The Spirit of Cricket - India

“During January 2020, I was fortunate to travel through India, over 17 days, catching up with old friends and meeting new acquaintances along the journey. I spent time on the Maidans in Mumbai, roamed  the backstreets and alleyways from Kolkata to Jodhpur and countless places in between, while we stopped regularly to enjoy the local roadside ‘gully cricket’ matches scattered randomly alongside the roads, fields and buildings. Our odyssey covered a game of cricket in the desert to the foothills of the Himalayas to meet a team of cricketing monks.

I was fascinated to tour an authentic bat and ball Factory, played cricket with kids by the riverbank, was comprehensively clean bowled on the beach at Juhu. I met and played alongside blind and physically challenged cricketers who totally uplifted and inspired me, while I left feeling motivated and excited after visiting the first Women’s Cricket Academy in Dharamshala. I had the privilege of meeting India’s oldest cricketer and enjoyed meeting a 3-year-old Instagram batting prodigy, while I also managed to squeeze in a game of cricket with a Maharajah in his classical Palace ballroom.

I have chosen my favourite 220 photographs from the tens of thousands I captured, and now, with this new book, proudly share and celebrate my collection with you. I hope I have done the people of India justice with the showcased images, and my quest to capture the very essence and “spirit” of the game and the passion of the people who love it."

 -Steve Waugh