Dubai, February 10: Cricketers do not eat, drink and dream cricket.
They also read books, and biographies of top sportsmen get them inspired.
World Cup-bound cricketers revealed their favourite books as part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) plan to promote global literacy through their Room to Read programme.
Australia’s star allrounder Shane Watson and India’s rising star Virat Kohli’s book of choice is Andre Agassi’s autobiography Open.
Bangladesh’s hard-hitting and adventurous opener Tamil Iqbal is a lover of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.
Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi loves Fazail-E-Amaal, an Urdu book written by Indian scholar Mohammad Zakariya Kandhlawi. Kenya’s most experienced batsman Steve Tikolo, who at 39 is in great form, loves Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to Freedom.
Speaking about the novel idea, ICC Chief Executive Haroon Lorgat said: “The ICC is committed to using the popularity of cricket and its great spirit to raise awareness of important social causes. By working with Room to Read at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, we hope to highlight the importance of literacy for all.”
Room to Read is hoping to transform the lives of millions of children across Asia and Africa by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.
Room to Read publishes books, establishes libraries and builds schools.
The organisation has already benefited 4.1 million young people in nine countries, including 10,000 girls on educational scholarships, and it has distributed in excess of 8 million English and local language books, and established 10,000 libraries and over 1,100 schools.
At the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, there will be a series of player interactions promoting Room to Read, while fans will be encouraged to donate money to fund projects through www.roomtoread.org/worldcup.
The ICC has also helped establish Room to Read libraries in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka as part of the ICC Cricket World Cup legacy.
Commenting on Fazail-E-Amaal, Afridi said: “This book did affect me as a human being, as well as a Muslim, since the first time I read it in 2003.”
West Indies spinner Sulieman Benn’s favourite book is Supercat, the autobiography of his country’s most successful captain Clive Lloyd.
The Zimbabwe spinner’s favourite is cycling legend Lance Armstrong’s It’s Not About the Bike.
South African pacer Wayne Parnell is a lover of novels and his favourite is The Stand by Stephen King while the Netherlands’ captain Peter Borren loves Night Train to Lisbon by Pascal Mercier.
—Agencies