Best of cricket mascots: 10 Instances when Mascots took center stage in cricket

Mascot Derby. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Mascots are one of the biggest parts of organising any global elite sporting event as the host nation wants the entire world to recognize and relate to them via a fictional character that represents them. The cartoon versions of real or fictional characters also attract a younger audience.

In cricket, the trend to use mascots began in World Cups, specifically the 1996 Wills World Cup which was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. While there were other mascots used for the tournaments, the trend stopped when Australia and New Zealand jointly hosted the 2015 World Cup and then England also decided to forego the mascot for the 2019 World Cup event.

After missing the mascots from the last two World Cup editions, the ICC decided to reintroduce them to the cricketing fans. As India is hosting the 2023 World Cup tournament for the first time as a solo host, the ICC and BCCI unveiled two mascots, one male and one female for the event. The two mascots stand as symbols of both gender equality and diversity.

Keeping up with the theme, here are 10 instances when Mascots took centre stage in cricket:

Googlee- Mascot of 1996 World Cup

Googlee- Mascot of 1996 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The very first mascot of any cricket World Cup came in the 1996 edition which was jointly hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The event was the second time India and Pakistan were hosting the tournament after the 1987 World Cup, while it was the first time for Sri Lanka to be part of such a huge tournament as a host. 

The mascot for the 1996 Wills World Cup was named Googlee.

Googlee was a red-coloured ball (though the tournament was played with a white ball) with eyes and a mouth. He wore a huge helmet for protection and also wore gloves and pads on his small hands and legs. The helmet worn by Googlee had the logo of the 1996 World Cup at the front. The idea behind the design was “intrigue, unpredictability, and the courage to dare to be different”.

Willow and Yorker- Mascots of the 1999 World Cup

Willow and Yorker- Mascots of the 1999 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The 1999 World Cup was hosted by England, which was its fourth time hosting the cricketing event after the 1975, 1979, and 1983 tournaments. To create the iconic pictures of the 1999 tournament, the England and Wales Cricket Board engaged the aid of a company named Rainbow Productions.

The result of their efforts was named “Willow”- who was a rosy-cheeked boy and ‘Yorker’, who was a ball with a hat on.

The cardboard cut-outs of the two mascots were displayed at the launch. The cutouts were also made and they were positioned on the MCC benches for photographs, 3D versions appeared at the opening ceremony with two females wearing large costumes and walking near the boundary line. The tournament saw Australia defeat Pakistan in a one-sided final at Lord’s to win their second World Cup title.

Dazzler- Mascot of the 2003 World Cup

Dazzler- Mascot of the 2003 World Cup. (Photo Sorce: Twitter)

South Africa hosted the 2003 World Cup for the first time with Zimbabwe and Kenya as co-hosts and the cricketing world saw the mascot, which was a cartoon Zebra named “Dazzler”. It represented the wildlife of the African continent and tied in with the World Cup nicely. The Mascot often appeared on the field during toss and breaks engaging with the players and cheering on the fans.

Organisers unveiled both the official logo of the 2003 World Cup and the mascot Dazzler at the same time and established a direct link between the two. Designer Nathan Reddy termed Dazzler, the cricket-playing Zebra as “the fusion of black and white peoples and the cultural diversity of South Africa.” The Dazzler mascot was also used as a character on the screen in the score ticker showing how the batter got out and if any milestone was reached or a six or a four was hit. 

 

 

Mello- Mascot of the 2007 World Cup

Mello- Mascot of the 2007 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)

Considered to be one of the most underwhelming World Cup tournaments of all time, the 2007 World Cup was hosted by the West Indies. Its woes were highlighted by two heavyweights India and Pakistan being eliminated in the group stage itself. This robbed the World Cup tournament of the majority of its viewership from the Indian subcontinent. The tournament was won by Australia who defeated Sri Lanka in the final amidst controversy and poor light.

However, one interesting thing about the World Cup was its mascot named “Mello”- who was an orange-coloured raccoon/mongoose who was described as not being an animal, person, or object. He also had a red ribbon on his light blue, which was a nod to the growing HIV epidemic around the world.

Mello remains one of the most visible mascots as he used to be present during the toss in several matches and was pictured alongside the likes of Ricky Ponting, Graeme Smith, and Brian Lara. He carried a large bat with him and was often seen standing crossed leg and tossing a white ball. 

Stumpy- Mascot of the 2011 World Cup

Stumpy- Mascot of the 2011 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)

One of the most popular mascots ever from a cricket World Cup tournament was from the 2011 ICC World Cup which was jointly hosted by India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. The tournament saw India becoming the first host nation to win the World Cup tournament, defeating Sri Lanka in the final in Mumbai. The iconic moment of MS Dhoni hitting the six to win the match and make India a two-time World Champions is etched in every cricket fan’s mind.

Meanwhile, the mascot for the 2011 World Cup was a blue elephant, called “Stumpy” which was named not by any committee but via an online public vote. The ICC said the elephant “believes in hard work and is always learning to master the art of concentration and was also described as “young and enthusiastic, and a determined individual”. Stumpy pranced around the grounds and often attended the toss as well, wore two pads, and carried a bat around with him. He was a peppy cricket lover who thought cricket was the most fun sport. 

Two Mascots for the 2023 World Cup

Two Mascots for the 2023 World Cup. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The upcoming ICC World Cup 2023 will be played in India as a solo host for the first time and has two mascots. The mascots were unveiled during an event in Gurugram in India in the presence of the captains of the reigning U19 World Cup Champions, Yash Dhull and Shafali Verma. One is a blue colored male character carrying a bat and another is an Orange colored female character with a ball in her hand.

The male and female mascots, who originated from a distant cricket utopia called the Crictoverse, represent distinct traits that stand as symbols of both gender equality and diversity. The female character’s pinpoint accuracy at throwing fireballs at lightning speed from a turbo-powered arm leaves even the boldest batters in awe. She wears a belt adorned with six cricket orbs, each strategically prepared for game-changing tactics, and embodies an exceptional fast bowling prowess. 

The male mascot is the presentation of sub-zero coolness and high-voltage batting prowess. Every shot, whether it be a stealthy finesse or a seam-smashing six, reverberates with an exhilarating energy that enthrals spectators. His electric bat and wide range of shot options heighten the drama, lighting up the scene and electrifying the crease with each shot he plays.

Mascot Derby in the T20 Blast

Mascot Derby in the T20 Blast. (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Vitality T20 Blast competition in the UK saw a unique and highly anticipated Mascot Race. This race has been hosted every year since 2004 between the mascots of all 18 county teams. the 18 mascots of the teams, competed against each other in a race on a customized set on the playing field to win the coveted crown. The race is one of the most hilarious things to watch and is loved by children attending the matches.

Unfortunately, in the most recent edition of the T20 Blast in 2023, the defending champion “Alfred the Gorilla,” of Gloucestershire, didn’t take part in the proceedings due to a case of having dodgy bananas overnight. The Mascot that won the race was first-ever champion “Lanky the Giraffe,” representing Lancashire. The second place went to the “Charlie Fox,” of Leicestershire, while the final place on the podium was secured by “Freddie the Falcon,” of Derbyshire.

Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen- Mascots of Asian Games in Hangzhou, China

Mascots of Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. (Photo Source: Fang Jianfei/VCG via Getty Images)

The upcoming Asian Games which will be held in Hangzhou, China will have a set of three mascots which are sporty robots known as the “smart triplets”. Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen each represent a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the host city. These three mascots were chosen from a total of 4,633 submissions for the mascot designs. 

The first robot Congcong represents the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City and is the color of a bumper harvest. Its name comes from the Jade Cong pendant – a quintessential relic unearthed from the ruins which date back 5,000 years. The second robot is named Lianlian, green coloured mascot, that represents West Lake and its name signifies a lake full of lotus leaves. 

The third and final mascot is a robot named Chenchen, which represents the Grand Canal which runs from Beijing and finishes in Hangzhou. It takes its name from Gongchen Bridge – a landmark structure on the Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal and represents science and technology. Cricket will be played in both men’s and women’s events in this edition of the Asian Games.

Shakti- Mascot of Women’s Premier League (WPL 2023)

Mascot of Women’s Premier League (WPL 2023). (Photo Source: Twitter)

The Women’s Premier League (WPL) is an initiative by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), to bring the Indian Premier League (IPL) model to women’s games, and the first edition was played in 2023 dubbed as WPL 2023 and was a stupendous success featuring the top female cricketers from around the world. The inaugural edition of the tournament featured the top female cricketers from all around the world. They were picked by six franchises, who were embattled to win the crown, which went to Mumbai Indians led by Harmanpreet Kaur. 

Jay Shah, the BCCI secretary, had unveiled the roaring mascot of the Women’s Premier League named Shakti, calling her ‘Fast, Fierce, & Full of fire.’  The mascot was unveiled in a 30-second video clip, which showed Shakti- a tigress, smashing sixes into all parts of the ground with zeal in her eyes similar to several top female cricketers in the world like Harmanpreet Kaur, and Smriti Mandhana. Shakti was adorned with a blue dress with pads, a bat, gloves, and a helmet for protection. 

Team Mascots in IPL

Moochu Singh – RR’s mascot. (Photo Source: Twitter)

While the Indian Premier League (IPL) doesn’t have any official mascot, the teams participating in the league have had some interesting mascots representing their legacy. The Rajasthan Royals had unveiled its mascot “Moochu Singh”- a Lion. Moochu Singh had a big moustache and stood for RR’s motto of resilience, commitment, and intensity and never say die attitude. He was also seen dancing in a music video with then RR owner Shilpa Shetty to the tune of Halla Bol. 

In the same inaugural IPL edition in 2008, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) unveiled their mascot named “Hoog-Lee” who was a young Bengal tiger cub, a pure vegetarian, loves humour, his nice little bed, and the color gold. He was called “better than any Lee in the world”. Then in the IPL 2023, KKR unveiled a fresh mascot whom they named “Kay the Knight.” The Mascot was introduced to play an important role in cheering up the environment of the game.