The pocket-sized dynamites: 10 shortest cricketers of all time

The following list comprises of the shortest cricketers ever to have played international cricket. Other notable names have not been included because either they are few centimetres taller than the player at number 10 on the list, Syd Gregory (164 cms), or don’t have records of their confirmed height.

Notable names missing are: Sachin Tendulkar (165 cm, 5 ft 5in) Sunil Gavaskar (165 cm, 5 ft 5in), Hanif Mohammad (168 cm, 5ft 6in) and Willie Quaife (unconfirmed).

From Napoleon Bonaparte to Mahatma Gandhi, from Pablo Picasso to Tom Cruise – the world is full of stories of great men who, despite their short physical stature, have stood tall amongst their taller contemporaries and have made the world take notice of their exemplary talents.

Even when it comes to sports, and especially cricket, shortness of height has never prevented a player from rising to greatness. In fact, over the years, the game of cricket has seen its share of diminutive men, who not only have competed with their taller counterparts, but have also surpassed them to become cricketing giants for their countries.

So let us have a look at a list of 10 shortest cricketers of all time to play international cricket.

10) Sydney Edward Gregory

Height – 5 feet 5 inches (164 cm)

Syd Gregory was born on the site where the Sydney Cricket Ground is presently located. He played 58 Tests for Australia from 1890 to 1912, of which a record 52 were against England. A right handed batsman from New South Wales, Gregory possessed brilliant footwork and holds the distinction of scoring Australia’s first double hundred in Test cricket, an innings of 201 against England at SCG in 1894.

He is also one of only three cricketers to have batted in every position of the batting order, from one to eleven, in his Test career (the other two are Wilfred Rhodes and Vinoo Mankad). An outstanding fielder too, Gregory was renowned for his clever anticipations, clean pick-ups and deadly accuracy from the cover-point position.