The term ‘Godfather of Cricket’ is associated with different people. The names of Kerry Packer, Sunil Gavaskar and MS Dhoni can be considered for this title.
‘Godfather of Cricket’ is a title given to a person who has contributed significantly to the development of the sport.
While Sachin Tendulkar is revered as the ‘God of Cricket’ and Virat Kohli as the ‘King of Cricket’, the title of ‘God of Cricket’ has been associated with different personalities since the inception of the sport.
Know about the different people who are considered deserving of the title of ‘Godfather of Cricket’.
Kerry Packer
Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer can be given the title of the father of cricket. In the late 1970s, Kerry Packer played a key role in reforming the game of cricket. The late media tycoon, considered one of Australia’s most powerful media owners of the 20th century, was recognised worldwide for founding World Series Cricket. This drastically changed the nature of cricket by increasing player salaries, sparking bidding wars and helping popularise the sport worldwide. He played a key role in introducing day-night cricket, coloured jerseys and limited-overs cricket. These changes helped attract young cricket fans to follow the sport. Packer was instrumental in saving the game of cricket from a financial crisis. For these reasons, Kerry Packer is considered the father of cricket.
William Gilbert Grace
Former England cricketer William Gilbert Grace is another major contender for the title of Godfather of Cricket. Considered one of England’s greatest players, William Grace played a key role in the development of the sport. In his illustrious career, Grace scored over 54,000 first-class runs in 44 seasons from 1865 to 1908. During his time, the England cricketer captained the United South of England XI (MCC), Gloucestershire, Gentlemen, Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC USEE), and many other teams. Known for his technical innovations and widespread influence, Grace left a lasting legacy.
Don Bradman
Considered the greatest batsman of all time, former Australian cricketer Sir Donald George Bradman can also be considered the Godfather of cricket. In his 20-year playing career, Don Bradman scored 6,996 runs in 52 Test matches at an astonishing average of 99.94, which is considered by some to be one of the greatest achievements of any player. His illustrious cricket career made him one of Australia’s most admired personalities and the country’s “first celebrity”.
Sunil Gavaskar
Renowned West Indies cricketer Viv Richards has conferred the title of Godfather of Indian cricket on former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar. After making his Test debut against West Indies in 1971, Sunil Gavaskar was widely praised for his technique against fast bowling. He dominated the West Indies’ all-round pace attack, scoring at an average of 65.45. He became the first player to score 10,000 runs in Test cricket. Gavaskar ended his illustrious career with 10,122 runs in 125 Test matches.
MS Dhoni
Former Indian captain MS Dhoni has been given the title of ‘Godfather of India’ in modern cricket. After the retirement of legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Anil Kumble, MS Dhoni took the Indian cricket team to new heights in world cricket. Under his incredible leadership, Team India won the T20 World Cup in 2007. Four years later, India ended their 28-year drought by winning the ICC ODI World Cup for the second time in 2011. The Men in Blue won the Champions Trophy in England and Wales in 2013. Dhoni then quit Test captaincy at the right time to make room for Virat Kohli. While he was still an integral member in the limited-overs format, he also gave up his captaincy in ODIs and T20 formats for a smooth transition. Even after quitting captaincy, Dhoni guided Kohli to improve his leadership skills. After retirement, Dhoni was appointed as India’s mentor for the 2021 T20 World Cup.
