Internet star florin brings romance back

Paul Edwards catches up exclusively with Pavel Florin, the Romanian bowler who became an overnight sensation while playing in the European Cricket League

- Paul Edwards

If you ever feel cynical about cricket, you might do well to have a chat with Pavel Florin. If you play for a club and have complained about an away trip, you could also benefit from hearing what he says. Come to think of it, whatever your role in the game, you could do worse than think about Florin and his attachment to the game.

Florin is an international cricketer. He plays for Romania. His bowling, which is slow and rather loopy, was seen last week on a YouTube video of the European Cricket League. It attracted the derision of a few but their contempt by quickly swamped by the admiration of hundreds of cricketers who identified with the Romanian’s enthusiasm and noticed his balls didn’t get hit to all parts very often.

“Nobody likes my bowling, this is true,” he said. “My colleagues don’t like my bowling and my opponents don’t like it. But I know my bowling is good because I see my economy and take wickets with this kind of bowling.

“My bowling is different because I learned how to do it by myself. I see other players do it, read the rules of bowling and try to do something good for the team. People laugh at my bowling but nobody hits me for six. If I bowl fast, everybody hits me.”