Who is the Father of Cricket?

The evolution of cricket from a street sport to an international sport is an interesting topic to know and learn about. However, knowing about the people behind this is even more intriguing. Cricket was first played in England and later went to countries like South Africa, New Zealand, and India. The commercialization of the sport led to the invention of various tournaments and leagues. Also, the evolution of the shortest format of the game to give more entertainment to the fans.

Moreover, whenever we talk about the game, one name instantly clicks our mind: William Gilbert Grace. He was an incredible player of his time, scoring tons of runs in first-class cricket since other formats and tournaments didn’t exist at that time. For a magnificent career, W.G Grace is also known as the ‘Father of Cricket.’ In this article, we will talk about who he is and how he inspired the world to play the sport.

Father of Cricket: William Gilbert Grace

William Gilbert Grace was commonly known as W.G in his career. He was born on July 18, 1848, Downend, Bristol, and died on October 23, 1915, Mottingham, Kent, at the age of 67. He had an extraordinary career in Tests and first-class cricket when it comes to stats. The right-handed batter played cricket for four decades, scoring thousands of runs throughout his career.

He played 22 Test matches for England and scored 1098 runs. However, he played 870 first-class games and has scored 54211 runs at an average of 39.45. The player was just outstanding with the bat, scoring runs against the lethal bowlers of his time.

Not only batting, the player was a prolific bowler as well, taking 2809 wickets at an average of 18.14 in first-class cricket. WG changed the way cricket was viewed at that time. A lot of credit goes to the player for evolving the game at that time. His shot selection, technique and strategy were commendable. The people who have seen him bat know his worth. Even after four decades of his death, the world is still aware of his accolades in the game.

He has played for many teams like England, Gloucestershire, and various other teams. He inspired a lot of players with the way he batted and maintained his consistency by scoring runs. Not to forget, the bowling technique as well. These are a few of the reasons why he is known as the Father of Cricket. W.G was not only a great all-rounder, but a fantastic athlete as well.

Who is the father of cricket in India?

The father of Indian cricket is Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji Jadeja, also known as Ranji. The famous Ranji trophy domestic tournament is named after him. He was one of the best batters and was way ahead of his time. He was born in 1872 in Sadodar, a village in Nawanagar. He was introduced to the game of cricket when he was just ten years old. His name is etched in the history of Indian cricket for the kind of sportsmanship he showed in his career. After moving to England for his studies, he pursued cricket and the rest is history. His batting prowess forced many people to not only watch the sport but play it as well.

Who is the father of Pakistan cricket?

For Pakistan, the father of cricket is Abdul Hafeez Kardar. Interestingly, he played for India in 1946, before the partition. He was a brilliant cricketer and was also the first captain of Pakistan. He played in 26 Test matches for Pakistan and scored 927 runs, and claimed 21 wickets. One of his records includes winning Test series against all Test-playing nations at that time, excluding South Africa. Kardar was not only a great player but also a brilliant leader, who led the team to victory on several occasions. Hence, he is regarded as the father of Pakistan cricket.