Famous Cricketers Who Wore Spectacles

All the cricketers in the world have unique traits, techniques, and qualities within themselves that separates them from each other. Hence, the distinction sets them apart and several fans identify them by the same.

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From the ancient era till the present time, cricketers have confined themselves to wearing shades to beat the heat. On the other hand, some players wore glasses for seeing or viewing the ball better. Over the years, there exist famous cricketers who have done the same.

We take a look at famous cricketers who wore spectacles at some point during their career:

Narendra Hirwani:

Indian spin-bowler Narendra Hirwani’s international career spanned from 1988 to 1996 while his first-class career extended to 2001, debuting in 1984. Hirwani’s debut Test saw him taking 16 wickets against a mighty West Indian batting line-up in Chennai.

The leggie often used to wear a headband and glasses while playing, which became his trademark. Hirwani played 17 Tests, the last of which came against South Africa in 1996, picking up 66 wickets. In 18 ODIs, the 51-year old snapped 23 wickets at 31.26.

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Mike Smith:

Mike Smith falls into the category of those cricketers, who flourished in his first-class career but fell relatively flat in internationals. He was a notable spectacle wearer, having led England in 25 Tests. In those 25 Tests, the Leceister-born guided the nation to five victories and three losses.

As far as his performance with the bat goes, he averaged only 31.63 in 50 Tests with three centuries. On the contrary, Smith’s first-class career spanned across 637 fixtures, amassing nearly 40000 runs at 41.84. The 87-year-old also compiled 69 tons during that time.

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David Steele:

Similar to Mike Smith, David Steele was also a prominent spectacle-wearer. David Steele made his debut during the 1975 Ashes, withstanding the pace barrage of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. Steele’s battling against world-class pacers while wearing glasses is perhaps one of the most iconic moments in history.

The Staffordshire-born’s first-class career spanned over 500 games while his international appearances limited to only nine – eight of those were Tests. In those eight ODIs, he managed 673 runs at 42.06 with a solitary hundred.

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Dilip Doshi:

Dilip Doshi, India’s bespectacled left-arm spinner, international career lasted only four years, despite reasonably good numbers. He made his Test debut against Australia in Chennai in 1979, picking up eight wickets, including six in the first innings. But making a debut at the age of 32 was one of the reasons for his brief international career.

In 33 Tests, the Rajkot-born took 114 wickets at 30.71. However, his economy rate of 2.25 was significantly better than most of his compatriots. In addition to that, Doshi also featured in 15 ODIs, picking up 22 wickets at 23.81 apiece. He continued to play first-class cricket till 1986.

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Daniel Vettori:

It is almost impossible to leave out former New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori of this list. Daniel Vettori made his debut for New Zealand as an 18-year old and burst out more like a Harry Potter character than a professional athlete. By the time he retired in 2015, he had become one of the elite cricketers of the nation.

From 1997 to 2015, the left-arm spinner starred in 113 Tests and 295 ODIs apart from 34 T20Is. His 362 Test scalps are the second-most by a New Zealand bowler, behind Richard Hadlee’s 431. The Auckland-born called it a day from international cricket after the 2015 World Cup as New Zealand finished as the runners-up.

Virender Sehwag:

Virender Sehwag is one of the most destructive openers to have ever graced the game. Having made his debut in 1999, Virender Sehwag operated at a strike rate of above 80 in both Tests and ODIs.

The right-handed batsman featured in 104 Tests and 251 ODIs for the national team, retiring in 2015. Virender Sehwag occasionally wore glasses too while batting. The Delhi opener has two triple-centuries in Test cricket and his 219 in ODIs is the highest score by a captain.

Zaheer Abbas:

Dubbed famously as the “Asian Bradman”, Zaheer Abbas has a penchant for run-making ability and scored over 7000 runs in 150 fixtures across Tests and ODIs. The bespectacled batsmen’s international career spanned from 1969 to 1985.

Zaheer Abbas’ best test score of 274 came against England in Edgbaston in 1971 that allowed Pakistan to amass 608. In 78 Tests, the Sialkot-born hammered 5062 runs at a healthy average of 44.8. The 78 fixtures produced 12 tons as well as four double-centuries. He is also the only Asian batsman to have scored 100 first-class centuries.

Anil Kumble:

While Anil Kumble wore spectacles only occasionally, he still makes it to the list. One of the most elite spinners in world cricket, Anil Kumble headlined India’s spin-bowling attack for more than a decade. His 619 Test wickets are the most by an Indian bowler and the third-highest overall.

While Kumble’s balls did not take massive turns, it was his precision and speed that did the trick most of the times. In 1999 in Delhi against Pakistan, the Karnataka bowler took all ten wickets as India won by 212 runs. The 49-year old also captained India in 14 Tests, winning three and losing five of them.

Geoff Boycott:

Sir Geoffrey Boycott used glasses back in the early 1960s before switching to contact lens. One of the most prolific run-getters in the first-class circuit, Geoff Boycott’s career spanned across 609 fixtures, scoring 48426 alongside 151 centuries. His average was also a healthy 56.83.

As far as the 79-year old’s international career goes, he featured in 108 Tests, accumulating 8114 runs at 47.76. The 8114 runs comprised of 22 centuries and 42 fifties. The Yorkshire batsman played internationals from 1964-1981 while his first-class career was from 1964-1986.

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Sir Clive Lloyd:

Sir Clive Lloyd was arguably one of the best captains in the history of world cricket. The West Indies enjoyed one of their palmy periods under the leadership of Clive Lloyd, dominating in Test cricket for nearly 15 years, going undefeated. Under the Guyanese, the Caribbeans won 36 out of 74 Tests while losing only 12.

In addition to that, Lloyd also made the West Indies lift the first two World Cups. As for the performance with the bat, scored 7515 runs in 110 Tests with 19 tons at 46.67. His sole century came in the 1975 World Cup final against Australia. Post-retirement, he took up the role of the match referee.

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Charles Coventry:

Former Zimbabwean cricketer Charles Coventry played for the national team between 2005 and 2015. In between those, he played 39 ODIs, two Tests, and 13 T20Is as well. While a career full of potential could not move as forward as he would have liked, Coventry held a unique record for a reasonably long time.

The Kwekwe-born batsman held the record for the highest ODI score along with Saeed Anwar. The right-handed batsman made an unbeaten 194 against Bangladesh in Bulawayo in 2009 while batting at number three. Nevertheless, a hundred from Tamim Iqbal overshadowed his world-record as Bangladesh won the match by four wickets. A year later, Sachin Tendulkar scored the first double-hundred in ODIs, breaking both Anwar and Coventry’s record.

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Jack Leach:

Jack Leach is one of the newest members in the current English side and plays as a left-arm spinner, who is also a dogged tailender. Jack Leach is best remembered for accompanying Ben Stokes during their final-wicket stand of 70 in the 2019 Headingley game against Australia to pull off a miraculous victory.

Between cleaning glasses after facing every delivery, all Leach contributed is a solitary run during that partnership. So far, the Somerset bowler has played only ten Tests, taking 34 wickets with one fifer. The 29-year-old also has the highest score of 92 to his name.

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