Ten of the Shortest Cricketers in The History of Cricket

Shortest Cricketers: People may think that the greatest Cricketers are generally all tall and mammoth in size. Like West Indies Cricketers, Like Muhammad Irfan (Pakistan) But remember there are some great or even good small or shortest cricketers in history who were just as successful as their taller counterparts. Like Sechin Tendulkar who is 5.5 ft.  So before you rush out and make do some last minute cricket betting online you might want to check out this list.  Today we take a look at ten of the shortest big-name cricketers to have ever played the game…

Tich Cornford - height: 5.0ft

01. Tich Cornford – height: 5.0ft

Walter Latter Cornford nicknamed as “tich alluded” because of his short height. He is the shortest cricketer in history who played international cricket for his country. Cornford’s height was just 5 feet. Born December 25, 1900, Hurst green, was an English wicket-keeper batsman who played 4 tests for England in 1930. He also played county cricket for Sussex county cricket club. His five catches in the series against New Zealand in 1929 included three off fast bowler Maurice Allom, who featured last week as one of the tallest test players. His county career stretched from 1921 until the outbreak of the second world war, but he made one further appearance in an emergency at the age of 46 in 1947. ( the year when India and Pakistan becomes two independent countries) he scored 36 runs in 4 test matches he played. 496 first-class matches he scored 6554 career runs.

Tich Freeman - height: 5.2 feet

02. Tich Freeman – height: 5.2 feet

Alfred Percy “Tich” Freeman Born 17 May 1888 was a leg-spin bowler for Kent and England, he is the only man to take 300 wickets in an English season, and is the second most prolific wicket-taker in first-class cricket history. Freeman’s common name comes from his extremely short stature. Tich Cornford’s height was five feet two (158 centimetres). He Took 66 Test Wickets in Just 12 Matches he Played for England. and 3776 Wicket in 592 First class Matches.

Mushfiqur Rahim - height: 5.3 feet

03. Mushfiqur Rahim – height: 5.3 feet

Mushfiqur Rahim is a Bangladeshi Cricketer. a Wicket-Keeper Batsman for Bangladesh Who was the Captain of National Cricket Team Until May 2013. He made his Test debut in 26 may 2005, at the age of 16, during Bangladesh’s first tour of England. In January 2010 he cracked his maiden Test century, a notable achievement as it came against a strong Indian Test side and was the fastest by a Bangladesh player. He scored the first double hundred in the history of Bangladesh in Test cricket on 11 March, 2013. He got out exactly on 200 facing 321 balls hitting 22 fours and 1 six.

Parthiv Patel - height: 5.3 feet

04. Parthiv Patel – height: 5.3 feet

Parthiv Patel born 9 March 1985 is an Indian cricketer, wicketkeeper-batsman, and a former member of the Indian national cricket team. He is a left-handed batsman. Patel made his ODI debut against New Zealand in January 2003. He made his Test debut in 2002 in the 2nd Test against England at Nottingham. He is Playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL. Parthiv Patel has played 20 test matches for India in which he scored 683 runs with an avarege of 29.69. He was also successful behind the wickets for 49 Times, with 41 catches and 8 stumps. in ODI’s Parthiv Patel scored 736 runs, 30 catches and 9 stumps. He played just 2 T20s for India.

Gundappa Viswanath - height: 5.3 feet

05. Gundappa Viswanath – height: 5.3 feet

Gundappa Ranganath Viswanath is a former Indian cricketer. Vishwanat’s height was 5.3 feet. Born in a Brahmin family, he was one of India’s finest batsmen throughout the 1970s. He played Test cricket for India from 1969 to 1983 making 91 appearances and scoring over 6000 runs. He also played in One Day Internationals from 1974 to 1982 including the World Cups of 1975 and 1979. At state level, he played for Karnataka (formerly Mysore) throughout his career. Viswanath, popularly nicknamed Vishy, had an elegant and wristy batting style which emphasised timing rather than power. Though he had a complete repertoire of shots around the wicket, Viswanath’s favourite was the square cut, a shot he often used to great effect against fast bowlers. He usually fielded at slip position.

Harry Pilling - height: 5.3 feet

06. Harry Pilling – height: 5.3 feet

Shortest CricketersHarry Pilling (23 February 1943 – 22 September 2012) was an English cricketer. Standing just 5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) tall. He had the distinction of being the shortest English professional cricketer of modern times. He Was A right-handed batsman, Pilling scored over 15,000 first-class runs for Lancashire, who he played county cricket for from 1962 to 1982. One of his most memorable innings for Lancashire was an unbeaten 70 against Sussex, which helped secure his county’s first Gillette Cup success in 1970.

Mominul Haque - height: 5.3ft

07. Mominul Haque – height: 5.3ft

Shortest CricketersMominul Haque, born 29 September 1991. he is a Bangladeshi cricketer who plays for Dhaka Division. Mominul plays for Sylhet Royals in the Bangladesh Premier League. He made his test debut against Sri Lanka on 8 March, 2013 at Galle, Sri Lanka. He scored a half-century in his debut and ended up scoring 156 runs in 3 innings at an impressive average of 52.00 in his maiden test series. During the Bangladesh Premier League, 2012, he won the Man of the Match award for scoring 53* off 28 balls for his team Barisal Burners against the Khulna Royal Bengals to guide his team to a 4 wicket victory. Mominul has scored 584 Runs in 5 Test Matches he played. in 12 ODIs, he scored 205 runs. with height of 5.3.5 feet, he is the 7th short height cricket player in the world.

Alvin Kallicharran - height: 5.4ft

08. Alvin Kallicharran – height: 5.4ft

Kallicharran was 5.4 feet. born 21 March 1949 is a former West Indian batsman of Indo-Guyanese ethnicity who played from 1972 to 1981. Kallicharran was born in Georgetown, British Guiana (now Guyana). A left-handed batsman and right-arm off-spinner, Kallicharran was known for his elegant, watchful batting style. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1973. He was part of the 1975 and 1979 team that won the Cricket World Cup. His highest innings was a score of 187 against India in the 1978–79 tour. In county cricket, he found success with Warwickshire in English County cricket. While playing against minor county Oxfordshire in the 1984 one day Nat-west Trophy he scored 206 and took 6 for 32. One of his most noted international innings, a knock of 158 against England, was shrouded in controversy when he was run out by Tony Greig on the final ball the end of the first day. He attempted to join World Series Cricket, but failed, and was appointed captain of the West Indies in 1977–1978 when Clive Lloyd resigned over the Packer issue.

David Williams - height: 5.4ft

09. David Williams – height: 5.4ft

Shortest Cricketers8th Shortest Cricketer in History is David Williams (born 4 November 1963) is a former West Indian cricketer an athletic presence behind the stumps as well as a competent lower-order batsman. he played in 11 Tests and 36 ODIs from 1988 to 1998. A diminutive man, at 5 foot 4, Williams struggled to grab Jeff Dujon’s place in the international side not least because of his inability to contribute the weight of runs Dujon managed. Compared to Dujon’s Test batting average of 31.94, Williams achieved just 13.44, with just one score of 50 or more, that was a 65 against England in 1998 which helped them to a three wicket win in Trinidad. However three consecutive ducks followed that innings and he was dropped for the final test of the series. Williams played 71 first class matches for Trinidad and Tobago between 1983 and 1999 averaging 22.31, with 151 catches and 39 stumpings, his highest score was 112. Williams was appointed to the role of assistant coach to the West Indies team in 2007 prior to the first World Twenty20 World Championships. He made a surprise return to the field in March 2009, during the final day of the fourth Test against England in Barbados, where he enthusiastically undertook the role of substitute fielder.

Tatenda Taibu - height: 5.5ft

10. Tatenda Taibu – height: 5.5ft

His height was 5.5 feet only. 14 May 1983 is a Zimbabwean cricketer. He is a wicketkeeper and batsman, and can also bowl right arm off spin. On 6 May 2004, he became the youngest Test captain in history, when he captained his team against Sri Lanka. On 10 July 2012 Taibu, aged only 29, decided to quit cricket and focus on his work in church. He Has Scored 1546 Runs in Test Cricket and 3393 Runs in One Day International cricket.

Do you remember any of these cricketers? Is there another shorter cricketer that I missed? Do let me know in the comments below. 

Author: Gus Barge

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