5 cricketers who are a throwback to past legends

Comparisons in cricket, or for that matter in any sport, are sometimes futile, simply because of the fact that it is often difficult to accurately compare the different eras in which two cricketers played. However, at some points, certain cricketers come along, who remind fans of cricketers that they might have watched in a bygone era.

For instance, the sort of impact he has on the game, his demeanour, his batting style and the match turning abilities that he brings to the table might be reminiscent of a great from the past. However, there are very few cricketers who are such throwbacks. Here is a look at 5 of them.

#5 David Warner - Matthew Hayden

David Warner stepped into legendary Australian opener Matthew Hayden's shoes right after the latter had retired and his batting is a throwback to the exploits of the big Queenslander right from the time that he debuted for his nation.

Warner's belligerent style, the power hitting and the ability to intimidate bowlers with his presence at the crease are very similar to how Hayden played the game at his peak. In addition to that, he is a left-hander and the opener for Australia in all formats, which are also some of the reasons why people are reminded of Hayden whenever they watch Warner bat.

That said, Warner is not as good against top quality spin as Hayden was and once he masters his record in the subcontinent, then he might be regarded as a carbon copy of the Queenslander.

#4 Josh Hazlewood - Glenn McGrath

Glenn McGrath is among the greatest fast bowlers to have ever played the game and during his time, he was the pillar of the Australian fast bowling machinery that used to flatten batting lineups all over the world.

For many years after his retirement in 2007, Australia struggled to find a player in the same mould but the emergence of Josh Hazlewood seems to be a godsend.

He is a throwback to the Glenn McGrath school of bowling and almost everything about his bowling reminds cricket fans of the great Australian bowler. His nagging accuracy, ability to bowl relatively long spells and extract just the right amount of seam movement to induce an edge is quite similar to McGrath.

The only difference between the two lies in the fact that McGrath was perhaps a few yards quicker and had a lethal bouncer during his peak.

#3 Ben Stokes - Ian Botham

England's Ben Stokes is the best all-rounder in the world at the moment and in addition to that, he is among the most exciting cricketers across the three formats of the game. He is England's premier match-winner and one player that everyone is reminded of whenever he is in action is former England great Ian Botham.

Like Botham, Stokes is an ultra-attacking cricketer who likes to stamp his authority on the game, be it with bat or ball. Although he bats left-handed, his approach to batting is quite similar to that of Botham as he looks to completely dominate the bowlers right from the time he comes out to the middle.

As a bowler, Botham was probably better than Stokes, but the latter has age on his side and can improve in the years to come. Last but not least, the latest off-field incident in which Stokes was involved is also a reminder that even his personality is perhaps quite similar to the former England legend.

#2 Kagiso Rabada - Malcolm Marshall

No fast bowler has captured the imagination of cricket fans all around the world quite like South Africa's young paceman Kagiso Rabada. Over the past year or so, he has swiftly become the leader of the Proteas bowling attack in the absence of Dale Steyn.

He might turn out to be one of South Africa's great fast bowlers but as far as similarities are concerned, he is a throwback to one of the greatest fast bowlers the West Indies ever produced, Malcolm Marshall. The sprint to the crease devoid of a jump, the searing pace, the ability to move the ball both ways and last but not least, the penchant for identifying a batsman's weakness early are some of the reasons why people are reminded of Marshall when Rabada runs in full steam.

As a matter of fact, Rabada idolised Marshall while he was growing up and the influence is clear as day.

#1 Quinton de Kock - Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist revolutionised the role of the wicketkeeper and cricket has not been the same since. Ever since his emergence, wicketkeepers have been expected to bat well and contribute towards the team's total.

However, not many have come along in that mould. South Africa's Quinton de Kock is the first wicketkeeper-batsman who has shown that he can be just as good as Gilchrist. Over the past few years, he has become one of the top batsmen in limited-overs cricket.

Last season, he became a part of the Test side as well and it won't be long before he single-handedly wins games for South Africa in the longer version of the game. De Kock's batting style is not similar to Gilchrist, save for the fact that both are left-handers, but the impact that they have on a game is quite similar.

Considering the fact that he is the first cricketer to reprise Gilchrist's role, it is not a surprise that most fans are reminded of the great Australian whenever they watch the young South African bat.