The most selfless cricketers’ XI of all time

There is a reason that Cricket is called a gentlemen’s game. You play hard, you play to win but you play fair. Over the 150 years that cricket has been played, there have been some wonderful moments showcasing why cricket is a gentlemen’s game.

We live in a generation driven by stats, where every run scored, wicket taken goes a long way in judging an individual rather than his impact on the game and how he mixes it into a team. Cricket is also plagued by sledging, match-fixing, spot-fixing.

But there are a few cricketers who have always played the game with the utmost dignity and put the team ahead of themselves.

Here we look at the most selfless XI of the all-time:

1. Graeme Smith

Some moments of bravery are always remembered by the fans across the world. One of those moments was when Graeme Smith walked out to bat against Australia in Sydney with a broken left hand and a right hand numb with injections.

Only Smith will know the pain he suffered in facing those 17 balls. Even though South Africa had already won the series, Smith’s bravery showed the steel he possessed in him as a cricketer.

He eventually got out to Mitchell Johnson and wasn’t able to pull out a draw for his team but his effort certainly will be remembered more even if it went in a losing cause. It was an act of absolute bravery and selflessness.