New Zealand batsman Martin Guptill has an interesting back story. How much do you know about him? Here are five things about Guptill that will interest you very much.

Marty Two Toes

He is nicknamed Marty Two Toes. This is because he has just two toes on his left feet. At the age of 13 his foot was crushed by a forklift. Doctors tried hard to get the feet rectified, but it was not to be. They had to amputate three toes and thus he earned his nickname Marty Two Toes. “When he realised he could walk and do everything again he got right back into it, even harder than before. I think he realised in a flash everything could be lost so he’s making the most if it,” said Peter, Martin’s father, about his son’s determination. Peter was able to get former New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming to visit Martin in the hospital and that helped raise his spirits.

Star wife

Martin Guptill is married to star television presenter and Radio Jockey Laura McGoldrick. They first met when Laura had to interview him for a TV show, The Cricket Show. “I was flapping around because it was my second experience on live TV ever, for The Cricket Show, and I had to interview Martin,” Laura recalled. “I don’t think I did a very good job. I remember thinking he had really bouffy hair and (noticing) he was wearing his club cricket T-shirt!” That interview happened in 2011 and since then the two have been dating, till Martin popped the question in 2013.

Debut hit

He became the first New Zealand player to score a hundred on ODI debut. His unbeaten knock of 122 against West Indies came in a match that could not be completed owing to rain. However, Peter, Martin’s father, could not celebrate his son’s feat that night. Peter owns a trucking firm and had to be up early to deliver newspapers in the neighbourhood area in south Auckland. Martin too has learnt to drive trucks and in his spare time helps his father out at the trucking firm.

Highest Black Cap score

On tour in 2013 to England, Martin Guptill hit two successive ODI hundreds to help set up New Zealand’s third successive limited-overs series win there. Guptill smashed 103 not out and then followed it up with an impressive 189 not out two days later. This knock equalled the highest individual ODI score in England, set by none other than Viv Richards in 1984 at Old Trafford. Guptill broke the New Zealand record of highest individual ODI score, 172, by former batsman Lou Vincent. “It’s a pretty special feeling. I played a lot of cricket with Lou, so I’ll have to give him a bit of stick later on tonight,” is how Guptill reacted after his effort.

No show in IPL

It is amazing that despite all his batting records in limited-overs cricket, Guptill is yet to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He has gone unsold almost everytime his name has gone up for a bid in the player auction. What’s more, Guptill has been ranked as number two in Twenty20 International cricket in 2012, but that has made no difference to potential buyers in IPL auction. Guptill is also one of the six cricketers to have hit a hundred in all formats of cricket. While the other five, Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Tillakratne Dilshan and Suresh Raina have been feted in IPL, Guptill has never been considered.

By Chandresh Narayanan (The Indian Express)