I don’t care how my bowling action is because I love cricket, exclaims viral sensation Pavel Florin
Pavel Florin, an internet sensation because of his peculiar bowling action, has stated that his love for the sport trumps everything after he received some negative feedback on social media. Many cricketers and coaches from all over the world have come out in his support and appreciated his spirit.
Pavel Florin’s bowling display for Romania-based Cluj Cricket Club in the ongoing European Cricket League has gone viral. He was seen bowling in a weird manner against France’s Dreux on Tuesday. Florin is a bodyguard by day and serves as both a player and president for his club in a country that does not have much of a cricketing culture.
“Maybe someone says my bowling is not beautiful or not effective, but I don’t care, because I love cricket,” Florin said inspiringly as reported by The Guardian.
His bowling action includes an almost stationary non-bowling hand while he rotates the stiff right hand slowly, giving the ball an unusual amount of flight without generating any real pace. He went for what was an economical 13 run in the only over he bowled in the ten-over format of the match.
“It’s not beautiful, I know, everybody says it, but I’m a slow bowler,” added Florin.
Ladies and gentlemen ... welcome to the #EuropeanCricketLeague
— Fox Cricket (@FoxCricket) July 30, 2019
🤷🤷🤷 pic.twitter.com/ctrhyJvs4b
The 40-year-old has been playing for eight years now and has a high score of 36 to his name, while he revealed he took two wickets once in a three-over spell. His team lost the match on Tuesday by 95 runs, their third loss in as many matches in the tournament.
“Not very good now because we lost three matches. But we earn other things – good experience for us and for our country,” Florin said of the inaugural edition of the developmental tournament that includes clubs from Romania, Spain, Italy, and Netherlands.
England youngster Jofra Archer supported the bowler by stating that he sends his respects to him, while Shane Warne congratulated him on the brave front he has shown and offered to help him out ahead of next year’s tournament.
Former English international Dimitri Mascerenhas exclaimed that the cricketing fraternity should be “celebrating this amazing achievement” of a Romanian playing the gentleman’s game.
“A lot of hard work by some brilliant people have made this happen. Let’s just watch and celebrate this truly awesome tournament,” he added in his tweet.