Five best mustached cricketers of all time

The seventies and eighties saw the emergence of fast bowling as the dominant force in world cricket. Charging in like crazed bulls, exponents of this art would trouble batsmen all over the world with nasty snorters, and revel in their eventual demise.

But the same era also gave rise to something else – a distinctive style that set these players apart from ordinary mortals. The mustache made its grand entry, and quickly became a symbol of unbridled machismo, underlining masculinity. Dennis Lillee wore it, and so did England’s legendary all-rounder Ian Botham.

The handlebar style re-emerged a year ago with the arrival of India’s Shikhar Dhawan to international cricket, and even his teammate Ravindra Jadeja sported the same. Whether it will catch on in the rest of the world remains to be seen.

Here is a look at the five best mustached cricketers of all time:

5. Kapil Dev – India

The Haryana Hurricane’s beaming face after taking a wicket or hitting the winning runs brought the fans’ attention to his well-styled mustache. His out-swingers were deadly, but the hairy extension over his lips was enough to make anyone sit up and take notice.

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Kapil never shaved his mustache at the end of his playing career. He was the first star Indian cricketer to promote shaving cream with his trademark ‘Palmolive da jawab nahi’. The presence of the mustache only served to amplify his big smile and jovial nature.

4. Robin Smith – England

The South Africa-born former England batsman was nicknamed Judge for his resemblance to the judicial officer on account of his long hair. His top lip, though, was highlighted by a cracker of a mustache.

Smith never wore a helmet with a grill, so the opposing bowlers had more than their fair share of viewing that curling top lip as he went about decimating them all over the world. The West Indian quick bowlers came at him at full throttle – Courtney Walsh fractured his finger and nearly broke his jaw with vicious short deliveries at Antigua in 1989-90, but neither blow was damaging enough for him to even consider retiring hurt. He unleashed his signature hooks and cuts regardless, and dominated the pace attack unfazed. Definitely one of the finest mustaches around the world!

3. Clive Lloyd – West Indies

Another cricketing star with a flamboyant mustache and the swagger to go with it owing to natural talent, the Super Cat was one of the leading lights of West Indian cricket, having taken the national team to great heights during his playing days.

Tall, broad-shouldered and massive, Lloyd was a powerful middle order batsman, who had a penchant for hitting sixes in an almost cavalier fashion. The thick mustache was a sign that he was going to play the game in his way and cared a fig for the reputation of the bowlers; he smashed Dennis Lillee’s bouncer into the stands without a second thought, during the 1975 World Cup final.

That mustache would still scare the living daylights out of the current breed of quicker bowlers had Lloyd been born in a different era!

2. David Boon – Australia

The former Australian opener stood out from the crowd with his portly figure and thick, distinctive mustache. Tasmania’s favourite cricketing son, nicknamed Boonie, was also a colourful character off the field.

Despite his stature and rotund figure, Boon was one of Australia’s most prolific openers, and his mustache was also a riveting subject of discussion among many around the world. It is said that he was set to feature on the Australian five dollar note, but officials were never able to fit his mustache in it.

Boon went on to play vital knocks in the 1987 World Cup – his 75 ensured that the trophy would go to Australia for the first time. With advancing years and slower reflexes, the former opener retired at the end of the 1995-96 cricket season, and is currently an ICC match referee, replacing Alan Hurst on the Elite Panel.

1. Merv Hughes – Australia

His handlebar mustache is still the talk of the town in cricketing circles- pretenders to his throne such as Shikhar Dhawan and Ravindra Jadeja do not even come close to matching the kind of fan following the former fast bowler achieved in his playing days, largely due to the huge foliage that lined his lips.

Hughes was notorious for his consumption of alcohol and great quantities of food, and his ever-ballooning weight was a factor in his truncated career for both Australia and Victoria. Despite these travails, he was a genuinely quick bowler with the typical aggressive mentality of his kind.

His mustache, described as being of ‘incredible proportions’ became synonymous with him, along with his run-up to the bowling crease. He reportedly insured the foliage for 200,000 pounds – a rumour he later put to rest during the 2013 Ashes series.