8 Wrong footed bowlers - The most bizarre bowling actions

8 Wrong footed bowlers – The most bizarre bowling actions: Although the bowling style of every bowler differs from the other but they do have a few similarities. Only a few of them have a totally unique, unorthodox bowling action. Some resemble an octopus at the point of release, while others look skyward and howl at the moon. Some also have an action defying medical as well as cricket manuals. There have been many strange bowling actions to have graced the game of cricket but the most peculiar ones are of those who bowl off the wrong foot. Here is a list of 9 Wrong footed bowlers- The most bizarre bowling actions: 1. Colin Craft: (Photo Source : PA Photos) Croft was a former West Indian fast bowler of the late 70s and early 80s. One of the most deceiving run ups in cricket came from this West Indies fast bowler. He would run up to a wide angle at the crease and then release the ball inward bang onto the stumps or more so, in to the batsman. He was known to be quite an aggressive pacer who inflicted pain on his opponents. 2. Chris Harris: (Photo Source : Getty Images) It’s hard to come up with an exact term for the Kiwi’s diverse bowling style, but it would not be wrong to call him as an unorthodox medium pace/spin bowler. What was even more different was his wobbly looking run up which was made to look even odder as he delivered the ball off his wrong foot. Harris can be described as a breed of medium pace bowlers not seen these days. Virat Kohli, though not as proficient with his arm, has a pretty similar action to that of Harris. 3. Jeff Thompson: (Photo Source : Getty Images) Thompson was the first when it came to a slinging bowling action. During the early part of his career in the early 70’s the Aussie pacer was the quickest bowler in the world having clocked 99 mph. He developed his pace from his slingshot action which eventually put tremendous pressure on his body, in particular his right shoulder and he was forced to modify his style to bowl more cutters. He however finished his Test career with 200 wickets at 28 and the reputation of being one of the most devastating bowlers ever seen. 4. Lance Cairns: (Photo Source : Getty Images) Lance Cairns came from a small hamlet in New Zealand and had no idea that his exaggerated ‘wrong footed’ bowling action was unusual. Cairns delivered the ball with good pace and his action enabled him to bowl huge inswinging deliveries. Lance Cairns had a good Test career with 130 wicket at a shade under 33 runs per wicket. 5. Mike Proctor: (Photo Source: The Cricketer International) Procky was arguably the best unorthodox bowler of all time. His action was similar to Lance Cairns with his deliveries being propelled off the wrong foot and at his best he seemed to possess the ability to bowl 90+ mph inswinging yorkers at will. Proctor was limited to only 7 Test appearances due to South Africa’s isolation in the 70’s, but over 1400 first class wicket at an average of under 20 suggests he would have been one of the world’s greats. 6. Sohail Tanvir: (Photo Source: AFP) Sohail Tanvir is the first of our selections who is still playing. What makes the Pakistani’s action so bizarre in our eyes is the fact that he bowls from the wrong foot with his left arm. This makes his style very similar to both Proctor, and Harris but the left arm angle gives him the edge. Testimony to his skills is the 6-16 he took for the Rajasthan Royals in the inaugural edition of IPL. 7. Jack Shantry: (Photo Source: Getty Images) This is another name that many readers will be unfamiliar with. Jack Shantry however currently plays first class cricket for Worcestershire and bowls successfully off the wrong foot with his head bowed towards the popping crease at the point of delivery. Shantry could go on and play T20 or ODI cricket internationally but his lack of pace indicates he may never play Test cricket. 8. Paul Adams: Paul Adams. (© Getty Images) Paul ‘Gogga’ Adams was a left arm ‘Chinaman’ bowler who took 134 Test wickets for South Africa during the 1990’s. Never in the history of the game could one person’s bowling action have created so much interest amongst spectators and players alike. Mike Gatting once compared Adam’s unorthodox action to ‘a frog in a blender’, his head was pointed under his left arm at the point of delivery and he held the ball between only his thumb and index finger on his left hand. Never again are we likely to see a repetition of this truly bizarre action at the highest level. Paul Adams, was altogether different. The Cape Argus likened his action to “someone trying to change a tyre on a moving car”. Also read : Top 7 batsmen with most Test runs – debuted after 2000

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8 Wrong footed bowlers - The most bizarre bowling actions

4. Lance Cairns:

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