Ever wondered what constitutes greatness in cricket? Can records, run scored, wickets taken, lifting the world cup or creating an undefeated string of victories alone suffice? Or does greatness actually stem from the extent to which one pursues the sport, braving injuries, setbacks and even mortality or the question of one’s survival itself? And if it’s the latter that truly defines what greatness means then truth be told Morten Kriek is a great.
He’s not lifted a world cup. He’s not broken Brett Lee or Shoaib’s wicket-tally. And nor has he captained The Netherlands, a country that’s given the sport renowned talents like Pieter Seelaar and Jelte Schoonheim, in an ICC event.
Yet, for all that Morten Kriek’s gone through and is still enduring, albeit like a braveheart, makes him a modern great. A great example of what it means to persist with the sport which gave him a meaning in life, one which he’s resorting to whilst he’s battling cancer.
You read that right.
To most cricket fans, especially in the sub-continent, the land from which greats like Sachin, Dravid, Sir Gavaskar, Kumble have come, the first cricketer we think of who battled cancer and came out of it with flying colours is Yuvraj Singh.
Frankly, if Yuvraj Singh himself were to meet the former youth cricketer who represented The Netherlands, he’d be astounded at knowing that despite battling Leukaemia and a kind of blood cancer, Morten Kriek isn’t simply playing Cricket whilst he’s constantly undergoing chemotherapy.
When he could simply have taken a step back and made himself comfortable on the bed, tucked away from the rigors of life that are impossible to ignore especially when confronting cancer, that Morten Kriek is fighting cancer and using cricket to do so is a sight just as inspirational as seeing our favourite cricketers break records.
Moreover, that he’s established a charity specifically to fight the great malady of the 21st century, which is all set to host its debut game- Morten Kriek Invitational XI vs Netherlands All-Star XI is worthy of extending attention, which we don’t refrain from when engaging in banter or participating in social-media idling.
In the next few hours, the first ball will go live at Amsterdam-based VRA Cricket ground where you’ll get the chance to see some of the most enterprising names from The Netherlands participate in a T20, such as- Roland Lefebvre, Steven Lubbers, Andre van Troost, Reinout Scholte, Jan Willem Bruins, and Cheraldine Oudolf among others.
One doesn’t need to be there in person, although the T20 contest between some of the finest names in Dutch cricket are going to be there, for the game will be live streamed by the support of the revered KNCB, i.e., Koninklijke Nederlandse Cricket Bond.
For someone who’s played Ice Hockey for months together before switching to Cricket where he honed his craft as a genuine quick, it’s both interesting and inspiring that how Morten Kriek, in not much time, laid the groundwork for organising his heartening charity’s maiden T20 contest.
Over the course of the past month, there’s not been a day where the mild-mannered, ever-smiling Netherlands gent has been posting constant updates about the big contest due for August 21, 2021.
The enthusiasm, spirit, and fire to see cricketers engage in a tussle between bat and ball, all for a noble and important cause- to raise awareness about the distorter and heartbreaker- is something one’s noted with keen interest over social media.
With painstaking effort, in the literal sense of the word, has this one man been pushing his energies toward arranging every single aspect connected with a cricket match, which Caught At Point urges you all to see and spread a word about, whether it’s about arrangements connected with the actual T20 contest or preparing the merchandise for the game.
What’s laudable is that the very man who finds himself at the centre of a storm, battling a medical anomaly no less strenuous as cancer is bringing people together without losing an ounce of enthusiasm about life, about cricket, and thus, about a culture of togetherness which isn’t the easiest to foster or cultivate.
Here’s a bit more about Morten’s cricketing career:
Morten Kriek enjoyed a successful season at Hilversum CC, one of the definitive clubs in The Netherlands. There was an urgent need for something that could have rekindled his passion and given him that vital platform to further develop his craft.Along came an opportunity from the Surrey-based Kingstonian Cricket Club, which took him post he successfully performed in a trial, following an advert for an overseas player.A passionate force was now in motion in Her Majesty’s Kingdom.
Here are all details associated with the Cancer charity cricket contest:
Here’s how to reach the Cricket Fights Cancer Charity:
Remember, at the end of it all, cricket is about bringing communities together to pass on a message that’s so eternal to understanding the meaning of life.
It’s about competing and battling to win. And those who try, never really lose! Let’s join our hands in admiration for Morten Kriek- father, son, husband, lover of life, doer of things, player of cricket, bringer of people, an embodiment of courage under fire!
