Cricketers are usually not categorized by their physical attributes but by their talent and professional prowess. However, it’s interesting to note the impressive records, the tallest International cricketers. Cricket has seen some great tall players, most of them using their length to boast a higher release point for their deliveries. A tall frame is almost always preferable for a fast bowler. In a similar light, here are the three tallest International cricketers of all time.
3. Bruce Reid, Australia
On number three, we have Australia’s left-arm fast bowler Bruce Reid standing at a towering presence of 6 feet and 8 inches. Adept at swinging the ball both ways, his crowning achievement was to take 13 wickets against England at Melbourne in 1990 and 12 against India a year later at the same venue.
He had 113 scalps in 27 Tests to his name at an average of 24.6, while in 61 ODIs, he took 63 wickets to mark a career cut short due to injuries at just 29 years of age. Notably, he made his debut alongside Merv Hughes and Geoff Marsh in 1985-86, when Australia was not playing their best cricket.
2. Joel Garner, West Indies
On number two, we have another towering 6 feet 8-inch fast bowler who edges past Bruce Reid based on his better numbers. West Indies’s Joel Garner, nicknamed ‘Big Bird’, is the joint second tallest international cricketer to have played the game.
The right-handed pacer appeared in 58 Tests between 1977 and 1987 and took 259 wickets at an average of 20.98, making him one of the most effective bowlers of all time. Talking about the limited-overs game, in 98 ODIs, he took 146 wickets. His figures of 5 for 39 against England in the 1979 ODI World Cup final remain the best performance by a bowler in a world cup final. His most remarkable ability was to deliver toe-crushing yorkers. Batters often said that the bowl seemed “delivered from the clouds”.
1. Mohammad Irfan
Mohammad Irfan is the tallest international cricketer to have played the game in Pakistan towering pacer. Standing at the height of 7 feet 1 inch, he is the undoubted winner of the list. The Punjab-born made his ODI debut against England in 2010, impressing everyone with his ability to consistently hit the 140 km/h mark. The same year, he made his Test debut but was soon sidelined because of his injury-prone nature.
In his four Tests, he has ten scalps. At the same time, his exploits in the limited-overs game account for 83 wickets in 60 ODIs and 16 wickets in 22 T20Is in a career cut short due to his frequent injuries.