Five legendary cricketers and their peculiar superstitions
What's the story
Cricket is a game of gentlemen. And even the gentlemen of the game are humans, who also have their own superstitions like any one of us. Over the years, the sport has witnessed certain peculiar superstitions being followed by some of the famous cricketers. Although we are sure these had no role to play in their success, we take a look at some.
Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar admitted to wearing left pad first
Cricketing GOAT Sachin Tendulkar had once admitted that he followed a superstition of wearing the left pad first, whenever he walked out to bat during a match. Tendulkar believed that this thing allowed him to perform better. We are sure even without it, he would have gone on to become the highest run-scorer in Tests as well as ODIs.
Ganguly
Sourav Ganguly's religious superstition
Just like Tendulkar, even the great Sourav Ganguly was no stranger to superstitions. Ganguly is a spiritual person who used to wear a number of rings. Interestingly, he had a tendency to not shave during Test matches in his tenure as the captain of Team India. He also used to keep a picture of his Guruji in his pocket while he batted.
Handkerchief
A special superstition from a great Aussie
The superstitions are not limited to Indian cricketers, but even overseas legends follow them. The great Australian skipper Steve Waugh was also said to believe in a superstition as he used to play with a red handkerchief in his pocket. It was given to him by his grandfather. He ended up as one the greatest Test captains the world has ever seen.
Numberless
A great player who is not bound by any 'number'
Most of the cricketers in the world are defined by their on-field performance as well as their jersey number. While every cricketer had a choice regarding the jersey number, India's swashbuckling opener Virender Sehwag was different. He chose to have no number on his shirt, as he claimed it is lucky for him. And we all know how we terrorized the bowlers.
Music
Michael Clarke used to listen to loud music before match
Another legend from Australia, Michael Clarke also had a strange superstition. Clarke used to listen to loud music prior to any match. Clarke admitted that it helped him in concentrating better during the match, especially during his batting. Not sure how it worked, but he definitely went on to become one of the greatest ever who led Australia to the World Cup in 2015.