Cricket labelled as a ‘gentleman’s game’ has witnessed diverse changes through the many decades it has been flourishing. A bid to count the number of legends who have adorned the game would be a crime and the outcome disrespect to a few. Initially brought to the masses in the early 17th century, the game has blossomed over time while providing unmatched entertainment.
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Test cricket and ODI cricket had been the caption to cricket for a long time, and change was due in the 21st century. The T20 format came as a blessing for cricket, giving birth to competitive cricket in countries which had never set foot on the big stage.
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Apart from the nail-biting action, cricket is no stranger to on-field altercations leading to age-old rivalries which have added extra bouts of excitement to the game. While, it is obvious, that India vs Pakistan and the Ashes Series are two of the most famous long-standing rivalries in cricket, players have often found themselves in mini quarrels within themselves which have in turn propelled players to perform better.
Popular all around the globe, cricket has often hit the big screens. Movies and documentaries have been produced that feature some famous cricketers and their biopics apart from incidents on the cricket field that have taken the world by storm. Here we try to see some of the best cricket documentaries that have given cricket a face-lift.
Out of the Ashes (2015)
Out of the Ashes, is a wonderfully scripted documentary that captures the rise of Afghanistan cricket. Produced by Sam Mendes, the documentary accounts for the warn-torn country’s two-year battle to qualify for the World Cup in 2008 and subsequently the 2010 T20 World Cup in West Indies.
The film features the ups and downs faced by the players, who chose cricket as their way of life but were soon exposed to the hardships involved to reach the highest level. Lack of facilities and equipment hurts the team, but the men remain focused on the task at hand.
Oblivious to the world outside, Afghanistan, the sudden gasps and shy smiles from the men upon some new witnessing new things lightens up the mood of the documentary amidst serious speeches delivered by each player, each of who hope that one day their country would become famous for their cricket.
A stunning documentary which perfectly captures Afghanistan's rise from rags to riches in their cricketing journey.
Death of a Gentleman (2015)
The brainchild of four men Sam Collins, Jarrod Kimber, Christopher Hird and Johhny Blank, the documentary brings out a shocking account on the wrongdoings of the strong cricket boards such as the ECB, BCCI and CA at that time. With the power to exercise control over the associate nations under their grasp, the movie brings to light the advantage taken by the three boards over these nations for their own independent financial gain.
The story initially starts with the filmmakers looking for a solution towards test cricket’s decline but what reveals itself is shocking. The documentary exposes IPL's might, and how BCCI are the biggest winners from the league while CA and ECB take away few of the riches from BCCI. Throughout the narrative, the filmmakers approach various cricketers who pitch in their views on the same topic in either disagreement or complete agreement.
The feature film goes on to show what power can do to a team, let alone a single person and for the efforts put in the making of this film, the documentary won the ‘Television Sports Documentary of the Year’ in the Sports Journalist’s Award, London 2016.
Bodyline- It’s just not cricket! (2002)
Arguably one of the most intriguing incidents in cricket, the Bodyline incident involving Australia and England in 1932/33 was brought to the viewers through this feature film in 2002. Also known as the ‘Leg Theory’, this particular moment is regarded as one of the most controversial moment in the Australia-England rivalry.
Used by the touring England team led by Douglas Jardine, it was a defines the method employed to restrict the Australian batsmen from scoring freely mainly Don Bradman, by bowling short balls either on the leg stump line or on the body. In a bid to score, batsmen would get hit quite often and often led to ugly scenes on the pitch. The move not only enraged the batsmen, the management though, didn’t take any action, which deepened the Australia-England rivalry after the Ashes.
The documentary not only has an in-depth analysis of the whole saga but conversations with family members of the players who were involved in it. The film also shows how the ideology was implemented, how it was received and what effect it had on the players themselves. Apart from family members, social workers and cricket historians have also pitched in with their thoughts on the scandal. The icing on the cake in this documentary is the highlights package of the three test matches which represents how the whole episode unfolded.
Fire in Babylon (2010)
The West Indian cricket teams over generations have always been competitive and destructive, giving their opposition a serious run for their money. Fire in Babylon is a book-inspired documentary which sketches the dominance and rise of the great West Indian team of the 1970’s and 80s. Such was the valor of the West Indies team in the late 20th century, that they remained unbeaten throughout 15 test series they featured in.
Yester-year West Indian stars Michael Holding, Viv Richards, Colin Croft, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and Clive Lloyd have all lent their voices to the film, talks about their route to greatness, fighting through odds and racism to ultimately get their names written in history.
The movie goes on to show the bonding that took place within the West Indies camp. A batch of tall, dangerous bowlers complemented by equally marauding batsmen led by a good leader was the key which always spelled success for the men from the Caribbean. Through this documentary, the way the men played their cricket and gelled together as one unit, proving to the world that they mean serious business has been brought out stunningly well.
Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (2012)
This documentary created serious flutters amongst the public when it was first brought to the masses in 2012. Set in the 1970s, it is based on the famous World Series Cricket initiated by media tycoon Kerry Packer.
Denied broadcasting rights to a game in Australia, Kerry Packer came up with the World Series Cricket in order to extract revenge. Handpicking some of the best players, Kerry formed his own legend-filled Australian team that would compete in a tournament, which would later go on to revolutionise the whole cricket world with the new format it followed.
Based centrally on the book titled ‘Cricket War’, Howzat! gained popularity just a few days after it’s inception. Prominent actors were brought on board to impersonate the characters who were involved in the original series, while the technology drastically improved. The first of it’s kind, Kerry Packer’s War brought in some advancements in cricket. How he achieved that has been showcased in the two episodes of this documentary.
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