France national cricket team

Infobox non test cricket team
country_name = France

---

image_caption = Flag of France
icc_member_year = 1987
icc_status = Associate member
icc_region = Europe
current_captain = Shabbir Hussain
WCL_division = n/a
regional_tournament = European Cricket Championship
regional_tournament_division = Two
first_match = 19 August 1900 v Great Britain at Paris, 1900 Summer Olympics
world_ranking = not ranked
regional_ranking = 11th
icc_trophy_apps = 1
icc_trophy_first = 2001
icc_trophy_best = First round, 2001
asofdate = 14 October 2007

The France national cricket team is the team that represents the country of France in international cricket matches. They became an associate member of the International Cricket Council in 1998, having previously been an affiliate member since 1987. [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Countries/51.html France] at Cricket Archive] They are currently the eleventh ranked team in Europe. [ [http://www.icc-cricket.com/icc/development/one-day_rankings.html ICC's one-day rankings] ]

History

Early years

One of the many theories about the origin of cricket is that France could be a possible birthplace of the game. A mention of a bat and ball game called "criquet" in a village of the Pas-de-Calais occurs in a French manuscript of 1478, and the word "criquet" is an old French word meaning "post" or "wicket" [http://www.cricketeurope.net/FRANCE/DATABASE/ADMIN/history.shtml A brief history of cricket in France] ] . However, it is equally possible that this could be an early variant of croquet. It must be remembered that most of France during the 14th and 15th centuries was under English occupation in the Hundred Years War and so any cricket references in France at this time are surely due to the game having been introduced to France by the English occupiers [ [http://www.jl.sl.btinternet.co.uk/stampsite/cricket/ladstolords/1300.html#1337 From Lads to Lord's] ] .

Horace Walpole, son of former British Prime Minister Robert Walpole mentioned seeing cricket in Paris in 1766.

The MCC were due to make the first ever international cricket tour of France, in 1789, however this was cancelled due to the French Revolution. This match was finally played in 1989, as part of the bicentennial celebrations of the revolution, with France beating the MCC by 7 wickets. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/51/51900.html Scorecard] of France v MCC, 24 September 1989 at Cricket Archive]

The first documented match took place in the Bois de Boulogne between Paris Cricket Club and Warwickshire Knickerbockers in 1864. Paris Cricket Club published a book explaining the game the following year .

Olympic Games

The one and only appearance for cricket at the Olympic Games took place in 1900, with the French team losing the only match played, and thus remaining the reigning silver medal holders to this day. The French team however, consisted solely of British residents in Paris, primarily embassy staff. [ [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/story/134962.html The ignorant Olympians] by Martin Williamson, 14 August 2004 at Cricinfo]

In 1910, France took part in an exhibition tournament in Brussels, also involving the MCC, the Netherlands and Belgium. They played one game, against the Netherlands, winning by 63 runs. [ [http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1910S/1910/OTHERS+ICC/BEXT/NL_FRANCE_BEXT_26JUN1910.html Scorecard] of France v Netherlands, 26 June 1910 at Cricinfo]

The modern era

Many cricket clubs folded after the Second World War, but an influx of English and Asian immigrants led to a resurgence of the game in the early 1980s. The current French Cricket Association was formed in 1987, and they gained Affiliate membership of the ICC the same year.

After the win in the 1989 match mentioned above, there were a handful of tours from English county teams, and France toured Austria in 1996, losing both matches against the national team. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/AUSTRIA/1996_AUSTRIA_France_in_Austria_1996.html France in Austria, 1996] at Cricket Archive] In 1997, they played in the European Nations Cup in Zuoz, Switzerland, [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/SWITZ/1997_SWITZ_European_Nations_Cup_1997.html 1997 European Nations Cup] at Cricket Archive] winning after beating Germany by one run in the final. [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Scorecards/102/102049.html Scorecard] of France v Germany, 23 August 1997 at Cricket Archive] This match was included in the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack list of 100 best matches of the 20th century as David Bordes ran the winning leg bye with a fractured skull. [ [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153390.html A hundred matches of the century] , 2000 Wisden Cricketers' Almanack]

They played in the European Championship in the Netherlands in 1998, finishing eighth after losing to Germany in a play-off. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/1998/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/about.shtml 1998 European Championship] at CricketEurope] They became an associate member of the ICC the same year. They finished third in Division Two of the 2000 European Championship. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2000/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/about.shtml 2000 European Championship] at CricketEurope]

France played their only ICC Trophy in the 2001 tournament in Canada, though they did not progress beyond the first round. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2001/TOURNAMENTS/ICCTROPHY/about.shtml 2001 ICC Trophy] at CricketEurope] The following year, they finished fifth in Division Two of the European Championships, [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2002/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMS/RESULTS/about.shtml Tables and results for the 2002 European Championship] at the tournament's official site] and finished as runners up in the 2004 tournament. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2004/TOURNAMENTS/EUROCHAMSB/results.shtml 2004 European Championships Division Two] at the European Cricket Council website] They finished sixth in the 2006 tournament after losing a play-off to Guernsey. [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2006/TOURNAMENTS/EURODIV2/about.shtml 2006 European Championship Division Two] at CricketEurope]

Tournament history

ICC Trophy

*1979 to 1986 inclusive: Not eligible - Not an ICC member
*1990 to 1997 inclusive: Not eligible - ICC affiliate member
*2001: First round
*2005: Did not qualify [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Seasons/IRELAND/2005_IRELAND_ICC_Trophy_2005.html 2005 ICC Trophy] at Cricket Archive]

European Championship

*1998: 8th place
*2000: 3rd place (Division Two)
*2002: 5th place (Division Two)
*2004: 2nd place (Division Two)
*2006: 6th place (Division Two)

The future

In 2008, France will again take part in Division Two of the European Championship, playing against hosts Guernsey in addition to Germany, Gibraltar, Jersey and the winners of a play-off between Croatia and Israel. [ [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/DATABASE/ARTICLES/articles/000057/005776.shtml Ireland to host European Championship] , ICC Europe Media Release]

Players

Current squad

The French squad at the 2006 European Division Two Championship was as follows: [ [http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CRICKETEUROPE/DATABASE/2006/TOURNAMENTS/EURODIV2/squads.shtml 2006 European Division Two Championship squads] at CricketEurope]

* Arun Ayyavooraju
* Jonathan Houghton
* Shabir Hussain
* Waseem Bhatti (Captain)
* Thushara Koralagamage
* Javed Ijaz
* Ramesh Sithambarathan
* Tahir Mohammed Saeed
* Leoplod Guy Brumant
* Khalid Abdul
* Shazad Orangzeb Mohammad
* Rajani Sithambarathan
* Rasu Raguthas

Other players

The following French national team players have played first-class or List A cricket:

*Simon Hewitt - played first-class cricket for Oxford University in 1984 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/30/30188/30188.html Simon Hewitt] at Cricket Archive]
*David Holt - played first-class cricket for Loughborough UCCE in 2005 and 2006 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/44/44602/44602.html David Holt] at Cricket Archive]
*Paul Wakefield - played List A cricket for Cheshire in 1983 [ [http://www.cricketarchive.co.uk/Archive/Players/34/34899/34899.html Paul Wakefield] at Cricket Archive]

References

External links

* [http://www.francecricket.com Official site]