Cricketers and their nicknames

Nicknames can get embarrassing or amusing sometimes. So imagine if your nickname was known internationally? Well, our cricketers face this situation in their lives where very little about them is private.

While some cricketers get their nicknames due to their playing style others are just born with them. Like our neighbour Shahid Afridi is lovingly called boom boom Afridi or Lala and we all know of the famous Rawalpindi Express aka Shoaib Akhtar called so for his superfast pace.

Its not just the anybody’s even legends have nicknames – Sir Don Bradman used to be known as ‘The Don’ in his days and long after that.

Australian cricketer Michael Clarke has not one but two nicknames — he is called Clarkey or Pup by his team mates and others. And how can the Indian mention be far behind. India’s ace bowler Kapil Dev is fondly known as the The Haryana Hurricane while Rahul Dravid gained his fame has Mr dependable or The Wall. He was also called Jammy after he appeared in a jam commercial. Other Indian cricketers too have their own nick names and Mahendar Singh Dohni is called Mahi while Harbajan Singh is called Bhajji. Former Indian skipper Saurab Ganguly is till date fondly called Dada while Sachin Tendulkar is hailed as the master blaster or simply the little master.

The cricketing world knows Allan Donald as the White Lightning, while Adam Gilchrist is called Gilly or Churchy. Herschelle Gibbs has been given the peculiar nickname Scooter while India’s Gautam Gambhir has his name abbreviated to Gauti.

Inzamam ul Haq, the former Pakistani captin, is called Inzi and the Sultan of Multan. The legend of Indian bowling Anil Kumble is loving referred to as Jumbo. While V V S Laxman is ofent sited as Very Very Special.

Fast bowler Brett Lee is called Bing, Binga, The Speedstar while Monty Panesar is called The Mont-ster, Python, The Beard to be Feared and The Turbanator.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi is proudly called the Tiger while Virender Sehwag — Viru, Prince of Najafgarh,Najafgarh Ka Nawab and Navjot Singh Sidhu —Sherry, Jonty Singh, Sixer Sidhu

Ricky Ponting is called Punter while Jonty Rhodes is The Maritzburg Mamba. Shane Warne is called Warney, Hollywood, The Sheikh of Tweak, Warna, The King of Spin, Spin King while Indian player Yuvraj Singh goes by the names of Yuvi, Bowlers' Nightmare, Indian 36,Maharaja of Indian Cricket,Punjab da Puttar et al.

The list of these nicknames is endless just as the love of fans for this game!