Playing 11 of cricketers born on December 6 ft. Jasprit Bumrah, Ravindra Jadeja
December has always been a busy month as far as cricket is concerned, with a large number of the major cricket-playing nations battling against each other ahead of the festive period. This year is no different with the South Africa-India and Australia-Pakistan Test series beckoning.
Apart from the packed cricketing schedule, December also holds a particular date, when several cricketers share their birthdays. The unique date - December 6 - is an extraordinary day and has the distinction of being the birthday of many cricketers, past and present.
So, let's celebrate this special date by assembling a dream team, a "Playing 11" composed entirely of cricketers born on December 6.
Openers: Nasir Jamshed and Karun Nair
Nasir Jamshed and Karun Nair will be the two designated openers of this imaginary team. Neither of the two set the international stage on fire for a prolonged period but scored a bucket load of runs in the domestic circuit.
Jamshed made his international debut in 2008 and played a total of 68 games for Pakistan. He scored 1,832 runs across the three formats and got all three of his ODI hundreds against India. He has turned 34 years old today.
Karun Nair, an established batter in the Indian domestic circuit, rose to fame after his magnificent 303 against England in Chennai in 2016. In doing so, Nair became only the second-ever Indian to hit a triple century in Tests.
Nair's triple century, however, couldn't cement his place in the side as he got to play only six Tests and two ODIs for India. He is currently playing the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy 2023-24 and is part of the Vidarbha team.
Middle-order: Shreyas Iyer, Harry Tector, Glenn Phillips (wk)
The middle-order consists of three extremely talented batters in Shreyas Iyer, Harry Tector, and Glenn Phillips. While Tector is the youngest player in this team and has turned 24, Iyer and Phillips are celebrating their 29th and 27th birthdays, respectively.
India's designated No. 4 ODI batter, Iyer is probably in the form of his life of late. In the recent ODI World Cup 2023, he scored 530 runs at an average of 66.25. In total, he has so far played 119 international matches and has accumulated 4,101 runs at a strike rate of just under 100.
Tector is a talented batter who hails from Ireland. He made his international debut in 2019 and has since played 108 matches, scoring 2,933 runs at a strike rate of 85.33.
New Zealand's Glenn Phillips is also part of his team. The South African-born player is playing in the ongoing second Test between Bangladesh and New Zealand.
He is one of those rare individuals who can dish out performances in every department. While his explosive batting and electric fielding are renowned among many, Phillips is more than a handy off-spinner and can even keep wickets if needed.
All-rounders: Andrew Flintoff, Ravindra Jadeja, Sean Ervine
The all-rounder's department will feature the likes of Andrew Flintoff, Ravindra Jadeja, and Sean Ervine.
England legend Flintoff turns 46 today. The 2005 Ashes hero ranks only behind the legendary Sir Ian Botham in the list of greatest all-rounders England has ever produced.
With more than 7,000 runs and 400 wickets in international cricket, Flintoff was one of the most enigmatic characters on the field.
Ravindra Jadeja is next in line. He has already carved a niche for himself. Probably the greatest athlete of his generation, Jadeja is currently the No. 1 ranked Test all-rounder. From being a decent left-arm spinner who can bat, Jadeja has developed into an undroppable player for India across formats.
A legend in the making, Jadeja has played over 300 games for India and has made 6,017 runs with a total of 546 wickets to his name.
At No. 8 is the former Zimbabwean all-rounder Sean Ervine. The recently turned 41-year-old was one of the many talented cricketers from the African nation whose international careers were cut short due to the political unrest.
The elder brother of Craig Ervine, Sean played 42 ODIs and five Test matches for Zimbabwe before opting to move to Australia and subsequently to England with Hampshire.
Bowlers: Jasprit Bumrah, RP Singh, Malcolm Jarvis
The three frontline pacers of this team would be Jasprit Bumrah, RP Singh, and Malcolm Jarvis.
Bumrah, who has now joined the 30s club, is inarguably one of the most prolific bowlers of his generation. Having made his international debut in 2016, Bumrah has earned a reputation for being one of the most difficult fast bowlers to face due to his intelligent and sharp bowling.
Having played 181 international games for the Men in Blue, Bumrah has so far taken 351 wickets at an average of 22.16, including 10 five-wicket hauls.
Another Indian on the XI is RP Singh, who was part of the 2007 T20 World Cup-winning team. The left-arm pacer from Uttar Pradesh played 82 matches for India and claimed 124 wickets. He now works as a commentator with Jio Cinema.
At No. 11 is the oldest cricketer in this team, Malcolm Jarvis. Born in 1955, the former Zimbabwean bowler has now turned 68.
Despite his career spanning eight years, the left-armer featured in five Tests and 12 ODIs, picking up 11 wickets and nine wickets, respectively. He also played 53 first-class matches picking up 163 wickets at an average of just above 29.