Top 10 Tallest Bowlers In Cricket History | All-Time Ranking

Game outcomes are determined by the skill of a player. For their success, however, sometimes they need specific physical attributes. It is a significant unusuality for some players to be extremely tall. This, of course, does make a difference in cricket, like basketball or volleyball. It is said that cricket, which is a batsman’s game, is more fascinating to watch because of bowlers who are tall and create a tremendous amount of bounce on a pitch. Here we discuss the tallest bowlers in cricket‘s history of all time.

Tallest Bowlers In Cricket | All-Time Ranking

Content Summery

Cricket is also about the tall stature of the players. So, here are the tallest bowlers ever to grace the cricket ground.

10. Chris Tremlett – 6 Feet 7 Inches

chris tremlett

Timothy Tremlett was an English cricketer who played for the England national team and for the Hampshire and Surrey County teams. He was born on 2 September 1981. Chris was a quick-medium bowler who could deliver bounce on a variety of surfaces, standing 6 feet 7 inches tall (2.01 m) and known as one of the tallest bowlers in cricket history.

Besides, he is also known as one of the fittest male athletes during his heydays. As a player, Tremlett began his career in 2000 and was selected for Hampshire’s squad in 2004. After playing his first One Day International match in 2005, he took part in his first Test match two years later.

After struggling with injuries, Tremlett moved to Surrey at the beginning of 2010. His desire to return to the Test team resulted in his inclusion in the team that won the Ashes in Australia in 2010–11. With seven first-class fifties to his name, he was a competent number 8 or 9 batsman. Furthermore, his arm is impressive when he bats deep in order.

England accounted for Sri Lanka for 184 in the third match of the summer of 2011 with his best Test figures of 6/48. As a result, Tremlett finished the series as either side’s leading wicket-taker with 15 dismissals.

9. Sulieman Benn – 6 Feet 7 Inches

sulieman benn

Sulieman Jamaal Benn is a West Indian cricketer who plays international cricket for the West Indies and first-class cricket for Barbados. Initially, Benn bowled orthodox spin with a left arm. And still, he is dubbed as one of the greatest spinners in cricket history.

Moreover, he is an above-average left-handed batsman with a first-class average of 17.48. With a height of 6 feet 7 inches, Benn always creates trouble for batsmen around the world. He is known as one of the tallest bowlers ever and always shoots powerful bouncers with his exceptional height and skills. Benn reached his first five-wicket haul against Australia on the third day of the 2nd test on 6 December.

He bowled 53 overs during the innings, resulting in career-best figures of 5/155. On the third day of the West Indies-Australia test at the WACA stadium, Benn was cited for errant actions when he tangled with Mitchell Johnson while fielding the ball. Following his conviction for breaching the spirit of the game, he was suspended for two One Day Internationals.

With four wickets for six runs, Benn became the first bowler to take two consecutive overs in a Twenty20 international against a nation with test status in the 28 February 2010 match against Zimbabwe. His partnership with Nikita Miller for the highest tenth wicket at the ICC World T20 2012 sets a record.

8. Jason Holder – 6 Feet 7 Inches

jason holder

The former captain of the West Indies cricket team, Jason Omar Holder, was born in Barbados on 5 November 1991. He debuted as a One Day International (ODI) player in January 2013 and as a Test player in June 2014. The 2019 Cricket World Cup marked Holder’s 100th ODI match for the West Indies.

According to the official ICC Test rankings, he was ranked number one all-rounder globally in January 2019. And he is dubbed as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. It was announced in August 2019 that he was the Test Player of the Year for Cricket West Indies.

In the history of West Indian captains, he became the youngest ever when he was 23 years, 72 days old. Ahead of the international tour of Sri Lanka, he was named captain.

With this appointment, he became the second-youngest captain for the West Indies in the history of the world’s tests and the 15th youngest captain overall. Holder is known as one of the tallest bowlers in cricket’s history, with a height of 6 feet 7 inches.

7. Curtly Ambrose – 6 Feet 7 Inches

curtly ambrose

Former West Indies cricketer Ambrose Ambrose was born on 21 September 1963 and played 98 Test matches. A world-class fast bowler for much of his career, he took 405 wickets in Test cricket at an average of 20.99 and topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of that time.

His great height of six feet seven inches makes him one of the tallest bowlers ever. Besides, he is also dubbed as one of the greatest cricketers of all time due to his prowess in the game.

Ambrose created the ball bounce unusually high after he bowled it; he delivered the ball with speed and accuracy which made him a difficult opponent for batsmen. When it came to reporters, he was notoriously reserved during his career.

His career included being named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1992. The International Cricket Council inducted him into its Hall of Fame and picked him to be in an all-time XI of the West Indies.

6. Peter George – 6 Feet 8 Inches

peter george

Originally from Woodville, South Australia, George is an Australian Test cricketer. In first-class cricket, George plays right-arm fast-medium for the Queensland Bulls. It is said that George’s style is similar to that of former fast-bowler and one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket history, Glenn McGrath.

In the 2008/09 season, he made his debut for the Redbacks. A 4-56 performance against Tasmania was his best in Hobart. Bowling figures of 8 for 84 have been George’s record at Bellerive Oval.

Furthermore, He has a height of 6 feet 8 inches and is known as one of the tallest cricketers ever. Following several injuries to Australian pacemen in the 2009-10 tour of New Zealand, George was called into the Australian Test squad as an emergency replacement.

He then played for the team during the 2010 series against Pakistan in England and the 2010-11 tour of India. The only Test he played was the Second Test against India in Bangalore, where he took two wickets.

5. Joel Garner – 6 Feet 8 Inches

joel garner

Known for his sterling successes as a cricketer during the West Indies’ highly successful period from the 1970s to the 80s, Joel Garner was born on 16 December 1952 in Trinidad and Tobago. Garner ranks as the No. 1 bowler in the ICC’s best-ever bowling ratings for one-day internationals, and #37 in tests, according to the ratings.

A record-breaking 15-year streak in which the West Indies did not drop a Test match saw their test cricket performance reach unprecedented heights. The ICC Cricket Hall of Fame inducted Garner into membership in 2010. Besides, he is still dubbed as one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history.

With 259 wickets taken at an average of barely over 20, Gardner is among the most effective bowlers of all time, appearing in 58 Tests between 1977 and 1987. One of the tallest fast bowlers ever to play test cricket, he stood at 6 feet 8 inches tall at the time. However, Garner’s career was defined by limited-overs cricket, in which he took 146 wickets in 98 matches.

As well as his devastating yorker, he also generated more bounce. With over 100 ODI wickets at an average of fewer than 20 runs per wicket as of January 2020, he is one of only two players with such records. With an economy rate of 3.09 runs per over, he is the best bowler of any level of experience. His ranking is the highest among all ODI bowlers.

4. Bruce Reid – 6 Feet 8 Inches

bruce reid

A former Australian international cricketer, Bruce Anthony Reid, was born on 14 March 1963. A 203 cm (6 ft. 8 in) tall left-arm fast-medium bowler, Reid represented Western Australia in domestic cricket. During the period from December 1985 to December 1992, Reid played Test cricket for Australia, as well as One Day Internationals between January 1986 and March 1992.

Averaging 24.63 runs per wicket, he took 113 wickets in 27 Tests for Australia. Among his 61 international appearances, he also caught 63 wickets. During his heydays, he delivered one of the best bowling spells in the history of cricket.

In his fast-medium deliveries, Reid used a left-arm arm swing and an awkward angle. From a great height, he was able to bounce steeply and was very accurate and known as one of the tallest cricketers of all time. During his debut against India in January 1986, Reid had his first taste of an international match.

Since then, he became a key member of the Australian bowling attack. A back injury forced him to miss Australia’s 1988 tour of Pakistan. Thereafter, Reid had a troubled international career due to frequent injuries and inadequate fitness levels.

3. Billy Stanlake – 6 Feet 8 Inches

billy stanlake

An Australian cricketer, Billy James Stanlake, was born on November 4, 1994. Australia’s fast bowler played for the entire national team in both One Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals during the 2014 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. As a member of the Melbourne Stars of the Big Bash League, he plays domestic cricket for Queensland.

Two hundred four centimeters tall, Stanlake is the tallest Australian cricketer ever to represent Australia internationally. The Queensland state cricket team offered Stanlake a rookie contract following his Under-19 World Cup performance, but he missed the entire season due to stress fractures in his back.

He instead made his debut in all three major formats of cricket (first-class, one-day, and Twenty20) in the 2015–16 seasons. And since that, he executed some of the most economical bowling in cricket history. He often bowls as an opener, and he has a right-arm fast bowling style.

The bounce and pace of his bowling are known for their impressive qualities, since his height gives him an advantage over other bowlers, making him one of the tallest fast bowlers in the world, and he can bowl at a speed of 150 km/h and swing the ball. He mainly played Twenty20 cricket, as he failed to appear in other formats due to stress fracture injuries.

2. Boyd Rankin – 6 Feet 8 Inches

boyd rankin

Former Northern Irish cricketer Rankin (born 5 July 1984) played for Ireland and briefly for England. His bowling style is medium-fast. He is the older brother of David Rankin, another cricketer. Rankin was born in Derry and stood 6’8″ tall, with a bouncing bowling action. Besides his impressive height, he is also one of the most popular cricketers of all time.

A recent interview with Rankin revealed that he models his movement on bowlers like Curtly Ambrose and Glenn McGrath, who “pitch their deliveries from just below off stump.” A T20 match against New Zealand was his first appearance for England. During the Ashes series in Australia in 2013-14, he also played a Test for England.

Ireland’s leading wicket-taker at the World Cup in the Caribbean was Rankin. Averaging 27 wickets per match with a strike rate of 29.67, he has taken 12 wickets in nine games.

With a height of 6 feet 8 inches, Rankin gave a tough time to batsmen. And almost everyone now also considers him as one of the tallest bowlers ever in cricket history. Announcing his retirement from all forms of cricket on 21 May 2021, Rankin signaled his exit from all fields of play.

1. Mohammad Irfan – 7 Feet 1 Inch

mohammad irfan

In addition to playing Test cricket for Pakistan, Mohammad Irfan represents the nation internationally in ODI and Twenty20 matches. The tallest cricketer to have ever played in first-class or international cricket, he stands at 7’1″ (216 cm).

Joel Garner of West Indies and Bruce Reid of Australia shared the title previously. During the Pakistani team’s steam tour of India in December 2012, Irfan became a member of the Twenty20 International squad for the first time. And till now, he is considered one of the current fastest bowlers in cricket.

The 2018 Caribbean Premier League saw Irfan concede just one run and grab two wickets from four balls in the bowling contest for Barbados Tridents vs. St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Among all T20 spells in the past, this was the most economical one.

At 7’17’1 and bowling at a brisk pace, Irfan brings a new dimension to the Pakistan bowling attack. He talks about how Virat Kohli became surprised to see him going closer to 150 kph.

Final Words

We hope you liked the list of our tallest bowlers of all time in cricket’s history. Feel free to tell us in the comment box about the list. We appreciate your feedback.

Tallest Bowlers In Cricket | All-Time Infographics

tallest bowlers in cricket - infographics
Infographics: Tallest Bowlers In Cricket

FAQs Regarding Tallest Bowlers In Cricket

Q. Who is the tallest bowler in the world?

The tallest cricketer in history is Pakistan’s Mohammad Irfan, a left-arm medium-pacer with a height of 7ft 1in. In 2010, the tall medium-pacer debut against England as a teenager from Punjab, Pakistan.

Q. Who is the tallest bowler right now?

Currently, Mohammad Irfan of Pakistan stands at 7 feet 1 inch, making him the tallest cricketer ever in international cricket. Also known as the Burj Khalifa of Pakistan, he has played for both the Pakistan national team and the Kolkata franchise, respectively, in the India Premier League.

Q. How tall is Mohammad Irfan?

As the tallest player to play first-class and international cricket, he is known for his height of 7’1″. The Pakistani cricketer Muhammad Irfan has represented Pakistan in Tests, ODIs, and T20s.

Q. Who is the tallest bowler in ODI cricket?

A Pakistani left-arm medium-pacer, Mohammed Irfan, stands at 7ft 1in tall and holds the record for the tallest cricket bowler ever. Originally from Punjab, Pakistan, the tall medium-pacer played his first ODI against England in 2010.

Last Updated On: March 2024

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