5 Leanest cricketers to have played the game

James Taylor might be one of the shortest and leanest cricketers to have represented England. He is just about five and a half feet tall and looks pretty lean as well. That short and lean figure made him agile and he pulled off some stunning catches close in during his short career.

He might not have been hugely built but he could play all the shots. James Taylor was a sweet timer of the ball and often used his height to his advantage as well.

However, his story has to be one of the most heart-breaking ones in modern-day cricket. A man who was just about finding his feet in international cricket and churning out some good performances, he was diagnosed with an incurable heart condition. Hence, it brought an end to a promising career that lasted a mere 34 internationals (7 Tests and 27 ODIs).

5. Mushtaq Ali

Mushtaq Ali is not a familiar name in the Indian cricketing circles. However, he is one of the oldest living Indian cricketers in the world at the moment. However, he is also one of the all-time leanest cricketers to have played the game. He looked very slim and a slim-fit Mushtaq Ali went on to score India’s first hundred on foreign soil (overseas).

His batting was elegant but he played just 11 Test matches for India. One of the reasons was World War II which saw absolutely no cricket being played. However, his first-class career spanned up to over 30 years and he featured in a total of 226 first-class games.