Long time readers of this blog will know how much I value sportsmanship and fair play in sport. Still my favourite example of this was between Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff and Brett Lee in the Ashes cricket match of 2005 Blog August 25th “Sportsmanship” | Risen

There was another example at the end of the recent cricket series between England and India. After four closely fought matches the players were understandably getting rather tired with one another and there were a number of festy moments that were well documented in the press.

Chris Woakes, the England allrounder, had suffered a dislocated shoulder while fielding in the fifth and final test. England needed 17 runs to win and, to a standing ovation, Woakes came in as the last England batsman. His shoulder was in a sling and he was clearly in some discomfort. In the end he did not have to face a ball, but he still had to run between the wickets with his face etched in pain. England lost by just 6 runs and the India team were naturally jubilant in drawing the series 2 v 2.

What so impressed me was that, despite the undercurrent of bad feeling between the teams and their joy in winning the fifth test, every single Indian player at the end of the game went up to Woakes to shake his hand. Today’s featured picture displays that mutual respect as Indian captain, Shabman Gill, and Chris Woakes greet each other.

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