A 'Gentlemen' XI of currently active cricketers
Sports bring out the best of competitive spirit in individuals besides being a huge source of entertainment to people all across the globe. Cricket is one such sport whose popularity and fan base has always been increasing.
Though it incepted in the late 16th century, it gained popularity in the 17th century when the English aristocrats started playing it. They behested that the game would be played in a "gentlemanly manner", which meant ideally there shouldn't have been any sledging, cheating, body-line bowling, excessive appealing, temper tantrums etc. If the batsman knew he was out he should walk even if the umpire deemed it to be the otherwise.
For the majority of the time since then, it was played in a gentlemanly manner, however in recent times with the advent of T20 cricket and the high-pressure environments, players nowadays often cross the line. Despite that, there have been some cricketers who have set examples for future generations to follow in terms of on-field behavior.
So, let us have a look at eleven current players who have been following the footsteps of those greats and playing the game in a gentlemanly manner.
#1 Hashim Amla
The elegant Proteas opener is one of the very few who always holds the spirit of the game in highest regards. Besides that, he has been a synonym of consistency along with Virat Kohli in the world cricket over the years.
Much like the former Australian great, Adam Gilchrist, Hashim Amla is known for his honesty and integrity on and off the field. There have been many instances where he walked off the field without waiting for the umpire's decision when he knew he was out. Amla always believes in letting his bat do all the talking whenever he comes across any verbal spats from the opposition players.
The 35-year-old South African great has thus far played 122 Tests, 169 ODIs and 44 T20Is, scoring 9231, 7696 and 1277 runs at averages of 47.33, 49.65 and 33.60 respectively. He also has 54 tons and 85 fifties to his name.