The rise of the southpaw

How much of the world's population is left-handed? There's no exact answer and figures have varied over the years but recent studies have estimated that left-handers account for 10 to 13% of the adult population. That's not much at all, around one in ten. Therefore for a team of 11 players to have among them more than one left-hander is already over the average. Today's list is about teams with the most left-handers and matches in which they've dominated the proceedings.

The Bangladesh team that beat India during the group stage of the World Cup had six left-handers; four bowlers and the two opening batsmen. The XI that upset South Africa in the Super Eights had one less, with Shahriar Nafees making way for Javed Omar at the top of the order. The three left-arm spinners, Mohammad Rafique, Abdur Razzak and Saqibul Hasan, along with Syed Rasel, the medium-pacer, accounted for eight of South Africa's wickets while the other two were run out.

The only instance where left-arm bowlers have taken more than eight wickets in an ODI was when Nathan Bracken, Michael Clarke (who bats with his right) and Brag Hogg took nine Indian wickets at Mumbai in November 2003. Australia also had six left-handers in that game, the others being Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Bevan.

Click here for more the corresponding Test tables.

Most of the entries in the table above are ODIs that took place in the 21st century but in the corresponding Test table the bulk of the entries are from the 19th and early 20th century with very few Tests post 2000 making the cut. One line of reasoning could be that out of the four teams that dominate the ODI table, Australia don't play Bracken and Hogg in Tests, Bangladesh rarely bowl out teams while Anil Kumble and Muttiah Muralitharan take a far greater percentage of Test wickets for their sides. Or is there a better theory out there?

A team of 11 left-handed batsmen would have been a freakish anomaly but that hasn't happened yet in ODI or Test cricket. The most we've had in one-day internationals is seven. Sri Lanka batted seven left-handers thrice against Zimbabwe and New Zealand in the 1994-95 season. Curiously out of the pool of eight left-handers in those three games, Sanjeeva Ranatunga, Arjuna Ranatunga, Asanka Gurusinha, Hashan Tillakaratne, Ruwan Kalpage, all bat left-handed but bowl with their right arm while Jayantha Silva is vice-versa. Two other teams to field seven are West Indies against Pakistan in 1999 and Zimbabwe in 2000; and India against Sri Lanka in 2000-01.

West Indies have also fielded the most number of left-handers in Tests. They played eight against Pakistan in 1999-00 and against England at The Oval in 2000.

Click here for more the corresponding Test tables.

The percentage of left-handed batsmen in Test XIs have been on the rise. In the 1880s it was around 9%, in the 1920s it was 16%, the figure rose to 18% in the 1960s, 22% in the 1990s and a remarkable 28% in the 21st century. On the other hand (pardon the pun), bowlers however have tended to stay steady after an early peak for them before WWI. Since the 1920s it has varied up and down between about 16 and 21%.

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