2007 Team (nee Shanghai Dragons)

Shanghai Cricket currently comprises 4 ‘league' teams, and 8 ‘social' teams. As the majority of this year's touring party represent just one of those teams - the uniquely named Shanghai Hot Dogs - we playing under their name.

Chad Blewitt

On Chad's only previous CMS trip he was but an electrical malfunction away from achieving tournament infamy. Having spent one particular evening impressing his team-mates with tales of his days in the fire service, he returned to the hotel a few to the good around 3.30am. Upon entering he found the ground floor blanketed by strange smelling smoke, and declared that it was an electrical fire and tried to set off the fire alarm. To his dismay nothing happened, so he ran to the 1st floor to find the hotel staff calmly chatting oblivious to the smoke around them. A few ‘silly farangs' later, it was established that the ‘electrical fire' was routine mosquito spraying. Had the alarm sounded and the hotel - accommodating half the CMS teams - been evacuated at 3.30am, I suspect he would still be in CM drinking his fines. On a cricketing note, he has achieved remarkable success as the Hot Dogs captain with back to back league and three consecutive Shanghai Int'l Sixes titles, but his personal contributions inspired the creation of a new award as the Mike Brearley Specialist Captain. Personal fines: (i) Contributing to the cause through runs/wickets (ii) Playing paparazzo

Manoj Mehta

On his only previous trip to CMS, Manoj won undying respect from his team-mates by successfully posing as an Arab sheik to woo a lady, and then coolly navigating a potentially disastrous situation when multiple love interests simultaneously turned up in the team tent. Sadly he lacks the same sang-froid on the field, possessing the ability to liven up the most facile of run chases by opting to either bunt or swing wildly, depending on which is the least appropriate. Hot Dogs anchor man for boat races. Personal fines: (i) Misrepresentation (ii) Bunting

Pete Cain

5th consecutive CMS for our Morals Manager, for which he stand's unopposed each year, as responsibility for decreeing what is morally inappropriate is only bestowable upon someone with such an impeccable personal track record as his. Owing to one of our Americans not yet grasping the straight arm theme, Pete loses the gloves and is participating as a specialist bowler. We apologise for any delays this may cause in the playing schedule. Personal fines: (i) Inappropriate moral behaviour (ii) Blaming wides on reverse swing

Ryan Saling

Ryan hails from somewhere near where they make cars in America, and learned his cricket in Germany. Despite such cricketing pedigree and a season as the Social Team keeper, we may see a backstop employed for the first time in sixes cricket.  His passion for the game disproves the notion that Americans can't learn and love cricket, touring the world to watch test matches (his first was that Edgbaston Test) and is a veteran of European sixes tours. Personal fines: (i) Inability to answer any question about any sport (ii) Being asked for ID when purchasing alcohol

Mike Tsesmelis

Mike attended five successive CMS, until a fateful tour to Hong Kong in Nov. 2006. It was only a weekend trip, but was sufficient for him to fall in love with a visiting American girl, miss a game of cricket for the first time, and for 15 months until their break-up, every SCC tour. In view of this long absence and a substantial history of tour romances, the team is considering a 24-hour love watch throughout the trip. Personal fines: (i) Romantic behaviour (ii) Excessive hugging of team-mates

Yuvraj Arumugam

Shanghai's most feared cricketer, solely due to his ability to shock, offend and disgrace in any situation. Thankfully owing to his US passport Raj is ineligible for our upcoming North Korea tour, which vastly reduces our chances of spending the remainder of our days in a Pyongyang kim chi factory for offending the great one. In 2006 Raj did the unthinkable and left the Hot Dogs to join a rival team, but will be welcomed back subject to an extensive public self-criticism. Personal fines: (i) Behaviour leading to complaints from other customers in any restaurant, bar or hotel (ii) Disrespecting the glorious DPR

Justin Fish

One of five Americans/US-Indians in the squad, Justin recently arrived in Shanghai and travels despite his playing experience amounting to a single net session in Munich. He will only be required if Mike falls in love, Raj is arrested, Martin loses his other eye, or the American contingent are on conference calls during matches - expect him to feature prominently. Personal fines: (i) Dropping the bat whilst running (ii) smoking (he's giving up)

Sanjay Anugula

In November elected President of SCC on the basis of his views on Australians, women and any combination of the two. One of the few guys who can actually play, and a superstar of the boat race team. Personal fines: (i) Walking around shirtless (ii) Making up Hindi-sounding words as cover for abusive sledging

Martin Hill

Still to confirm pending successful reintegration into normal life. He originally left Shanghai in 2004 to train as a chopper pilot in Hawaii, which was curtailed by the loss of an eye. He returned to Shanghai to resume teaching, womanizing, and bowling as erratically as James Anderson, before retreating to a Papua New Guinean village for 18 months. He just returned to the UK, taking with him the only white woman he found in his part of the jungle, and with Martin in need of some adventure, we are hopeful of a return. Personal fines: (i) Blaming dropped catches on his eye (he couldn't catch with 2 eyes) (ii) Cannibalism