Football World Cup & Cricket

Football World Cup & Cricket

With the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’ in full swing, how about bringing the ‘Most Eccentric Game on Earth’ in the picture?

Only one man has played in both the world cup of football as well as in the world cup of cricket. His name? Sir Vivian Isaac Richards. The great batter’s exploits need no repetition to cricket followers. His football career was a world cup qualifier for Antigua in 1972 against Trinidad.

He actually represented his nation first in football (1972) and only later the West Indies Federation at cricket. Please note Richards made his Test debut in 1974 and his first cricket world cup match was in 1975.

Another man with remarkable similarity is Willie Watson of England. He represented England (altogether 4 appearances) in a football World Cup qualifier match against Ireland again in a qualifier in 1949 for the football world cup held in Brazil in 1950.

Willie Watson was an outstanding batter for England in the 1950s. His international cricket debut was in 1953. At the time there was of course no cricket world cup. Watson too represented England at football (1949) before cricket (1953).

But one first-class cricketer stands supreme in relation to football world cup. He is Geoff Hurst of England. In 1966 he helped England to win the football world cup. In a highly controversial final against the might of Germany, Hurst actually scored a hat-trick. The only man to do so in a world cup final. He was knighted for his magnificent effort.

His outstanding achievement in football completely overshadowed the fact that he was a first-class cricketer as well. He played just a single match for Essex against Lancashire in the county championship in 1962, but soon enough realized that he would prefer to kick a ball rather than to handle it!

Here too in cricket Hurst left behind an unenviable statistic. He is probably the only first-class cricketer to have played just one match and scored 0* and 0 in two innings, did not bowl but took a catch. To end a first-class career with no runs and no wickets is indeed unbelievable. Yes, he played just one match!

There are of course a few other cricket and football double internationals. CB Fry, Denis Compton and Arthur Milton (all England) come readily to mind. These sportsmen are at a rarefied level all by themselves. They have utilized their God-gifted abilities with intelligence and devotion.

They never craved for wealth or for political influence or for cheap publicity. They never degraded themselves with any aura of showmanship or petty mercenary issues or political flattery. They never spent time and money to become media-created heroes.

 In contrast they highlighted the ideal of the genteel approach of genuine sportspeople. They served their sporting disciplines with honour just as they served their countries and provinces. They were the genuine ambassadors of sports.