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Which cricket game (live or on TV) sparked your interest in Cricket?

MenInG

MenInG

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For me it was listening to the Pakistan World Cup effort in 1975 on radio - until then I really didnt think much of cricket.

The loss to WI by 1 wicket was heart-wrenching as a young kid and that sparked off my interest in the game - for good!
 
South Africa v West Indies 2003 WC opener.

For the first time I thought cricket was actually an interesting sport
 
2013 series against Sri Lanka in the UAE (just 1 year after I watched cricket for the first time in my life).

I used to play cricket a lot till then, but didn't think of it as a sport which was interesting to watch.
 
The 2007 t20 final on World Cup on Geo UK 🇬🇧 was the one that really got me into cricket.

What tragedy it was for us as Pakistani Fans but as a young kid it just got my blood involved into cricket 🏏
 
first it was NatWest final (more of reading next day news paper than watching it) then Kaif/Dravid and Afridi's innings in Kanpur..
 
2009 WT20 Final. I was just a Pakistani kid living in America, didn't care much about cricket. Visited Pakistan that summer. Watched the final with my cousins and family and bam, it's like something emerged all along. I fell in love. Watched every Pakistan match until Mohali 2011. Broke my heart. Stopped watching until the 2015 World Cup, and since then I've been following along 100%
 
Must be some who fell in love with cricket after the 1992 WC!
 
India vs Pakistan, 6th ODI in 2005

Pak. scored 300-odd and won the series.

Watched on a really small screen on a laggy stream with my family. I was only 6 years old at the time.

Shoaib Malik top-scored with 72 and he became my favorite player.
:sm
 
1996 qf vs Pakistan is the first cricket match i vaguely recall as a kid. Parents and some cousin uncles had gathered. One day we won and they were celebrating and another day it ended quietly it must have been the semi final loss :yk

After a couple of years I started to make sense of cricket and watched Tendulkar play some blinders in Sharjah. Seeing people around me celebrating like mad. I understood this Sachin guy was quite big although I didn't still understand the context of those knocks.

Totally missed the Kumble 10fer. There weren't any highlights packages yet I guess. Matches just happened and became history instantly probably.

Vaguely remember the famous Kumble-Srinath batting partnership

1999 world cup is when I had a proper idea of cricket world and who major cricket teams were then. Sri Lanka was quite huge back then as a cricket nation. We played them so often.

When Jayasuriya hit 189 and in result India got bowled out for 54, it's the first cricket defeat I took to heart as a kid. Me and my 4 friends actually took a vow never to watch cricket lol.

Then one day we got to know that Dravid and Laxman batted through an entire day if test cricket. We broke out view and followed that test match. Seeing India win that test match in the end made me truly understand what cricket meant to us all. Have been a fanatic ever since

Shout out to VVS Laxman for making little kids believe on the spirit of fighting and turn to cricket once again.

Had India lost that test and that series 0-3 the alternate reality would jabe been very different.

Eden Gardens 2001 test match is the greatest cricket match ever played not simply for everything that happened on field but it's sheer impact on a generation and the way they saw Cricket
 
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My father took me to the Natwest Trophy between Pakistan and England live at Lords in 2001. I was just a kid and it was my first experience of watching a match live.

Nothing has ever come close to matching that day. We had a perfect view of the pitch from our seats, a brilliant atmosphere in our stand and it was a nailbiting game which Pakistan won on the very last ball. We laughed and cheered the whole day.

I will cherish the memories of this day for my lifetime and it sparked a love for cricket which has never been extinguished. Thanks, Dad.
 
1996 Singer and Sharjah Cup followed by the 1996 England tour.
 
2011 GS match between Australia and Pakistan.

I was told that the last team to beat the then invincible world-champions in a WC match was Pakistan.

But after that SF loss, I gave up on cricket for about four years. The 2014 Test series against Australia in the UAE sparked my interest again.
 
99 WC semi vs New Zealand.

Everyone was raving on about Fleming and then this happened...

It's the reason I will always have a soft spot for Akhtar the bowler despite his low IQ comments.
 
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The first match I remember is pakistan vs England 96 WC match which I saw at the stadium. Do not remember anything at all except for a kid (funny I say kid because I was 4-5 myself) banging a Pepsi bottle on the seat in front like a maniac.
 
Was a kid and not at all into cricket until Dhoni hit that 183 against Sri Lanka. The next day at school , everyone was talking about him, his hair, his sixes and everything and I was like what the hell are they talking about ? Then I saw my dad watching one of the games against Pakistan in '06 and watched Dhoni and Yuvi chase down a total with ease. I turned in to a huge Dhoni bhakt from that day and never looked back.

Although I dislike him now for dragging on for too long and costing us some big games with his pathetic slow approach. :)
 
1993 ashes - warnes gatting ball, Michael slaters aggressive batting, borders brilliant captaincy.
 
I fell in love with cricket in 90's.

I fell in love with cricket due to Shahid Afridi's batting. He was really good with the bat at that time.

I was supporting Pakistan at that time as Bangladesh didn't have ODI status.
 
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World t20 final in 2009 when Pakistan won vs Sri Lanka was a very happy moment in my life I was briefly following in 2007 bad was heart broken with pak World Cup result exiting first round and than pak losing world t20 final Agaisnt India how ever when they won in 2009 that lit up the flame for the love of the game
 
Your first memories of watching live cricket on TV

What are your first memories of watching live cricket ?

Mine was back in 1996 WC.. Australia vs NZ Group match.. That is the first game i remember.
 
Mine was 1996 worldcup final srilanka vs Australia...although I don't remember that match much as I was child that time...but that was first match after that I started to watch cricket. That match was live on Doordarshan.
 
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1996 WC Pak vs England was the first time I remember watching cricket and I was there at the stadium.

I also remember there india Sri Lanka semi of 1996 where the crowd was burning in protest or sth. But remember nothing about the match.

First time I remember watching cricket on TV was some Pakistan india game where pakistan had 2 (or 3??) centurions and out a big total and india chased it down. This was one of those numerous Sharjah games.
 
dravidthewall said:
Mine was 1996 worldcup final srilanka vs Australia...although I don't remember that match much as I was child that time...but that was first match after that I started to watch cricket. That match was live on Doordarshan.
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India vs Pak in 2000s the match where dhoni had red long hair and his nose was bleading

My first live int match
 
dravidthewall said:
Mine was 1996 worldcup final srilanka vs Australia...although I don't remember that match much as I was child that time...but that was first match after that I started to watch cricket. That match was live on Doordarshan.
Click to expand...

OMG Doordarshan.. ha ha .. I remember the picture quality.. But it was good coverage.
 
[MENTION=143709]dravidthewall[/MENTION] quoted by mistake
 
1999 Pepsi cup in India. I was 12 and only payed basketball with Arab kids in Saudi Arabia. That tournament changed my life forever.
 
Slog said:
1996 WC Pak vs England was the first time I remember watching cricket and I was there at the stadium.

I also remember there india Sri Lanka semi of 1996 where the crowd was burning in protest or sth. But remember nothing about the match.

First time I remember watching cricket on TV was some Pakistan india game where pakistan had 2 (or 3??) centurions and out a big total and india chased it down. This was one of those numerous Sharjah games.
Click to expand...

2 i think.. The independence cup final in Bangladesh.. Yeah i was in a maths tuition on that evening. Needless to say we all were glued to the TV along with our teacher.
 
Rothmans trophy. Maybe 1982 in Sharjah stadium . The stadium was not even built properly then. There were some vip benches but we were sitting on the ground. Early days. Meet sarfaraz nawaz. He was called the horse (ghora) by all the fans. I can’t remember if he was playing the game or was there just to promote. Also meet asif Iqbal that day. He was an administrator with Sharjah stadium . Don’t remember the game at all. Live TV game I can’t recall which was my first.
 
Watching Asif dismantle India in the tests in Pakistan. Watched that whole series with my granddad. He was explaining certain rules to me as I hadn’t watch much test cricket by then.

And the India/Pak ODI series of the 04/05 season. Miss those times and the brand of cricket we played back then. Used to score 300+ for fun.

But 99 WC was the first one I watched, I still have the kit.
 
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My very first match was the 1999 SF Pakistan vs Australia.

I still remember it. I was 6 yrs old, our family was travelling. My dad and my cousin was hurrying up to reach the house as quickly as possible to watch the match. I remember sitting in my dads lap and watching few overs
 
2002 natwest series final between india and england and that iconic ganguly moment
 
Babar_Azam_fan said:
My very first match was the 1999 SF Pakistan vs Australia.

I still remember it. I was 6 yrs old, our family was travelling. My dad and my cousin was hurrying up to reach the house as quickly as possible to watch the match. I remember sitting in my dads lap and watching few overs
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You mean super sixes? PAK played Australia before semis and in the final in 99.
 
2009-10 Sydney Test when I was 8. The WORST NATCH EVER TO START WITH!! I was sooo crushed!
 
It was during 93-94, when Kapil Dev was during his last legs.
 
hoshiarpurexpress said:
Was that Hero or Titan cup? I have seen those in highlights.
Click to expand...

I don't remember. I just remember that Kapil Dev was my brother's hero, and by default he was my hero as well. I remember coming back from school and turning the TV on to check whether any cricket was going on. But that was just for a very short period. Sachin took over as my hero immediately after that.
 
2003 WC game of Pak vs Aus. What a heartbreak it was for me as a kid. It also established that invincibilty aura of that great Aussie team which lasts even till today. I still get shocked to see Australia lose any series due to nostalgia.:gilly
 
1978/79 India Pakistan test series

I was a young kid but my uncles were glued to the black n white TV.

Gawaskar, Vishwanath, Amarnath and Kapil vs Imran, Majid, Javed and Zaheer Abbas.
Man! Those were the days.

What a memorable series was that.

Absolute great rivalry between two champion teams.


Intl Cricket wasn’t telecasted 24/7 like these days. Cricket was scarce and and hence there was a frenzy of interest in fans. The entire country used to be either listening to the commentary on radio or watch the games on tv.

Indian team arrived in Peshawar for an exhibition match.
There were some acquaintances in the board and I was able to participate in a pvt lunch party with both teams.

Besides a good introduction to all, I had a few words with Gawaskar, he was friendly and nice. Asked my name and if I played cricket?

I never gave up on cricket after that.
 
Colorblind Genius said:
1978/79 India Pakistan test series

I was a young kid but my uncles were glued to the black n white TV.

Gawaskar, Vishwanath, Amarnath and Kapil vs Imran, Majid, Javed and Zaheer Abbas.
Man! Those were the days.

What a memorable series was that.

Absolute great rivalry between two champion teams.


Intl Cricket wasn’t telecasted 24/7 like these days. Cricket was scarce and and hence there was a frenzy of interest in fans. The entire country used to be either listening to the commentary on radio or watch the games on tv.

Indian team arrived in Peshawar for an exhibition match.
There were some acquaintances in the board and I was able to participate in a pvt lunch party with both teams.

Besides a good introduction to all, I had a few words with Gawaskar, he was friendly and nice. Asked my name and if I played cricket?

I never gave up on cricket after that.
Click to expand...

You're lucky, bro!
 
2009 t20 world cup semi final. Afridi turned up and drove pakistan home. That was so special I became the biggest Lala fan.
 
hoshiarpurexpress said:
ah yes i remember that match for his blow kisses to Kallis... lol. Afridi dominated both semi finals and finals i think.
Click to expand...

Yah he did back to back 50s. I also remember Umar Gul bowling really well that tournament. I think Dilshan was on fire too the whole tournament but got dismissed early in the final.
 
The first match I clearly remember watching was the 1st ODI between India vs England in 2008. Yuvraj Singh scored 138 in just 70 balls, and in the very next match, he scored another hundred and was rooting for him for the hat-trick one - he started well, but got out at 39. India won all the matches with 5-0 (it was scheduled to be 7-match series, but got reduced due to Mumbai attacks). England later arrived to play tests and of course, we all remember that famous 380+ chase with Sehwag's 83 and Sachin's 100 in the second test to sweep the series 2-0.

It was a great start for me as an Indian fan. So many memories since then with India becoming no.1 in tests in 2009 after a long time. There used to be a plethora of India-Sri Lanka matches during that period. My favorite match between these two sides was that one where India scored 414 and Sri Lanka were favorites to win until the last few overs, only to lose the match by 3 runs in the end.
 
King Kong said:
The first match I clearly remember watching was the 1st ODI between India vs England in 2008. Yuvraj Singh scored 138 in just 70 balls, and in the very next match, he scored another hundred and was rooting for him for the hat-trick one - he started well, but got out at 39. India won all the matches with 5-0 (it was scheduled to be 7-match series, but got reduced due to Mumbai attacks). England later arrived to play tests and of course, we all remember that famous 380+ chase with Sehwag's 83 and Sachin's 100 in the second test to sweep the series 2-0.

It was a great start for me as an Indian fan. So many memories since then with India becoming no.1 in tests in 2009 after a long time. There used to be a plethora of India-Sri Lanka matches during that period. My favorite match between these two sides was that one where India scored 414 and Sri Lanka were favorites to win until the last few overs, only to lose the match by 3 runs in the end.
Click to expand...

That was in GOA if i Remember well.. the new stadium and what a way to start. I remember In that match or the series Dhoni and Raina took 3 runs off ball going just a few yards away from Prior.. the wicket keeper.
 
I started watching cricket during 1996 World cup as a kid and continued to follow it up until 2004. After that I lost interest and hardly watched any cricket till 2012. I now regret the fact that I missed so many good Ind-Pak test matches during 2004-2008 period. But due to studies and other priorites cricket took a backseat at that time. Since 2012 after I got some stability in life, I am a regular follower :)
 
England v Pakistan 1987 series in the UK with a fast young Wasim Akram, the wizadry of Abdul Qadir, great batting by Javed Miandad, Salim Malik and Muddasser Nazar. Special moments such as the match winning bowling of Imran, the wickets of Qadir and the 260 by Javed at the Oval. (not so good moments were the crowd trouble during the odis). Pak's first series win in England and my first full series I watched.

Interest increased with the 1987 WC, Mike Gatting Shakoor Rana, the Windies in 1988, Ashes in 1989 and offcourse the 1992 WC and England Pak test series.
 
2009 WT20 semi final sparked my interest and the final win made me fall in love.
 
The one player that really got my interest was Waqar Younis live on tv in the England tour just shattering wickets, toe crushers and all. Fast lethal inswinging yorkers near100mph which England had no answer in 1992 (apart from making excuses). England kept getting Waqar-ed Never seen exciting fast bowling as that since especially with Wasim Akram at the other end. (What a bowling attack with Mushy and Aaqib as well).
 
Pak vs England 1992, growing up in England and being a kid at that time I was actually rooting for England as I had no knowledge of cricket or even pak back then, but as my parents got happier and happier the closer Pakistan came to winning I changed my allegiance and my love for Pakistan stemmed from their.
 
Although I started watching cricket during the 1999 WC - my interest really got kicked off after the 2004 Samsung Series particularly the first game where we almost chased 349!

What an epic game it was !!
 
WC 2003, Australian side in prime, young brett lee bowling 150+ and Ind vs Pak match.

Ind vs Pak in 2004 was a catalyst for me.
 
msb314 said:
Although I started watching cricket during the 1999 WC - my interest really got kicked off after the 2004 Samsung Series particularly the first game where we almost chased 349!

What an epic game it was !!
Click to expand...

Rana wasted balls and moin couldn't hit 6 off the last ball. I almost fainted, my parents stopped me watching rest if the series.
 
Not any one game it particular, I think it was a gradual growth which turned into passion. Partial spark was ignited by WC 99 with everyone around watching thus grabbing my attention as well, Shoaib Akhtar's test spells around 2003 and Mohammad Asif's in 2006. Post 2009 World T20 there was no looking back.

Though I think loving some of the test matches in 2000s gave an indication of upto what level the interest would go as many people like watching ICC tournaments but, liking the tests I guess was defining moment of me becoming a purist vs a casual fan who sometimes watches cricket.
 
Pakistan vs England 1996 World Cup. England were 167/0 then collapsed and Pakistan cantered home.

Then watched England test series that same English summer, I remember a magnificent 147 or so from inzimam.
 
Maliq_Mudasir said:
Rana wasted balls and moin couldn't hit 6 off the last ball. I almost fainted, my parents stopped me watching rest if the series.
Click to expand...

Yeah I remember - after Inzy's wicket we started to lose momentum.

Afridi and Razzaq both flopped which obviously didn't help and Moin had a complete stinker with the bat.

As far as I remember - that series was the last time Moin played for Pakistan. Kamran Akmal started keeping wicket after that..
 
Not one particular game, but the Sharjah Cups in the late 90’s sparked my interest in the game.
 
Mamoon said:
Not one particular game, but the Sharjah Cups in the late 90’s sparked my interest in the game.
Click to expand...

Did you watch them with your father, uncles etc at the time and were you trolling them too?

Jokes aside it was a good time to be a Pakistani fan growing up.
 
Hero Cup Semi Final - India beat South Africa in the last over

South Africa choked badly in the last over ( a sign of the things to come :P )
 
Nadeemp said:
Rothmans trophy. Maybe 1982 in Sharjah stadium . The stadium was not even built properly then. There were some vip benches but we were sitting on the ground. Early days. Meet sarfaraz nawaz. He was called the horse (ghora) by all the fans. I can’t remember if he was playing the game or was there just to promote. Also meet asif Iqbal that day. He was an administrator with Sharjah stadium . Don’t remember the game at all. Live TV game I can’t recall which was my first.
Click to expand...

I remember it all.. he was called chora because they way he ran, he would drag his feet along the pitch and leave a whirlwind of dust behind him. Haha

We are showing our age. I think it was Sharjah’s
Six by Miandad that really got me hooked as a cricket fan.
I was always a fan before that but that win over india started an era of dominance and produced some really enthralling talent for us culminating in the World Cup win in 92.
 
Nadeemp said:
I was there with my dad. Best game i have ever been too. My dads friend had a heart attack when he got home from the game.
Click to expand...

that match had me praying lol..heart was going crazy. I felt after that game everything changed for Pakistan. we got massive belief and then it just went from there.

i was hooked after that. wanted to be miandad..etc..
 
DeadBall said:
Did you watch them with your father, uncles etc at the time and were you trolling them too?

Jokes aside it was a good time to be a Pakistani fan growing up.
Click to expand...

Apart from my late grandfather, no one in my family loves cricket.

My grandfather was interesting. If Pakistan were 150/1, he would be angry that they lost a wicket.

If the opposition were 50/5, he would be angry that they conceded 50 runs.

I have never seen him enjoy a Pakistan cricket match. He was always angry and managed to find something to criticize.

These days I have to watch cricket alone, and that is when I miss his presence the most.
 
1996 Wc Aus vs Windies.. (my first intl
match)

1996 Titan cup - India va Aus(Kumble and Srinath special, their mothers were there too i think)

1996- Titan cup final - India vs Sa.
 
Mamoon said:
My grandfather was interesting. If Pakistan were 150/1, he would be angry that they lost a wicket.

If the opposition were 50/5, he would be angry that they conceded 50 runs.

I have never seen him enjoy a Pakistan cricket match. He was always angry and managed to find something to criticize.

.
Click to expand...

Lmao ... that explains a lot!
 
India's tour of South Africa 2006-07 (ODI series)...

We were losing pretty much every game (think we lost the series 4-0) but still watched it too see a young long haired Dhoni smashing a few sixes....

After that, saw a few games here and there but not that seriously. And then my man Misbah played that shot and I never looked back... :misbah
 
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