The Ten Tallest Cricketers of All Time

We all know cricket is a game of skill, temperament, technique and character. It requires tremendous mental toughness to get out of challenging situations. Having a big physique or height isn’t considered a strength in cricket as we have witnessed players who didn’t have the size or height but still went on to make a big impression on World Cricket as they were legends of the game.

However, we have witnessed that some cricketers gained a significant advantage over their opponents due to their height. This list has mentioned the ten tallest cricketers of all time.

Most of the players involved in our list are bowlers. These bowlers took full advantage of their height and were successful enough to take wickets. Their deliveries surprised the opposition batters due to the uneven bounce and speed, thus making them make mistakes.

We take a look at the ten tallest cricketers of all time.

#10 Boyd Rankin (Ireland & England) – 6’8″ (204 cm)

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The Irish pacer troubled the batsmen with his bounce and seam movement. The pacer was previously a Rugby player but wanted to play cricket professionally, so he made a switch. Playing Rugby helped him to evolve as a fast bowler. Here’s an interesting read on cricketers who were good at the sport of Boxing.

Rankin was one of the prime bowlers in the Ireland team. He also played for England and became only the third cricketer to play for two countries in the Test format. The pacer made his debut for England in 2013 against New Zealand.

#9 Chris Tremlett (England) – 6’7″ (201 cm)

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Tremlett had this ability to unsettle the batsmen with his speed and bounce, even on flat batting wickets. The pacer would have enjoyed a lot of success had it not been for his constant back and knee injuries. His grandfather played Test cricket for England while his father was a county cricketer.

In his first ODI, Tremlett almost took a hat trick, but the bails didn’t fall. Due to injuries, he had to retire early and took up Weightlifting after retiring from the game. He could only play 12 Tests and 15 ODIs in his career.

#8 Steve Finn (England) – 6’7″ (201 cm)

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Finn was another exciting English pacer who could have been amongst the best modern-day fast bowlers had it not been for his injuries. Although Finn played more games than his county man Tremlett, Finn’s form too was affected due to injuries due to which he had to sit out.

Finn made his county debut at 16 and became the youngest player from England to reach 50 wickets when he achieved the milestone against Sri Lanka in 2011 when he was 24 years old. Find out the list of bowlers who have had the most wickets after 50 Test matches here.

#7 Bruce Reid (Australia) – 6’8″ (203cm)

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Another pacer whose career was cut short due to injuries. Bruce Reid could swing the ball both ways, while his uneven bounce was tough to handle even for a well-set batsman. Reid could have dominated World Cricket had it not been for his injuries. Reid was the first Australian bowler to claim a hattrick in the limited overs format.

Reid had to retire at the age of just 29 after playing 27 tests and 61 ODIs. The tall left-armer worked as the bowling coach of the Indian team during the 2003-04 Australian tour. He also worked as coach of the Hampshire team and the Zimbabwean national side.

#6 Peter George (Australia) – 6’8″ (203 cm)

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Despite possessing the height, pace, speed and bounce, George could play just one Test match against India in Bangalore in 2010. His only Test wicket is that of the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, whom he dismissed in that game.

The pacer plays for South Australia currently and is 32 years old now. George is capable of bowling the hard length due to his height.

#5 Cameron Cuffy (West Indies) – 6’8″ (203 cm)

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Cameron Cuffy was yet another promising pacer, whose career was cut short due to injuries which affected his form. The Caribbean pacer played for Windward Islands in domestic cricket and Surrey in English County Championships. He had this unique ability to abstract bounce even on slow-turning wickets as well as on flat batting wickets. Cuffy’s height and reach allowed him to get that extra bounce, but as we said, injuries ended his career early.

He could play 15 Tests and 41 ODIs for West Indies. He had this rare record to his name when he didn’t take any wickets, nor did he score runs against Pakistan, yet he was announced man of the match in an ODI in 2001. He gave 20 runs in 10 overs helping his team defend the target. He has also taken the wicket of the great Sachin Tendulkar three times.

#4 Kyle Jamieson (New Zealand) – 6’8″ (203 cm)

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Jamieson attracted the limelight on his debut against India in the home series in January 2020 due to his height. He achieved a rare record in his debut match against India as he was announced “Player of the Game” in his first ODI itself. Find out some exciting debutant Test records here.

Jamison’s high-arm bowling action, combined with his height, allows him to get that extra bounce. The 27-year-old can indeed be a significant threat due to his height if he plays to his capabilities.

#3 Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) – 6’7″ (202 cm)

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Curt Ambrose wore a certain amount of flamboyance on his sleeves, which was visible in his bowling. The legendary pacer was amongst the tallest bowlers during the 90s and was a nightmare for the opposition alongside his partner, Courtney Walsh. The duo destroyed the best batting line-ups on their day.

Ambrose’s bowling possessed pace, bounce and an accurate length. The angle from which he delivered the ball created problems for the batsmen.

The pacer took 7 wickets and gave away just 1 run in one of the Test matches against Australia in 1993. He was included in the ICC Hall of Fame in 2011.

#2 Joel Garner (West Indies) – 6’8″ (203 cm)

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An absolute nightmare for the opposition during the golden era of West Indies in the 1970s and 1980s, Garner had the height to generate pace and bounce.

He surprised the batsmen with his ability to hit the deck hard. The pacer bowled some quick yorkers that were almost difficult to play. Garner released the ball easily from his hands, but his deliveries were fast enough to unsettle even a set batsman.

His gigantic height and high arm action enabled him to generate pace and bounce. The Barbadian bowled some clever seam-up deliveries.

#1 Mohammad Irfan (Pakistan) – 7’11” (216 cm)

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Arguably the tallest cricketer in the world, Mohammad Irfan could bowl some quick bouncers. His length would always put the batsmen in two minds due to his height. Irfan could only play 60 ODIs, 4 Tests and 20 T20Is as his career was also cut short due to injuries.

During his cricketing career, opposition teams received throw-downs from their teammates who stood on the stool to get used to his deliveries. The fast bowler is fondly called the ‘Burj Khalifa’ of Pakistan.

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