Cricket is a game of pure skills and technique. Unlike other sports, cricket doesn’t require specific body types or weights from its players for them to exceed in the game. However, certain aspects of the body do help in the game of cricket as well. Like good height can come up as an advantage for a pacer. We have often seen teams opting for tall pacers as their height helps them to generate more pace and swing. Almost, all the tallest players in cricket are fast bowlers. Let’s have a look at the Tallest Cricketers in the World.
Tallest cricketers in the world
#1 Mohammad Irfan, Pakistan
Height- 7’1’’
Pakistani left-arm medium-pacer, Mohammad Irfan is to date the tallest player in the history of cricket. He was 7 ft 1in tall. Irfan made his international debut against England in 2010. The bowler soon impressed everyone with his ability to bowl consistently at the rate of 140 km/hr. He made his Test debut in 2013. He has featured in over 60 ODIs taking 83 wickets and 4 Test matches, and 22 T20I, taking 10 and 16 wickets in the respective format of the game. However, Irfan’s career soon hit the rock bottom as he was hit by various injuries and was marked as an injury-prone player.
#2 Joel Garner, West Indies
Height – 6’8’’
The legendary West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner, known as the “Big Bird”, was one of the tallest players of his generation. He was 6ft 8in tall. Big Bird appeared in a total of 58 Test games between the years 1977 and 1987. He clinched a total of 229 wickets at an average of 20.98. In the ODIs, he took 146 wickets in 98 games. He was known for his toe-crushing yorkers. His historic spell of 5 for 39 in the 1979 World Cup final against England still remains one of the greatest innings by a bowler.
#3 Bruce Reid, Australia
Height – 6’8’’
Former Australian bowler Bruce Reid features third in our list of the tallest cricketers. He was also 6ft 8in tall like Joel Garner. Like Mohammad Irfan, Reid’s career was also cut short due to multiple injuries. He retired at the age of 29. He took a total of 113 wickets in 27 Test games at an average of 24.6. In the ODIs, he clinched 63 wickets in 61 games.
#4 Kylie Jamieson, New Zealand
Height – 6’8”
New Zealand’s Kylie Jamieson is also 6ft 8in tall and features 4th in our list. He came into the spotlight after his outstanding performance in the 2014 Under 19 World Cup. He was the joint-second highest wicket-taker for New Zealand in the tournament. He made his international debut in 2020.
#5 Boyd Rankin, England & Ireland
Height – 6’7’’
Boyd Rankin ranks 5th in the list of the tallest cricketers. He was 6ft 7in tall. The pacer made his International debut for Ireland in 2007. However, he later went to play for England in 2013. He took a total of 107 wickets in 75 one day.
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