The cricketer is a bizarrely superstitious breed of sportsperson. The fine lines that make up the difference between out and not out; the bad luck we’d do anything to reverse.
Sometimes batsmen will go to great lengths to convince themselves the gods are not on their side, and do anything to capitalise on a perceived run of good luck.
Cricket and superstition go hand-in-hand, and here is a collection of the weirdest examples you’ll ever hear.
1. Strap your bat to the roof
Once of South Africa and county cricket side Hampshire, batsman Neil McKenzie could lay an insurmountable case to be crowned cricket's most superstitious player.
We could of quite easily populated this rundown with the most bizarre superstitions he was known for on a cricket field (the best of which are below).
Topping the bill however has to be his insistence on strapping one of his bats to the roof of the dressing room every time he went out to bat. His teammates decided to pull the stunt off as a prank when McKenzie was out batting one day – and the obdurate opener went on to make a century.
From then on, the heavyweight champion of cricket superstitions was born.
2. A numbers game
Numbers play a huge part in cricket - and superstitions are no different. For example, players such as MS Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh insist on adopting their lucky numbers on their back of their playing shirts.
Another number-based superstition comes from England seam bowler Stuart Broad, who likes to do things in threes. When batting, he’ll scratch his mark three times; when bowling, Broad will bowl three practice balls to mid-off and three in his mind before charging in for real.
3. A different kind of scoreboard pressure
This one remains a fairly long running and popular cricket superstition, and one that I’m a little ashamed to take a full part in.
Glance up at the scoreboard and it doesn’t matter whether you’re romping home to victory or well set for three figures – if the scoreboard reads any three of the same digits, a mind burdened with superstition will work overtime.
It leads to batsmen like myself wildly swinging at the ball when our team are stuck on 111,222 or 333. And I know I’m not the only one.
4. Pre-match refreshment
For us club cricketers a little further down the ladder, pre-match routines may look something like a fry up at the local greasy spoon; a cocktail of aspirin and coffee; or a head-to-toe coverage of Deep Heat to warm those tiresome bones.
For ex-England batter Ed Smith, his superstition was built entirely around the pre-match build-up. For starters, Smith would ensure he sat in the same spot of the changing rooms, line up his bats along the table and face them out of the room.
Adding another layer to the madness, he’d even purchase a copy of the same newspaper (the Times) and a bottle of the same fizzy beverage (Lucozade) before every single match, insistent that what he was doing would improve the omens come the toss.
5. You pad your left leg up...
Cricket is a game of such extreme highs and lows, so if a batter hits a run of good scores, they will often go to great lengths to maintain that winning environment.
For some, that means padding up in a similar fashion every single time they go out to bat. Sachin Tendulkar is the most legendary of batsman to commit to this superstition, strapping up his left pad first.
Many cricketers are known to have a similar ritual. One such example comes from current England test player James Taylor, who always pads up his right leg before the left.
6. Red Rag to a cricketer
Possibly the most famous superstition of them all, Steve Waugh is well known for carrying round a red rag in his pocket every time he took to a cricket field.
Used as a lucky charm, Waugh proceeded to trample all over the rest of the cricketing world during his 168 tests for Australia - all thanks to his red rag.
He isn’t the only cricketer known to stash lucky charms on their person during a match. Indian seamer Zaheer Khan carries a lucky yellow handkerchief in his pocket during every vital match.
7. Learn to love the game
Sometimes all your cricket equipment needs is some tender loving care.
So two Sri Lanka legends believe anyway. Watch fast bowler Lasith “Slinger” Malinga at the top of his mark, and you’ll notice him give the ball a little peck.
Similarly, batsman Mahela Jayawardene is often seen showing his affection towards his bat in between deliveries, kissing the blade in order to bring him luck.
Your cricket superstitions
Do you only wear a special pair of pants when you walk out to the crease? Got a particular ballad that you always play in the car to bring the gods to the crease with you?
Use the comments below to let us know if you can beat any of the outright bonkers cricket superstitions mentioned above.