Portuguese cricket team
Encyclopedia
The Portuguese cricket team is the team that represents the country of Portugal
in international cricket
matches.
of 1809-1814, when English troops were encamped in Lisbon
. A game between sides from Porto
and Lisbon has been played almost every year since 1861. The game was confined, however, to the expatriate community, particularly the port wine
manufacturers of Porto, until events in 1974 gave Portuguese cricket an unexpected boost.
led to many Portuguese citizens returning from their former overseas territory of Goa
and the subsequent independence of Mozambique
brought many Portuguese citizens back, bringing cricket with them. Other Portuguese citizens living in Portugal's former African colonies moved to Rhodesia
and South Africa
, where their children were engrained into the sporting cultures of those countries and the subsequent socio-political changes there led to them bringing their love of cricket back to Portugal.
in 1997, where they reached the semi finals. They competed in that tournament's successor, the ECC Trophy in 1999, finishing as runners up and qualifying for Division Two of the European Championship
in 2000. They finished fourth in that tournament.
They again played in the ECC Trophy in 2001, this time winning the tournament, again qualifying for Division Two of the European Championship in 2002. They finished third and then played in the ECC Trophy in 2003. This time their performances from the previous two tournaments did not continue and they finished in 5th place, a performance they repeated in the European Affiliates Championship in 2005. They will compete in Division Three of the European Championships in 2007.
European Championship
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in international cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
matches.
Beginnings
Cricket in Portugal dates back to the Peninsular WarPeninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
of 1809-1814, when English troops were encamped in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. A game between sides from Porto
Porto
Porto , also known as Oporto in English, is the second largest city in Portugal and one of the major urban areas in the Iberian Peninsula. Its administrative limits include a population of 237,559 inhabitants distributed within 15 civil parishes...
and Lisbon has been played almost every year since 1861. The game was confined, however, to the expatriate community, particularly the port wine
Port wine
Port wine is a Portuguese fortified wine produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. It is typically a sweet, red wine, often served as a dessert wine, and comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties...
manufacturers of Porto, until events in 1974 gave Portuguese cricket an unexpected boost.
Playing numbers increase
The Carnation RevolutionCarnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
led to many Portuguese citizens returning from their former overseas territory of Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
and the subsequent independence of Mozambique
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
brought many Portuguese citizens back, bringing cricket with them. Other Portuguese citizens living in Portugal's former African colonies moved to Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where their children were engrained into the sporting cultures of those countries and the subsequent socio-political changes there led to them bringing their love of cricket back to Portugal.
International competition
The Cricket Association of Portugal was founded in 1994 and they became an ICC member two years later. Their first international engagement was in the European Nations Cup in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
in 1997, where they reached the semi finals. They competed in that tournament's successor, the ECC Trophy in 1999, finishing as runners up and qualifying for Division Two of the European Championship
European Cricket Championship
The European Cricket Championship is a group of various tournaments in which national cricket sides throughout Europe compete. The tournament is designed to encourage and develop the best players in countries where cricket is not a major sport and Europe's only Test cricket playing country,...
in 2000. They finished fourth in that tournament.
They again played in the ECC Trophy in 2001, this time winning the tournament, again qualifying for Division Two of the European Championship in 2002. They finished third and then played in the ECC Trophy in 2003. This time their performances from the previous two tournaments did not continue and they finished in 5th place, a performance they repeated in the European Affiliates Championship in 2005. They will compete in Division Three of the European Championships in 2007.
European ChampionshipEuropean Cricket ChampionshipThe European Cricket Championship is a group of various tournaments in which national cricket sides throughout Europe compete. The tournament is designed to encourage and develop the best players in countries where cricket is not a major sport and Europe's only Test cricket playing country,...
- 1996: Did not participate
- 1998: Did not qualify
- 2000: 4th place (Division Two)
- 2002: 3rd place (Division Two)
- 2004: Did not qualify
- 2006: Did not qualify
Current squad
- The following list contains the 13 players in Portugal's squad for the European Cricket Championship Division 3:
- Akbar Saiyad (CaptainCaptain (cricket)The captain of a cricket team often referred to as the skipper is the appointed leader, having several additional roles and responsibilities over and above those of a regular player...
) - Ricardo Antunes
- Muhammad Asif
- Paulo Buccimazza
- Syed Bukhari
- Nadeem Butt
- Jay da Costa (wk)
- Ramesh Daia
- Siddaharth Hazare
- Humayun Shahzad
- Dinesh Maugi
- Intesab Medhi
- Muhammad Mirza