Tallest cricketers of all time

Cricket is a mixture of art and skill,and sports are run on talents of individuals; however, sometimes it is the physical attributesof a player that engraves the path forsuccess. Height is an important attribute for a fast bowler.Of course, there are bowlers who are relatively short and have created their own niche, but taller bowlers do seem to have an edge over others.Here, let us havea look at the top 10 tallest cricketers of all time. Remember to drop your comments.

#1 Mohammad Irfan (PAK)

He is tall and undoubtedly fast. This lanky spearhead from Pakistan is the tallest in the game of cricket with a height of 7’1” (216cms). He made his ODI debut against England in 2010 after Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were sacked due to spot-fixing. His debut was not that remarkable as he went for too many runs and had to leave the field because of cramps.

But, then, he came back against India in 2012. Since then his bowling has not gone unnoticed: he became known as a bowler who bowls consistently above 140kmph and in good channels. He made his Test debut against South Africa.

#2 Joel Garner (WI)

The 6 feet 8 inches tall bowler from the Caribbean islands was feared for the steep bounce he generated at higher speeds. Referred to as the ‘Big Bird’, he was a part of the great West Indian side of the 70s and 80s. He is amongst the only two bowlers with more than 100 wickets at an average under 20.

His most memorable spell, as acknowledged by him, is the one he delivered at the 1979 World Cup final against England, a match which he ended with figures of 5/39.

#3 Bruce Reid (AUS)

He is of the same height as Garner, making him the joint second-tallest player in the cricketing world. He was born at Perth, a city that is popularly referred to as the Mecca of fast bowling. The tall fellow made his debut for the Aussies in 1985 and got recognised for his left-arm fast bowling. He played 23 Tests taking 113 wickets and 61 ODIs taking 63 wickets.

In addition to being tall, he was peculiarly lean, which made him susceptible to injuries. He was rarely in his peak fitness levels, which meant his country couldn’t utilise him to the fullest. He has also worked as the bowling coach of the Indian cricket team in their tour to Australia in 2003.

#4 Chris Tremlett (ENG)

The tallest from England, this lanky Englishman stands at 6 feet 7 inches (201cms). He caught the attention, while representing his county, when he took the first ball wicket against New Zealand in the year 2000. Tremlett, born on 2 September 1981, made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in 2005. Since then he has been in and out of the England team mainly due to recurrent injury troubles.

He was a part of the team that won the 2010-11 Ashes in Australia. He is a handy number 8/9 batsman, too, with a few FC fifties.

#5 Steven Finn (ENG)

Another tall, right-arm lanky fast bowler from England, Steven Finn (6 feet 7 inches) is a fine fast bowling talent. He made his international debut against Bangladesh in 2010. He is renowned for his fast bouncers at good speeds. He is one of the tallest from England and the fifth in the list of tallest bowlers.

#6 Sulieman Benn (WI)

At 6 feet and 7 inches, Sulieman Jamaal Benn is perhaps the tallest spin bowler the game has ever had. Representing the West Indies in international cricket, he plays First-class cricket for Barbados.

He made his international debut against Sri Lanka in 2008. Benn has represented West Indies in 17 Tests, 25 ODIs and 17 T20 matches. After being overlooked in favour of Sunil Narine in the last couple years, he has recently made a comeback to the national team for the series against New Zealand.

#7 Tom Moody (AUS)

At 6 feet and 7 inches , Tom “Long” Moody was tall and strongly built. Moody became a recognised batsman, who even opened the batting for the team on occasions. He was also more than a part-time seamer, bowling at medium pace. He and Steve Waugh became the first two Australians to win two world cups.

He was the Sri Lankan cricket coach from 2005 to 2007 and led them to the 2007 World Cup finals. Having previously worked with Kings XI Punjab as their coach in the first three IPL editions, he is now in charge of Sunrisers Hyderabad.

#8 Jacob Oram (NZ)

The New Zealand all-rounder stands tall at 6 feet 6 inches. Unlike most tall players, he remained agile and fit on the field. He is one of the 6 New Zealand players who have scored 1000 runs and taken 100 wickets in Test cricket. In a T20 match against Sri Lanka back in 2009, he helped himself to a hat-trick.

#9 Morne Morkel (SA)

The only South African on the list, he is 6 feet 5 inches tall (198cms). He is the younger of the two Morkels. Capable of extracting steep bounce at fearsome pace, he made his debut at home against India in the 2006-07 series.

He forms a deadly partnership with fellow fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Veron Philander. The pace trio is one of the main reasons behind South Africa being at the top in Test cricket.

#10 Ishant Sharma (IND)

Yes, finally an Indian bowler. Ishant is 6 feet 5 inches tall and most remembered for his duels with former Australian captain Ricky Ponting. HIs ODI and Test debuts were in the year 2007. In his debut series against Australia, he made a mark for himself by bowling lethal deliveries at great pace, to trouble the best batsmen of that time.

Recent developments in his career have not been so good, and he has been in and out of the team. He has lost his pace, isn’t penetrative anymore and is hardly consistent.