New Delhi. Any person usually has a ‘petname’ by which he is called at home or among friends. The world of cricket or sports is no different from this. In this too, many times famous players are called by friends or fans by nicknames. The short names of many players become so popular that they start being called by this name. For example, the real name of Robin Singh, who was born in West Indies and played cricket for India, is Rabindra Ramnarayan Singh but he is known as Robin Singh. Similarly, former Australian captains Steven Smith and Stephen Waugh were called by their short name Steve.
Many times, due to the long name of a cricketer, giving him a nickname becomes a compulsion. For example, Surya Kumar Yadav got the name SKY in the cricket world from ‘Surya’ and the first three letters of the name. Similarly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni started being called by short name ‘Mahi’, Yuzvendra Chahal by short name ‘Yuji’ and Harbhajan Singh by short name ‘Bhajji’ and ‘Bhajju’. Because of Chahal’s thin body, Dhoni used to call him Tilli (matchstick).
Apart from this, the nicknames of many current and former cricketers are related to their nature, playing style or funny aspect. Let’s take a look at the players with such interesting names and the reasons for getting such names…
‘Peshwari Rickshaw’ and ‘Guldozer’ came in response to ‘Rawalpindi Express’
Most of the players and people of Pakistan are famous for their sense of humor. Many players here have strange nicknames. These names have been given by fellow players or the people there. Former Pakistani fast bowler Umar Gul was called ‘Peshwari Rickshaw’ and ‘Guldozer’. The reason behind this is interesting. Shoaib Akhtar, who bowled very fast, was called ‘Rawalpindi Express’ and Waqar Younis was called ‘Burewala Express’. Gul was less than him in pace and his strength was in swinging the ball. He came from Peshawar city, hence he was called ‘Peshwari Rickshaw’ and ‘Guldozer’ because of his surname Gul. Similarly, former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq was named ‘Tuk-Tuk’ because of his allegedly slow batting. Misbah played many slow innings but the record of scoring a century in 56 balls in Test cricket is also in his name.
Similarly, Shahid Afridi was called ‘Lala’ and ‘Boom-Boom Afridi’, Inzamam-ul-Haq was called ‘Engineer’ and ‘Aloo’, Mohammad Hafeez was called ‘Professor’, Mushtaq Ahmed was named ‘Mushi’ and Saqlain Mushtaq was named ‘Saki’.
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Kiwi bowler Gavin Larsen got the name ‘Postman’
The speed of the balls of New Zealand’s Gavin Larsen was not high but he was considered a very clever and ‘stingy’ bowler. Due to his clever bowling, he took 24 wickets in 8 Tests and 113 wickets in 121 ODIs. His economy in ODI was 3.76. Larsen was also adept at breaking partnerships. Because of these qualities he was called ‘Postman’. Postman means a person who ‘delivers’ when needed. Similarly, one of New Zealand’s best batsmen, Martin Crowe (late) was named ‘Hogan’ and the great fast bowler Sir Richard Hadlee was named ‘Paddles’. Hadlee once told that due to his long legs, he got the name ‘Paddles’ in the school in Christchurch and later he started playing the same on the cricket field.
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Australia’s Steve Waugh got the name ‘Tugga’
Steve Waugh, one of Australia’s best batsmen, was called ‘Tugga’ by his fellow players, while Merv Hughes, a fast bowler with a big moustache, was called ‘Fruitfly’. Senior Waugh got this name because of playing aggressive and tough cricket. Tugga is actually a game of tug of war. Hughes got the name Fruitfly because he used to harass his fellow players with strange questions in the dressing room when the game was stopped due to rain or other reasons. Former Australian captain Michael Clarke was called ‘Pup’, current captain Pat Cummins was called ‘Pato’, Adam Gilchrist was called ‘Gillie’ and former fast bowler Jason Gillespie was called ‘Dizzy’.
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Herschell Gibbs was called ‘Scooter’
Former South African opener Herschelle Gibbs has hit sixes in six consecutive balls in international cricket. He achieved this feat on the balls of Dan Van Bunge of Netherlands in the 2007 ODI World Cup, but Gibbs, who was famous for his flamboyant batting, got the nickname of ‘Scooter’ and not ‘Jumbo Jet’. Explaining the reason for this nickname in a program, Gibbs said, ‘When I was young, I could not drive a car. In such a situation, a person from Western Province jokingly said that he would buy a scooter for them, after which the address of the scooter was found.
Similarly, former South African fast bowler Allen Donald has been called ‘White Lightning’ because of his speed, all-rounder Brian McMillan has been called ‘Big Mac’ because of his heavy body and David Miller has been called ‘Killer Miller’ for his explosive batting. .
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Mo. Nabi was called ‘The President’, Khalid Mahmood was called ‘Pilot’
Afghanistan’s all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, despite being 39 years old, is not only playing international cricket but is also performing effectively with ball and bat. The prophet has got the nickname of ‘President’. Nabi had told during the International League T20 that England’s Kevin Pietersen had given him this name in 2016. Nabi had said, ‘Pietersen was also playing with us in the league game. This was our last game and victory was necessary. 16 runs were needed in the last over and I had led the team to victory. After the victory, Peterson had praised me and said that I (Nabi) will become the next President of Afghanistan. Pietersen, who was present as a commentator in another league, again called me President and this became my nickname.
Khaled Masood, who played for Bangladesh from 1995 to 2007, is considered among the best wicketkeepers of the country so far. Masood got the nickname ‘Pilot’ for guiding his fellow players from behind the wicket. Sri Lanka’s best batsman and member of the 1996 World Cup champion team, Aravinda de Silva, was nicknamed ‘Made Max’ because of his aggressive batting.
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Tags: Herschelle Gibbs, Mohammad Nabi, On This Day, Steve Waugh
FIRST PUBLISHED: January 22, 2024, 08:22 IST