Cricket lovers will get more familiar with Stumpy, the mascot as the World Cup rolls on. For those, who don't know much about Stumpy, it's the elephant who has the below characteristics according to tournament organisers International Cricket Council
Cricket lovers will get more familiar with Stumpy, the mascot as the World Cup rolls on. For those, who don't know much about Stumpy, it's the elephant who has the below characteristics according to tournament organisers International Cricket Council: "Young, enthusiastic and determined; thinks cricket is the most fun game in the world; loves playing street cricketu00a0-- would play 24/7 if he could; worships cricket heroes, their technique, skill and character etc."
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| Former Australian opening batsman Bruce Laird was nicknamed Stumpy for his nature and stature.
Pic/Getty Images |
However, Stumpy is not cricket's first personality. Australian cricket followers will know about Bruce Laird, the gutsy opener, nicknamed Stumpy.
Historian Gideon Haigh writes in Cricinfo: "Bruce Laird was 'stumpy' by stature, nature and nickname. He was a brave and correct opener who, because of two years with World Series Cricket, did not make his Test debut until he was nearly 30.
With West Indies in the prime of their ascendancy, and protective equipment still rudimentary, it was not a great time to be facing the new ball, but Laird distinguished himself with 92 in his first inningsu00a0-- as near as he would get to a centuryu00a0-- and was Australia's most successful batsman in that 1979-80 series. Later, he played in the Centenary Test at Lord's."
Probably, Laird's finest innings was the 122 he scored out of WSC Australia's 246u00a0 at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad, 1979. The gutsy effort impressed West Indies opener Roy Fredericks who said to Australia's wicketkeeper Rod Marsh at the close of play: "Tell Stumpy, I wish I'd played that innings."
