Christmas Special: 10 rare photos of cricketers celebrating Christmas

Professional sport can appear to be a tireless endeavour which is why it is essential for sportsmen to take some time off at times and indulge themselves. Just like any other festival, Christmas is celebrated by cricketers with much fun and frolic. Some love to party hard while others try to go easy knowing that they have a match to play soon.In this Christmas special story, we would like to bring to you 10 rare photos of cricketers which show us how they soak in the true Christmas spirit. And we would like to wish a Merry Christmas to all our dear readers!

#1 Even cricketers pray for Santa!

A gift from Santa ahead of a Boxing Day Test match isn’t too bad after all! Though the Australian players might not need a gift from the cricketing gods considering the form that they are in as they are making a mockery of the West Indies at the moment.

The Australians have so far bulldozed the West Indies in the ongoing Test series which has raised questions about the commitment and the potential of the Windes to adapt to the longer version of the game.

#2 Old buddies

Clarke was one of the foremost upcoming batsmen in the Australian team that was enjoying a phenomenal run of form. He would go on to be a highly successful World Cup winning captain though injuries would force him to curtail his career.

Gillespie was one of the formidable quicks in the Aussie outfit those days. The fact that he was the first-change bowler speaks volumes about the strength in their bowling order. Here the pair share a laugh, showcasing the festive spirit.

#3 The Golden Generation

Lehman, Ponting and Lee: the men who moved heaven and earth with their prowess indulge in the festive spirit.

Ponting was one of the finest batsmen of his generation and the builder of that Australian dream team that was considered to be invincible in the early 2000s. Back then, Lee boasted of raw pace and was uprooting batsmen’s stumps for fun.

Lehmann would go on to be the head coach of the Australian team and has had mixed success during his tenure.

#4 Buddies off the field

Shoaib Akhtar and Mathew Hayden might not have been the best of friends on the cricket pitch but here, posing in front of a decked up Christmas tree, the pair show that they aren’t always enemies.

Akhtar back then was breathing fire and considered to be the most unplayable bowler.Hayden was known for his brilliance and consistency. He was initially considered to be a specialist batsman only in Tests, but his incredible form against India forced the Aussie selectors to retain him for the ODIs. It was a decision they did not regret.

#5 Victim of the \'Ball of the century\'

Gatting was a phenomenal player who captained England in 23 Tests between 1986 and 1998, but here he is dressed up as Santa Claus, showing that he isn’t always serious. A Middlesex legend, Gatting was a more than useful all-rounder who always did his bit when required.

His reverse sweep that got him out in the final of the 1987 World Cup is remembered for having fatefully turned the match in the favour of the Aussies. He is also known for the being the recipient of what has been christened as ‘the Gatting Ball’ from Warne.

As Richie Benaud said in commentary, ‘Gatting has absolutely no idea what has happened to him — and he still doesn’t know.’

#6 The angry young men

Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma go out for a stroll to soak in the Christmas spirit. Both Virat Kohli and Ishant Sharma has known to play the sport with an unquenchable aggression and passion. They have been effusively praised by pundits for their talent and discipline at times.

Though the de facto leader of the pace attack because of his statistics, Ishant Sharma has remained a bit of an enigma as he continues to struggle with form and fitness. Kohli has had a torrid time this year and would love to start scoring heavily again.

#7 With the beard slipping away...

Darren Gough dressed up for the occasion but failed to keep his beard from falling. Considered to be “one of the most respected and admired cricketers of our generation", as said by Justin Langer who was his final victim, Gough was a brilliant and no-nonsense bowler who led the English attack for quite some time.

Skiddy pace and late inswing were his greatest weapons as he regularly trapped batsmen lbw or uprooted their stumps. With 58 Test wickets and 159 ODI scalps, he was one of the true English greats.

#8 Time for family

Steve Smith with his girlfriend Danielle Willis in front of a Christmas tree. After a brilliant year with the bat. He has scored 805 ODI runs at an average of 53.66 this year. He was handed over the ODI and subsequently the Test captaincy this year after the retirement of Michael Clarke. Clarke said that he could not have been leaving Australia in better hands.

His girlfriend Danielle Willis has been the true inspiration behind Smith’s success. Willis, who is a law student and former competitive swimmer and water polo player, is known to have also helped Smith in his net sessions.

#9 Praying for a change of fortune?

Suresh Raina has been the mainstay of the lower middle order in ODIs for India for quite some time now. Since Dhoni expressed his desire to move up the batting order to enjoy more time out there in the middle, Raina was being groomed as India’s next limited overs finisher.

But things have not really gone according to plan for him and he has been through a lean patch this year. His rash stroke-play without getting set has been heavily criticised at times. Raina has now been dropped from the ODI team that will tour Australia next year and will be hoping that Santa can provide him with a change of fortune next year.

#10 Smiling Assassin

Adam Gilchrist was the player who redefined batting with his aggressive stroke-play. With the brilliant and fast knocks he played coming in down the order in Tests, he changed the general perception that wicket-keepers need not bat well.

It is absolutely necessary for every team to have a good wicket-keeper batsman these days to get the balance of the team right. He also led the onslaught for the Aussies at the top of the order in ODIs and took advantage of the fielding restrictions beautifully. But here he is, with his family, soaking in the festive spirit.