New Delhi. Azam Khan, son of former Pakistan wicketkeeper Moin Khan, is again in the news. This huge player played as a wicketkeeper in the first three matches of the T20 series (Pakistan Vs New Zealand T20I Series) against New Zealand. The special thing is that regular wicketkeeper Mohd. Giving Rizwan a chance as a batsman, a place was made for Azam in the playing XI. However, this attempt to fit Azam back into the Pakistan team has failed so far and in three matches, Azam has been able to score only 22 runs at an ordinary average of 7.33.
Azam, who weighs about 110 kg, does not look like a cricketer at first glance. Despite this, he has played 7 T20Is till now. It is a common belief among the Pakistani people that Azam gets a place in the national team only because he is the son of former captain and influential cricketer Moeen. Due to his obesity, Azam becomes a victim of trolling on social media and is called ‘Sifarishi Khiladi’, ‘Potato’ and ‘Laddu’. However, he has played many fast innings in various T20 leagues including Pakistan Super League and his image is that of a batsman who accelerates the score by hitting fours and sixes. Even before Azam, many heavy-bodied players have played international cricket. Let’s take a look at these major ‘fatty’ cricketers.
145 kg West Indies all-rounder Rahkeem Cornwall
30 year old Rahkeem Cornwall looks different in the field due to his huge body. This cricketer, who is six feet tall and weighs 145 kg, is an expert in off-spin bowling apart from batting in the middle order and has played 10 tests for the West Indies team. In Test cricket, Cornwall has so far scored 261 runs at an average of 18.64 and has taken 35 wickets at an average of 37.60. Rahkeem, who made his Test debut against Team India in Kingston in September 2019, also played his last Test against the same team in July last year. Rahkeem started his first class career as an off-spinner at the age of 20 and by improving his batting, he soon became known as an all-rounder. He is famous for batting with a good strike rate.
Before Rahkeem, his maternal uncle Wilden Cornwall has also played first class cricket for Antigua. Talking about Rahkeem, he has 2957 runs and 390 wickets in his name in 82 first class matches with one century and 17 half-centuries.
Kumble-Ashwin-Jadeja, Chahal-Kuldeep.. Start with fast bowling, then how to become a spinner.
Dwayne Leverock at 127kg
Dwayne Leverock, who played for Bermuda, had an important contribution in helping his team qualify for the World Cup 2007. Leverock, weighing about 127 kg, not only played in the match against India in the World Cup 2007 but also took an excellent catch of Robin Uthappa while diving in the slips. Left-arm spinner Laverock played 32 ODIs and 2 T20Is for Bermuda between 2006 and 2009. He took 34 wickets in ODI whereas he did not take any wicket in T20I. From a player’s point of view, the World Cup 2007 was ordinary for Laverock and apart from scoring 10 runs, he was able to take only two wickets in three matches.
Spent nights in Gurudwara, became Indian captain, when he got injured the whole country prayed
Australia’s Mark Cosgrove was 110 kg
Australian cricketers are usually very fit but Mark Cosgrove, who weighs around 110 kg, was an exception to this. A left-handed batsman and medium pace bowler, Cosgrove played three ODIs for Australia in 2006 and scored 112 runs at an average of 37.33. During this period, his highest score was 74 runs. Cosgrove’s international career may have been short but he was highly rated in domestic cricket. Born on 14 June 1984, Cosgrove made his first class debut at the age of 18 and scored 14976 runs in 221 matches at an excellent average of 40.36. During this period, apart from scoring 36 centuries, he also took 52 wickets. He was also declared Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year in 2005.
Those famous cricketers of Team India who made the player his ‘life partner’
115 kg Arjun Ranatunga made Sri Lanka world champion
Arjuna Ranatunga, with a heavy body, was the captain of the 1996 world champion Sri Lankan team. Ranatunga, who weighs about 115 kg, is remembered as a captain who did not shy away from taking tough decisions when necessary. During the 1995 Test series in Melbourne, when Australian umpire Darrell Hair declared Muralitharan’s balls as ‘no balls’, Ranatunga did not waste time in leaving the field with the team in protest. Ranatunga’s image was that of a captain who made the Sri Lankan team realize its potential and established it in world cricket.
Ranatunga, a left-handed batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler, scored 5105 runs at an average of 35.69 in 93 tests and took 16 wickets. Similarly, apart from scoring 7456 runs in 269 ODIs at an average of 35.84, he also has 79 wickets in his name. Clever batsman and captain Ranatunga sometimes used to take singles by walking to save energy. However, after leaving cricket, Ranatunga has reduced his weight a lot.
Such an opportunity came in international cricket when father gave out to son, know the matter
England’s batsman Colin Milburn was 110 kg.
Colin Milburn played 9 Tests for England in the 1960s and scored 654 runs at an average of 46.71, which included two centuries and as many half-centuries. Opener Milburn, who weighed more than 110 kg, was having a good career but unfortunately he lost the sight of one eye in a car accident and the Test career of this right-handed batsman came to an untimely end. Even in first class cricket, Milburn scored more than 13 thousand runs with the help of 23 centuries and took 99 wickets with medium pace bowling.
Other players who have played international cricket and are ‘heavy’ in terms of weight along with the record
Inzamam ul Haq of Pakistan: Weight around 100 kg, scored 8830 runs in 120 Tests, 11739 runs in 378 ODIs and 11 runs in one T20I. Also captained the Pakistani team.
Mohammad Shahzad of Afghanistan: Weight about 102 kg, identified as explosive batter. 37 year old wicketkeeper batsman Shahzad has scored 69 runs in two Tests, 2727 runs in 84 ODIs and 2048 runs in 73 T20Is.
Mike Gatting of England: Weight about 103 kg. Gatting, who also captained England, scored 4409 runs in 79 tests. He has 2095 runs in his name in 92 ODIs.
Jesse Ryder of New Zealand: The left-handed batsman weighing around 100 kg, Ryder played 18 Tests, 48 ODIs and 22 T20 matches. Scored 1269 runs in Test cricket, 1362 runs in ODI and 457 runs in T20I. With medium fast bowling, he also took 5 wickets in Test, 13 in ODI and two wickets in T20.
Warwick Armstrong of Australia: Weight about 104 kg, played 50 tests as an all-rounder between 1902 and 1921. Apart from scoring 2863 runs with the help of six centuries in Test cricket, he also took 87 wickets.
,
Tags: Azam Khan, inzamam ul haq, Pakistan vs New Zealand, rahkeem cornwall
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 19, 2024, 13:38 IST