General Awareness

Cricket History and Facts

8,738 Questions

Sports and Cricket History questions test your knowledge of players, major tournaments, and historical sports records. This includes cricket milestones, hockey league facts, and archery scores. Regular practice ensures better scores in the general awareness section of exams.

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Cricket History and Facts Questions

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

Who is having the best one day bowling figures?

  1. Muttiah Muralitharan

  2. Anil Kumble

  3. Chaminda Vaas

  4. Glenn McGrath
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka holds the record for best bowling figures in ODI cricket: 8 for 19 against Zimbabwe in 2001. This included a hat-trick and remains unmatched. Muralitharan, Kumble, and McGrath were all great bowlers but none achieved figures as spectacular as Vaas's 8/19.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

Only one fielding player wears gloves, as he crouches to field near the batsman. What is the name for his position?

  1. long stop

  2. catcher

  3. shortstop

  4. wicketkeeper
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The wicketkeeper is the only fielder allowed to wear gloves. They crouch behind the stumps to catch balls that miss the bat and can stump batsmen or effect run-outs. This specialized position requires unique skills and equipment, hence the gloves. Terms like 'long stop' and 'shortstop' are from baseball, not cricket.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

Somebody has to get things going by delivering the ball which the batsman must keep from getting past him (if he misses and the bails are dislodged from the stumps on which they rest, he is out) and attempt to hit far enough away so he can score runs. Who is this pivotal member of the fielding team?

  1. bowler

  2. thrower

  3. pitcher

  4. bouncer
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The bowler delivers the ball to the batsman, attempting to dismiss them by hitting the stumps (bowling them out) or induce mistakes for catches. If the batsman misses and the bails are dislodged, they are 'bowled.' This is cricket's fundamental adversarial relationship. 'Pitcher' is a baseball term; 'thrower' and 'bouncer' are not cricket positions.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

You often see a group of fielders standing in an arc near the wicket-keeper. Where are these players said to be standing?

  1. slips

  2. cover

  3. gully

  4. curve
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Fielders standing in an arc close to the wicket-keeper on the off side are called 'slips.' This position is designed to catch edges from the batsman, especially from fast bowlers. There can be 1-9 slips depending on the situation. 'Cover' and 'gully' are other fielding positions, while 'curve' is not a cricket term.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

One of the two field umpires usually stands on an imaginary line running through the stumps at the batsman's end of the pitch, facing the batsman's rump. Which of these fielders stands close to this umpire?

  1. point

  2. fine leg

  3. straight hit

  4. square leg
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Square leg stands close to the umpire positioned at the batsman's end (square leg umpire). This fielding position is on the leg side, approximately at a 90-degree angle to the pitch. The square leg umpire monitors no-ball checks, run-outs, and other decisions from this position, hence the fielder nearby.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

Since there are 11 fielders, the position known as third man is somewhat puzzling for the neophyte. Where on the field does this player stand?

  1. near the spot where the bowler starts his run-up

  2. directly opposite third slip

  3. near the boundary on the off side, at about a 45 degree angle at the batsman's end

  4. near the boundary on the leg side, at about a 45 degree angle at the batsman's end
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Third man is positioned near the boundary on the off side, at approximately a 45-degree angle behind the batsman. It's a fine catching position designed to stop edges that fly past the slips and wicketkeeper. Despite the name suggesting it should be the 'third' fielder in a sequence, it's actually named to stop 'third man' runs - shots too fine for other fielders to reach.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

As I am standing at my normal position of mid-wicket, I see the captain waving his arms to tell me that I have to move further out towards the boundary. To what position has he moved me?

  1. fine mid-wicket

  2. short mid-wicket

  3. deep mid-wicket

  4. wide mid-wicket
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

In cricket fielding positions, 'deep' means closer to the boundary. When the captain waves you further out from mid-wicket towards the boundary, you are moving to deep mid-wicket. 'Fine' means closer to the batsman, 'short' means closer in, and 'wide' indicates a wider angle - none of which describe moving towards the boundary.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

I just got moved from point to backward point. How did my position change?

  1. I moved to be behind the batsman's crease, instead of in line with it

  2. I moved closer to the batsman

  3. I moved to be in front of the batsman's crease, instead of in line with it

  4. I moved closer to the boundary
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

In cricket terminology, 'backward' means the fielder is positioned behind the batsman's crease (the line of stumps). Point is already on the off side at roughly 90 degrees to the batsman. Moving to backward point keeps you on the off side but places you behind the batting crease rather than in line with it.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

As I saw the wicket-keeper fetching a fielding helmet from its hidey-hole, I just knew the news was going to be bad. In which of the following positions would I expect to need to wear a fielding helmet?

  1. sweeper

  2. silly mid-off

  3. deep cover point

  4. long on
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Fielding helmets are required for close-in 'silly' positions where the fielder stands very close to the batsman and faces high risk from hard-hit shots. Silly mid-off is a close-in position on the off side. Sweeper, deep cover point, and long on are all deep/boundary positions where the ball has less speed and the fielder is safer.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

Although it is not an official name for a fielding position, there is one term that commentators love to use for the position on the boundary between deep mid-wicket and long on. What is the agricultural nickname for this position?

  1. cow corner

  2. pig sty

  3. cornfield

  4. stables
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Cricket commentators use 'cow corner' as the informal name for the boundary position between deep mid-wicket and long on. The agricultural term humorously suggests this is where cows would graze - it's often an area where few shots are played, making it a quiet posting for fielders.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

All cricketing positions are defined in reference to one person. Who is this critical participant in the game?

  1. captain

  2. batsman

  3. umpire

  4. referee
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Cricket fielding positions are defined relative to the striker (the batsman facing the ball). Terms like 'mid-on' and 'mid-off' refer to the side of the pitch where the batsman is standing, while 'fine' and 'square' describe angles relative to the batting crease.

Multiple choice general knowledge sports

Which one of these pair of brothers played cricket for Zimbabwe?

  1. Steve and Mark Waugh

  2. Irfan and Yusuf Pathan

  3. Ian and Greg Chappell

  4. Grant and Andy Flower
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Grant and Andy Flower are the famous Zimbabwean cricket brothers. Andy Flower was a world-class wicketkeeper-batsman (captain), while Grant Flower was a stylish left-handed batsman. They both represented Zimbabwe extensively in the 1990s and 2000s.