Laziest cricketers: One of the sports with the highest physical demands is cricket. The bowlers have to race in and bowl as quickly as they can especially the seamers. The distance between the stumps on either side of the pitch, which are 22 yards apart, is where the hitters must run. The ball can travel towards the boundary ropes, so the fielders must run behind it. Fitness is crucial to the game in every aspect.
However, a few cricket players have made it through the sport despite being less than physically fit. Many great cricketers, in fact, were not known for their physical prowess and were frequently criticised for their unconventional methods of playing the game.
Laziest cricketers in history:
One needs a variety of skills to succeed in cricket, one of the most popular sports in the world. In order to score runs and protect his wicket, a batsman must be stopped by the bowler. A cricketer also needs to be skilled in throwing, catching, fielding, and wicket-keeping. In the gentleman’s game, there are many areas of specialisation, but one thing they all have in common is fitness.
Your agility, speed, and endurance will be put to the test whether you’re fielding in the outfield, running between the wickets, or bowling quickly. In order to maintain their bodies, the majority of cricket players typically spend a lot of time in the gym. Indeed, athletes such as Faf du Plessis and Virat Kohli have become global icons of fitness. But some international cricket players are also renowned for their sloth.
In addition to seeing players perform brilliantly close to the boundary ropes and run quickly between the wickets, we have also seen players make mistakes on the field and miss quick runs. Nevertheless, their ability to bat or bowl has allowed them to leave their mark in the world of cricket. Cricket is a game of certainty because of this. Consequently, let’s take a look at the cricketers who excel at being lazy.
Legends cricketers who are lazy:
11. Darren Gough:
The former English pacer is well-known for having had a prosperous bowling career. His success as a pace bowler could have been questioned given his appearance. Still, his bowling did not suffer for his appearance. For England, Gough took 229 wickets in Test matches and 235 in One-Day Internationals. Gough is without a doubt among England’s finest bowlers.
Sadly, the 52-year-old’s fielding abilities were only average. As a fielder, the Yorkshireman was a little too indolent. There are times when the right-arm fast-medium bowler fielded with little effort. Gough was also regarded as a bit of a batsman. Several former cricket players from England regarded him as an Ian Botham stand-in.
10. Chris Gayle:
Chris Gayle, a former West Indian star batter, was an incredible hitter, particularly in Twenty20 cricket. The entertaining cricket player could smash the bowlers for amusement and was an aggressive batter. Gayle’s hand-eye coordination and compact technique helped him succeed in Test cricket. The popular cricket player could also bowl a few overs.
Gayle is, however, largely forgotten as a plodding fielder. One could argue that Gayle was among the fielders who gave the least amount of effort on the pitch. In the field, the 43-year-old was sluggish. There were times when Gayle should have stopped the ball from heading towards the boundary ropes, but she did not even attempt to stop it.
Gayle is still going strong at 43 and has no plans to retire. But one area of his game where the southpaw falls short is fitness. You won’t often see the left-handed batsman going for twos and threes because he doesn’t run too quickly between the wickets. Gayle seldom fields outside the 30-yard line because of his slow moments.
But even in the game’s shortest format, his batting prowess makes him a formidable opponent. He scored some outstanding runs in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021, which has been postponed, and he hopes to perform well in his next assignments as well.
9. Mohammad Shahzad:
Mohammad Shahzad, an Afghanistani wicketkeeper-batsman, is Rohit’s partner on this list. It is possible that the right-handed batsman will not be a regular fixture in Afghanistan’s current lineup. He has, nevertheless, had a number of brilliant knocks throughout his career. Even in an ODI against India’s formidable bowling attack, Shahzad scored a century.
But Shahzad’s fitness has proven to be a nemesis throughout his cricket career. The dasher doesn’t run fast between the wickets, but he can hit fours and sixes with little foot movement. His laziness has also cost him many opportunities behind the stumps.
In actuality, he was dismissed from the national team due to fitness concerns. He played his final international match at the World Cup in 2019. He was disqualified from the competition after the board controversially declared him unfit. However, the 33-year-old believes he has one more cricket match left in him and wants to return with a bang.
Shahzad’s lack of fitness has made him less of a preferred player on the squad. Shahzad can be useful at the bat, but wicketkeeping is more important. The doors have closed for Shahzad from Afghanistan with the rise of Rahmanullah Gurbaz. That’s what being inactive and unmotivated can do to a player.
8. Sarfaraz Ahmed:
Sarfaraz Ahmed, a former captain of Pakistan, is this team’s wicketkeeper. This shouldn’t come as a shock to many because Sarfaraz has endured a lot of trolling in recent years regarding his fitness. The right-handed batsman’s intentions were called into question when he was repeatedly seen yawning in the field.
The 34-year-old hasn’t been the fastest wicket-keeper in the game and has dropped a few easy catches when defending against spin bowlers. In addition, he has committed a few mistakes when running between the wickets. But Sarfaraz, who was cut from the national team, has focused on staying fit and now appears thinner.
Sarfaraz will, however, have difficulty securing a consistent spot in Pakistan’s starting lineup because Mohammad Rizwan is playing at an extremely high level. Rizwan has excelled in both the front and rear of the stumps. Sarfaraz must thus battle with teeth and claws in order to reclaim his position of power.
The cricket player from Pakistan is regarded as one of the most slothful players of all time. The former captain of Pakistan is regarded as a superb leader. However, the batter who keeps wickets is notorious for being a sloth. Sarfaraz faced criticism for dozing off during India’s 2019 ODI World Cup match. Ahmed hasn’t played much for Pakistan since the tournament.
Also, Ahmed is a passable wicketkeeper, but he lacks the athleticism that is needed behind the stumps. Ahmed is not the fastest batter between the stumps. He frequently appeared to be inactive during certain parts of the game. Ahmed is regarded by fans as one of Pakistan’s most slothful cricket players.
7. Sunil Narine:
Sunil Narine is another Caribbean T20 star on this list. Because of his all-around skills, the off-spinner is among the best T20 cricket players currently in the game. Although Narine was always a fantastic off-spinner, his batting abilities have gained more attention in recent years.
But Narine is not a role model for many in the fitness department. The lucky spinner has struggled to cover ground and has dropped numerous simple catches in the outfield. As a result, fielding at third man or in the fine-leg area, he is frequently observed.
The southpaw’s propensity for injuries has further compromised his level of fitness. Even so, Narine remains a formidable opponent when it comes to the ball or bat. Even though he hasn’t played for the West Indies in a while, the selectors may still give him a chance at the ICC T20 World Cup later this year.
One cannot associate narcisse with a healthy player. There’s a certain laziness to the way he plays. Narine is a good option for cricket players who take a passive approach because of his serene demeanour. Narine has hardly ever celebrated a wicket or other significant cricketing events.
6. Lasith Malinga:
The former pace bowler for Sri Lanka is renowned for his quick bowling. Malinga was almost unplayable in T20 cricket at his peak. The Lankan pacer was a fine bowler in the game’s shortest format because he had pace, accuracy, slower deliveries, and a lethal yorker. Malinga was very good in his early career, even in one-day internationals.
When bowling, the 39-year-old gave it everything. Malinga was an excellent bowler, but his fielding was frequently sluggish. The fast bowler made very little effort to keep the ball from hitting the ropes marking the boundary. As a fielder, Malinga frequently dropped some dollies and wasn’t a very good ball catcher either.
This XI’s pace attack will be spearheaded by the master bowler from Sri Lanka. When Malinga used to use his thunderbolts, batsmen would have nightmares. Malinga had a variety of tools in his arsenal to punish batters, including the ability to deliver vicious bouncers and toe-crushing yorkers. But in recent years, his performances have declined dramatically.
One of the key causes of his downfall has been fitness-related. The right-arm pacer is more prone to injuries because of his poorly toned body. Malinga, however, was never a great fielder because he missed a lot of easy catches throughout his career. He is on this list because of all these facts.
Malinga, who left Test cricket much earlier and ODI cricket in 2019, hasn’t been playing for Sri Lanka in T20Is lately. He has stated that he hopes to compete in the T20 World Cup this year. It is unlikely, though, that the selectors will choose him for the main event.
5. Inzamam-Ul-Haq:
The former cricket player from Pakistan is known for his batting and fielding skills. Many experts believe that Inzamam is Pakistan’s best batter. During his youth, the former Pakistani batter made significant contributions to his team’s victory in the 1992 ODI World Cup by dominating the bat in the elimination matches against England and New Zealand, respectively.
Even though Inzamam was an excellent batter, he was frequently chastised for his indolence in the field. It was Inzamam’s laziness as a fielder. The middle-order batter was slow to start and did not run fast even when he was running between the wickets. The chairman of Pakistan’s selectors is not well remembered for his selection today.
4. Virender Sehwag:
The explosive Indian batter is highly regarded for his hitting prowess. Day in and day out, the aggressive batter could simply smash the bowlers for fun. Sehwag used to punish the bowlers with explosive batting, regardless of the format. Bowlers were afraid to face Sehwag. Without a doubt, the Indian opener was a batting phenomenon.
The former Indian batsman could also bowl a few overs. Regretfully, Sehwag was a poor fielder. What’s more, Sehwag was a slacker on the field. Sehwag was an ineffective ball-catcher and one of the less impressive fielders. When batting, the 44-year-old placed more of an emphasis on his batting skills than on sprinting between the wickets.
3. Ramesh Powar:
The former spinner for the Indian team did not see much action. However, Powar’s mediocre fielding was well-known during the few games he participated in. Even more than the execution, Powar’s fielding was lacking. Powar’s fielding was frequently criticized for lacking effort.
The 45-year-old represented India in 33 international matches. The right-arm off-break bowler took six wickets at a good average of 19.67 with the ball in two Test matches. Powar played in 31 ODI matches and took 34 wickets at an economy of 4.65 and a bowling average of 35.03. Powar oversaw the Indian women’s team as their coach as well.
2. Rashid Latif:
One of the sport’s laziest players is thought to be the former Pakistani wicketkeeper. Latif had to compete for a spot in the team in the early 1990s because Moin Khan was a superior wicketkeeper. Latif’s lack of glove expertise was fairly obvious. When running between the wickets, the former Pakistani batter wasn’t all that impressive either.
Latif was given opportunities, but he did not take full advantage of them. After 37 games, Latif’s average as a batter in Tests was just 28.77. Latif’s numbers were far worse in ODIs. Latif averaged 19.42 at bat in 166 One-Day Internationals. Also, he was also not a safe choice as a keeper. Latif has occasionally left dollies behind the stumps.
1. Rohit Sharma:
Given that Rohit Sharma is regarded as one of the smartest players in cricket, this might come as a surprise. The Indian captain isn’t the most active cricketer, despite being a decent fielder and batter. Because of his ability to make things appear simple, the 36-year-old is frequently referred to as having a lazy elegance—a valuable quality in cricket.
Although Rohit does not frequently drop catches in cricket, his attitude to fitness is what puts him on the list. In cricket, the Indian player has accomplished a great deal, particularly as a batter. Sharma is not what you would call a fitness freak, despite the fact that he does prioritize his health.
This will undoubtedly not sit well with many Hitman aficionados. One of the best batsmen in the game right now, Rohit Sharma’s stats tell it all. The dasher is a complete nightmare because of his ability to score runs quickly and his ability to stay at the crease for extended periods of time. Lazy elegance has been a defining characteristic of Rohit’s playing style.
The opener crushes deliveries of over 145 kmph with ease, giving the impression that he has one or two extra seconds than other batters. But laziness has also brought Rohit a lot of flak. The 34-year-old has been the target of numerous jokes about his physique, and over time, it appears that his speed has decreased.
Even so, the right-handed batsman continues to be an essential member of the Indian team in all formats. The Hitman has performed admirably in Test matches in recent years, despite his impressive white-ball cricket stats.
So, this was all about the list of the Laziest cricketers in cricket history. Also read, Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar seen batting in serene Kashmir
