Discipline, determination, and hard work are important traits for any individual who aspires to be a cricketer. In the last few years, the world has witnessed many cricketers attaining success with their sheer dedication. With their success stories, they have and continue to inspire the future generation to do well in the sport. However, there was a time when these players used to draw inspiration from their cricketing heroes to build their careers.

In recent years, players such as <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/sachin-tendulkar-fulfills-special-request-of-former-west-indies-cricketer-winston-benjamin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Shahid Afridi, Kumara Sangakkara, and many other cricketing legends have played a crucial role in the development of this beautiful sport. With their top-notch performances, these cricketers not only earned respect from cricket fans but also emboldened many youngsters to pursue their careers in the game. Many dignified players of current times admired some of these prominent cricketing stars to become distinguished names in the sport.

Talking more about it, here are ten cricketing stars and their idols

10. Dewald Brevis- AB de Villiers

Last year, Dewald Brevis became the Player of the Tournament in the Under-19 World Cup scoring 506 runs in six matches for South Africa. He also scored two centuries and three fifties in the competition. His Under 19 World Cup performance impressed the IPL franchise&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/womens-premier-league-mumbai-indians-announce-star-studded-coaching-panel-ahead-of-inaugural-season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> also as they picked him up at the 2022 mega auction for INR 3 crore.

Since the last year’s mega event, he has been compared with AB de Villiers due to the resemblance of his playing style with the former South Africa legend. Speaking on the Mumbai Indians show on Star Sports last year, he said "I think a lot of people know AB de Villiers, and I looked up to him since I was a youngster and love the way he played and how he goes about his game."

Last year, he amassed 161 runs for Mumbai Indians (MI) in seven matches of the IPL, at a strike rate of 142.47. In the CSA T20 Challenge, the youngster entered the record books racking up 162 runs off 57 deliveries in a Knight vs Titans match. The 19-year-old Brevis is yet to make his international debut for South Africa.&nbsp;

9. Umran Malik- Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami

Speedster Umran Malik is in limelight of late due to his fiery pace bowling which helps India get key wickets under crunch situations. His ability to clock deliveries over 150 km/h consistently can make him a sensational bowling figure in the future. In the last IPL edition, he looked incredible for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) taking 22 wickets in 14 matches.

The young gun also got rewarded for his diligence as the Indian selectors chose him for T20Is against Ireland and England. On June 26, 2022, he made his international debut for India against Ireland in a T20I match. He also gets compared to former Pakistan bowler Waqar Younis due to his bowling action.&nbsp;

After the end of the IPL 15, Malik had revealed that he never followed Younis, instead he looked up to Indian pace spearheads <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/leave-him-he-knows-what-to-do-ishant-sharma-reveals-an-incident-when-he-stopped-virat-kohli-to-have-chat-with-jasprit-bumrah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasprit Bumrah</a>, Mohammed Shami, and his SRH teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The fiery pacer also added that he used to follow them during the time he was a budding cricketer and had started fresh.

8. Rashid Khan- Shahid Afridi &amp; Anil Kumble

Rashid Khan is one of the finest spinners in international cricket currently due to his magnificent spin bowling. So far, the 24-year-old has been amazing for Afghanistan in T20Is with 122 wickets in 74 matches, at an economy of 6.25. The Afghan bowler has stunning bowling figures in the IPL too. In 2017, Khan played his debut match in the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening game.

Appearing in six seasons of the cash-rich league, Khan took 112 wickets in 92 matches at an economy of 6.38. With these figures, he is one of the most successful bowlers in the league and international cricket. In 2021, Rashid spoke to ESPNCricinfo and was asked about his idols who influenced his game. Replying to the question, he said Sachin Tendulkar was his batting idol, while former spinners Anil Kumble and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/daughter-is-the-most-beautiful-flower-of-your-garden-shahid-afridi-shares-heartwarming-post-on-daughter-anshas-wedding-with-shaheen-afridi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shahid Afridi</a> were his bowling idols.

He also said that he used to emulate both spinners while bowling to his brothers and also used to love watching the legends on TV. Khan added that he still watches videos of the two legendary cricketers and draws out several learnings from them. In 2019 too, Khan said in an interview that he wanted to bat like Shahid Afridi and charm the crowds the same way as Afridi did.

7. Pat Cummins- Brett Lee

Pat Cummins has been serving the Australian cricket team efficiently since 2011. In 2021, Cricket Australia trusted him to captain the national Test team following the resignation of Tim Paine. Last year, he became the 27th ODI skipper of Australia after Aaron Finch announced his retirement from the 50-over format.

Till now, he has played 172 international games for the Men in Yellow, and has picked up 393 wickets. As a child, Cummins grew up idolising the former pace sensation Brett Lee. Fortunately, he got a chance to share the dressing room with his childhood hero playing for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/australia-have-a-very-good-chance-of-winning-the-border-gavaskar-trophy-adam-gilchrist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia </a>and New South Wales. &nbsp; Playing for Australia from 1999-2012, Lee was one most fearsome bowlers among the opposition batters due to his sheer pace. He served Australia for almost 13 years during which he also contributed to the team’s victory in the 2003 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy played in 2006 and 2009. Lee hung his boots in July 2012 with 718 wickets from 322 international games. &nbsp;

6. Hardik Pandya-&nbsp;Irfan Pathan

Hardik Pandya is known for his fearless playing style in the limited formats of the game. Riding on his batting and bowling displays, India have got hold of their opponents a lot of times. He has also captained the Indian team in T20Is ever since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2022, and delivered some positive results.

Playing for the Men in Blue in 71 ODI matches, he has taken 68 wickets at an economy of 5.59. Talking about his batting numbers, the right-hander has notched up 1,518 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 113.28. In T20Is too, he has been impressive for India with 1,271 runs at a strike rate of 142.17 in 87 T20 matches. With the ball, he has picked up 69 scalps at an economy of 8.14.&nbsp;

In an interview with CricTracker in 2015, Pandya was asked who inspired him the most as a young cricketer, to which he responded saying “My cricketing idol is Irfan Pathan. He bowls, bats, and does everything. He is also a proper all-rounder like me. I have been following him since my childhood. Just like him, I am also an all-rounder and have been learning a lot of things from him while playing for Baroda."

5. Jos Buttler- MS Dhoni

Jos Buttler is known for his fierce batting style and agility behind the wickets. With his incredible batting and wicket-keeping skills, Buttler has taken England home in a lot of games. Last year, he took over the white-ball captaincy of the English cricket team after Eoin Morgan’s retirement from international cricket.

Holding the captaincy mantle, he proved himself in just a few months and led his side to the T20 World Cup 2022 title. Till now, the 32-year-old has smashed 4,536 runs in 162 ODIs at a strike rate of 118.09. In the shortest form of the game, Buttler has accumulated 2,602 runs in 103 matches at a strike rate of 144.23.

After England’s T20 World Cup victory in 2022, former England captain Michael Vaughan drew comparisons between Buttler and the legendary former Indian cricketer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/social-media-goes-into-frenzy-after-picture-of-sourav-ganguly-and-ms-dhoni-chatting-goes-viral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a>. However, the 32-year-old has maintained that Dhoni is his idol. In an interview with Warren Hegg in 2020 for Lancashire Cricket, Buttler showed his respect for the former Indian captain saying “MS Dhoni has always been a big idol of mine and chaos is always going around him, people wanting a bit of him, the cricket and the noise.”

4. Trent Bout- Dale Steyn

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/the-door-is-very-much-open-for-trent-boult-to-return-for-odi-world-cup-says-new-zealand-chief-selector-gavin-larsen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trent Boult</a> is one of the most dangerous bowlers in limited forms of the sport. In December 2011, he broke into international cricket, playing his first Test match for New Zealand against Australia. In his debut game, he impressed cricket fans with his brilliant bowling spell against the Aussies in Hobart. He played a key role in the team’s seven-run triumph by taking four wickets in the match.&nbsp;

In the last two installments of the ODI World Cup, Boult played a major role with the ball and took the team to the finals. So far, the Kiwi quick has looked amazing with the ball grabbing 578 scalps in 232 international matches. Playing his first IPL edition in 2015, he got a chance to play in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) alongside star cricketer Dale Steyn, whom he considers his childhood hero.

In an interview with Cricbuzz in 2017, Boult revealed Steyn was his childhood hero. He was also asked if getting selected in the SRH squad ahead of Dale Steyn was one of the highest point in his career. Replying to the question, he said “Not the highest point it was one of those . Dale Steyn is a massive childhood hero of mine and to share the dressing room was a really good experience. But it comes down to playing only four overseas players, so someone got to make room for someone. But not in my wildest dream did I think I would be ahead of Dale Steyn in the picking order”.

3. Kane Williamson- Sachin Tendulkar

The white-ball captain of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/new-zealand-announce-strong-squad-for-home-test-series-against-england-kyle-jamieson-returns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a>, Kane Williamson is a resplendent batter in all forms of cricket. Making his Test debut against India in 2010, Williamson made his first game memorable with his 131-run knock. The innings became more special as he was playing against his childhood hero&nbsp;Sachin Tendulkar.

During New Zealand’s tour of India in 2017, Williamson revealed that Tendulkar was his childhood hero. Admiring his cricketing idol’s calm and composed attitude of handling pressure, Williamson said “I have grown up watching Tendulkar playing cricket. What impresses me the most in Sachin’s style is that he used to be very calm while playing. Cricket is one sport where the pressure mounts on the players in a very short time. Sachin is one such player I have seen, who very skillfully used to handle the pressure."

In the 2019 World Cup, he received the Player of the Tournament award from Tendulkar for notching up 578 runs in 10 matches. After the end of the mega event, the Master Blaster also praised Williamson’s ability to stay calm in any circumstance.

2. Steve Smith- Mark Waugh

Australian batter <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/winning-a-test-series-in-india-is-bigger-than-the-ashes-steve-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith</a> went through many ups and downs in his career, but his ability to make comebacks make him a courageous cricketer. In 2018, he faced a one-year ban due to his involvement in the ball-tampering row. However, he made a solid comeback in Ashes 2019, becoming the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 774 runs in four games.

Till now, Smith has delivered exceptional performanced for Australia with his bat and has 14,572 runs in 294 international games. In June 2020, he interacted with his supporters on Instagram during a Q&amp;A session. When a fan asked Smith to name his cricketing idol, the dashing batter replied “loved watching Mark Waugh play”

Waugh represented Australia from 1988-2002, during which he played 244 matches and scored 8,500 runs at a strike rate of 76.90. In Test matches too, he was outstanding for the Aussies notching up 8,029 runs in 128 matches. With his aggressive batting attitude, the Men in Yellow managed to win several games in both Tests and ODIs.

1. Virat Kohli- Sachin Tendulkar

<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/he-loves-to-play-against-australia-sanjay-bangar-expects-impactful-border-gavaskar-trophy-for-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> had a remarkable 2022 as he regained his form in white-ball cricket delivering some standout knocks for the national team. Last year’s T20 World Cup innings of 82 runs off 53 deliveries against Pakistan showed why he is counted among the most legendary batters of all time. However, his journey to becoming an esteemed name in the sport was never easy as he cleared a lot of obstacles to reach where he is now.

Back in 2008, he grabbed eyeballs with his impressive captaincy in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. In the same year, he also made his international debut against Sri Lanka appearing in an ODI game. Since then, he has shown his class with his bat many a times. So far, in 490 international matches, he has scored 24,936 runs including 74 centuries and 129 half-centuries. &nbsp;

From 2008-2012, he shared the dressing room with his role model Sachin Tendulkar. Fortunately, Kohli also helped the team to win the 2011 World Cup and fulfill the batting icon's dream of lifting the trophy. In an old video that resurfaced in 2021, he was seen replying to Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra’s question about his cricketing idol. Replying to the Bollywood diva, Kohli said, “He (Sachin) is the reason I started playing cricket”. He also added “Like me, I think most of the youngsters in India started playing cricket after watching Sachin. Today it’s a great honour to share the dressing room with him."

Discipline, determination, and hard work are important traits for any individual who aspires to be a cricketer. In the last few years, the world has witnessed many cricketers attaining success with their sheer dedication. With their success stories, they have and continue to inspire the future generation to do well in the sport. However, there was a time when these players used to draw inspiration from their cricketing heroes to build their careers.
In recent years, players such as <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/sachin-tendulkar-fulfills-special-request-of-former-west-indies-cricketer-winston-benjamin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Shahid Afridi, Kumara Sangakkara, and many other cricketing legends have played a crucial role in the development of this beautiful sport. With their top-notch performances, these cricketers not only earned respect from cricket fans but also emboldened many youngsters to pursue their careers in the game. Many dignified players of current times admired some of these prominent cricketing stars to become distinguished names in the sport.
<h3>Talking more about it, here are ten cricketing stars and their idols</h3>
10. Dewald Brevis- AB de Villiers
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675758990872_Dewald-Brevis-and-AB-de-Villiers.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Last year, Dewald Brevis became the Player of the Tournament in the Under-19 World Cup scoring 506 runs in six matches for South Africa. He also scored two centuries and three fifties in the competition. His Under 19 World Cup performance impressed the IPL franchise&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/womens-premier-league-mumbai-indians-announce-star-studded-coaching-panel-ahead-of-inaugural-season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> also as they picked him up at the 2022 mega auction for INR 3 crore.
Since the last year’s mega event, he has been compared with AB de Villiers due to the resemblance of his playing style with the former South Africa legend. Speaking on the Mumbai Indians show on Star Sports last year, he said "I think a lot of people know AB de Villiers, and I looked up to him since I was a youngster and love the way he played and how he goes about his game."
Last year, he amassed 161 runs for Mumbai Indians (MI) in seven matches of the IPL, at a strike rate of 142.47. In the CSA T20 Challenge, the youngster entered the record books racking up 162 runs off 57 deliveries in a Knight vs Titans match. The 19-year-old Brevis is yet to make his international debut for South Africa.&nbsp;

9. Umran Malik- Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675758804432_Umran-Malika,-Jasprit-Bumrah,-and-Mohammed-Shami.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Speedster Umran Malik is in limelight of late due to his fiery pace bowling which helps India get key wickets under crunch situations. His ability to clock deliveries over 150 km/h consistently can make him a sensational bowling figure in the future. In the last IPL edition, he looked incredible for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) taking 22 wickets in 14 matches.
The young gun also got rewarded for his diligence as the Indian selectors chose him for T20Is against Ireland and England. On June 26, 2022, he made his international debut for India against Ireland in a T20I match. He also gets compared to former Pakistan bowler Waqar Younis due to his bowling action.&nbsp;
After the end of the IPL 15, Malik had revealed that he never followed Younis, instead he looked up to Indian pace spearheads <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/leave-him-he-knows-what-to-do-ishant-sharma-reveals-an-incident-when-he-stopped-virat-kohli-to-have-chat-with-jasprit-bumrah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasprit Bumrah</a>, Mohammed Shami, and his SRH teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The fiery pacer also added that he used to follow them during the time he was a budding cricketer and had started fresh.

8. Rashid Khan- Shahid Afridi &amp; Anil Kumble
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675758698691_Rashid-Khan,-Shahid-Afridi-and-Anil-Kumble.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Rashid Khan is one of the finest spinners in international cricket currently due to his magnificent spin bowling. So far, the 24-year-old has been amazing for Afghanistan in T20Is with 122 wickets in 74 matches, at an economy of 6.25. The Afghan bowler has stunning bowling figures in the IPL too. In 2017, Khan played his debut match in the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening game.
Appearing in six seasons of the cash-rich league, Khan took 112 wickets in 92 matches at an economy of 6.38. With these figures, he is one of the most successful bowlers in the league and international cricket. In 2021, Rashid spoke to ESPNCricinfo and was asked about his idols who influenced his game. Replying to the question, he said Sachin Tendulkar was his batting idol, while former spinners Anil Kumble and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/daughter-is-the-most-beautiful-flower-of-your-garden-shahid-afridi-shares-heartwarming-post-on-daughter-anshas-wedding-with-shaheen-afridi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shahid Afridi</a> were his bowling idols.
He also said that he used to emulate both spinners while bowling to his brothers and also used to love watching the legends on TV. Khan added that he still watches videos of the two legendary cricketers and draws out several learnings from them. In 2019 too, Khan said in an interview that he wanted to bat like Shahid Afridi and charm the crowds the same way as Afridi did.

7. Pat Cummins- Brett Lee
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675758352188_Pat-Cummin-and-Brett-Lee.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Pat Cummins has been serving the Australian cricket team efficiently since 2011. In 2021, Cricket Australia trusted him to captain the national Test team following the resignation of Tim Paine. Last year, he became the 27th ODI skipper of Australia after Aaron Finch announced his retirement from the 50-over format.
Till now, he has played 172 international games for the Men in Yellow, and has picked up 393 wickets. As a child, Cummins grew up idolising the former pace sensation Brett Lee. Fortunately, he got a chance to share the dressing room with his childhood hero playing for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/australia-have-a-very-good-chance-of-winning-the-border-gavaskar-trophy-adam-gilchrist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia </a>and New South Wales. &nbsp; Playing for Australia from 1999-2012, Lee was one most fearsome bowlers among the opposition batters due to his sheer pace. He served Australia for almost 13 years during which he also contributed to the team’s victory in the 2003 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy played in 2006 and 2009. Lee hung his boots in July 2012 with 718 wickets from 322 international games. &nbsp;

6. Hardik Pandya-&nbsp;Irfan Pathan
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675758457519_Hardik-Pandya-and-Irfan-Pathan.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Hardik Pandya is known for his fearless playing style in the limited formats of the game. Riding on his batting and bowling displays, India have got hold of their opponents a lot of times. He has also captained the Indian team in T20Is ever since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2022, and delivered some positive results.
Playing for the Men in Blue in 71 ODI matches, he has taken 68 wickets at an economy of 5.59. Talking about his batting numbers, the right-hander has notched up 1,518 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 113.28. In T20Is too, he has been impressive for India with 1,271 runs at a strike rate of 142.17 in 87 T20 matches. With the ball, he has picked up 69 scalps at an economy of 8.14.&nbsp;
In an interview with CricTracker in 2015, Pandya was asked who inspired him the most as a young cricketer, to which he responded saying “My cricketing idol is Irfan Pathan. He bowls, bats, and does everything. He is also a proper all-rounder like me. I have been following him since my childhood. Just like him, I am also an all-rounder and have been learning a lot of things from him while playing for Baroda."

5. Jos Buttler- MS Dhoni
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756102823_Jos-Buttler-and-MS-Dhoni.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Jos Buttler is known for his fierce batting style and agility behind the wickets. With his incredible batting and wicket-keeping skills, Buttler has taken England home in a lot of games. Last year, he took over the white-ball captaincy of the English cricket team after Eoin Morgan’s retirement from international cricket.
Holding the captaincy mantle, he proved himself in just a few months and led his side to the T20 World Cup 2022 title. Till now, the 32-year-old has smashed 4,536 runs in 162 ODIs at a strike rate of 118.09. In the shortest form of the game, Buttler has accumulated 2,602 runs in 103 matches at a strike rate of 144.23.
After England’s T20 World Cup victory in 2022, former England captain Michael Vaughan drew comparisons between Buttler and the legendary former Indian cricketer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/social-media-goes-into-frenzy-after-picture-of-sourav-ganguly-and-ms-dhoni-chatting-goes-viral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a>. However, the 32-year-old has maintained that Dhoni is his idol. In an interview with Warren Hegg in 2020 for Lancashire Cricket, Buttler showed his respect for the former Indian captain saying “MS Dhoni has always been a big idol of mine and chaos is always going around him, people wanting a bit of him, the cricket and the noise.”

4. Trent Bout- Dale Steyn
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756249312_Trent-Bout-and-Dale-Steyn.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/the-door-is-very-much-open-for-trent-boult-to-return-for-odi-world-cup-says-new-zealand-chief-selector-gavin-larsen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trent Boult</a> is one of the most dangerous bowlers in limited forms of the sport. In December 2011, he broke into international cricket, playing his first Test match for New Zealand against Australia. In his debut game, he impressed cricket fans with his brilliant bowling spell against the Aussies in Hobart. He played a key role in the team’s seven-run triumph by taking four wickets in the match.&nbsp;
In the last two installments of the ODI World Cup, Boult played a major role with the ball and took the team to the finals. So far, the Kiwi quick has looked amazing with the ball grabbing 578 scalps in 232 international matches. Playing his first IPL edition in 2015, he got a chance to play in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) alongside star cricketer Dale Steyn, whom he considers his childhood hero.
In an interview with Cricbuzz in 2017, Boult revealed Steyn was his childhood hero. He was also asked if getting selected in the SRH squad ahead of Dale Steyn was one of the highest point in his career. Replying to the question, he said “Not the highest point it was one of those . Dale Steyn is a massive childhood hero of mine and to share the dressing room was a really good experience. But it comes down to playing only four overseas players, so someone got to make room for someone. But not in my wildest dream did I think I would be ahead of Dale Steyn in the picking order”.

3. Kane Williamson- Sachin Tendulkar
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756436360_Kane-Williamson-and-Sachin-Tendulkar.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
The white-ball captain of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/new-zealand-announce-strong-squad-for-home-test-series-against-england-kyle-jamieson-returns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a>, Kane Williamson is a resplendent batter in all forms of cricket. Making his Test debut against India in 2010, Williamson made his first game memorable with his 131-run knock. The innings became more special as he was playing against his childhood hero&nbsp;Sachin Tendulkar.
During New Zealand’s tour of India in 2017, Williamson revealed that Tendulkar was his childhood hero. Admiring his cricketing idol’s calm and composed attitude of handling pressure, Williamson said “I have grown up watching Tendulkar playing cricket. What impresses me the most in Sachin’s style is that he used to be very calm while playing. Cricket is one sport where the pressure mounts on the players in a very short time. Sachin is one such player I have seen, who very skillfully used to handle the pressure."
In the 2019 World Cup, he received the Player of the Tournament award from Tendulkar for notching up 578 runs in 10 matches. After the end of the mega event, the Master Blaster also praised Williamson’s ability to stay calm in any circumstance.

2. Steve Smith- Mark Waugh
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756517150_Steve-Smith-and-Mark-Waugh.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
Australian batter <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/winning-a-test-series-in-india-is-bigger-than-the-ashes-steve-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith</a> went through many ups and downs in his career, but his ability to make comebacks make him a courageous cricketer. In 2018, he faced a one-year ban due to his involvement in the ball-tampering row. However, he made a solid comeback in Ashes 2019, becoming the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 774 runs in four games.
Till now, Smith has delivered exceptional performanced for Australia with his bat and has 14,572 runs in 294 international games. In June 2020, he interacted with his supporters on Instagram during a Q&amp;A session. When a fan asked Smith to name his cricketing idol, the dashing batter replied “loved watching Mark Waugh play”
Waugh represented Australia from 1988-2002, during which he played 244 matches and scored 8,500 runs at a strike rate of 76.90. In Test matches too, he was outstanding for the Aussies notching up 8,029 runs in 128 matches. With his aggressive batting attitude, the Men in Yellow managed to win several games in both Tests and ODIs.

1. Virat Kohli- Sachin Tendulkar
<amp-img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756614735_Virat-Kohli-and-Sachin-Tendulkar.jpeg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/he-loves-to-play-against-australia-sanjay-bangar-expects-impactful-border-gavaskar-trophy-for-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> had a remarkable 2022 as he regained his form in white-ball cricket delivering some standout knocks for the national team. Last year’s T20 World Cup innings of 82 runs off 53 deliveries against Pakistan showed why he is counted among the most legendary batters of all time. However, his journey to becoming an esteemed name in the sport was never easy as he cleared a lot of obstacles to reach where he is now.
Back in 2008, he grabbed eyeballs with his impressive captaincy in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. In the same year, he also made his international debut against Sri Lanka appearing in an ODI game. Since then, he has shown his class with his bat many a times. So far, in 490 international matches, he has scored 24,936 runs including 74 centuries and 129 half-centuries. &nbsp;
From 2008-2012, he shared the dressing room with his role model Sachin Tendulkar. Fortunately, Kohli also helped the team to win the 2011 World Cup and fulfill the batting icon's dream of lifting the trophy. In an old video that resurfaced in 2021, he was seen replying to Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra’s question about his cricketing idol. Replying to the Bollywood diva, Kohli said, “He (Sachin) is the reason I started playing cricket”. He also added “Like me, I think most of the youngsters in India started playing cricket after watching Sachin. Today it’s a great honour to share the dressing room with him."

Discipline, determination, and hard work are important traits for any individual who aspires to be a cricketer. In the last few years, the world has witnessed many cricketers attaining success with their sheer dedication. With their success stories, they have and continue to inspire the future generation to do well in the sport. However, there was a time when these players used to draw inspiration from their cricketing heroes to build their careers.
In recent years, players such as <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/sachin-tendulkar-fulfills-special-request-of-former-west-indies-cricketer-winston-benjamin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sachin Tendulkar</a>, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Shahid Afridi, Kumara Sangakkara, and many other cricketing legends have played a crucial role in the development of this beautiful sport. With their top-notch performances, these cricketers not only earned respect from cricket fans but also emboldened many youngsters to pursue their careers in the game. Many dignified players of current times admired some of these prominent cricketing stars to become distinguished names in the sport.
<h3>Talking more about it, here are ten cricketing stars and their idols</h3>
10. Dewald Brevis- AB de Villiers
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Last year, Dewald Brevis became the Player of the Tournament in the Under-19 World Cup scoring 506 runs in six matches for South Africa. He also scored two centuries and three fifties in the competition. His Under 19 World Cup performance impressed the IPL franchise&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/womens-premier-league-mumbai-indians-announce-star-studded-coaching-panel-ahead-of-inaugural-season/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mumbai Indians</a> also as they picked him up at the 2022 mega auction for INR 3 crore.
Since the last year’s mega event, he has been compared with AB de Villiers due to the resemblance of his playing style with the former South Africa legend. Speaking on the Mumbai Indians show on Star Sports last year, he said "I think a lot of people know AB de Villiers, and I looked up to him since I was a youngster and love the way he played and how he goes about his game."
Last year, he amassed 161 runs for Mumbai Indians (MI) in seven matches of the IPL, at a strike rate of 142.47. In the CSA T20 Challenge, the youngster entered the record books racking up 162 runs off 57 deliveries in a Knight vs Titans match. The 19-year-old Brevis is yet to make his international debut for South Africa.&nbsp;

9. Umran Malik- Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami
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Speedster Umran Malik is in limelight of late due to his fiery pace bowling which helps India get key wickets under crunch situations. His ability to clock deliveries over 150 km/h consistently can make him a sensational bowling figure in the future. In the last IPL edition, he looked incredible for Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) taking 22 wickets in 14 matches.
The young gun also got rewarded for his diligence as the Indian selectors chose him for T20Is against Ireland and England. On June 26, 2022, he made his international debut for India against Ireland in a T20I match. He also gets compared to former Pakistan bowler Waqar Younis due to his bowling action.&nbsp;
After the end of the IPL 15, Malik had revealed that he never followed Younis, instead he looked up to Indian pace spearheads <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/leave-him-he-knows-what-to-do-ishant-sharma-reveals-an-incident-when-he-stopped-virat-kohli-to-have-chat-with-jasprit-bumrah/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jasprit Bumrah</a>, Mohammed Shami, and his SRH teammate Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The fiery pacer also added that he used to follow them during the time he was a budding cricketer and had started fresh.

8. Rashid Khan- Shahid Afridi &amp; Anil Kumble
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Rashid Khan is one of the finest spinners in international cricket currently due to his magnificent spin bowling. So far, the 24-year-old has been amazing for Afghanistan in T20Is with 122 wickets in 74 matches, at an economy of 6.25. The Afghan bowler has stunning bowling figures in the IPL too. In 2017, Khan played his debut match in the tournament against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the opening game.
Appearing in six seasons of the cash-rich league, Khan took 112 wickets in 92 matches at an economy of 6.38. With these figures, he is one of the most successful bowlers in the league and international cricket. In 2021, Rashid spoke to ESPNCricinfo and was asked about his idols who influenced his game. Replying to the question, he said Sachin Tendulkar was his batting idol, while former spinners Anil Kumble and <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/social-tracker-cricket/daughter-is-the-most-beautiful-flower-of-your-garden-shahid-afridi-shares-heartwarming-post-on-daughter-anshas-wedding-with-shaheen-afridi/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shahid Afridi</a> were his bowling idols.
He also said that he used to emulate both spinners while bowling to his brothers and also used to love watching the legends on TV. Khan added that he still watches videos of the two legendary cricketers and draws out several learnings from them. In 2019 too, Khan said in an interview that he wanted to bat like Shahid Afridi and charm the crowds the same way as Afridi did.

7. Pat Cummins- Brett Lee
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Pat Cummins has been serving the Australian cricket team efficiently since 2011. In 2021, Cricket Australia trusted him to captain the national Test team following the resignation of Tim Paine. Last year, he became the 27th ODI skipper of Australia after Aaron Finch announced his retirement from the 50-over format.
Till now, he has played 172 international games for the Men in Yellow, and has picked up 393 wickets. As a child, Cummins grew up idolising the former pace sensation Brett Lee. Fortunately, he got a chance to share the dressing room with his childhood hero playing for <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/australia-have-a-very-good-chance-of-winning-the-border-gavaskar-trophy-adam-gilchrist/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia </a>and New South Wales. &nbsp; Playing for Australia from 1999-2012, Lee was one most fearsome bowlers among the opposition batters due to his sheer pace. He served Australia for almost 13 years during which he also contributed to the team’s victory in the 2003 World Cup and ICC Champions Trophy played in 2006 and 2009. Lee hung his boots in July 2012 with 718 wickets from 322 international games. &nbsp;

6. Hardik Pandya-&nbsp;Irfan Pathan
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Hardik Pandya is known for his fearless playing style in the limited formats of the game. Riding on his batting and bowling displays, India have got hold of their opponents a lot of times. He has also captained the Indian team in T20Is ever since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2022, and delivered some positive results.
Playing for the Men in Blue in 71 ODI matches, he has taken 68 wickets at an economy of 5.59. Talking about his batting numbers, the right-hander has notched up 1,518 runs at a brilliant strike rate of 113.28. In T20Is too, he has been impressive for India with 1,271 runs at a strike rate of 142.17 in 87 T20 matches. With the ball, he has picked up 69 scalps at an economy of 8.14.&nbsp;
In an interview with CricTracker in 2015, Pandya was asked who inspired him the most as a young cricketer, to which he responded saying “My cricketing idol is Irfan Pathan. He bowls, bats, and does everything. He is also a proper all-rounder like me. I have been following him since my childhood. Just like him, I am also an all-rounder and have been learning a lot of things from him while playing for Baroda."

5. Jos Buttler- MS Dhoni
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Jos Buttler is known for his fierce batting style and agility behind the wickets. With his incredible batting and wicket-keeping skills, Buttler has taken England home in a lot of games. Last year, he took over the white-ball captaincy of the English cricket team after Eoin Morgan’s retirement from international cricket.
Holding the captaincy mantle, he proved himself in just a few months and led his side to the T20 World Cup 2022 title. Till now, the 32-year-old has smashed 4,536 runs in 162 ODIs at a strike rate of 118.09. In the shortest form of the game, Buttler has accumulated 2,602 runs in 103 matches at a strike rate of 144.23.
After England’s T20 World Cup victory in 2022, former England captain Michael Vaughan drew comparisons between Buttler and the legendary former Indian cricketer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/social-media-goes-into-frenzy-after-picture-of-sourav-ganguly-and-ms-dhoni-chatting-goes-viral/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MS Dhoni</a>. However, the 32-year-old has maintained that Dhoni is his idol. In an interview with Warren Hegg in 2020 for Lancashire Cricket, Buttler showed his respect for the former Indian captain saying “MS Dhoni has always been a big idol of mine and chaos is always going around him, people wanting a bit of him, the cricket and the noise.”

4. Trent Bout- Dale Steyn
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756249312_Trent-Bout-and-Dale-Steyn.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/the-door-is-very-much-open-for-trent-boult-to-return-for-odi-world-cup-says-new-zealand-chief-selector-gavin-larsen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trent Boult</a> is one of the most dangerous bowlers in limited forms of the sport. In December 2011, he broke into international cricket, playing his first Test match for New Zealand against Australia. In his debut game, he impressed cricket fans with his brilliant bowling spell against the Aussies in Hobart. He played a key role in the team’s seven-run triumph by taking four wickets in the match.&nbsp;
In the last two installments of the ODI World Cup, Boult played a major role with the ball and took the team to the finals. So far, the Kiwi quick has looked amazing with the ball grabbing 578 scalps in 232 international matches. Playing his first IPL edition in 2015, he got a chance to play in Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) alongside star cricketer Dale Steyn, whom he considers his childhood hero.
In an interview with Cricbuzz in 2017, Boult revealed Steyn was his childhood hero. He was also asked if getting selected in the SRH squad ahead of Dale Steyn was one of the highest point in his career. Replying to the question, he said “Not the highest point it was one of those . Dale Steyn is a massive childhood hero of mine and to share the dressing room was a really good experience. But it comes down to playing only four overseas players, so someone got to make room for someone. But not in my wildest dream did I think I would be ahead of Dale Steyn in the picking order”.

3. Kane Williamson- Sachin Tendulkar
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The white-ball captain of <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/new-zealand-announce-strong-squad-for-home-test-series-against-england-kyle-jamieson-returns/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Zealand</a>, Kane Williamson is a resplendent batter in all forms of cricket. Making his Test debut against India in 2010, Williamson made his first game memorable with his 131-run knock. The innings became more special as he was playing against his childhood hero&nbsp;Sachin Tendulkar.
During New Zealand’s tour of India in 2017, Williamson revealed that Tendulkar was his childhood hero. Admiring his cricketing idol’s calm and composed attitude of handling pressure, Williamson said “I have grown up watching Tendulkar playing cricket. What impresses me the most in Sachin’s style is that he used to be very calm while playing. Cricket is one sport where the pressure mounts on the players in a very short time. Sachin is one such player I have seen, who very skillfully used to handle the pressure."
In the 2019 World Cup, he received the Player of the Tournament award from Tendulkar for notching up 578 runs in 10 matches. After the end of the mega event, the Master Blaster also praised Williamson’s ability to stay calm in any circumstance.

2. Steve Smith- Mark Waugh
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756517150_Steve-Smith-and-Mark-Waugh.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
Australian batter <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/winning-a-test-series-in-india-is-bigger-than-the-ashes-steve-smith/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Steve Smith</a> went through many ups and downs in his career, but his ability to make comebacks make him a courageous cricketer. In 2018, he faced a one-year ban due to his involvement in the ball-tampering row. However, he made a solid comeback in Ashes 2019, becoming the leading run-scorer in the tournament with 774 runs in four games.
Till now, Smith has delivered exceptional performanced for Australia with his bat and has 14,572 runs in 294 international games. In June 2020, he interacted with his supporters on Instagram during a Q&amp;A session. When a fan asked Smith to name his cricketing idol, the dashing batter replied “loved watching Mark Waugh play”
Waugh represented Australia from 1988-2002, during which he played 244 matches and scored 8,500 runs at a strike rate of 76.90. In Test matches too, he was outstanding for the Aussies notching up 8,029 runs in 128 matches. With his aggressive batting attitude, the Men in Yellow managed to win several games in both Tests and ODIs.

1. Virat Kohli- Sachin Tendulkar
<img src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/1675756614735_Virat-Kohli-and-Sachin-Tendulkar.jpeg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.crictracker.com/cricket-news/he-loves-to-play-against-australia-sanjay-bangar-expects-impactful-border-gavaskar-trophy-for-virat-kohli/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virat Kohli</a> had a remarkable 2022 as he regained his form in white-ball cricket delivering some standout knocks for the national team. Last year’s T20 World Cup innings of 82 runs off 53 deliveries against Pakistan showed why he is counted among the most legendary batters of all time. However, his journey to becoming an esteemed name in the sport was never easy as he cleared a lot of obstacles to reach where he is now.
Back in 2008, he grabbed eyeballs with his impressive captaincy in the 2008 Under-19 World Cup. In the same year, he also made his international debut against Sri Lanka appearing in an ODI game. Since then, he has shown his class with his bat many a times. So far, in 490 international matches, he has scored 24,936 runs including 74 centuries and 129 half-centuries. &nbsp;
From 2008-2012, he shared the dressing room with his role model Sachin Tendulkar. Fortunately, Kohli also helped the team to win the 2011 World Cup and fulfill the batting icon's dream of lifting the trophy. In an old video that resurfaced in 2021, he was seen replying to Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra’s question about his cricketing idol. Replying to the Bollywood diva, Kohli said, “He (Sachin) is the reason I started playing cricket”. He also added “Like me, I think most of the youngsters in India started playing cricket after watching Sachin. Today it’s a great honour to share the dressing room with him."

Discipline, determination, and hard work are important traits for any individual who aspires to be a cricketer. In the last few years, the world has witnessed many cricketers attaining success with th

10 Current Cricketers and their cricketing idols

These cricketers followed their role models with determination to become huge cricketing figures in the world.

These cricketers followed their role models with determination and achieved immense success in the sport while following their dreams.