There’s no better sight in Cricket then to watch a bowler bowling in full flow. A fiery spell from a bowler lifts everyone in the team as well as the spectators watching the match. People today talk about the likes of Dale Steyn, James Anderson and appreciate them for their textbook bowling action. They have the perfect action with the athlete sprint to the wicket then the load with the jump and the long follow-through after delivering the ball. Great bowlers play for so long because they have the perfect textbook bowling actions.
But there have been many bowlers in cricketing history that have surprised everyone with their unique bowling actions. Even though such actions are not out of the coaching manual but is still effective. They make you take notice as they are completely different from the rest of the pack. A batsman spends that extra little time in practice while visualising that distinctive bowling action.
We try to dig and find out the top 5 weirdest bowling actions in cricket of all time. Weird in a way that when you watch it you ask yourself how did he manage to bowl a ball with that action:
Read More: Ravi Shastri Names His Two ”Beer” Buddies
5. Kevin Koththiigoda
Coming in at number 5 is the young unorthodox spinner from Sri Lanka. The 21-year-old right-arm leg break bowler Kevin Koththiigoda. Yes, much like his full name even his bowling action will leave you surprised. Kevin made his domestic T20 debut for Galle Cricket Club in 2018-2019. Since then, his outrageous bowling action has gone viral everywhere. When you see his action you think how does he manage to be so accurate.
When Kevin delivers the ball he is not even looking at the batsman and still somehow control his deliveries. Sri Lanka has had the knack of producing several bowlers with one of a kind action. Kevin is no different as when you freeze his bowling action you can actually see his back foot in the air and is his face looking at the sky. Facing him would surely be tricky as batsmen don’t often see bowlers like him.
Read More: 10 Unknown Facts About Rohit Sharma
4. Lasith Malinga
At 4, there could be only one man who picked 4 wickets in successive balls in a World Cup match and the unorthodox bowling genius from Sri Lanka Lasith Malinga. The 36-year-old made his debut over a decade ago but still, the batsmen all around the world find it extremely difficult to tackle him. A batsman works overtime while facing him as he releases the ball from a different angle.
‘Slinga Malinga’ delivers the ball from an angle where a batsman cannot see the face of the umpire. You have to be ready as Malinga can bamboozle anyone with his freaking bowling action. Malinga should be credited for the fact that even with this sort of action he has managed to play for so many years. He has picked over 500 international wickets and is the highest wicket-taker in the IPL.
Read More: 5 Times When Virat Kohli Got Angry On The Cricket Field
3. Shivil Kaushik
When he made his IPL debut people called him a desi version of Paul Adams. Shivil Kaushik the left-arm chinaman bowler from Gurdaspur made heads turn when he made his IPL debut. In the 2016 edition of IPL, Kaushik was picked by the Gujarath Lions franchise because of his unusual bowling action. He reminded everyone of the South African spinner, Paul Adams.
Kaushik, in one of his interview, when asked about his action, said that his different action allows him to be in rhythm. He is able to control line and length better and execute his bowling plans. Kaushik after in initial matches wasn’t able to continue his mystery and batsman picked everything he bowled.
Even though he only has played 10 T20 matches he entertained everyone with his flashy action.
Read More: 5 Cricketers With Most Ducks In IPL History
2. Kamran Khan
The left-arm fast bowler burst on the scene when Rajasthan picked him in the 2019 IPL. He impressed everyone at the Rajasthan Royal including their captain Shane Warne. He was fast-tracked and included in the playing 11 of the Royals. His bowling action which was extremely different which made him the talk of the town.
The son of a woodcutter from Uttar Pradesh, Kamran Khan impressed everyone in the biggest T20 league in the world. He regularly clocked deliveries over 140 which made Shane Warne use him in an important stage of the game. Sadly, he wasn’t able to continue his good form for long and faded away after playing a handful number of T20 matches.
Read More: David Warner Picks His Combined IPL XI Of India-Australia
1. Paul Adams
The South African unorthodox spinner Paul Adam has to be at the number 1 spot. He made his Test debut against England 1995 and left everyone speechless. Adams made a mockery of the coaching manuals and stunned everyone. It would be right to say that he was the first that invented the weirdest bowling action in Cricket.
The left-arm spinner to his credit was pretty successful in international cricket. Adams managed to play 45 Test matches in which he scalped 134 wickets with 4 five-wicket haul. It was a great sight to see him going about his business and deliver the ball. Adams proved that a bowler can play for his country even by with the weirdest bowling actions in cricket.