Any laws or rules do not cover sportsmanship under the ICC’s rules. It varies and is different for each person. Sportsmanship relates to principles that a cricketer has been taught when they were young children. Cricket is a game known for its intricate rules. To master these skills, years of effort and dedication are required. Nevertheless, a few fun elements fall outside the coaching manual’s purview. Sportsmanship is one of these elements in the game of cricket.
Since the game’s inception, cricket players and teams have demonstrated numerous examples of sportsmanship, regardless of how solemn the circumstance or significant the occasion is.
Let’s look at the top five examples of sportsmanship in cricket from various formats in that vein.
2005 Ashes, Andrew Flintoff vs Australia
One of the most evenly contested Test series ever played was the 2005 Ashes. Despite the fierce conflicts on the field, a few particular instances drew everyone’s attention. One such occasion was the gesture made by England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to a distraught Brett Lee. As the home team began to rejoice, Flintoff came over to Lee and comforted him. He even thanked him for his tenacity, which nearly propelled the Australians beyond the finish line.
2019 World Cup, Kane Williamson vs England
In the extra over at Lord’s, a boundary-count regulation caused New Zealand to lose the World Cup championship. They suffered their second straight loss in a World Cup final. Captain Williamson, though, handled the setback with grace. He stood in for a group of cricketers who had competed fairly while playing hard.
Williamson became the tournament’s unsung hero. Newspapers did focus on England’s first World Cup victory, but they also praised the Kiwi captain’s sportsmanship.
2003 World Cup, Adam Gilchrist vs Sri Lanka
Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist bats aggressively yet exudes composure off the field. Gilchrist attempted to sweep a full delivery off Aravinda de Silva, but he ultimately edged the ball to goalkeeper Kumar Sangakkara. To their surprise, Umpire Rudi Koertzen rejected their appeal. Gilchrist took a unique position as the Sri Lankan players bemoaned the umpire’s error. Gilchrist began to move toward the pavilion despite the umpire’s call of not-out. Later, he received praise for acting with a class on one of the biggest stages in international cricket.
2019 World Cup, Virat Kohli vs Australia
Virat Kohli, the captain of India, keeps playing the same way. However, he addressed a part of the Indian crowd booing Australian Steven Smith, which caught everyone’s attention. At the Oval, during an India vs Australia World Cup match, Kohli heard anti-Smith chants from a part of the audience. After the over, Kohli motioned for the audience to clap and not criticise the player for previous errors.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) recognised Kohli’s sincere efforts by awarding the Indian captain the “Spirit of Cricket” trophy.
2018 One-off Test, Ajinkya Rahane vs Afghanistan
2018 Bengaluru Test against Afghanistan, stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane exhibited outstanding leadership qualities and a mesmerising gesture. The entire cricket community praised Afghanistan for their first-ever Test victory. In the post-match felicitation ceremony, the Indian team shared the frame with the ‘Afghan warriors’ to recognise their rival team’s efforts.