×

Cricketers who grabbed spotlight despite their ‘short’ height

When people around the globe looked down on them (like quite lietrally), they took a pause and showed what they possessed

Related articles

From left to right (Sachin Tendulkar, James Taylor, Sarfaraz Khan, Tatenda Taibu) Below (Gundappa Viswanath, Mushfiqur Rahim, Kruger van Wyk) © Getty Images
From left to right (Sachin Tendulkar, James Taylor, Sarfaraz Khan, Tatenda Taibu) Below (Gundappa Viswanath, Mushfiqur Rahim, Kruger van Wyk) © Getty Images

As they say, ‘big things often come in small packages.’ There is always a way to overcome one’s short-comings (pardon the pun). Cricket did it for these gentlemen. When people around the globe looked down on them (quite literally), they took a pause and showed what they possessed, letting their performances say it all. Yes size do matter, but for these gentlemen it was their records and achievements that spoke volume. These cricketers have also gone to prove that height has nothing to do with cricket as long as you are enough to provide tough competition to the opponent. Here are some cricketers who showed great abilities just like their taller counterparts:

14) Temba Bavuma (South Africa – 5’6”): He might not have the power of height, but his game is built on patience. He is the first black African to play Test cricket for South Africa since Makhaya Ntini. Bavuma created history when he scored his maiden Test ton against England earlier this year by becoming the first black African cricketer to score a Test hundred. He might be pocket size but has long way to go in a journey that has just begun.

13) James Taylor (England – 5’6”): In his eight-year career, James Taylor proved size is not everything. Sadly all did not go well for the young lad as he was forced to retire due to medical conditions. When Taylor’s ODI and Tests cricket are to speak the volumes for himself, Taylor has found a way to stay in cricket by commentating. He made his debut during the on going Test series between England and Sri Lanka. READ: England vs Sri Lanka 2016: James Taylor debuts as a commentator on Day 3 of first test match

12) Ajinkya Rahane (India 5’6”): Ajinkya Rahane stands out as his performance speaks volume. Starting off his career at Ranji Trophy and scoring 1,000 runs within a single Ranji season and going on to be the vice-captain for the national side today, surely shows the versatility this cricketer possesses.

11) Sachin Tendulkar (India – 5’5”): The most famous cricketer below 6 ft will be Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar. His records can be endless but will fondly be called the ‘Little Master’ for the people around. A prolific batsman with most number of ODI and Tests records, can only help pone understand what these gentlemen can do.  ALSO READ: Sachin Tendulkar’s biopic: AR Rahman excited

10) Sunil Gavaskar (India – 5’5”): The cricketer who actually belonged to the tag of ‘Little Master’, Sunil Gavaskar was always known for his middle order accomplishments. He was the first to achieve 10,000 Tests runs and has acquired most number is Tests centuries to his name— 34.

9) Sarfaraz Khan (India Under19 – 5’5”): ‘Panda’ as he is fondly called is known for his scoop shots. Batting in the middle order, this 18-year old can change the scenario of the game in no time. Sarfaraz has made his presence felt in Indian Premier League (IPL) as well as under-19 cricket, giving finishing touches for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and India. ALSO READ: IPL 2016: Proud moment for Sarfaraz Khan’s family as ‘Mumbai’ hero bats in RCB jersey at Wankhede

8) Alvin Kallicharran (West Indies – 5’4’): Kallicharran is diminutive figure among the giant figures around. His teammates included the likes of Vivian Richards, Joel Garner, Michael Holding, and Clive Lloyd each of whom towered over him. Yet, his elegant batting and watchful batting style grabbed the eye balls of many.

7) David Williams (West Indies – 5’4”): Another West Indian cricketer who not only was excellent with work behind the the stumps but also competent lower-order batsman. This diminutive wicketkeeper-batsman has played 11 Tests and 36 ODIs during his career span.

6) Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe – 5’4”): Another name to one in the list of wicket-keeper is Tatenda Taibu. Apart from his keeping skills, he was also a right arm spinner. On May 2004 he became the youngest Test captain for his side. It can be said, sadly he decided to quit cricket at the age of 29 as he decided to concentrate on his work in church. ALSO READ: Tatenda Taibu retires from all forms of cricket

5) Gundappa Vishwanath (India – 5’3”): Known as ‘Vishy’ by his fans, Gundappa Viswanath was one of the most elegant batsmen India has ever produced. Being the brother-in-law of Sunil Gavaskar, the former definitely had more potential than the later.

4) Parthiv Patel (India – 5’3”): This baby faced wicketkeeper-batsman took on the role quite early on for the national side. Although, his recognition lies in the domestic side for his batting prowess for Gujarat in Ranji. He has also been handy in IPL despite being in five different franchise in past few editions.

3) Mushfiqur Rahim (Bangladesh – 5’3”): This Bangladeshi wicket-keeper is next on the list as one of the shortest players in the sport. He scored the first double hundred in the history of Bangladesh Test cricket and also captained the Bangladesh national cricket team for a while. Mushfiqur is one of Bangladesh’s most trusted batsmen ever and can provide perfect finish for his side at time of need.

2) Mominul Haque (Bangladesh – 5’3”): Another short Bangladeshi cricketer in this list, Mominul Haque made his Test debut against Sri Lanka in 2013 and scored a half-century as well on his Test debut. Mominul has a short career but he has offered a lot of promise already with his stints in Bangladesh Premier League (BPL). ALSO READ: Mominul Haque will be a future leader: Heath Streak

1) Kruger van Wyk (New Zealand – 4’9”): The shortest cricketer in Test history, Kruger van Wyk was born in South Africa but played for New Zealand. Standing 5 ft below (where wicket-keepers should have a slight edge), he was pretty active with his stumping. Even the exceptions mentioned above like Taibu, Parthiv, and Mushfiqur were at least 5’3″ tall but van Wyk was much shorter.

(Shruti Hariharan is a Content Writer with CricketCountry. You can follow her on Twitter at @Shruti_2890)

trending this week