Martin Guptill has only two toes on one of his feet!!!

[Howsie]

It's not that bad, it's bad but toes are up there with the most useless bits on your body. Wonder if he has different size shoes.

The varying angle of the toes can help us detect if we are leaning too far forward or too far back. They also help us know when we are turning. Losing three toes might not seem like a big deal but for a batsmen it's a pretty big blow. The good thing for Guptill is that he lost them at 13 (not that losing you're toes is ever a good thing) and he was able to adapt his batting to suit what happened to him.

Howsie added 3 Minutes and 28 Seconds later...

fact: you only need your big toe for balance.

Balance is determined and regulated by the vestibular system, which is housed in the inner ear.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

Balance is determined and regulated by the vestibular system, which is housed in the inner ear.

so what is everyone complaining about, he only lost 3 toes, now if it was his inner ear he'd lost he'd be up s*** creek.

 

[Sartaj]

Leading a normal life(with out much physical stress) after such an accident is one thing and doing what Guppers does is a totally different thing.
Not many can do that.

 

[Howsie]

so what is everyone complaining about, he only lost 3 toes, now if it was his inner ear he'd lost he'd be up s*** creek.

You're toes help detect if you are moving to far forward or to far back. Next time your batting try getting on the front foot without using you're toes, it's like you're batting on your heals.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

if he lost his big toe, then that's pretty good, I heard once if you lose your big toe you can't walk backwards (that sounds like an urban myth)

but honestly the rest don't do much, fred titmus of england lost 4 toes in '68 and he continued playing for years, even made it back into the england team for an ashes series.

 

[Sartaj]

I don't think he was as quick between the wickets and precise with his footwork as Guptill is.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

he was a bowler!!!!

(off-spin )

come on though, a least give me some credit for digging that one up.

 

[Howsie]

if he lost his big toe, then that's pretty good, I heard once if you lose your big toe you can't walk backwards (that sounds like an urban myth)

but honestly the rest don't do much, fred titmus of england lost 4 toes in '68 and he continued playing for years, even made it back into the england team for an ashes series.

Fred Titmus was an off-spinner though...

If any international batsmen was to lose three toes I can guarantee it would make batting difficult to begin with when first coming back into the game.

 

[Hooper]

I think the people saying its not a bid deal should go out and ask to have 3 toes amputated.

Its not a small accident, as Howsie said, losing toes affects balance and all sorts, to play sport after such an injury would of been tough and good on him for sticking with cricket.

I'm not saying he should get a special courage award for his efforts or anything, but people saying its no big deal are a joke.

 

[Howsie]

he was a bowler!!!!

(off-spin )

come on though, a least give me some credit for digging that one up.

Yea that was a pretty good find. When Guptill first came into the NZ team I tried searching the net to see if anyone had lost toes and gone onto have a good career, I couldn't find anyone though.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

here's a good bit, he's one of the oldest players to ever play an ODI at over 42 years old (eight years after he lost the toes) but the good bit is the reason... he was a better fielder than phil tufnell.

 

[irottev]

you don't hear all this respect for murali and he has to bowl with a deformed elbow

1: He's a chucker. No sympathy there
2: It's an advantage to him.

 

[iridescentt]

^ I disagree with all arguments with Murali and that he is a chucker. Look at it this way ...

If you had a deformed elbow and the only way to accommodate that elbow was to develop that action and play the game you love, then why not?

So should we just tell him stop bowling completely just because his arm doesn't fit in with the rules? I believe it's more than just about the rules. I don't know what more it can be but to put it simply, he was born like that and their is nothing he can do about it. He loves his cricket and he followed his dreams. He has accomplished milestones yet people still bag him. Bit harsh don't you think?

Imagine you were growing up with a deformed elbow. Would you like to be told you were a chucker and couldn't play the game you loved growing up just because of a slight birth defect?

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

1: He's a chucker. No sympathy there
2: It's an advantage to him.

I was being sarcastic :sarcasm

(but I personally don't think he chucks)

 

[Insomniac]

Waqar Younis lost his smallest finger when he was about 6 years old on his left hand.

Obviously that doesn't hinder his bowling ability (or I don't think it would) but one wonders whether that would have had any effect on his batting (he wasn't a bad batsman, highest number of runs scored without a 50 I believe).

I think it's all about adapting; it is very true that he would rely on the toes to know how far forward he is, however, as long as he has his big toe, it was always going to be manageable.

I guess one could look at it as his own personal problem that he has to overcome to be the best (like many other top players have had to overcome their own personal problems to be what they are).