JohnF you may be wondering why I put the title to this post in capitals. Well the reason is that I am VERY EXCITED, and I want anyone else who has an interest in cricket to be excited too.

Various people have been trying for the last 5 years to get a cricket team together in Istanbul. However, the problem of finding a flat space in a city of more than 15 million inhabitants that is set on 7 hills has always remained.

Today something has changed. A guy I have been communicating with who organises cricket in Ankara has informed me that there is now a Turkish Federation for Cricket appointed by the Geneclik ve Spor (Enver Oral Bay). Enver Bay (apart from being a troubled predecessor to Ataturk) wants to give some sort of official status to cricket clubs in Turkey. And this means us.

The new President of the Federation of Developing Sports in Turkey has told my correspondent that he can arrange a cricket ground in Istanbul very soon, but in order to do this we need to show him that there are teams in Istanbul who would like to participate in cricket-related activities.

I have an idea for a team of entuisiastic but light-hearted expats and Turks called "the Legends" ("Efsaneler") who enjoy the cricket and the post-match banter and drinking. If you are interested in joining this rollercoaster please can you PM me:

(i) your full name
(ii) your e-mail address
(iii) your status in Turkey (no. of years etc.)

Please get back to me as soon as is possible (the Anakara Reps will be meeting the President of the FDST on Monday), and pass this message on to anyone you think might be interested.

JC

I'm in.

In. Pm'd details.

in in in

Seggiest, Will you be joining the Istanbul side or our Ankara side? We are basing the Ankara side around the Red Lion Club.

I would also like to add some info regarding the setting up of the Turkish Federation of Cricket. Early next month a representative of the European Cricket Council is coming out to help us with applying for associate membership of the ICC. This will mean all sorts of stuff, proper comps inside Turkey, but it will also be perhaps our last chance to play international cricket. Basically if you have been resident for about seven years and know which end of a bat to hold onto you qualify to represent Turkey...

Obviously we would be in the lowest group possible so no fear of facing a Brett Lee beamer, but could you imagine playing for Turkey against Greece in Athens? (Spine though said he could only agree if it didn't jeopardize his right to qualify for England).

We have played a few games in Ankara in the past couple of years using gear that was donated by the ECC (all the stuff - mats, bowls, pads, boxes, helmuts etc) and the whole thing was great fun... and that includes those who can hardly bat or bowl or field for that matter.

Ill play in Istanbul Oz as Im there for the Spring and summer. Looks like we might be getting capped for Turkey then

oh and Oz make sure you're not caught behind for nought while representing the red and white

As I told Spine last time I was caught behind for 1, not naught!

crap at this but if it involves standing around a field all day scratching my nuts and waiting for tea time and cucumber sandwiches then I am in.

Yup. PM'd you

Efzaneler.

We have a number of names now- thanks to all those who have replied- and keep 'em coming

And a big thanks to Starman for agreeing to prepare (with a crack team of sous chefs from the IWI) the smoked salmon and cucumber sandwiches (sans crust).

It's Efsaneler, numnuts. With an s.

I had assumed it was a deliberate misspelling by jc, no?

That would have been slightly too disrespectful, Seggy.

Sorry, Ali: misspelling changed above. Oreniyorum- Afedersiniz.