If India is playing well, one doesn’t get up from their seat – even to go to the bathroom. If one gets up and a wicket of the opposite team falls, one must remain standing. This is how it was in my and countless homes when the family watched cricket together. Anand Mahindra decided to adopt his own unique good luck charm. But it isn't just spectators who have these strange quirks. Cricketers – and some umpires – are also known to be very superstitious. My father had told me that between balls, Krishnamachari Srikanth would hum the old song, Bridge over Troubled Waters to calm himself down while batting. I don’t know if that was true, there are other well-known ones:
Mahindra seemed convinced that those sunglasses had something to do with Patel’s stellar bowling and the series outcome. He decided that he would use those glasses to watch the match – for good luck.
Steve Waugh had a close relationship with a red kerchief from his grandmother that he carried in his pocket for luck. Zaheer Khan similarly would carry a lucky yellow one for big matches.
We all know about Tendulkar and the no 10 jersey. And then there is Dhoni with no 7 because he was born on 7th of July and because it brings him good luck. Yuvraj Singh also likes wearing the 12 number jersey because that is his birthday.
Sachin always wore his left pad first. Dale Steyn would step on the ground with his left foot first. Brett Lee would put on his left shoe first.
Many cricketers would look up at the sky when coming in to bat or when scoring a significant number of runs. This is for a range of reasons: to seek the blessings of god, remember a departed family member, or simply to get used to the glare of the sun/flood lights.
Mahela Jayawardene would kiss his bat frequently through his innings. Lasith Malinga would also kiss the ball before delivering it.
I remember watching this on TV with great amusement: it was umpire David Shepherd, who looked very much like a clean-shaven Santa to me would do this. When the score reached a Nelson – 111 runs, he would do this little hopping dance kind of move. He was very superstitious about that.
When he went out to bat, the toilet seat would have to be down, all the lights had to be on in the dressing room and he would tap his bat on the ceiling before going out. He also had a thing about not stepping on the white lines of the pitch. In cricket, a game where players are known to have lots of superstitious and quirky habits, this guy is remembered as something of a champion.
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