Vatican City:
The Pope's first cricket team has been officially announced at the Vatican. It's called the St Peter's Cricket Club and includes eight Indians, two Sri Lankans, one Pakistani and is led by Captain Father Tony Currer from Britain.
To a query as to why Indians dominate the team, Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca of the Pontifical Council for Culture replied, "Because they are the best". The club consists of priests, students in formation to become priests and supporters whose lives are centered around the Roman Catholic Church.
The Manager of the team Father Eamonn O'Higgins says the players are first priests and then cricketers. "In fact they should be spending more time studying and preparing themselves for priesthood which is what they do. In the time they have left they play cricket," he said.
The team will soon set out on their first tour ever. Their immediate challenge is that they are outnumbered by football fans in the Vatican and they often need to tell people what exactly is done with a ball and a bat.
On being asked, why some other sport was not chosen, Archbishop Sir David Moxon said, "It's a gracious game which takes time, discipline focus courtesy. Rugby for example would be too confrontational perhaps?"
So far St Peters' Cricket Club has won all their practice matches but for them, its prayer and humility even on the cricket grounds.
Deacon Pratheesh Thomas told NDTV, that he is hoping the team will get to meet the Pope before their first match this week. They are all geared up now with equipment from India. Even their jerseys are made in India.
Pope Francis is mostly known as a football fan but clearly cricket-loving church followers are also on his mind. "Not many know that the Pope inaugurated the first cricket stadium for children in Buenos Aires," the Chariman of St Peter's Club Father Theodore Mascaranhas tells NDTV.
"Our plan is to play with teams of other faiths including Hindu and Muslim clerics," he adds. Interfaith dialogue through cricket will be the aim of this team
The Pope's team will be playing an Italian cricket club, the British Royal staff and guards and the Anglican Church. The entry to all matches will be free but the team is hoping to get donations during the bucket collections. The proceeds from the culminating match will go to the Global Freedom Network, the joint Anglican-Roman Catholic anti-trafficking charity. They are also hoping they'll be able to come to India if they find sponsors for their trip.
To a query as to why Indians dominate the team, Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca of the Pontifical Council for Culture replied, "Because they are the best". The club consists of priests, students in formation to become priests and supporters whose lives are centered around the Roman Catholic Church.
The Manager of the team Father Eamonn O'Higgins says the players are first priests and then cricketers. "In fact they should be spending more time studying and preparing themselves for priesthood which is what they do. In the time they have left they play cricket," he said.
The team will soon set out on their first tour ever. Their immediate challenge is that they are outnumbered by football fans in the Vatican and they often need to tell people what exactly is done with a ball and a bat.
On being asked, why some other sport was not chosen, Archbishop Sir David Moxon said, "It's a gracious game which takes time, discipline focus courtesy. Rugby for example would be too confrontational perhaps?"
So far St Peters' Cricket Club has won all their practice matches but for them, its prayer and humility even on the cricket grounds.
Deacon Pratheesh Thomas told NDTV, that he is hoping the team will get to meet the Pope before their first match this week. They are all geared up now with equipment from India. Even their jerseys are made in India.
Pope Francis is mostly known as a football fan but clearly cricket-loving church followers are also on his mind. "Not many know that the Pope inaugurated the first cricket stadium for children in Buenos Aires," the Chariman of St Peter's Club Father Theodore Mascaranhas tells NDTV.
"Our plan is to play with teams of other faiths including Hindu and Muslim clerics," he adds. Interfaith dialogue through cricket will be the aim of this team
The Pope's team will be playing an Italian cricket club, the British Royal staff and guards and the Anglican Church. The entry to all matches will be free but the team is hoping to get donations during the bucket collections. The proceeds from the culminating match will go to the Global Freedom Network, the joint Anglican-Roman Catholic anti-trafficking charity. They are also hoping they'll be able to come to India if they find sponsors for their trip.
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