his co ?
Click to expand...

i only really know gossip (that u probably know too) about the guys u mentioned as they are younger than me. safe to say they live life to the fullest tho.
 
Imran Khan, Asif Mujtaba, Javed Miandad and Rahul Dravid. Must say Rahul was a vey nice and well spoken man. He is a credit to his parents.
 
Just met Rahane at the Chadstone shopping centre. He was wearing a mask and I still recognized him, told him; well played, he said thanks..... Ahhh he seems like a nice kid :)
 
Romali_rotti said:
Just met Rahane at the Chadstone shopping centre. He was wearing a mask and I still recognized him, told him; well played, he said thanks..... Ahhh he seems like a nice kid :)
Click to expand...

Didn't you asked him if Shaw is getting a game in near future or will they persist with the home bully Rohit ? :))
 
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