Excess baggage
Cricketers who sent the needle flying on the bathroom scales
Steven Lynch
24-Jan-2011
Samit Patel missed out on probable World Cup selection after failing to lose weight. But some other players performed in international cricket despite packing a pound or two more than they should.
Dwayne Leverock
Everyone's favourite Bermudian cricketer enlivened the 2007 World Cup with a diving slip catch against India that probably registered on the Richter scale. He's also a canny slow left-armer. Asked to explain his bulk - which is variously estimated at between 19 and 21 stone (120-133kg) - Leverock admitted that he lived above an Indian restaurant... "and there's another one next door!"
Everyone's favourite Bermudian cricketer enlivened the 2007 World Cup with a diving slip catch against India that probably registered on the Richter scale. He's also a canny slow left-armer. Asked to explain his bulk - which is variously estimated at between 19 and 21 stone (120-133kg) - Leverock admitted that he lived above an Indian restaurant... "and there's another one next door!"
John Jameson
Warwickshire opener Jameson liked his food, as his perennial nickname of "Tubs" would suggest. It didn't stop him being a heavy scorer in county cricket and winning four caps for England, after India had sounded him out about playing for them (he was born near Bombay). Three of his first four Test innings (against India in 1971) ended in run-outs, although that wasn't really anything to do with his size. In Jamaica in 1973-74, Jameson got off the mark with a six.
Warwickshire opener Jameson liked his food, as his perennial nickname of "Tubs" would suggest. It didn't stop him being a heavy scorer in county cricket and winning four caps for England, after India had sounded him out about playing for them (he was born near Bombay). Three of his first four Test innings (against India in 1971) ended in run-outs, although that wasn't really anything to do with his size. In Jamaica in 1973-74, Jameson got off the mark with a six.
Colin Milburn
Probably the best-loved of all rotund cricketers, Northamptonshire's "Ollie" Milburn thwacked his way into the England side in 1966, but played only nine Tests before his career was effectively ended when he lost an eye in a car accident. His last Test innings was an aggressive 139 in Pakistan, which followed an amazing display for Western Australia when his 243 against Queensland at the Gabba included 181 between lunch and tea. Although he often weighed in around 18 stone and called his life story Largely Cricket, Milburn was surprisingly quick between the wickets and was an agile short leg.
Probably the best-loved of all rotund cricketers, Northamptonshire's "Ollie" Milburn thwacked his way into the England side in 1966, but played only nine Tests before his career was effectively ended when he lost an eye in a car accident. His last Test innings was an aggressive 139 in Pakistan, which followed an amazing display for Western Australia when his 243 against Queensland at the Gabba included 181 between lunch and tea. Although he often weighed in around 18 stone and called his life story Largely Cricket, Milburn was surprisingly quick between the wickets and was an agile short leg.
Warwick Armstrong
One of the star exhibits in the old museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground looked, at first sight, like a spare spinnaker from an America's Cup yacht: on closer inspection it turned out to be Armstrong's shirt. The "Big Ship" was estimated to weigh around 21 stone (133kg) when he captained Australia after the First World War - but it didn't seem to affect him much, as he won his first eight Tests in charge, all against England, including the first Ashes whitewash, in 1920-21. Armstrong was, if you'll pardon the pun, a true allrounder: he scored a triple-century in first-class cricket and six hundreds in Tests, and also took 87 Test wickets with his canny legbreaks.
One of the star exhibits in the old museum at the Melbourne Cricket Ground looked, at first sight, like a spare spinnaker from an America's Cup yacht: on closer inspection it turned out to be Armstrong's shirt. The "Big Ship" was estimated to weigh around 21 stone (133kg) when he captained Australia after the First World War - but it didn't seem to affect him much, as he won his first eight Tests in charge, all against England, including the first Ashes whitewash, in 1920-21. Armstrong was, if you'll pardon the pun, a true allrounder: he scored a triple-century in first-class cricket and six hundreds in Tests, and also took 87 Test wickets with his canny legbreaks.
Jimmy Ormond
Some unflattering pictures of a shirtless Ormond, packing a few excess pounds, effectively put an end to his Test career after his brisk swing bowling earned him two Test caps in 2001. Still, that did give him the opportunity to make an indelible mark in the long history of Ashes sledging: berated by Mark Waugh as not good enough for Test cricket, he replied: "At least I'm the best cricketer in my family."
Some unflattering pictures of a shirtless Ormond, packing a few excess pounds, effectively put an end to his Test career after his brisk swing bowling earned him two Test caps in 2001. Still, that did give him the opportunity to make an indelible mark in the long history of Ashes sledging: berated by Mark Waugh as not good enough for Test cricket, he replied: "At least I'm the best cricketer in my family."
Jesse Ryder
New Zealander Ryder has had a much-publicised battle with the bottle, as well as his weight, in recent years. When he's good, as in his Test double-century against India early in 2009, he's very very good - but when he's bad, he's pretty bad, as in 2008 when he put his hand through a window after a late-night drinking session celebrating a one-day victory over England. Injuries have also tended to strike his less-than-sylphlike figure, but when he gets it right bowlers everywhere have to watch out.
New Zealander Ryder has had a much-publicised battle with the bottle, as well as his weight, in recent years. When he's good, as in his Test double-century against India early in 2009, he's very very good - but when he's bad, he's pretty bad, as in 2008 when he put his hand through a window after a late-night drinking session celebrating a one-day victory over England. Injuries have also tended to strike his less-than-sylphlike figure, but when he gets it right bowlers everywhere have to watch out.
William Foulke
"Fatty" Foulke is best known as a footballer: an estimated 24 stone (152 kg), he had a long career as a goalkeeper (at 6ft 4ins, there wasn't much of the goal area left to shoot at) and played once for England. He is supposed to have inspired the football chant "Who ate all the pies?" Foulke also played county cricket for Derbyshire, scoring 53 on his debut against Essex in 1900.
"Fatty" Foulke is best known as a footballer: an estimated 24 stone (152 kg), he had a long career as a goalkeeper (at 6ft 4ins, there wasn't much of the goal area left to shoot at) and played once for England. He is supposed to have inspired the football chant "Who ate all the pies?" Foulke also played county cricket for Derbyshire, scoring 53 on his debut against Essex in 1900.
Arjuna Ranatunga
Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning captain was always well-rounded, a fact opponents liked to remind him of. Shane Warne was once despairing of luring Ranatunga out of his crease to maximise the possibility of a stumping: wicketkeeper Ian Healy helpfully advised: "Put a Mars bar on a good length, that should do it." Ranatunga, whose bat once sported an advert for "Sam's Chicken and Ribs", shot back "if you do, I bet David Boon will get there first".
Sri Lanka's World Cup-winning captain was always well-rounded, a fact opponents liked to remind him of. Shane Warne was once despairing of luring Ranatunga out of his crease to maximise the possibility of a stumping: wicketkeeper Ian Healy helpfully advised: "Put a Mars bar on a good length, that should do it." Ranatunga, whose bat once sported an advert for "Sam's Chicken and Ribs", shot back "if you do, I bet David Boon will get there first".
Shane Warne
Warne himself was rarely sylph-like - ironically he often appears trimmer now than when he was playing regularly - and it got him into trouble in 2003, when he missed the World Cup and copped a one-year ban after apparently taking a diet pill given to him by his mother, unaware that it contained a banned drug. Once again Ian Healy had a good line on the man in question, famously observing that "Warnie's idea of a balanced diet is a cheeseburger in each hand".
Warne himself was rarely sylph-like - ironically he often appears trimmer now than when he was playing regularly - and it got him into trouble in 2003, when he missed the World Cup and copped a one-year ban after apparently taking a diet pill given to him by his mother, unaware that it contained a banned drug. Once again Ian Healy had a good line on the man in question, famously observing that "Warnie's idea of a balanced diet is a cheeseburger in each hand".
Mike Gatting
A low centre of gravity and a fondness for cheese and pickle sandwiches didn't do too much harm to Gatting, England's last successful captain in an Ashes series down under (1986-87) before Andrew Strauss. "Fat Gatt" played 79 Tests and finished a long first-class career with 94 centuries. His eating habits were fuelled in his early years by Nancy Doyle, the legendary Irish cook at Lord's: Mike Selvey, a former team-mate, recalled how Mike Brearley once asked her if it might be possible to restrict the number of courses at lunch to five. The response was unprintable.
A low centre of gravity and a fondness for cheese and pickle sandwiches didn't do too much harm to Gatting, England's last successful captain in an Ashes series down under (1986-87) before Andrew Strauss. "Fat Gatt" played 79 Tests and finished a long first-class career with 94 centuries. His eating habits were fuelled in his early years by Nancy Doyle, the legendary Irish cook at Lord's: Mike Selvey, a former team-mate, recalled how Mike Brearley once asked her if it might be possible to restrict the number of courses at lunch to five. The response was unprintable.
WG Grace
The good doctor might have been a considerable athlete in his youth - he was supposedly a champion hurdler - but later in life he had some excess padding around the midriff. Although he played first-class cricket until he was 60, he gave up Tests in 1899, when he was 50, ruefully admitting that he was having trouble in the field: "The ground was getting a bit too far away."
The good doctor might have been a considerable athlete in his youth - he was supposedly a champion hurdler - but later in life he had some excess padding around the midriff. Although he played first-class cricket until he was 60, he gave up Tests in 1899, when he was 50, ruefully admitting that he was having trouble in the field: "The ground was getting a bit too far away."
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Wisden Guide to International Cricket 2011