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If you were to talk about and then reflect on the list comprising the tallest cricketers in the world, then you would arrive at giants of the game, yes giants, literally speaking. But then, there are two startling discovering that you find when you glimpse at or scroll past the list containing the names of the tallest cricketers in the world. So, how's that? Well, for starters, most of the names included in the list of the tallest cricketers of the world are mostly bowlers and that too, specifically speaking, amazing and successful fast bowlers. And second, a lot of the names that are present in the list of the tallest cricketers in the world are actually from the West Indies, if not being from that region entirely.
In a rather interesting thing, there's another observation when one checks this list. The names featuring in the tally of world's tallest cricketers or the tallest cricketers in the world are those who have not always had long or particularly rewarding careers. So what is it all about and who are the tallest cricketers in the world? Let us find out here:
List of Tallest cricketers in the world
Mohammad Irfan - 7 feet 1
There was honestly a period of time where one felt that Pakistan's fearsome fast bowler, a right arm fast medium bowler, and at times, an exponent of pace who bowled really quick, would leave the game in tatters with some amazing achievements and great feats. However, for whatever reason, best that can be explained by the PCB, Irfan's career didn't really last all that long.
Mohammad Irfan was and still happens to be the tallest international cricketer to have ever played the game. And the left arm seamer born in Pakistan's Gaggu Mandi played four Tests, 60 one day internationals and 22 T20 Internationals for his country, in all, from which he claimed 109 international wickets for his nation.
Marco Jansen - 6 feet 10
The only active international cricketer besides Holder where it comes to the list of the tallest cricketers of the world or the tallest cricketers in the world, Jansen is a famed all rounder and a very potent left arm fast medium for his revered South Africa side.
The team can't be imagined today without the honest and passionate Jansen, who has already picked 138 international wickets for his country. He is all of 25 and really has a long future to go.
Boyd Rankin - 6 feet 8
Perhaps when a list of the greatest ever cricketers who represented Ireland cricket would be made, then the history record keepers and authors would be mindful of mentioning the name of a certain Boyd Rankin, who stood tall at 6 feet 8 inches.
The tall fast bowler first rose to international promise when his nation Ireland was able to break into or reach the Super 8 stage of the West Indies-hosted men's ODI world cup in the year 2007.
But then here's the sad part of the tallest ever cricketer to play international contests for Ireland before taking the field for England as well. Despite playing odi cricket for 13 long years, he was only able to star or feature in 75 games and that's about that.
He took 106 wickets from these games in addition to claiming eight Test wickets from three games and 55 T20 wickets from 50 games. At least, Rankin, who was known to hit the deck hard and often take batters by a surprise may still feel glad that he was able to play fifty international contests for his country in both T20I and ODI formats.
Steven Finn - 6 feet 7
A really promising, tireless and committed England fast bowler who should ideally have gone a long way for his nation, but despie being tall and lanky and really effective, wasn't actually able to do that!
Sad scenes and happenings are often a part of international men's cricket.
Finn, who stood really tall and has, thus far been the tallest ever cricketer to play the sport in an English shirt, was only able to play in 36 Test matches, 69 one day internationals and just 21 T20I contests for his nation.
Make no mistake- for he was a proven successful fast bowler, someone who claimed at the end of the day 254 wickets for England.
He even comfortably went past 100 England wickets in both Test and ODI cricket but due to the incessant competition to be in the England side, he wasn't able to produce consistent results and experts even say that some injuries too, derailed his career.
Sir Curtly Ambrose - 6 feet 7
Clearly a hero and a giant among the tallest cricketers in the world, Sir Ambrose used to attack the West Indian opponents in tandem along another bowling legend and his close friend- Courtney Walsh.
Walsh and Ambrose together actually accounted for 924 test match dismissals for their beloved West Indies cricket team. Of these, Sir Ambrose, who will soon be 62 years of age, contributed 405 Test wickets. On the whole, he took a gargantuan tally of 941 first-class wickets.
Using his lanky height, he would generate that extra bit of bounce and terrorise the best in the business and scare even well-set batters back in the day. Ambrose's legacy is one that is unsullied by any controversy and attests itself to the ability to focus passionately and wholeheartedly for his West Indies side, which is what he did from the beginning of his career until the very end.
It ought to be noted that the giant at 6 feet 7 once wanted to play basketball, but eventually found his calling cricket, the Antiguan is and will always be a great of the sport.
Jason Holder - 6 feet 7
The once famous West Indies cricket captain, who often played selflessly for his team and also led by an example is not only the tallest player from the island of Barbados to represent his West Indies cricket, but also one of the tallest athletes ever in the game. Holder, who hit a famous double century in Test match cricket, led the team really well even in one day contests back in the day. Today, he's still an active member of his national cricket side but no longer as captain across formats and as a great all round talent, has claimed 162 Test, 159 ODI, and 69 T20I wickets. In addition, he's also struck 3000 plus Test runs along with 2200 plus one day international runs for his country.
A man who can deploy the long levers into play, the always honest and always passionate Holder can hit the ball a country mile and is a really useful talent for his country.
Wes Hall - 6 feet 5
Back in the day, the common saying from the context of fans and experts who heard commentary over the transistors was that when Wes Hall came into bowl, he could be heard on the speakers, he was that incredibly impactful in terms of his long, rhythmic run up. A giant of the game, literally speaking, and one who made the powerful West Indies team proud backn in the bygone era, Hall took 192 Test wickets for his West Indies side and also claimed a mammoth 546 first-class wickets.
