International Left Wing Day is observed annually on 13 August, to mark the uniqueness of a person who does most of the work with his left hand. In cricket, left-handers are highly respected – while their cover drives always keep them up a notch. Similarly, a left-arm bowler, especially the fast bowlers, has equally enthralled us over the years. On the occasion of International Left-winger’s Day, we take a look at some of the best left-handed batsmen and bowlers across all formats.
Brian Lara (West Indies): Grace, power and precision and all related adjectives fall short when the Caribbean giants lash out at protests of their own free will. While he left an indelible mark on Test cricket, he is one of the most successful batsmen of all time with over 22,000 runs, including 53 tons combined (11,953 in Tests; 10,405 runs in ODIs). The former West Indies great still holds the record for the highest individual score of 400 (not out) in Tests.
Matthew Hayden (Australia): The former Australian opener not only made his presence felt at the crease, but he was also instrumental in changing the way Test openers played the game, which helped Australia become an all-conquering side in the 2000s. helped in The southpaw swept all before him and retired with 8,625 Test runs, while scoring 6,133 in ODIs.
David Gower (England): The blue-eyed wonder of England was also one of the most artistic batsmen in Test cricket. His superb cover drive was a treat and the cricketer used it brilliantly to score over 8,231 Test runs at an average of 44.25.
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka): Apart from his superb wicketkeeping skills, Sangakkara was also a top-order batsman. The staggering numbers speak volumes about his prowess across all formats, with the former Sri Lanka captain perhaps one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen of the 21st century. In his 404 ODIs and 134 Tests, the magical left-hander scored 14,235 and 12,400 runs. Sangakkara tops the list of most dismissals by a wicketkeeper with 482 (383 catches, 99 stumpings), beating some of his best contemporaries and past greats.
Sourav Ganguly (India): Apart from his flamboyant batting, the former Indian captain is also credited for changing the face of Indian cricket on the world stage. The southpaw’s style against slow bowlers, especially left-arm spinners, has been the most exciting highlight of his memorable career, scoring over 18,000 international runs in his illustrious career spanning 15 years.
Adam Gilchrist (Australia): Certainly, one of the greatest wicketkeepers of all time, with 472 dismissals (second highest in history). The former Australian captain could belt the ball and was able to change the course of matches. The southpaw was also known for this attacking batting style and big hitting abilities, with which he scored 5,570 runs in 96 Tests at an average of 47.60 and a strike-rate of 81.95. Above all, the soft spoken cricketer was known for his sportsmanship and honest approach towards the game.
Alastair Cook (England): The former England captain is the most prolific left-handed batsman in Test cricket, scoring 12,472 runs in 161 matches. He became England’s all-time leading run scorer in 2015, surpassing compatriot Graham Gooch’s 20-year-old record of 8,900 runs. Cook holds the record for captaining England in most Tests (59) and is joint second on the list with 24 wins, just one behind Michael Vaughan (26 wins).
Wasim Akram (Pakistan): Undoubtedly, the greatest left-arm fast bowler in the history of the game. The former Pakistan captain could take wickets at will and had complete mastery of swing and seam. Akram had an innate ability to swing the ball both ways with the same delivery, which usually left the batsmen stunned. But most importantly, the fast bowler was the true sultan of swing.
get all IPL news and cricket score Here
.