Cricketers Who Have Been Knighted In The 21st Century

Knighthood is one of the highest honors given in recognition of an individual’s contribution to a particular field.

As far as cricket is concerned, as many as 29 cricketers have received the honorary recognition for their contribution towards the game. The list of cricketers who have been knighted includes Donald Bradman [1949], Richard Hadlee [1990], Jack Hobbs [1953], Len Hutton [1956], Viv Richards [1999], Everton Weekes [1995], Clyde Walcott [1993], Gary Sobers [1975] and many others.

The following list, however, includes only those cricketers, who have been knighted since the turn of the century.

Here’s a look:

Ian Botham- 2007

One of the greatest all-rounders and possibly the greatest ever English cricketer to have ever graced this beautiful game, Ian Botham was knighted back in 2007 for his contribution towards cricket and charity, in which he raised millions of pounds for leukemia research.

Botham’s finest hour in International cricket will always be his exploits in the 1981 Ashe where he starred with both bat and ball to help England script a renaissance for the ages.

Botham featured in 102 Tests for England, in which he racked up 5200 runs at an average of 33.54 and 383 wickets- the then world record for the most Test wickets- at an average of 28.4.

Richie Richardson- 2014

Famous for his marron floppy hat, free-flowing style of play, and astute leadership qualities, former West Indies captain Richie Richardson was an epitome of everything that symbolized a quintessential Caribbean cricketer- flair (lots of flair), panache, bloody-mindedness.

Richardson featured in a total of 86 Tests and 224 ODI for the West Indies, in which he racked up 5949 and 6248 runs respectively at an average of 44.4 and 33.23 which also included 16 Test hundreds and 5 ODI tons.

Richardson was knighted by the Antiguan government in 2014 for his services towards the game.

Andy Roberts-2014

Broad shoulders, alert mind, big heart, expressionless face, rhythmic run-up. Andy Roberts, the first Antiguan to play Test match cricket had all the ingredients to intimidate the best in the business. And boy, didn’t he do that with disdain.

Part of the fearsome West Indian quartet of pacers, Andy Roberts featured in 47 Tests and 56 ODIs, in which he racked up 202 and 87 wickets at an average of 25.61 and 20.36 respectively.

Roberts was one of the three West Indian cricketers, who were knighted by the Antiguan government for his services towards the game back in 2014.

Curtly Ambrose- 2014

Height, pace, raw pace, eyes (those eyes), and sustained discipline and hostility. Curtly Ambrose will go down as possibly one of the top-3 fast bowlers to have ever played this game.

Ambrose, on his day, was a sight to behold- for the spectators that is, not the batsman. Just ask the Aussies or the Englishman or any team for that matter, who endured his sustained hostility for a decade and a half.

Ambrose, who claimed 405 and 225 wickets in 98 Tests and 176 ODIs for the West Indies, was deservedly knighted by the Antiguan government in 2014.

Geoffrey Boycott-2019

A typical old school batsman who valued his wicket as if his life depended on it, Geoffrey Boycott was an epitome of patience, grit, and character.

Boycott, who featured in 108 Tests and 36 ODIs in which he racked up the then highest tally of Test runs (8114) and 1082 respectively, for England between 1964-82, was finally knighted by former UK Prime Minister Theresa May last year.

And, just like his batting, the news of him getting knighted also sparked a controversy because of his involvement in a domestic violence case in 1998 where he was fined £5000 besides getting a three-month suspended jail sentence for assaulting his girlfriend.

Alastair Cook- 2019

Alastair Cook is one of the two cricketers who made their debut in the 21st century to receive the honorary knighthood.

Cook, who made his Test debut back in 2006 against India, played a pivotal role in two of England’s greatest triumphs in the 21st century- Test series wins in Australia and India between 2010-2012.

The gritty left-hander is the quickest [in terms of the age] to scale the Mt.10000 in Test cricket, and to date, remains the only English batsman to cross the 10000-run barrier. The Essex batsman played a total of 161 Tests in which he racked up 12472 runs at an average of 45.35, including 33 hundreds.

Cook retired from the game in 2018 was knighted a year later by then UK Prime Minister Theresa May.

Andrew Strauss- 2019

Andrew Strauss holds a record which no English captain of the past 30 years can boast of- Test series win on Australian soil.

Strauss was a brilliant leader, under whom England scaled the zenith as far as Test match rankings were concerned in 2011.

Apart from being a brilliant captain, Strauss was also splendid batsman, who played 100 Tests and 127 ODIs for England, in which he racked up 7037 and 4205 runs at an average of 40.91 and 35.34 respectively.

Strauss has also proved to be an able administrator. Under his stint as director of English cricket, England have undergone a whirlwind revolution in white-ball cricket and the former opener’s decision towards allowing his players to feature in the IPL has played a huge role in that. Strauss was deservedly knighted in 2019.

Gordon Greenidge- 2020

Flamboyance, panache, an array of strokeplay, and sheer arrogance. In an era where Test match opening was all about patience, endurance, and giving respect to the bowlers, Gordon Greenidge came in like a breath of fresh air, someone who believed in taking the attack to the bowlers.

Who can forget his brutal 214 to help West Indies chase down 342 in the fourth innings at Lord’s? One-half of one of the greatest opening pairs of all-times, Greenidge accumulated a total of 6482 runs with his partner Desmond Haynes- a record that stood for over 20 years before finally being broken by Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar.

Greenidge represented the West Indies in 108 Tests and 128 ODIs, in which he accumulated 7558 and 5134 runs at an average of 44.72 and 45.04 respectively.

The swashbuckling opener was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours list alongside his former captain Clive Lloyd.

Clive Lloyd-2020

Nicknamed as the ‘Super Cat’, Clive Lloyd will go down as one of the greatest captains to have ever played the game.

From bringing a whirlwind revolution in West Indies and possibly world cricket by unleashing unarguably the greatest quartet of fast bowlers in 1976 to leading his side to successive World Cup triumphs in 1975 and 1979 before missing out on a treble in 1983, Clive Lloyd remains a part of a select group of cricketers who went on to inspire a generation.

And, such was his aura as a leader of a world-beating team that one tends to forget how good a batsman he was. Lloyd, who stroked a match-winning hundred in the 1975 WC final, featured in 110 Tests and 87 ODIs for the West Indies between 1966-85, in which he racked up 7515 and 1977 runs respectively with the help of 20 hundreds, 50 half-centuries and a double-hundred.

Lloyd was knighted in the 2020 New Year Honours List for services to cricket.

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