Best XI of cricketers with the most stylish beards

Beards just don't go out of fashion among cricketers, do they? We're talking about a sport whose protagonists are looked up to as icons and fans try their best to emulate their styles.

This applies to everything - from their stance and batting technique, to the hairdo and beard that they sport. The last of those in particular have been rather trendy today, but have transcended eras as well over time. So much so that they remain vivid in the minds of fans and spring straight to mind when that particular player's name is taken.

Here, we construct a playing XI of cricketers with the most iconic beard looks over the years.

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Openers - WG Grace and Brendon McCullum

Chalk and cheese in terms of eras and batting styles, but of course, WG Grace and Brendon McCullum do complement each other. Grace was known for his long vigil at the crease and McCullum, now England's Test coach, was as cavalier as they came with the bat.

That they complement each other wouldn't just be restricted to their batting styles though. Grace sported arguably the first most iconic beard in cricket and McCullum's facial hairdo is as trendy and fashionable as they come. He's kept it intact well after his playing days as well alright!

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Middle-order - Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson and Sir Vivian Richards

Virat Kohli and Kane Williamson are obvious picks. While talking about fashionable beards among today's generation of cricketers, it's hard to look beyond the duo. If anything, Kohli's iconic fanbase has ensured that his facial hairstyle has set a trend among the youth in India.

Williamson's neatly maintained facial hairdo is as smooth as they come. And of course, nothing much needs to be said about the batting prowess of both these modern-day cricketing superstars now, is there?

Much the same with a certain Sir Vivian Richards. The swashbuckling superstar is regarded by many as the most fearsome batter to have graced the sport. Pretty sure his facial hairdo gave an equally fearsome look to the man as he strode out with the bat in hand and pulverized many a bowling unit alright.

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Finishers - MS Dhoni (c&wk) and Corey Anderson

With regards to MS Dhoni, he's probably going to be remembered more for his long hair when he first burst onto the scene, rather than his facial hairstyle. Dhoni has sported many a look over the years, but in the current XI, a tinge of salt and pepper sure adds to the variety, doesn't it?

Also, what is it with the Kiwis and their facial hairstyles? They just know how to keep their beard intact, don't they? Corey Anderson probably leaves both Williamson and McCullum behind on that front.

With regards to their role as finishers, it's self-explanatory. Dhoni is regarded as one of, if not the greatest, that cricket has seen, and Anderson has been a gunslinger of some kind with the bat in hand.

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Bowlers - Mitchell Johnson, Kane Richardson, Muttiah Muralitharan and Merv Hughes

The only thing that looked more threatening than Mitchell Johnson's thunderbolts during the 2013-14 Ashes series - his handlebar moustache. Fancy a left-arm quick sporting the same, steaming in and firing rockets, to walk away with 37 wickets at a sub-14 average (gulps)!

Kane Richardson's beard always attracts eyeballs given the different variants of which he sports now and then. But Australia's original facial hair trendsetter was always Merv Hughes. The burly fast-bowler earned a cult fan following for his amusing antics, apart from a menacing handlebar moustache and beard.

Rounding off the list is the 'smiling assassin' himself. 1347 international wickets aside, Muttiah Muralitharan's good old French beard was almost a constant presence throughout his career. Couple that with those wide eyeballs and it certainly made life difficult for a batter to pick his variations alright.

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Best XI of cricketers with the most stylish beards: WG Grace, Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Sir Vivian Richards, MS Dhoni (wk), Corey Anderson, Mitchell Johnson, Kane Richardson, Muttiah Muralitharan, Merv Hughes

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