Shane Warne offers to help European Cricket League grow after Pavel Florin steals headlines

Romanian cricketer Pavel Florin became an overnight Internet sensation recently when he came up with an ultra-amateurish bowling action for his club Cluj Cricket Club against France’s Dreux Cricket Club in the inaugural European T10 Cricket League. The 40-year-old all-rounder’s bowling action in the game played at La Manga, Spain, left the social media in splits but he also won hearts later by conceding that he isn’t any star performer and lacked professional touch.

Florin even said that he didn’t care about what people said about his bowling action for it is his love for the game which is important. “Maybe someone says my bowling is not beautiful or not effective, but I don’t care, because I love cricket. It’s not beautiful, I know, everybody says it, but I’m a slow bowler,” Florin, who took up cricket at the age of 32, was quoted as saying by the European Cricket League.

Florin bowled economically

Florin did not get a wicket with his unique bowling action in the game but he had an economical show with conceding just 13 runs in 10 overs. Cluj could manage only 69 for 5 in 10 overs in response to Dreux’s 164 for 6 in their 20.

Former England cricketer Dimitri Mascarenhas saluted Florin’s efforts and said the world should be celebrating the moment when the first-born and bred Romanian took to cricket. “A lot of hard work by some brilliant people have made this happen. Let’s watch and celebrate this truly awesome tournament,” he said in a tweet.

However, it was the gesture of former spin wizard Shane Warne that stood out. The Australian legend offered help to the league to help it grow. In reply to Mascarenhas’ tweet, the 49-year-old congratulated those who made a Romanian bowl and promised to check the tournament the coming year and offer a helping hand.

Cricket was played in Romania between 1893 and 1930 but it fizzled out after that. In recent years, cricket has started regaining popularity in the east European nation again, especially in areas like Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara. In 2010, Romania took part in a European T20 tournament held in Macedonia. In 2013, they were granted an affiliate status and in 2017, Romania became an associate member.