# not cricket

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/not-cricket
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Unsportsmanlike.

## Examples

- Taking credit for someone else's work is not cricket.
- He felt it was not cricket to change the rules of the game while we were already playing.
- The committee decided that his attempt to manipulate the voting process was simply not cricket and disqualified his entry immediately.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.