mid-day's Atul Kamble wins 2013 Wisden-MCC cricket photo award

mid-day lensman has won the prestigious Wisden-MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year 2013 for his image of Sachin Tendulkar walking out during his farewell Test. Click to check the photo

mid-day lensman Atul Kamble has won the prestigious Wisden-MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year 2013 for his image of Sachin Tendulkar walking out to resume his innings against the West Indies in his farewell Test on November 15, 2013 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.


Sachin Tendulkar walks out of the Wankhede Stadium dressing room to resume his innings on the second day of the India vs West Indies Test on November 15, 2013. Pic/Atul Kamble 

Apart from this international honour, Kamble stands to earn 1,000 pounds for his photograph which was chosen as number one from 500 entries submitted by professional and amateur photographers from around the world. The judging panel consisted of Chris Smith, Patrick Eagar, Nigel Davies, Eileen Langsley and Hugh Routledge. They chose Kamble's image from a shortlist of 11.

Atul Kamble has served mid-day since 2000 and has covered cricket matches all over India. South African photographer Shaun Roy claimed the second prize for his image of Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli being hit in the face as he dropped a catch in the 2013 Indian Premier League match against Kings XI Punjab.


Atul Kamble 

Md Khalid Rayhan Shawon, an amateur photographer from Bangladesh, was the second runner-up for his image of children playing cricket under the Shahjalal International Airport flight path in Dhaka. Kamble and the two runners up are featured in the 2014 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, considered the bible of cricket. The three images along with the 11 shortlisted photos will be displayed at the Lord's Cricket Ground this season.

"I wanted to shoot a special photograph considering it was Tendulkar's final Test and I am glad I positioned myself for this image. To be judged by Patrick Eagar, who is my idol, is an honour," said Kamble.

Chris Smith, Chief Sports Photographer at The Sunday Times and Chair of the Judging Panel, said: "The standard of photographs this year was very high. In the end the sheer sense of occasion that the winning image captured won us over, and I would like to thoroughly congratulate Atul on winning the competition."

Adam Chadwick, MCC Curator of Collections, said: "The Wisden-MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year in association with 21SIX is an extremely coveted award and we are delighted with the standard of images we have seen in the 2013 competition."

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