Keepers of the Wickets

We have articles about batsmen, bowlers, certain specified players, and all other aspects of the game cricket.

However, there are not many articles about the one person who squats behind the batsman throughout, keeping or guarding what we call "The Wickets."

The wicketkeeper is perhaps the only player who toils more than what the batsmen and bowlers do. After bending his knees in the first half of the game, he is expected to come and bat during the second half, and if by any chance he misses there, there is no sparing the onslaught to follow.

In this article I made a list of seven such famous wicketkeeper-batsmen who were and some who are still making a difference to that position that is not as exalted and probably not as enticing to many.

Romesh Kaluwitharana

He was Sri Lanka's most favoured wicketkeeper. An opening batsman with Sanath Jayasuriya, he formed Sri Lanka's most aggressive opening combination, pinch-hitting all the way.

A lethal right hander, he was known for his chattering and constant egging on of his team bowlers. His statistics stand at 92 catches in tests and 132 in ODIs.

Ian Healy

Australia's best wicketkeeper after Rod Marsh and before Adam Gilchrist; his game style gave Australia a sense of stability when it was most needed.

He held the world record for most test dismissals in test cricket at 366 at the time of his retirement in 1999. A right-handed batsman, he provided the much-needed middle order support for Australia in the '90s.

Adam Gilchrist

He is a record-breaking and also, in some ways, a path-breaking wicketkeeper. One of the best known keeper-batsmen to date, he currently plays for the IPL team Deccan Chargers.

An excellent opening batsman, he powered the Australian top order, helping his team reach mammoth scores. After his retirement, the Australian wicket keeping looks quite next to ordinary and vulnerable.

Kumar Sangakkara

After Romesh Kaluwitharana, he remains Sri Lanka's first-choice keeper in ODIs. Known for his constant boosting behind the stumps, Sangakkara has replaced Mahela Jayawardene as the captain of the SL cricket team.

A specialist left-handed batsman, Sangakkara has opted to be a full-time batsman in tests, thereby leaving the keeping charge to Prasanna Jayawardene. He has, so far to his credit, 153 dismissals in tests and 228 dismissals in ODIs.

Andy Flower

The elder brother of Grant Flower, Andy is often acknowledged alongside Adam Gilchrist when it comes to keeper-batsmen. A keeper for over 10 years in the national side, he debuted in the 1992 WC and is regarded as one of Zimbabwe's best cricketers.

After protesting against the Mugabe regime in 2003, he subsequently retired from international cricket in the same year. Currently, he is the assistant coach of the English team.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The current captain of the Indian side, Dhoni is known for his batting as well as keeping abilities. Before his arrival, the team had many part-time keepers without any success.

Dhoni replaced Adam Gilchrist as the record-holder for most runs scored by a keeper-batsman and, although he hasn't reached the top most level, he is sure on the way there.

Mark Boucher

South Africa's most preferred keeper. A prolific middle order right-handed batsman, he is known for stabilising the SA ship whenever it has been on the verge of tottering and falling.

Boucher currently holds the record for most test dismissals, which stands at 381. Also, he is considered by many to be one of the greatest wicketkeeper-batsmen and also stands second in the all time ODI wicketkeeping list behind Gilchrist.