All the world's cricketers walked into a bar. The LOLs, the chatter, and the occasional mini-brawls, they were endless. And the news cycle was never the same again! Welcome to ESPNcricinfo's Social Buzz, your go-to destination for all the bantz, the jousts, and little bit of eavesdropping from the social media playground and beyond.

October 17

New Zealand comic Tony Lyall was hosting a pub quiz a couple of days ago, with a bar tab up for grabs for the team that finished second to last. Turns out there was a familiar face among the losing teams. Here's what transpired, in Lyall's words.


Tony Lyall
@Tony_lyall
I just hosted a pub quiz and there was a tie for last place. 2nd to last gets a bar tab. I went rogue and gave the team who got 3rd to last the bar tab, saying something like “sorry that’s just how draws work” I looked up and @JimmyNeesh was in one of the teams that tied. 😐

209
3:20 PM - Oct 15, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
21 people are talking about this
Surely not, we hear you say, he must be mistaken. That couldn't possibly happen to Jimmy Neesham, not after everything that went down in July. Well, turns out life is endlessly cruel to Neesh, but at least he's laughing through it.


Jimmy Neesham
✔
@JimmyNeesh
5 mid twenties athletes... Art and Literature was a bloodbath 😂 https://twitter.com/tony_lyall/statu...36197049307136 …

Tony Lyall
@Tony_lyall
I just hosted a pub quiz and there was a tie for last place. 2nd to last gets a bar tab. I went rogue and gave the team who got 3rd to last the bar tab, saying something like “sorry that’s just how draws work” I looked up and @JimmyNeesh was in one of the teams that tied. 😐

315
9:28 AM - Oct 16, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy
18 people are talking about this
Can South Africa pick Jonty Rhodes for the Ranchi Test?
South Africa aren't having a great tour of India, so when former fielding star Jonty Rhodes posted a photo of himself in SA colours for a photo shoot in Mumbai, some thought a squad change was in order. Harbhajan Singh jumped into Rhodes' Instagram comments with: "Can u play the last test in Ranchi SA need need some batting Jonty". Jonty replied: "they need much more than me!!!!"

True, at best, given his mad fielding skills, perhaps India would have scored a 100 fewer runs in Pune - which would have only reduced their margin of victory.


Jasprit Bumrah gets nostalgic
Throwback time: Jasprit Bumrah remembers his school days.

October 16

Shane Watson gets hacked thrice in one week
It's been a tough week for Shane Watson on social media as he's suffered a hat-trick of hacks to his Twitter and Instagram accounts. We won't go into the details of what was posted - it wasn't suitable for a family audience - but suffice to say Watson will want to review his passwords. After playing grade cricket in Sydney last weekend, he is now in India and, after resolving the latest hack, posted a selfie from beside a very nice waterfall. So it's not all bad.



Irfan Pathan to feature in a Tamil film with actor Vikram
Fast bowlers, even the nicest ones, have plenty of showman skills - what with all that huffing, puffing, glaring, appealing and then looking angsty when the appeal is turned down - so it isn't surprising to hear that former India quick Irfan Pathan will soon be making his debut on the silver screen. But Pathan says he was taken aback when Tamil movie director Ajay Gnanamuthu approached him to play a police officer in his next film, tentatively titled Vikram 58.



"My first question was, 'Why me?' He explained that the role suited me perfectly and that they were keen on casting me," Pathan told Sportstar.

"It's a Turkish character and, instead of scouting for someone from Bollywood, which is the usual practice here, I wanted a fresh face," Gnanamuthu told Deccan Chronicle. "I had watched Irfan Pathan's dubsmash videos and I was really impressed. So, I went and met him at his Baroda residence and stated my interest. However, he was initially shocked and asked if I was serious. He also said he didn't know anything about acting. I gave him confidence and after listening to the script, he was convinced. He also loved the role."

Incidentally, he's not the only cricketer making his big-screen debut. According to a tweet he shared a couple of days ago, Harbhajan Singh too should be coming to a theatre near you in a Tamil film called Dikkiloona, directed by Karthik Yogi. Watch out, bowlers, there's an acting bug doing the rounds.

October 15

Jimmy Neesham's Titantic reference about the World Cup final
Three months after the World Cup final was decided by boundary countback, the ICC has changed the Super Over regulations. Too late, ICC, our heart (and Jimmy Neesham's) will go on and on forever about that confusing Lord's evening.


October 14

Adam Zampa explains the Junction Oval pitch
Remember that Sheffield Shield run-a-thon at the Junction Oval a few days ago? Victoria and South Australia batsmen rang up 1287 runs on a pitch that refused to deteriorate and offered up only 12 wickets. There was a lot of muttering and grumbling about how it wasn't a good look for the Shield. But perhaps no one summed it better than Adam Zampa. What was the pitch like? Swipe for answers.