This is such a great surprise. One of my all-time heroes Jonty Rhodes is coming to Israel in July to play some cricket as part of Israel’s 60th celebration, and he will be on a special Invitation XI team. Now if the Israel Cricket Association were really smart, they would create some buzz before Rhodes even gets here, and try get him on the local TV sports shows when he arrives. He’s a huge name in world sport and anyone of this stature coming to Israel could, if handled properly, inspire some kids to take up the game. Jonty was a boyhood hero of mine and inspired me to play harder, try harder, while also having fun during a game.

For those of you who have never heard of him, here’s a quick line from a Cricinfo bio of Jonty:

“Rhodes worked harder than anyone else in a team of hard workers, frequently delaying the team bus at the end of practice for one more round of reflex catches hit from ten metres or less. Nobody has ever fielded better in the key one-day position of backward point, where he leapt like a salmon, threw off balance, and stopped singles by reputation alone.”

Thanks to Steven Shein for the early heads-up:

Jonty Rhodes, the former South Africa player, will be the top draw in a unique Israel team – including a collection of Jewish cricketers from South Africa, Australia, Ireland and India – that will take on an India A squad to mark the 60th anniversary of Israel’s founding. Continue reading →