Tiger Woods reveals his sweet-tooth for cricket as Pakistan-England Test Series rages on in Abu Dhabi
Former world number one Tiger Woods, who is currently in Abu Dhabi for the latest episode of Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, expressed his fondness for cricket, a sport remotely known to the Americans.
Being an avid baseball fan himself, Woods thinks cricket is based on much the same set of rules and probably has the same spirit.
The Abu Dhabi event, one of the most sought after titles on the European Tour, will be played alongside the Pakistan-England Test Series, which is currently going on at the Abu Dhabi Stadium.
Despite his addictive fondness for baseball, the 36-year-old superstar admitted that cricket is great all over the world.
Woods said, “Baseball is huge in Japan and the US, but outside of that cricket is huge. So as I have travelled and I have played all around the world, I have started to watch more and more”.
Pakistan, one of the top-ranked cricketing nations in the world, defeated England, one of the top-ranked Test Nations at the moment, last week in the opening five-day test match.
Both teams have now started off with their second test on a different venue in Abu Dhabi.
Woods also revealed that he has watched and have even tried his hands on the sport a few times but also admits that he does not like watching the sport on TV.
“I am a baseball guy. But have I followed cricket? I have, a little bit. From just what I saw in the news, it’s been — I think it’s been like a batsmen’s paradise here,” said Woods of the Abu Dhabi Stadium pitch.
He went on, “But as far as watching cricket, I don’t watch, absolutely. Especially, when I am travelling overseas”.
Woods had been playing baseball since his childhood when his father Earl introduced him to the sport at a very early age.
He said that he grew up watching and playing the game and had been a good pitcher all his life while his father was an excellent catcher.
He said that his father used to play in Negro leagues and that the sport is most certainly in his blood if not more than golf.
Woods was also featured in one of the advertisements which had the former Indian star batsman, Rahul Dravid.
The 14-major-winner said that meeting different people from across the globe has certainly helped him understand the intricacies of the sport in a better way.
Woods will be barging on yet another season on the international golf where he will be tackling one of the toughest fields this week.
After bringing an end to his two-year long winless streak, at the Chevron World Challenge, the Stanford graduate is hoping to pull in a blistering start right from the first day of the tournament.
Both the cricket teams are locked in a stiff battle for the moment, but some of the English players are likely to visit the golf course in an attempt to quench their thirst.
Michael Vaughan and Woods also share the same sporting agency as the sports manager.
Tags: