What the Hell Is Ice Cricket?
Who says the pitch always has to be green to bat a few sixes and take a few wickets? Brace yourself for International Cricket’s newest 20-20 format.
What is Ice Cricket?
The concept of Ice Cricket began in 1988, played at Lake St. Moritz. Here, the cricket match is played directly on ice, with no mat laid down. With unpredic-table results, it gives the game a little more variety and fun. The match usually comprises of two matches, hosted over two days.
Where does it take place?
The tournament usually takes place on Lake St. Moritz with free entrance to the cricket village (which remains frozen year round), against the backdrop of the Alps. The lake freezes, forming an extremely thick layer of ice, covered by the soft falling snow, enabling the lake to withstand more than 200 tons of weight.
What are the rules?
The rules of the game are similar to six-a-side rules with each team bowling six overs, with either snow banks or officials on ice skates counting as boundaries. A wide ball is counted as two extra runs with no extra ball, with a little more leniency given to the bowler, given he has a tough time standing up most of the time. The competition depends on the number of teams taking part, and usually follows a Round Robin tournament, or all-play- all tournament (each contestant meets the other contestants) format, with top teams progressing to semis and finals.
What to look forward to?
The itinerary of the tournament includes a gala dinner, where people get a chance to rub shoulders with the world’s greatest players, including Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif, Mahela Jayawardene, Lasith Malinga, Shoaib Akhtar, Michael Hussey, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Daniel Vettori, Nathan McCullum, Shahid Afridi, and more. We recommend the Prestige Package to gain exclusive access to the Prestigious Pavilion on Lake St. Moritz.
From the February-March 2018 issue of FHM India.
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