The VVS Laxman Cricket Club, Bradford, England
Budding cricketers in England might have a host of clubs to support, but here's one that is making news more for its name than its record - 'VVS Laxman Cricket Club'
Budding cricketers in England might have a host of clubs to support, but here's one that is making news more for its name than its record - 'VVS Laxman Cricket Club'. India batsman VVS Laxman's supporters named the club after him in Bradford, in northern England, as a "small way of showing our gratitude and affection towards a great friend," Manish Patel, Laxman's friend and club secretary, told the Indian Express.
"It was a little strange. He (Patel) was very adamant and I had no choice but to say yes," Laxman said. "Manish and his family are among my closest friends. I have known them since 1995 when I played in the Bradford League as a youngster. Obviously I was humbled by their gesture to name a club after me."
The club is playing in the 117-year-old Bradford Mutual Sunday School Cricket League this season and is in with a chance of making the semi-finals. Patel said senior members of the newly-formed club were unanimous on naming it after Laxman. "Laxman is an icon, probably the closest to being Mr Perfect," Patel said. "And not just on the field. He is a perfect example of how you should carry yourself. It is unimaginable how he's handled his fame. He is also like family to us."
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