New Zealand All-Rounder Daryl Mitchell Wins ICC Spirit Of Cricket Award 2021

New Zealand’s all-rounder Daryl Mitchell was awarded ICC’s Spirit of Cricket 2021 trophy for his gesture in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2021 against England.

Playing at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi, the Kiwis were chasing a target of 167 on a tough pitch. Mitchell led the run chase and managed to finish the match with a stunning cameo from James Neesham.

During the chase, Neesham hit the ball back down the ground. The bowler, Adil Rashid, tried to cut across and stop but Mitchell was in the way. Accepting that he impeded the bowler, Mitchell refused to take the single.

Speaking about it on air, Nasser Hussain praised the right-hander. “That is very good. That is so New Zealand, it really is. So easy to take a run there. But the non-strike said, ‘No, I’ve got in the way of Adil.’ Anything sums up New Zealand cricket – it was that,” Hussain said.

Daryl Mitchell on why he refused to take the single

New Zealanders are known for their excellent sportsmanship and have deservedly earned the nickname – ‘The Nice Guys’. As a testament to their status, Mitchell once again proved why the Kiwis have the backing of fans every time they step onto the ground.

“It was a pretty tight game against England in that semi-final, with only a few overs to go. Neesh (Neesham) hit a single down to long-off I think it was, and I felt like I’d obstructed Rashid from getting to the ball.”

“It’s something that we pride ourselves on as New Zealanders, the way we go about playing our cricket, and yes, the Spirit of Cricket side. Personally, I felt I got in the way and we wanted to win on our own terms, and didn’t want to be controversial in such a big game. It paid off in the long run that we won the game. Looking back, it all happened pretty quickly,” Mitchell said.

New Zealand defeated England in the match but went on to lose the final to Australia.

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Here’s the incident for which Darryl Mitchell won ICC Spirit Of Cricket Award 2021: