C365’s must-follow cricket Twitter accounts

Cricket365 01 Oct 2013

Twitter may be scoffed at as a genuine source of news, but it’s becoming more and more prevalent in cricketing circles due to its immediacy, and its ease to use when you want to sneakily keep track of a day’s play from the office.

Regular readers, and Twitter followers, will know how much we at C365 Towers enjoy a good bit of banter via the medium of a Tweet, so we thought we’d draw up a handy list of 12 accounts to follow ahead of an action-packed few months.

1. @Cricket365. Obviously. Your number one choice for all things news, scores, pictures and chatter. Take the snark with a pinch of salt. Virat Kohli is our boyfriend.

2. @AltCricket. One of the most popular accounts for cricket news, but more for the sheer amount of sarcasm, disdain and devil-may-care attitude he shows for the politics of the game. He blends a thorough knowledge of cricket with a wicked wit, and is always up for a bit of banter with those who take issue with his views. His weekly podcasts are must-listen events.

3. @UScricketguy. Hilarious take on cricket from an ‘American’ perspective. The news he put out is real, but it’s twisted to sound like a clueless American wrote it. Cricket is ‘cricketball’ and no player’s name is ever spelled correctly.

4. @ajarrodkimber. Australian cricket writer Jarrod Kimber is one of the more respected columnists on the web, but not in an old-school ‘former England captain’ way. His views generally reflect what the educated fan is thinking, but said in a funnier, more elegant manner. His articles are often the highlight of the Test day.

5. @iainobrien. The former New Zealand fast bowler, and now children’s author, is one of the pricklier characters on Twitter, but also one of the most entertaining. Never one to shy away from voicing an opinion, he’s more than likely to respond to critics with a vicious retort. But his views on the game are informative, and his work to raise awareness for depression is ongoing.

6. @warne888. Following Australia spin legend Shane Warne is a treat for sheer laugh-out-loud moments when he goes on a rant. Now that he’s not posting every second Tweet about Liz Hurley, we expect a few more long-winded monologues during the upcoming Ashes, especially if Cricket Australia do anything to draw his ire.

7. @MichaelVaughan. The former England captain often tweets even while in the commentary box, and is not shy about expressing his disdain for decisions, or his praise for certain players. He also loves to rile up Aussie supporters, taking the mickey from morning till night if the situation calls for it. If you’re an Aussie fan, you might want to steer clear.

8. @FirdoseM. The South Africa correspondent for Cricinfo, Firdose Moonda, is a measured, informative and very connected writer. Her articles are always packed with facts and figures, and more than one fascinating interview has come off her keyboard. Zimbabwe cricket fans will also get good mileage out of following her, while those who like cats will be amused by the pictorial antics of her feline, named Doosra.

9. @swannyg66. England spinner Graeme Swann comes across as one of the more intelligent cricketers to post on the site, and unlike some, knows the difference between ‘you’re’ and ‘your’. He often puts up funny anecdotes about his team-mates, along with a picture or two, and is also on the ball when it comes to popular culture. One of the few players we genuinely enjoy following.

10. @TheCricketGeek. Peter Miller is a regular contributor to various cricket sites, and half of the Geek and Wilde podcast. Full of stats, opinions and humour, he is an integral part of any cricket fan’s Twitter account, with a similar humour to @AltCricket and @tickerscricket.

11. @newman_cricket. Paul Newman is the cricket correspondent for the Daily Mail, and having him on file is key if you want news before anyone else has it. His match reports are also some of the best, along with @DavidKHopps and @selvecricket.

12. @bhogleharsha. Indian commentator and writer Harsha Bhogle’s Tweets are more down the line than most on this list, but he tempers his solid commentary with some left-field opinions, usually about the BCCI and the IPL. Often the voice of reason when everyone else is throwing their toys/calling for Stuart Broad’s head.

Aside from all these, you should also keep track of the various countries’ board accounts (CSA, CA, BCCI, etc) even for nothing else than scores and press releases before news outlets publish them.

Who do you follow?