Cricket is a game of tactics. Wicketkeepers are great readers of the game as well as a batter’s style of play, strengths, and weaknesses.
They often suggest to bowlers the line to bowl in order to dismiss a batter. While chirping behind the stumps is a way of annoying batters and disturbing their concentration – while also encouraging bowlers – wicketkeepers are never short of adopting unusual tactics. Former England cricketer Phil Tufnell revealed one such unusual tactic once used by wicketkeeper Jack Russell to disturb opposition batters. Tufnell said Russell would deliberately avoid brushing his teeth for a couple of days before a match.
“My wicketkeeper, Jack Russell, didn’t use to brush his teeth for a couple of days. He said he wanted to put the batters off when he was standing up to the crease. Lots of little shenanigans go on there,” Tufnell revealed on BBC, leaving listeners amused. It revealed the lengths wicketkeepers sometimes go to in order to gain an edge.
West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite, who was also part of the discussion, shed light on how wicketkeepers influence the game. “Yes, there are some that, when you’re batting, it’s just like, shut up. But as a bowler, you just love it. It brings a different energy. When you have a quiet keeper, it feels like the game takes so long,” Brathwaite said, pointing out how a vocal wicketkeeper lifts the bowler’s energy.
In Test cricket, wicketkeepers often resort to playful banter to get under the batter’s skin and keep their teammates engaged. While some are known for humour, others can be harsh, sometimes resulting in heated on-field exchanges.