A group of 18 professional and amateur British cricketers are trying to set a world record for holding the world's highest match at the foot of Mount Everest.
"Three teams are planning to play six aside on the mountain, playing five overs each on the Gorak Shap glacier," Andrew Baud, a spokesman for the Professional Cricketers Association (PCA), told AFP.
The glacier-turned-cricket ground is at an altitude of 5,184 metres (17,000 feet), and just below base camp on the southern approach to Everest, the world's highest peak.
"They are taking 40 spare balls up there I can imagine they will need them," Baud said. "At normal altitude it would take about an hour, but it can get as low as minus 13 degrees Celsius (nine degrees Fahrenheit) so it may take around two.
Nick Compton, Graham Napier, Mark Wagh, Ryan Cummins and Steven Patterson are the five professionals to join the party.
"It will be an amazing feat to just reach Everest base camp, let alone to play a cricket match there," Richard Bevan, the PCA's chief executive, said. "Of course, we will have to overcome some practical problems such as losing lots of balls. For their own safety, we'll also have to ensure that the bowlers don't take too long a run up.
"The trek and match will raise much needed money for the PCA Benevolent Fund through which we support current and former players in times of hardship or illness."
I believe this record is already held by Pakistani soldiers playing regularly at the Baltoro glacier in Northern Pakistan
Posted by: vikki vik at November 6, 2007 12:57 AM
And also the Indians might be close/better with their army men at Siachen glacier. India and Pakistan are but two sides of the same coin :)
Posted by: Pak Major at November 6, 2007 4:36 PM
I have participated in cricket matches on the Pakistan side of the glacier at altitudes higher than that being attemepted by these lads
Posted by: Brian at November 6, 2007 6:59 PM
They should stay away from it. what's the point? Everest is already grotesquely over-polluted, and now they plan to add 40 cricket balls and the rest of their waste to the pile of garbage already dumped there.
Posted by: Aryan at November 7, 2007 1:38 AM
I totally agree with Brian, they should stay away from everest... this could start an unwanted trend.
Posted by: honolulu at November 7, 2007 1:39 AM
Amazing idea..what a way to flourish the great game of cricket. keep it up. it is not about the records.. it is about the game!!
Posted by: Dhiraj at November 7, 2007 7:38 AM
I guess, We can imagine having winter Cricket world cup at the base camp of everest.
Posted by: Prabin the SOBHIT at November 7, 2007 11:02 AM
Is it really going to happen in NEPAL. It would be great for Nepalese Cricket as well. They can learn much more seeing live the genius's play. I surprised that there is no news about it in NEPAL. Are they trying to play in down under MT. EVEREST without NEPAL'S GREEN LITE.
Posted by: Robin from South Africa at November 7, 2007 1:19 PM
In 2003 we played cricket at Everest base camp (while waiting for a summit opportunity) almost every day for two weeks. We used a small flat section of frozen ice along with some inventive rules regarding boundaries. We used gloves, wickets, real balls etc. Bowling with any real pace was difficult because there is not a lot of room to run and a that altitude it is extremely taxing. Most of the other climbers thought we were mad!
Posted by: s from bangalore at November 7, 2007 2:51 PM
madness! high or low - how does it matter? guess, it could be a measure of madness ;)
Posted by: prannab at November 7, 2007 3:08 PM
hey 2 guys who mention abt seachin and india ,there is more enjoyment at playing in everest and it is more thnxful to nepali cricket and cricketer .All nepali will heartly welcome you to play at everst and pls play with nepali national team also to boost their moral
Posted by: puru at November 7, 2007 11:04 PM
Take some Nepali players with your team, this is not a madness but you can promote cricket in Lukla, Namche on the way to Gorakhshep.
Posted by: GrandmasterGoGo on a scooter at November 8, 2007 7:31 AM
What a waste, there are a 100 other decent ways to raise money for the needy...and just how do they intend to raise money?? live telecast of the madness show? perhaps charge a 100 quid a spectator to watch the match, then take 20,000 of them up there too (if they want to make money and trash Everest)
Mr Prannab, Siachen is spelt like this, and trust me, this wont do any good to Nepali Cricket (at all)
Ans please don't get your national team on to these guys, just 18 of these jokers are way too many..
Posted by: JAVED A. KHAN, MONTREAL, CANADA at November 9, 2007 1:39 PM
Cricket matches need spectators to applaud and appreciate the game. I wonder who else besides the players would be at the foot of Mount Everest to witness the match? It is pointless to play in the wilderness only for the records. If the point is to play in extreme cold conditions, (temp. minus 13 degrees Celsius) and also to raise money for a cause, then I would suggest that they better play in the winter of Quebec, in Montreal on the frozen Fleuve St. Lawrence. Not only there will be spectators but, there will be individual contributors and corporate sponsors to help for a cause.
Reportedly, the River St. Lawrence is the oldest river in the world from the ice age times. And the temperatures in Montreal during late January and early February is as low as minus 35 to 40 degrees Celsius. The Fleuve St. Lawrence is frozen during Jan. Feb., and some people camp there (also on the frozen lakes all over the province) and, drill holes on the surface and do ice fishing, which is quite popular, not only during the day but, also during the night time, when it is even more cold.
If a cricket match is held to raise money, why go all the way to the Himalayas? In Montreal even when it is -40C or during a 50 centimeter snow blizzard life goes on, nothing stops here. There are plenty of winter sports within the City and also on top of the famous picturesque Mont Royal, which is right in the heart of downtown Montreal.
Posted by: prannab at March 22, 2009 10:03 AM
GrandmasterGoGo,
soory after long time i have ,the world will know that we are also in cricket world and we have started it by doing in junior level and such event is more helpful to promote not only cricet but our country to world
JAI NEPAL
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