What is it about Southpaws? Through the years, it seems that ‘lefties’ have not only been admired for their ability, which has often been brilliant, but also revered for their aesthetic grace and elegance.

The list is long, and contains some of the true greats of their respective sports. Hagler (Boxing), Mickelson (Golf), Navratilova (Tennis) – and if you want to consider left feet, how about Maradona (Association Football) and Wilkinson, Carter (Rugby Union). We are talking about a veritably left-sided Hall of Fame.

The one sport not mentioned above is my own lifelong love, cricket. I could hardly overlook being the son of an elegant left-handed batsman with 2 World Cup winners’ medals!

However, I recently posted what I perceived to be the Greatest Test Match XI of all time, and much to my chagrin, there was no left-hander in the top order. Surely I have erred in judgement here, if not in balance!

That said however, it was virtually and practically impossible to omit Messrs Richards (IVA), Bradman and Tendulkar. Each of them was, and in the case of the latter still is, the face of cricket for their generation, the icon and standard bearer.

Fortunately, I did select one Sir Garfield Sobers, maybe the most celebrated of all cricketing lefties, followed in my line up by Adam Gilchrist, so nobody can say that the southpaws were completely neglected.

This has given me the opportunity to reflect on cricket, another sport in which left-handers are so often synonymous not only with success, but with elegance. There is no reason why this should be the case. Whether it is that they learn the game with the ball more often than not going across them, so learn how to play that ball outside off-stump, who knows? I would say that to surmise as such would be too much of a generalisation.

Whatever your theory, here are just a few of my favourite cricketing southpaws, who have given us all such pleasure over the years – these are all players that I have seen live, so any who retired before the mid-late 70s, the great Sobers included, will not be here.

Brian Charles LARA (West Indies)

I was about 15 years old when my father asked me if I fancied having a bowl at him in the nets. Always eager for cricket, and to work at my never improving leg-cutter, I was only too happy to oblige.

It was only when we arrived that he mentioned that Carl Hooper was joining us, which was fine with me – I loved Carl as a man and cricketer, still do for that matter.

Upon arrival, Carl had with him a young man by the name of Brian Lara. I had heard the name, but not seen the youthful man who was already the next big name.

By the time that each of these wonderful players had batted for about half an hour, I was convinced that any future I had in cricket was as a batsman.

Whilst capable of throwing a few pies, I took enough wickets in youth and club cricket to show that I was a more than reasonable bowler, but by the time that Brian had hit every ball either back or past me at great speed, I was beginning to fear for my shins, ankles and general health!

Lara combined a high bat lift with exquisite footwork, and bat speed the type of which we have never witnessed before or since. It was the latter that generated the immense power with which he hit the ball, often with seemingly minimal effort.

Behind the grace was power, and the ability to hit square on the off-side off both front and back foot. He could hit you anywhere on the ground, but the abiding memory of Brian Lara is of the flashing blade, and the ball flying between point and extra-cover to the boundary.

Robert Graeme POLLOCK (South Africa)

South Africa’s isolation from international sport means that Graeme Pollock (GP to most in cricket) played only 23 Test Matches. What a tragedy for the cricketing public the world over.

Most of those appearances were against Australia and England (no Zimbabwe or Bangladesh for him to feast upon), yet he still average 60.97.

Pollock was a tall, imposing man, standing at 6’2”. He was powerful, but his game was about more than brut force, he was an exquisite timer of the ball.

Naturally an off-side player, very strong in the ‘V’ and between mid-off and cover, he also had a venomous pull shot, and that ability of all the greats to constantly find the gaps.

My abiding memory of Pollock is his ability to drive the ball on the up, something he did better than nearly anyone else that I have seen.

Alvin Isaac KALLICHARRAN (West Indies)

I make no apology for counting my father amongst the very best players that I have seen, based not on any bias, but purely upon what I have seen.

At 5’4”, he was the antithesis of a Lloyd or Pollock, a beautiful timer of a cricket ball with magical footwork, yet more than capable of hitting the ball very hard for a man of such diminutive stature.

Whilst many remember him for his assault on Dennis Lillee in the 1975 World Cup (below), and he was a very good player of the quicks, it was his footwork and success against high class spin bowling which differentiated him from his peers, and made him an idol in India.

Much of this was down to an upbringing where cricket was learn on uneven streets with a metal tin (maybe wrapped in string or a plastic bag if lucky) as a ball. You have only two options, run very quickly and hit it on the full or wait until very late and play it just before it scars your shin.

It was these qualities of footwork, playing the ball late, and exquisite timing that made Kallicharran a quite wonderful player to watch.

Clive Hubert LLOYD (West Indies)

As with Graeme Pollock above, Lloyd cut an intimidating figure at 6’4”. Whilst technically very proficient, Lloyd’s game truly was based on brut force.

He could score in all areas, but was particularly severe on the short ball, and also driving square of the wicket, much as demonstrated during his scintillating hundred in the 1975 World Cup Final.

David Ivon GOWER (England)

Gower was one of those rare gems who even looked stylish when getting out (ct Dujon b Marshall springs to mind).

I can remember few players who looked so stylish and unhurried at the crease. Whilst he had the pull shot in his armoury and was strong of his legs, it was through the off-side, particularly the cover-drive, that he was imperious.

I watched him score a wonderful double-century at Edgbaston during the 1985 Ashes series, and the timing and fluidity of his stroke play was something to behold.

As a ball-boy in that match, I witnessed it at close quarters, much to everyone’s amusement when a ball reached the boundary travelling at such velocity, it skipped off the rope to be found with my best attempt of a diving header.

Adam Craig GILCHRIST (Australia)

Although not a top-order batsman in the longer form of the game, Gilchrist’s achievements as an opener in the ODI format is legendary.

Like Lara, he generated immense power from immense bat speed, although unlike the great West Indian, he had no bat lift of which to speak.

In full flow, nothing of his generation was as destructive or fun to watch as the Aussie Keeper-Batsman. To be fair, he could have batted much higher up the order for any other team, but Australia did not have that requirement of him.

He was particularly strong square of the wicket on both sides, and also had a cover-drive that was very pleasing on the eye.

In the shorter format, he would loft the ball over deep, ‘straightish’ mid-wicket, known to the rest of us as ‘Cow Corner’. Such was his grace, that he even made the agricultural heave look stylish.

Shivnarine CHANDERPAUL (West Indies)

Shiv has held the West Indian batting together for the last decade and longer. When you look at the three Caribbean names above, and note that he is now the most capped Test player in West Indian history, it says everything about his achievements.

He is not regarded as being either an elegant or orthodox player, crabby and stodgy are just two of the adjectives used to describe him. However, upon closer scrutiny, his game is much more orthodox than you would imagine.

For all his movement and fidgeting, upon delivery, his head is still and his front foot comes round to a much more orthodox position from whence it starts. Furthermore, his bat lift, which starts towards gully actually comes round to about first slip.

It is far from technical perfection, and certainly not aesthetically pleasing, but certainly effective and more orthodox than one might imagine.

Allan Robert BORDER (Australia)

Border is really the man with whom so much of Australia’s modern success is associated. He came into a side depleted by World Series Cricket, and one which would struggle both against the West Indies and the Botham inspired England of the early and mid-80s.

Yet, he scored runs, persevered, and instilled the mental attitude that would drive Australia to success. Like Chanderpaul, few would describe Border as elegant, but how effective he was.

He was a very strong cutter and puller of a cricket ball, and very effective nudging through the mid-wicket area.

His records stands comparison with any of his contemporaries and his legacy on Australian cricket is guaranteed.

Kumar Chokshanada SANGAKKARA (Sri Lanka)

At the age of 33, this prodigiously talented man can achieve whatever he wishes in life. An intelligent man – he is a Law Graduate and proven public speaker – his notable achievements have been on the cricket field.

He is a very elegant player who can score runs on both sides of the wicket, off front or back foot. He is a graceful player who always seems to have time even against the quickest of bowlers. He is very strong square of the wicket, but also very effective off the front-foot through cover or straight.

Justin Lee LANGER (Australia)

Whilst he may have started his career as a pugnacious middle-order player, it is a gross misconception to say that Langer was simply a battler.

He developed into a very stylish opening batsman, with run scoring options all around the ground. Naturally a strong puller and cutter, in the Border mould, he added a very graceful cover-drive to his repertoire, and was not afraid to go over the infield even in the test arena.

He retained his tenacity and bravery throughout his career, enduring a number of blows to the head and body, but was a fine player to watch on his day.

I could go on all evening, such are the talented southpaws that have excelled in the game. Hayden, Jayasuriya and Anwar are just three of the exceptional players of the modern era. I did not see the likes of Sobers and Neil Harvey, but they would of course merit selection in any team or list.

There have of course been many right-handers who oozed style, class and aesthetic grace – Carl Hooper and Mark Waugh are just a couple that spring to mind.

However, as with all sports, there is admittedly something just a little special about watching a stylish, magnificent ‘leftie’ in action.

Rohan Kallicharan

I am the editor of hetoreahamstring.co.uk and also have a personal site at rohankallicharan.co.uk. I am passionate about all sports and would probably pay over the odds from a tout to watch the world tiddlywinks final. I was fortunate to grow up inside the dressing room of the legendary West Indian cricket team of the 1970/80s - this has, I hope, given me a real insight into sport as a whole and the mindset of successful sportsmen. I played cricket and rugby at representative level as a youth, and also have a UK College Bowl winning medal in American Football! My real passions are West Indian cricket and Liverpool Football Club but I will write about much more! I hope you enjoy the site.

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