History of Cricket In Israel!!!!!

Azad_Munna · May 22, 2001, 8:28pm

Cricket History - Israel

A brief history of cricket in Israel

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Naturally enough cricket was introduced to the Middle East by the British. During the pre-state Mandate era, there were pitches in Jerusalem, Haifa, and the Tel-Hashomer army camp where British and Australian military personnel and members of the Anglo Saxon Mandatory civil service regularly partook of the game’s subtle pleasures.

The British left in 1948. Their local successors somehow managed to keep the game going in the fledgling State, though little is documented. The first All Israeli match took place in 1956 in Tel-Hashomer, between teams representing Tel-Aviv and the Negev desert town Be’er Sheva. This game is notable chiefly for the fact that the Be’er Sheva side comprised Ben Abrahams and his seven sons, plus three others. Bombay born Abrahams was to become the doyen of the local game, playing and umpiring up to his death in 1974 at the age of 71. The Ben Abrahams Memorial Cup remains an important fixture in the local cricket calendar.

In 1958, an unofficial tripartite cricket tournament between players representing England, South Africa, and Israel was held at the old Haifa Oil Refineries ground in the framework of the Maccabi Games ( The Jewish Olympics). Local cricket struggled through the ensuing years, despite economic austerity and the draining influence of compulsory military service. By the mid sixties the game was in danger of disappearing altogether, but an influx of cricket playing Jewish immigrants from countries such as Britain, South Africa, Australia, India, and Pakistan revived it’s fortunes. Clubs sprung up wherever the immigrants settled and in 1966 the first national league was established, with ten clubs from as far apart as the Galilee, Haifa, Be’er Sheva and Ashdod. This league eventually led to the foundation of the Israel Cricket Association (ICA) in 1968. The ICA celebrates it’s 30th anniversary this year.

Contacts with overseas clubs has proved vital to the game’s progress. The first touring side to Israel was the Bournemouth Cricket Club in 1968, led by the late test player Ken Barrington. Mowbray CC toured Israel the following year. A South African Maccabi Representative XI played in Israel in 1971, and Harrow CC toured in 1972. The 1972 Maccabi Games featured the first international cricket tournament to be held in Israel, with strong teams coming from Australia, South Africa (captained by Dennis Gamsy) and the USA. Cricket is now a regular feature in the quadrennial Games.

The Israeli national team meanwhile also spread it’s wings, with tours of England and Ireland in 1970 and 1974. Israel participated in the 1975 Datsun Wicket Competition in Johannesburg, alongside the Australian Chappel brothers, Tony Greig of England, Glen Turner of New Zealand, and Barlow and Pollock of South Africa.

On July 23rd, 1974, Israel was accepted as an Associate Member of the International Cricket Conference, now known as the International Cricket Council, with Pakistan the only cricket nation voting against our membership. Israeli cricket came of age in May 1979, when Israel was one of the 15 participants in the inaugural ICC Associate Members’ trophy held in Birmingham as a prelude to the Prudential World Cup. The tour was an unqualified success in every sense. While competition results were not special, performances against strong opposition were most credible and several friendly matches against Midland club sides, on village greens or industrial town club grounds, reflected how much Israeli cricket was improving. Since then, Israel has participated in all of the five ICC Trophy tournaments.

Information source: Israel Cricket Association

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agal:

[This message has been edited by Azad Munna (edited May 22, 2001).]

ehsan · May 22, 2001, 11:05pm

If Israel was to qualify for the world cup and is then in the same group as Pakistan, will Pakistan play the match or forfeit it. Should we play them?

My view is that if they were to meet us in a tournament, we should play them and make sure we beat the hell out of them. That will be one way to deflate their over inflated ego.

khan_sahib · May 23, 2001, 12:36am

I wish Indians learn this as well. I mean it's only a game if they are worried to loose then they are not going to loose Kashmir.

FYI · May 25, 2001, 5:28pm

Ehsan,

It wont be hard to beat the Isarelis even after they have improved & played for sometime.

No matter what they believe ,Islam has taught us that all humans are equal & caspable .
But Israelis are ‘nerds’ they talk law,science,history ,& stolen lost relics scrolls .as if eveythuing is in there.No wonder israerlis ,even in there favourite sports like Soccer,are no match for smallerteams like Yemen UAE or kwaiti Saudi .

Atheletically,i have not found my jew(isareli ) collegues gifted!Moreover they hide there short stature,behind lab coat & lawyers desk ,consciouis of there physical unimpressiveness spl when they come from Europe & contrast them with Scandinevian german& Ausrtian non jews.

Khan Sahib,

Indians despite having a large pool of talent to draw its team from,are psychologically intimidated by Pakistan in Cricket.They complainthat Pakistan play cricket like war & most of thses players coming from non martial brahmin & other caste not accustomed to play under stress.
That is the reason why India much rather not play even when they have as good a team they ever have.
Because of Lashmir ,& hostility, every body ion India goes bonkers when pakistan plays & usually wins even with the best indian players,

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