J Christ, c. Iscariot b. Pilate, 33

'The origins of cricket are hotly debated, and now it seems there is evidence that it started much earlier than anyone had previously thought. And it was played by none other than Jesus himself, according to an ancient Armenian manuscript. Bear with us, it takes a little explaining: a Dr Abraham Terian unearthed the material in the Armenian Gospel of the Infancy (what do you mean, you've never heard of it), which was translated into Armenian in the sixth century from a much older lost Syriac original. Still with us? Terian discovered the book more than decade ago and it has now been translated into English. "Jesus is instructed to watch Israel's house and not leave the place while the master goes away on a tour to collect clothes to be dyed. But no sooner has Israel left the house than Jesus runs out with the boys,'' Terian told AAP. "The most amazing part of the story of the nine-year-old Jesus playing a form of cricket with the boys at the seashore, is that he would go on playing the game on water, over the sea waves.'' Wonder if he had a godly cover-drive or practiced religiously'

 

- Cricinfo, 11 August 2008