9 Cricketers Who Went On Playing Despite Serious Injuries On The Field

The Gentleman’s Game.

Although it is highly gentlemanly and poised as it may be, there are a few times when things have gotten rough enough to injure the players and a few unfortunate men have even lost their lives on the field.
But there are a few who escaped such fate and continued to play despite the imminent danger.

Here are a few examples of supreme daredevilry.

1. Anil Kumble (India)

 West Indies vs India, 2002

Bowlers don’t get much importance or popularity in Indian cricket but Anil Kumble is one of those gentlemen who made their presence felt on and off the field. During this test match, in the innings India was chasing, a ball hit Kumble’s jaw, breaking it. Despite the severe injury, the man came out on the field to bowl 14 overs and successfully took the batting giant, Brian Lara’s wicket all while having a heavily bandaged head on his neck.

 

2. Bert Sutcliffe (New Zealand)

South Africa vs New Zealand, 1953-54

His courage is probably the most talked about one in the history of cricket. Sutcliffe got hit on the side of his head with an incoming bouncer but continued to play after coming back from the hospital with a split earlobe and a big swelling behind his ear and what more, he went on to score 25 runs off a single over which record stayed on his name for the next 50 years.

 

3. Rick McCosker (Australia)

Australia vs England, 1976-77

The Aussie opener took a hard blow to his jaw during this test from Bon Willis whose throw went on to hit the wicket anyway. But the rugged Aussie went on to play the rest of the match anyhow and Australia went on to win it.

 

4. Gary Kirsten (South Africa)

Pakistan vs South Africa, 2003-04

The Pakistani paceman, Shoaib Akhtar’s ball hit him square in his helmet during this match which did not deter the stolid man and he went on to make a half-century before he even got to know that his nose was broken.

 

5. Colin Cowdrey (England)

England vs West Indies (Lord’s), 1963

This brit suffered a broken arm during the match and marched out on the field to save the day for England which resulted in a draw and hence the day was actually saved by the man in the plaster.

 

6. Malcolm Marshall (West indies)

England vs West Indies, 1984

A ball hit this batman’s gloved hand and broke his fingers. Malcolm Marshall was the lifeline of West Indian cricket at the time and he casually took the field as if nothing had happened and went on to score a few boundaries while batting with one hand!

 

7. Graeme Smith (Australia)

Australia vs South Africa, 2009

This man even after having his injured, said no to bandages or plaster and went to play with painkillers stuffed into him through injections and what not.

 

8. Wahab Riaz (Pakistan)

Sri Lanka vs Pakistan, 2015

Riaz was hit in the hand by a Sri Lanka pacers ball and sustained a hairline fracture which by the way didn’t stop him from bowling nine overs in Pakistan’s innings.

 

9. Stuart Broad (England)

England vs India, 2014

This man went to play the last test match of the series with a broken nose garnering a decent run score and taking three wickets taking England to victory.

The real heroes of the sporting world, Hats off to you!

Cover Image Source 1 & 2