Ranked: The 9 undisputed kings that mastered the art of ‘celebrappeals’
The appeal is one of cricket’s great quirks: a unique mixture of persuasion, theatre and instinct.
From the guttural cries of fast bowlers to the elaborate gesturing of spinners, appeals often tell us as much about a player’s character as they do about the legitimacy of the delivery.
Some are born of desperation, others of sheer confidence. And then there are the “celebra-appeals” – half-celebrations, half-appeals, where the bowler is so sure of his triumph that he cannot stop himself from starting the victory lap before the umpire has even raised a finger.
At its heart, the appeal is supposed to be a request to the umpire. But in cricketing culture, it has evolved into a psychological tool, a performance, and a signature.
Bowlers cultivate their appeals as much as their run-ups or celebrations, creating moments that live in the memory. Here are some of the most memorable practitioners of this peculiar art.
1. Glenn McGrath (Australia): arm-raised certainty
McGrath was as relentless in his appeals as in his line and length.
Rarely one for the histrionics of Shane Warne at the other end, McGrath had his own understated style: a sharp shout, eyes narrowing in expectation, followed by that raised finger of his own hand, mirroring the umpire’s.
Often, the appeal was as precise as his bowling, delivered with the quiet confidence of a man who already knew the answer. His appeals embodied inevitability, just as much as his immaculate channel outside off.
2. Shane Warne (Australia): theatrical maestro
If cricket is theatre, Warne was its greatest showman. His appeals ranged from the dramatic arms-outstretched imploring of an Oscar-winning actor to the sly, knowing grin of a magician revealing his trick.
Warne often crouched, eyes locked on the umpire, hands clasped as though pleading for divine intervention. Sometimes he was appealing to the crowd as much as the official.
And when he knew he had his man — especially with a flipper or ball of the century-style ripper, Warne’s appeal was almost indistinguishable from the celebration.
3. Dale Steyn (South Africa): primal roar
Steyn’s appeal was an extension of his persona: fast, furious, and fiery. After tearing through a batsman’s defence, he would unleash a guttural roar, arms punching the air in triumph while simultaneously staring down the umpire for confirmation.
It was both an appeal and an act of intimidation. Many batsmen later admitted that just surviving Steyn’s follow-through and the accompanying appeal could be as nerve-wracking as facing the ball itself.
4. Ravindra Jadeja (India): master of the ‘celebrappeal’
Few bowlers blur the line between celebration and appeal as consistently as India‘s Ravindra Jadeja. For the left-arm spinner, appealing is almost a formality; he is usually wheeling away in celebration even before the umpire has time to think.
His classic routine involves running down the pitch, arms out in triumph. Umpires have often seemed to confirm wickets with a raised finger simply to catch up with Jadeja’s certainty.
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5. Muttiah Muralitharan: childlike exuberance
Murali’s appeals carried the joy of a street cricketer convinced he had just bowled the ball of the century. His arms would shoot upwards in unison, his head tilting as he beamed at the umpire with an almost innocent eagerness.
It wasn’t menacing, nor was it intimidating. Instead, it was infectious, a reminder that cricket, at its core, was still a game to be enjoyed. His sheer enthusiasm often seemed to leave umpires with little choice but to raise the finger.
6. Harbhajan Singh: airborne appeal
Harbhajan’s appeals often seemed to defy gravity. After beating a batsman, he would leap into the air, arms shooting skyward, yelling his case with fervour. His exuberance sometimes made it hard for umpires to resist.
It wasn’t unusual to see Harbhajan appealing with as much intensity for a near-miss as for a plumb lbw, a reflection of his fiery competitiveness. At times exasperating at others exhilarating, his appeals always injected drama into the contest.
7. Stuart Broad (England): master of the ‘celebrappeal’
Few cricketers have been as polarising in their appealing habits as England‘s Stuart Broad. His signature was the “celebr-appeal,” where he would continue to charge down the wicket towards the keeper in apparent celebration, long before the umpire had made a decision.
The approach divided opinion: was it arrogance, gamesmanship, or just supreme confidence? Either way, Broad’s celebr-appeals became part of his legend, reinforcing his reputation as a fiery competitor who never doubted his own case.
8. Imran Tahir (South Africa): marathon man
Technically more about celebrations than appeals, South Africa‘s Tahir nevertheless deserves mention. The Proteas leg-spinner often began sprinting halfway across the field, arms pumping in sheer ecstasy, before the umpire’s verdict was even clear.
His passion sometimes blurred the appeal and the celebration into one continuous, joyous spectacle. While teammates occasionally shook their heads at the excess, fans adored the unfiltered exuberance.
9. Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan): ‘celebrappeal’ sprinter
For Shoaib Akhtar, the Rawalpindi Express, appealing was often indistinguishable from celebrating.
He would bowl a thunderbolt, let out a primal scream, sprint down the pitch with arms spread wide, and only then look back at the umpire as if to remind them they were part of the performance.
His sheer speed and charisma made the celebr-appeal his trademark. Even on occasions when the umpire’s finger stayed down, Akhtar’s conviction often made batters doubt themselves.
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