A Tall Order

Presenting a selection of some of the tallest international cricketers. Text by Kunal Diwan

The height of this left-arm Pakistan fast bowler has been the subject of some speculation, but Irfan has confirmed to being an inch over seven feet, a few notches above his idol Joel Garner. 

Spotted by former international Aaqib Javed and summoned to the National Cricket Academy in Lahore for training, Irfan impressed in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy in 2009 and debuted for Pakistan the next year against England when Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir were axed from the side for spot-fixing.

The 30-year-old also signed an MOU with Kolkata Knight Riders for the 2011 season, after he was recommended by Wasim Akram, though BCCI's disapproval of Pakistani players playing the IPL cost him a chance to compete in the cash-rich league.




Joel Garner, 6'8": 

‘Big Bird', as he was called, was one of the hugest and most menacing fast bowlers to have played the game. Performing in conjunction with the likes of Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Colin Croft and Malcolm Marshall, Garner terrified batsmen the world over with steep bounce and blinding pace as the West Indies dominated cricket in the 1970s and 1980s. 

Garner played 58 Tests, claiming 259 wickets at an average of slightly over 20. In ODIs, he picked up 146 in 98 games. His five for 39 against England in the 1979 World Cup final remains one of the most terrorizing bowling performance ever.

He is the only player with more than 100 ODI wickets to average under 20, while his economy rate of just over 3 runs per over is also the best ever for any bowler who took more than 100 wickets.




Bruce Reid, 6'8": 

Reid broke into the Australian side in the mid 1980s when the team was struggling to find its feet following the tearful departure of Kim Hughes. Gifted with a natural ability to extract bounce from the deadest of tracks, Reid could bring the ball in as well as shape it away from the batsman. 

Reid's crowning glory was the 13-wicket haul against England in the Boxing Day Ashes Test in 1990-91. In 27 Tests for Australia, the left-arm pace bowler claimed 113 wickets at 24.63 runs apiece. 

Frail in the body, Reid suffered frequent and serious injuries, and played his last Test in 1992, aged just 29. Reid returned to the public space when he undertook coaching duties for Australia's bowling attack for India's 2003 tour.




Curtly Ambrose, 6'7": 

A towering right-arm fast bowler, Ambrose, in conjunction with his partner-in-crime Courtney Walsh, formed one of the best opening bowling partnerships in history. The pair claimed 421 wickets in the 49 Tests they played together.

Not very expressive with words, Ambrose had a famous run in with Steve Waugh when the two clashed in 1995 in the Frank Worrell Trophy. He took 630 international wickets and since calling it a day from cricket, Ambrose has shown a weakness for the Bass guitar, often performing live in his hometown.




Tom Moody, 6'7": 

This huge Australian all-rounder overcame his testiness against the short ball early in his career and continued to have a fulfilling career that included two World Cup wins. 

More than just a part-time medium pacer, Moody could swing the ball and was safe as a house in the slips. Moody appeared in 8 Tests and 76 ODIs for Australia and saw his career curtailed by back injury which was may have been sustained due to his height. 

Since retirement, Moody has coached Sri Lanka, taking them to the 2007 World Cup final, also been associated with Kings XI Punjab in the IPL.




Sulieman Benn, 6'7": 

A wily slow left-armer, who is equally comfortable in either shorter format, Benn also has 51 Test victims to his credit. With a physique and an attitude more suited to fast bowling, Benn has been involved in a number of unsavoury incidents on the field. 

In 2009 he engaged in a heated on-field argument with Brad Haddin and Mitchell Johnson at Perth, and during South Africa's 2010 ODI whitewash of the West Indies was expelled from the field by his own captain after he refused to bowl over the wicket.




Chris Tremlett, 6'7": 

Part of the pack of big, strong fast bowlers that have catalysed England's Test resurgence, Chris Tremlett starred in the Ashes win in Australia claiming 17 scalps at 23.35 apiece. 

Able to extract bounce from most surfaces, he made his ODI debut in 2005, and played his first Test two years later. He featured in just three Tests before being injured and made a comeback into the team for England's famous 2010-11 away Ashes win. 

With seven First Class fifties, he is an able batsman at number eight or nine. Tremlett's career though has been beset injuries. A back injury ruled him out of three Tests against India in 2011. He played a Test in UAE against Pakistan and then sat out again when he required back surgery. Tremlett is confident of making a successful return to the international scene.




Steven Finn, 6'7": 

The 23-year-old right arm fast bowler is the youngest Englishman to reach 50 Test wickets. He became, at the age of 16, Middlesex County Cricket Club's youngest debutant in first-class cricket, beating Fred Titmus' 1949 record.

Finn also played county basketball and debuted for England in Tests in 2010 against Bangladesh, concluding his maiden summer with 32 at an average of 23.21. He was named Best Emerging Player at the 2010 ICC Awards.

Finn regularly exceeds speeds of over 145km/h and has presently played 13 Tests and 15 ODIs for England.




Jacob Oram, 6'6":

A football goalkeeper in school, Oram harnesses his huge presence on the cricket field for consistent medium-pace bowling and aggressive batting. approach with the bat. The 33-year-old has to his name centuries in Tests and ODIs, and a hat-trick in Twenty20 Internationals.

He broke his finger attempting a catch at the boundary in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy series and said he would 'chop off his finger' off to play in the World Cup.

He did play, and went averaged 33 with the bat and 25 with the ball as New Zealand made the semis. A series of injuries compelled Oram to retire from Test cricket in 2009, but he has made it clear that he wants to continue playing ODIs and Twenty20s, as well as the IPL.




Courtney Walsh, 6'6":

The Jamaican workhorse had a remarkable career, in that he managed to remain injury-free and bowled thousands of overs each year. At the end of his 17-year-long Test career, Walsh had 519 wickets, a record. He generated steep bounce from his springy action and could move the ball both ways at brisk pace. With his and Ambrose's retirement at the turn of the century, West Indies cricket was never the same again.


Tony Greig, 6'6": 

This former England captain towered above teammates and rivals alike, and performed in the capacity of an all-rounder, besides leading his country on the field.

Greig struck eight centuries in 58 Test matches, and also picked up 141 wickets with his mix of medium pace and off-break bowling.

His career ended with the infamous Packer World Series of Cricket, but since calling it a day Greig has expanded his fan base through his highly entertaining commentary.




Abey Kuruvilla, 6'6": 

Perhaps the tallest player to represent India, Kuruvilla was not express pace despite his humungous size. He swung the ball somewhat and worked hard on his variations. He debuted for India on the 1996-97 West Indies tour and took 5 for 68 in the second innings of the Barbados Test.

Kuruvilla played just five more Tests after that, and then fell out and was never considered to be part of the national scheme of things. He retired from First Class cricket after the 1999-2000 Ranji Trophy final against Hyderabad.




Ishant Sharma, 6'5": 

With his pace touching 140 kmph, the young and gangly Ishant was a throwback to the times of Javagal Srinath. He caught the attention in Australia when Steve Waugh called him ‘the next best thing in Indian cricket' after Ishant hassled the likes of Ricky Ponting on helpful Aussie wickets.

After a glorious first phase of his career, Ishant was set back by an alarming loss of pace, followed by a lack of confidence. He has currently played 45 Tests and 47 ODIs and at 24 has a long career ahead of him – provided he remains free of injury and is able to preserve his confident through rough patches.




Morne Morkel, 6'5":

Albie's younger brother uses his height to generate huge amounts of pace and bounce. Along with Dale Steyn, Morkel, a gangly right-arm fast bowler, forms one of the best new-ball pairs in the contemporary cricket, especially in the longest format. Morkel has also turned in superlative performances with the ball for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in the IPL, a tournament he has said helped sharpen his bowling skills. The 27-year-old also plays for Yorkshire in English county cricket and for the Titans back home.