03-06-2017, 12:06 PM
DISCUSSION
50. Kapil Dev
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 24
Peak 33
Bat
M -33 , Inns - 51 , Runs - 1562 @ 32.54 , HS - 116 , 100s - 2 , 50s - 9 , (From 06/09/1985 to 30/01/1982 )
Bowl
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Wkts - 146 @ 27.2 , SR - 51.82 , BBI - 85/8 , 5W - 14 , 10W - 1 , (From 13/10/1979 to 23/02/1983 )
For a few seconds, time stood still - as Kapil Dev ran backwards, his eye on the ball, the fate of a World Cup final hanging in the balance. The ball landed so securely into his hands for such a difficult chance that it was truly astonishing. Viv Richards was the batsman and the moment his Kapil took the catch, a glorious turning point in Indian cricket, as they romped home to their first ever WC win in 1983.
Kapil's the first of the 4 great all-rounders the world was blessed with in the 1980's to appear on our list. His bowling was one nurtured and mastered on the dustbowls of Asia with wonderfully crafted seam and swing. Dev's undying determination bowling on those pitches saw him leave cricket with the highest individual wicket record on his retirement. A wonderfully clean hitter of the ball, his 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 WC is arguably one of the greatest displays of hitting most of the world never got to see for it was not broadcast. That it came from when India were 5/17 makes it all the more incredible.
50. AB De Villiers
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 24
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 53 , Runs - 3209 @ 71.31 , HS - 278 , 100s - 10 , 50s - 14 , (From 20/02/2014 to 10/06/2010 )
It is quite possible that AB De Villers is not human. The man they call Superman could do just about anything on the cricket field. And apparently off it - as an accomplished guitar player who's also released a pop album in South Africa attests. As a product of the modern era where batting has been taken to uncharted territories with the idea of 360 hitting and superhuman batting feats in all formats, de Villiers is unquestionably the gold standard.
De Villers is the owner to the fastest half-century (16 balls), century (31 balls), fastest 150 in an ODI and the fastest to reach 9000 runs in ODIs. Incredibly De Villiers only took 9005 balls to reach the milestone. Yes, you read that right. All his 24 ODI tons have come at a strike rate greater than 100. These are records that beggars belief. He also carries the great tradition of brilliant South African fieldsman and is widely considered to be one of all time great men in the field, from his keeping days to his many feats reminiscent of Jonty Rhodes. His lethal batting was best on display in the 2016 IPL season when he hit his way to 687 runs off just 407 balls with a SR of 168. But for all this De Villers's mightest feat, may be one from the Test arena, when in 2008, his 106* guided SA to a record chase of 414 at Perth. A series that SA would eventually go on to win - a historic first win in Australia.
49. Graham Gooch
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 23
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 61 , Runs - 3664 @ 61.07 , HS - 333 , 100s - 12 , 50s - 15 , (From 16/06/1994 to 21/06/1990 )
In short, Gooch is the greatest run scorer cricket has ever seen. His 67057 runs scored across First Class and List A is a record that is unlikely to be ever toppled. Gooch was plucked out of Essex and sent on a tour to Australia when he was just 21 in 1975. He promptly scored a pair on debut and was dropped after one series. He returned to the fold in 1978, scoring well and was named the Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1980. Then another roadblock arrived in the form of a 3-year ban, courtesy of a rebel tour to South Africa. This stop-start nature of his career looked to have taken a full toll when upon his return from the ban he lost form so significantly that he was dropped from even the Essex second XI.
But once he regained his form, and crucially handed the captaincy, Gooch blossomed at international level late into his career. His 333 and 126 against India in 1990 at Lord's is the highest tally in a single match in the history of the game. His match-winning knock of 154 against the WI in 1991 in a team total of 254 when only two other batsmen got to double figures, against an attack of Marshall, Walsh, Patterson and Ambrose remains one of the greatest innings of all time. Years after his retirement he was appointed batting coach, first of Essex and then of England, and formed a great relationship with Alistair Cook, the man who would go on to be the highest run scorer for England, breaking Gooch's own record.
49. Jim Laker
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 23
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 65 , Wkts - 146 @ 17.73 , SR - 58.73 , BBI - 53/10 , 5W - 7 , 10W - 3 , (From 05/07/1951 to 21/08/1958 )
"Jim, did you do something good today?" asked his Austrian wife when Laker returned home from "Laker's match". His wife had been fielding congratulatory calls all day following Laker's astonishing feat. Perhaps when he took all 10 in the innings against Australia playing for Surrey earlier in the season the world and his wife should have taken note. In the end, it read 19/90. Including all 10 in the first innings at The Oval in 1956.
There really is not much beyond this you need to look at when assessing Jim Laker - as the remarkable feat along would have been enough for anyone else. Yet in 46 Tests, Laker took 193 wickets at an incredible average of 21. His 19-fer also propelled him to 46 wickets in that 1956 Ashes series, the most for a 5 match series and yet to be broken. With his partner in crime, Tony Lock, also of Surrey, the pair helped country and county dominate their respective levels in the times they played.
48.Bill O'Reilly
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 23
Don Bradman called Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly the greatest bowler he had batted against or had seen. High praise to be sure. In all, Tiger stood a looming 6'2 tall with wild arms famously flapping as he approached the bowling crease for delivery. He bowled leg spin at almost medium pace along with an array of top-spinners and googlies with unerring accuracy and sharp bounce. A quick bowler in spinners clothing, Tiger had a fierce competitiveness to him. On the field and off it. Hence the name "Tiger".
His record of 144 wickets in just 27 matches at 22, at an incredible economy rate of 1.9, in a decade of batting dominance in the 1930s illuminates his greatness. With his great friend Clarrie Grimmett, the pair dominated bowling in the years between the two great wars. 104 of O Reilly's wickets came against England, including the dismissal of the great Wally Hammond 10 times. From the second Australia won one of their least famous wins - the singular match in they won in the Bodyline series that O' Reilly orchestrated - he never looked back.
47.Courtney Walsh
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 21
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 58 , Wkts - 157 @ 21.12 , SR - 52.97 , BBI - 74/6 , 5W - 8 , 10W - 1 , (From 20/06/1997 to 15/12/2000 )
Courtney Walsh could not bat, as his average of 7 and 43 tests ducks attests, but he could bowl. And he bowled a lot. He is in fact, one of the only 5 men in the history of test cricket to have sent down more than 5000 overs. Walsh was cut slightly differently to the all pace, decimating relentless of the other great West Indian quicks. A true workhorse, durable enough to last from 1984 to 2000, Walsh is also one of the 5 bowlers to have claimed over 500 Test wickets and the first to get there. He also held the record for most Test wickets from 2000 to 2004. With Curtly Ambrose he formed the last great hurrah of the legendary West Indian fast bowling partnerships, combining to take an incredible 419 wickets in 49 Tests. You will be hardpressed to find a truer servant to West Indian cricket and to its legacy.
46.Richie Benaud
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 20
Peak 33
Bat
M -33 , Inns - 47 , Runs - 1272 @ 28.91 , HS - 122 , 100s - 3 , 50s - 4 , (From 12/12/1959 to 26/11/1954 )
Bowl
M -33 , Inns - 65 , Wkts - 179 @ 23.86 , SR - 70.5 , BBI - 72/7 , 5W - 15 , 10W - 1 , (From 19/10/1956 to 11/01/1963 )
"Marvellous" came the call from Richie. For anyone growing up post-1970's, it was Richie Benaud who brought cricket into their living room. Richie's voice was one of common sense, sensibility and integrity which created interest and inspired, whenever he spoke. It is no surprise that these are all the same qualities that anchored him throughout his playing days, and in particular, as captain where he and Frank Worrell of West Indies single-handedly rekindled interest in Test Cricket with their adventures and aggressive captaincy in the 1960's following the dull nature of cricket in the 1950's.
For all of it, though, Benaud had a very mediocre start to his career. With 13 Tests under his belt, his career was heading nowhere. It all changed on a tour to South Africa in 1957/58 when he picked up 106 wickets on tour along with 817 runs. A year later Benaud, with little prior experience at leadership, was promoted to captain ahead of Neil Harvey.
Benaud embraced the responsibility of leadership and lead from the front on his first assignment - an Ashes series at home against favoured England. 132 runs at 26.4 and 31 wickets at 18.83 ensured he won his first Series as captain and would never lose another Ashes series nor any other series he captained. Following the Ashes, he took Australia to India and Pakistan and conquered both tours. His instinctive and daring captaincy was best on display in the famous tied Test. 6/92 on the final day chasing 233, a win looked remote at 6/109 with 124 runs still to get at tea. But with an attacking partnership between himself and Alan Davidson, the pair took Australia to 226. The rest, of course, is history but Benaud, the all-rounder, terrific leg spinner, the captain, then later the media darling will forever be remembered.
45. Aubrey Faulkner
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 19
Before the likes of Keith Miller and Imran Khan bestrode the world game - those all rounders with devilish looks - Aubrey Faulkner was breaking hearts in the early 1900s. A rare, unorthodox talent, Faulkner was one of the finest all-rounders the game has ever seen. A powerful batsman whose batting blossomed late in his career and a leading exponent of googly bowling, Faulkner is best remembered for his brilliant spell at Leeds of 6-17 in 11 overs. He married that with constant success for South Africa where he netted 1288 runs and 72 wickets for them in a single season of cricket. The first South African to 1000 runs and 100 wickets at Test level, he also dismissed Jack Hobbs four times. He remains the only man to average over 40 with the bat and under 30 with the ball (1000 run qualification)
He continued his dominance in Australia where he once again topped averages with 732 runs and an average of 73.20 in 1910/11 including a tremendous 204 in Melbourne. From there he moved to England to live, and retired from the international game, and would join the War and fought on the Western Front. Many argue that his finest innings came outside of the test arena, when in 1921, he demolished Australia, unbeaten on tour in 34 games, with a brilliant 153 which gave AC Mclarens XI victory. That he did this as a broken war hero, called upon out of retirement for the game, makes this an incredible performance. When he moved to England he opened up a world renowned cricket school in London, the first of its kind and help shape the careers of many world players. However, with his years in the war - where he earned a DSO and Order of the Nile - weighing him down and the continued financial trouble of his cricket school playing on his mind, Faulkner tragically took his own life in a small store room in the cricket school he founded
45. Derek Underwood
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 19
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 140 @ 21.44 , SR - 66.72 , BBI - 32/7 , 5W - 10 , 10W - 4 , (From 10/08/1967 to 26/07/1973 )
Derek Underwood
"Deadly" Derek Underwood, thus named for his lethal bowling on the sticky wickets of the 60s and 70s was a left-arm spinner who had taken 1000 first class wickets by the time he was 25. "Spinner" might be a loosely used term for Underwood who bowled at near medium pace and known for his in-swinging deliveries when the weather was on his side. And in England, it was generally always speaking his language.
A captains dream due to his accuracy, Underwood thought of bowling as a "low mentality profession: plug away, line and length, until there's a mistake". And in all Underwood induced just shy of 300 mistakes at Test level at an average of 25. Underwoods most famous spell is surely the 4 wickets he got in 27 balls in the final half an hour at the end of the fifth Test in 1968. After a heavy thunderstorm on the fifth day had nearly ended the game, Underwood's spell squared an Ashes series that Australia was winning 1–0 with just 5 mins to spare.
44. Barry Richards
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 17
Perhaps Test Crickets greatest loss - Barry Richards the South African opener, who by any who'd seen him, was a supernatural talent.In his all too brief appearance at Test level, he blitzed a side captained by Bill Lawry in 1971 to the tune of 504 runs at 74 in 4 games to help inflict a 4-0 loss on the Aussies at home. There his career ended - due to isolation. Richards was from that rare school of opener who combined attack with a brilliant technique, as he tore apart attacks.
During isolation, Richards played for a number of teams in different countries. His revered stint in Hampshire where he scored an amazing 2395 runs in his first season, 1968, more than anybody else in the country. And went on to form one of the most destructive opening partnerships in county cricket with Gordon Greenidge. In 1970–71, for South Australia, Richards scored 325 in a single day against Western Australia off an attack that included Dennis Lillee, Graham McKenzie, Tony Lock and Tony Mann. 1538 runs in 10 matches at 109.86 is how that season ended.
He would later reappear in World Series Cricket in 78/79 to score 500 runs in 5 games with two centuries that included a 207 against the Australians. Cricket's greatest loss? Maybe.
44. Joel Garner
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 17
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 147 @ 21.41 , SR - 49.34 , BBI - 60/6 , 5W - 6 , 10W - 0 , (From 26/12/1981 to 12/03/1987 )
When the man-mountain that was Joel Garner approached the crease it felt like a shadow moving across the ground and near-certain doom for the batsmen. The rest of the revered West Indian bowlers may have had larger reputations but that did not make "Big Bird" any less lethal. Garner was relentless, miserly and destructive. To the tune of a bowling average that barely touched 20. 259 wickets were scalped in conjunction with the rest of the attack.
He possessed a great yorker that descended from such a height that it was nearly impossible to keep out. And using his height Garner was able to extract bounce from virtually any surface and any length. This made him perfectly suited for one day cricket where he was arguably even a more difficult customer. He partnered an incredible economy rate of just over 3 with an eye-popping average of 18. Indeed, he is one of the only two men to have over 100 ODI wickets with a sub 20 average. All this culminated in the World Cup final in 1979 against England, when he grabbed 5 for 39, which remains the best performance by a bowler in a final; including a spell of 5 wickets for 4 runs.
43. W G Grace
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 16
Dr William Gilbert Grace scored some 54,000 first class runs, including 126 centuries. He also took 3000 first class wickets and was a brilliant fielder before the girth, that he became famous for, set in. These numbers, particularly in the batting, are stupendous given the terrible pitches cricket was played on in that era. And it was for this sheer volume of runs that he was simply called - The Champion. He began his career at the tender age of 18 and scored 224* for All-England against Surrey in 1866. He would go on to play a record equaling 44 seasons of cricket. 1871 though, would be the year "WG" would completely capture the imagination. 17 first class centuries were scored in that season - WG accounted for 10 of them. In all he scored an incredible 2739 runs - the first time this was achieved, at an average of 78. To put this into perspective - the next best was 1068. It was this year that led to the moniker of - The Champion.
WG was also an amateur- or even a Gentleman, and within crickets context, this was hugely important. Grace had status and thus an audience. Others may stake a claim to being the greatest to play the sport but there can be no argument that Grace was the most important and influential person to have played the game. He invented batting as we know it, he popularised the game from a past time to England's summer sport. When cricket wasn't even an international sport he'd played in Australia, New Zealand, Malta, Northern Ireland, Ceylon and a number of other countries.
But make no mistake - he did not do this due to the kindness of his heart. He is notoriously known to have made more money from the game than any professional to have played in his era, even though he played under amateur status. Stories are rife with Grace charging for the use of his name or making any appearance. He arguably also had the first sports advertising deal with Coleman mustard.
The tall, imposing man with the unmistakable beard is said to have been the most recognisable face in the empire outside of royalty. Indeed he was treated like it regardless. Grounds were named after him. Ticket prices would double when he played. Grace knew his worth and he reveled in it. It meant an interest whenever he played or where ever he played. Everyone tried to copy the great man thus expanding the game he was developing and working on, to other corners of the globe. The Champion was also known for his attitude of winning at all cost and had a reputation for his gamesmanship. Indeed, it was Grace's running out of Sammy Jones in 1882 - when Jones had thought ball dead, looked at Grace, nodded, and gone down to pat down the pitch, that Grace took the ball and whipped the bails off. That resulted in Fred Spofforth's full anger being brought down on England to defend a target of 85 that gave birth to the Ashes. His legacy lives on in the sport and as a man. WG Grace - forever The Champion.
42. Ken Barrington
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 15
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 53 , Runs - 3214 @ 68.38 , HS - 256 , 100s - 11 , 50s - 14 , (From 25/07/1963 to 08/02/1968 )
It was not uncommon to see Ken Barrington smoking in the change room, watching the match unfold intently before he went out to bat at Number 3. Barrington was a great many things - nervous, fidgety, nonplussed by bumpers, but he was also courageous, adaptable, dogged with a lion heart. He started his career as a flashy shotmaking upstart from Surrey with a talent large enough that some called him "the biggest thing since Dennis Compton". But his Surrey and then England career went nowhere when he was dropped from even Surrey and tasked with carrying the kit from one ground to the other.
Determined to make his return, Barrington reengineered his technique and attitude to become the stonewalling giant he would later be famous for. With no less help from Alec Bedser and Jim Laker, Barrington would go on to form England's backbone in throughout the 1960's.
While Barrington, appreciated as he was, held a reputation for dire and diabolical batting in England he was held in exceptional regard elsewhere he played in the world. Particularly in Australia and India where he was a beloved figure for his batting and jovial nature. This is not a coincidence as 14 of his 20 Test hundreds came away from home. Indeed a unique record, Barrington was often thought of being more of a match saver than a match winner. all-rounders only lost one Test in which he made three figures but also won eight. He twice peeled off 4 centuries in consecutive matches. On retirement, he became a beloved tour manager within the England team which further elevated his status when England travelled abroad. Sadly he died of a second heart attack but not before leaving the game with an average of 58 and over 6000 Test runs to his name.
41. Graeme Pollock
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 19
"Next time you decide to play like that, send me a telegram", said Bradman of a 19-year-old Pollock's innings in his 3rd Test in Sydney in 1963. His 122 was the youngest by a South African and still remains so. Trent Bridge in 1965 saw arguably his finest innings, a brilliant 125 scored in just over 2 hours in a team total of 269. This having come in at 16/2 and then later being reduced to 80/5. This was no village hitting either and is described as one of the cleanest and most beautiful innings ever played in England since the second world war. A year later against the Australians Pollock made 209 runs from a team total of 353 despite batting with an injured groin which restricted his footwork and running.
Pollock, Procter and Richards are a lost generation of cricketers to Test cricket. The mind only boggles at the possibilities that could have arisen had they played full careers. But at least Pollock got to play 23 Tests, and he reeled off runs at an alarming rate. 2256 runs all up at an incredible average of 60. Pollock scored heavily domestically after isolation which included 16 unofficial tests played against rebel teams from England, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Australia. 1376 runs, including 5 centuries, at an average of 65.52 was the final tally there. He was still scoring hundreds at the ripe age of 42 against Rebel Australian teams in 1987 when he officially signed off from cricket underscoring his genius. If only.
40. Allan Donald
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 21
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 61 , Wkts - 177 @ 20.5 , SR - 42.67 , BBI - 71/8 , 5W - 12 , 10W - 1 , (From 18/08/1994 to 10/12/1998 )
It is fitting that when South Africa returned to the fold in 1992 that they brought with them the man they called "White Lightning" to terrorise international batsman for nearly a decade. Allan Donald bowled with a venom and a fierceness that suggested he was none too pleased to have been kept away from the international arena. With a wonderfully classical action and white zinc painted across his cheeks and nose like war paint, Donald thundered into the crease and gave plenty of good batsmen in the 1990s a lot of awkward moments. 300 wickets in all with an average a tick over 22 and 200 ODI wickets at just over 21 showcased the greatness of the man.
At Trent Bridge in 1998, with England needing just 247 to win, Donald took the new ball against Mike Atherton and unleashed a spell that both would go on to call their most intense moments in Test cricket. Those who witnessed it could scarcely argue the point. "White Lightning" did not strike that time but he did plenty of other times. With an increased workload due to him being SA's go to bowler in the era, Donald's body broke down. Now a much sought after coach, Donald still stands out as one of the best bowlers of the 1990s in an era spoilt for choice.
39. Michael Holding
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 15
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 64 , Wkts - 159 @ 21.38 , SR - 47.67 , BBI - 92/8 , 5W - 10 , 10W - 2 , (From 21/04/1976 to 10/12/1983 )
When Holding got to the top of his mark, you stopped to catch your breath. A hurdler and a long jumper in his youth, Holding put all that body conditioning and precision to use as he strode gracefully, and purposefully, at full pelt, yet with feet that barely seemed to touch the ground for it did not make a sound - leading to umpires calling him "Whispering Death". Holding was easily one of the fastest bowlers in the world in an era filled with true greats and made for compelling viewing.
In 1976 at The Oval, Holding captured 14 wickets for 149, to date, the best Test figures by a West Indian. 9 of them bowled, 3 of them LBW. It was a truly magical spell of pure fast bowling, on a slow dead pitch. Then, of course, there is the over to Geoff Boycott in 1981 at the Kensington Oval. Boycott, a master technician and a dogged fighter, simply could not compete with the sheer ferocity of the bowling that day - a 6 ball exchange that is arguably the greatest bowled in the sport.
38. Shaun Pollock
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 17
Peak 33
Batting
M -33 , Inns - 44 , Runs - 1335 @ 46.03 , HS - 111 , 100s - 2 , 50s - 5 , (From 06/08/2000 to 12/12/2003 )
Bowling
M -33 , Inns - 62 , Wkts - 153 @ 19.31 , SR - 51.14 , BBI - 87/7 , 5W - 9 , 10W - 0 , (From 24/10/1997 to 06/08/2000 )
When you come from a cricketing family, there is always additional pressure on you; to carry on a legacy and to also stand out on your own. When your father is Peter Pollock, a splendid fast bowler, and uncle Graeme Pollock, universally recognised as an all-time great, both tasks become nearly impossible.
Letting go of his pace early on in his career, Pollock preferred to adopt a model of consistency. With an action and approach that saw the ball delivered very close to the stumps, Pollock hit a length and line and could stay there for days. This paid rich dividends as he collected 400+ Test wickets, and became the first South African to do so. His batting never resulted in extravagant scores but he scored runs when it mattered and could hit the ball as cleanly as anyone. Perhaps Pollocks greatest achievement is that he not only successfully carried on his family's legacy but was also able to leave a large mark on it as his own
man too.
37. Keith Miller
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 18
Peak 33
Batting
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Runs - 1962 @ 37.02 , HS - 147 , 100s - 6 , 50s - 6 , (From 10/02/1950 to 12/07/1956 )
Bowling
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 115 @ 22.89 , SR - 60.32 , BBI - 107/6 , 5W - 5 , 10W - 1 , (From 20/01/1950 to 21/06/1956 )
Keith Miller is a beloved Australian figure, their greatest all rounder and a cult hero. Miller was a debonaire, handsome, brooding man who's irreverence towards the sport he played only elevated his status. This perspective of cricket was, of course, developed through his years in WW2 as a fighter-bomber pilot, where he escaped his own allotment of near death experiences. "I'll tell you what pressure is son. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse - playing cricket is not.", these words perfectly encapsulated Miller's entire outlook on life and the "pressures" of cricket.
He made his name in the Victory Tests, the celebratory series of matches between English and Australian servicemen following WW2. But his finest game before the returning to Test cricket was his 185 scored for the Dominions XI at Lords - To this day one of the finest shows of hitting ever seen at the home of cricket.
Miller was an aggressive batsman with an off drive like a rifle shot, and generally batted as high up as at No3. As a bowler, he was often quicker than his great friend and bowling partner Ray Lindwall. With whom he formed one of the most celebrated and enduring new ball pairings in the sport. The pairs battles and friendship with Len Hutton and Denis Compton is the stuff of legend. Miller, with his view on life forever altered due to the war, was a man who cherished the competition above all else. So much so that he once got himself out bowled purposely when Australia were 3/364 against Essex citing a lack of competition, much to the fury of Bradman. It is no surprise that his best performances were produced when the competition was at it's more fervent - against the West Indies and England, the two best sides in the era. Miller was, of course, part of the Invincibles tour and Australia owed much to him for the success of that legendary tour. Miller totalled 1,088 runs for the tour at an average of 47.30 and took 56 wickets at 17.58 and held onto 20 catches. His death was a deeply sad loss for cricket and Australia.
36. Anil Kumble
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 9
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 62 , Wkts - 184 @ 27.39 , SR - 58.73 , BBI - 141/8 , 5W - 13 , 10W - 4 , (From 03/11/2001 to 16/03/2005 )
Anil Kumble was a gentlemanly cricketer who carried himself to the highest standard on the field and off it. Only the second man to have claimed the perfect 10 in an innings, albeit with some controversy as his great friend, Javagal Srinath, bowled wides to ensure "Jumbo" had an even shot at the 10.
Throughout the mid to late 90's cricket was blessed with 3 great leg spinners. But Kumble was the most unique of all. Far from
being the classic spinner he operated at near medium pace and relied more on change of pace and unerring accuracy, that was supported with a devastating flipper.
A bowler who once bowled 72 over in an innings and another time, came back to bowl with a broken jaw and still managed to claim the wicket of Brian Lara , Kumble was a tireless workhorse with a big heart, who along with Srinath formed the backbone of India's attack throughout much of their careers. In all, he sent down 40850 balls in his career. He is one of three men to have taken over 600 Test wickets and is the 3rd on the all-time list. He also boasts an incredible 30+ times of taking 5 wickets or more in an innings. A record he shares with just 3 others in the game.
As a much-respected figure in the game, he was appointed as the chairman of the ICC cricket committee as well has being offered the chance to coach India.
35. Javed Miandad
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 18
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 46 , Runs - 2731 @ 62.07 , HS - 271 , 100s - 9 , 50s - 10 , (From 09/02/1985 to 01/12/1989 )
Abdul Kardar, Pakistan's first Test captain, proclaimed that Miandad was the "find of the decade" when he first saw him. And in 1976 a 19-year-old Miandad scored a century on debut (163) and in his third match, a double followed. He ended the series with 504 runs against New Zealand at 126. Kardar, it seems, had it got it perfectly right. Indeed it was incredible that Miandad was even picked - when the side had a batting line up that consisted of Mushtaq Mohammad, Majid Khan, Sadiq Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal and Wasim Raja. Such was the brilliance of that they saw in Miandad.
Javed would go on to be recognised as the greatest batsman from Pakistan. With a batting average that never dropped below 50, Miandad stroked, ran and deflected his way to 8000 plus Test runs. A batsman who was never bogged down Miandad had a get out of jail shot whenever he needed it, in any situation. This mastery of the scoreboard would also go on to make him a brilliant ODI batsmen. His greatest test feats include back to back centuries in the West Indies against attacks of Ambrose, Marshall, Walsh and Patterson and superlative doubles in England and India
Miandad usually reserved his very best for India, and none more so than legendary six he hit off the last ball when four runs were needed against Chetan Sharma. Captaincy seemed inevitable, but as an abrasive and as a too-hands-on approach figure, a player revolt or two was never far away. When the squad refused to play under him the great Imran Khan ascended to the throne. However, both shared the captaincy intermittently in the 80's, and Khan has often credited Miandad with the huge impact he had has his deputy. And the old duo signed off with the 92 World Cup win in 92 with Miandad contributing 6 half centuries
34. Herbert Sutcliffe
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 9
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 54 , Runs - 3319 @ 69.15 , HS - 176 , 100s - 14 , 50s - 14 , (From 19/12/1924 to 15/08/1931 )
Herbert Sutcliffe's career will always be spoken of in conjunction with 3 players. First with Percy Holmes, his opening partner at Yorkshire, then with Jack Hobbs, in the greatest opening Test partnership in the history of the game, and later with the young Len Hutton, again for Yorkshire. Yet the man stood out on his own accord. His Test average of 60 elevates him to a level only a select few have touched. Remarkably, it never once fell below 60 during his career.
Sutcliffe put a heavy price on his wicket and coupled with an insatiable appetite for runs, he became the true personification of a run machine. Armed with a great eye, droves of determination and boundless powers of concentration Sutcliffe compiled runs upon runs during an incredible career. He was also noted for being one of the finest batsmen on those infamous sticky wickets - indeed he was known as a man for a crisis and considered the best batsman when the team needed him the most on the most difficult surfaces.
33. Waqar Younis
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 12
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 61 , Wkts - 191 @ 19.56 , SR - 36.41 , BBI - 76/7 , 5W - 19 , 10W - 4 , (From 18/10/1990 to 25/07/1996 )
When Imran Khan saw the young Waqar Younis on TV, playing a domestic match, he was moved to come to the ground to watch the bowler. The next day he told Younis that he's going to be joining the national team. And so, the world got to meet this fast bowler from Pakistan with a slingshot action, doing things with the ball that was so alien, most people thought it illegal. Younis became known for his reverse swinging yorkers, a skill he learned while he was primarily used as an old ball bowler when Imran was still playing. "Banana swing" as it was called, were impossible balls to hit or get out of the way of. With its searing speed and then late dip and drop, Waqar shattered stumps and toes alike.
With Wasim Akram, the pair formed one of the most lethal new ball pairings of their generation or any other. Moving the ball at alarming speed, in and out, with the new and old balls, the two were simply brilliant viewing. Younis can, of course, claim to have been the quicker and indeed throughout his career, he was one of the fastest in the sport. His old ball skills also made him an incredible asset in Limited overs cricket. With over 400 wickets at the second best strike rate in the game, there are plenty of batsmen who are happy he is no longer playing. On retirement, he's dabbled intermittently with coaching where Younis has found dealing with the PCB as tricky as batsmen found his bowling.
32. Clive Lloyd
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 8
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Runs - 2743 @ 52.75 , HS - 242 , 100s - 8 , 50s - 13 , (From 06/04/1973 to 18/02/1977 )
Clive Lloyd strode the world game as if he owned it. And for nearly two decades he and his side did. It wasn't always so and the 1975 tour to Australia proved to be a watershed moment for him, West Indies and world cricket at large. Lloyd had been made captain just a year earlier and improved his game to meet the demands with a 100 off 85 balls and a double late in the Tour to India. When the team arrived in Australia a tight contest was expected. But a 5-1 smashing - swept away by a tsunami in the form of Lillee and Thompson, meant West Indies had nowhere to hide and a realisation that their way of carefree cricket was no match for the hard-nosed tough game Australia played. Lloyd was deeply affected by the loss and reflected upon it heavily on their return to the islands. It was here he decided to fight fire with fire and scour the islands for his own battery of fast bowlers.
What followed was a domination of the sport that has not been seen in cricket before or since, nor in any other sport barring All Blacks in rugby. Lloyd had a run of 27 tests where he never tasted defeat and the West Indies became the most feared and revered team and they set about breaking down social barriers as the team was seen "as the culmination of the possibility of the black man"
A powerful batsman himself, Lloyd could tear apart an attack on a whim. But was given to playing within himself due to the team's needs. He was ever a man for the occasion and instinctively knew when to turn it on. None more so than when he scored a brilliant century in the 1975 World Cup final, his fist and last ODI century from a position of 3/50.
31. George Headley
Nominated by 25.00% users, Highest Ranking - 10
George Alphonso Headley was once described as the "yardstick against which all West Indian batsmen will be measured". Such was the reverence the man they called "Black Bradman" was held to. Indeed, Headley was West Indies in the 1930's and West Indies-Headley. Never has the fortunes of one team depended so much on a singular entity. His other nickname "Atlas" typified the nature of West Indies swimming or sinking on Headley's back. All told, before the war, Headley scored 25.61% of the runs scored in Tests by West Indies, more than twice as many as the next best batsman, and two-thirds of the team's centuries, scoring ten of the team's first fourteen centuries in Test cricket. With all this on his shoulders, the man still managed to average 60, the third best average of all time for batsmen who've scored more than 2000 Test runs. This was truly a great, great batsman.
But perhaps even his greatest run-scoring feats at Test, First Class or League cricket could not eclipse the importance of his success had for the West Indies. Headley became an icon for a team establishing themselves in a white man's sport. Headley was described as "demonstrating black capacity". Writer M. Manley said of Headley that "in his carrying "the hopes of the black, English-speaking Caribbean man ... He was black excellence personified in a white world and in a white sport." Excellence, there can be no better word to describe Headley.
30. Rahul Dravid
Nominated by 25.00% users, Highest Ranking - 7
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 54 , Runs - 3329 @ 72.37 , HS - 270 , 100s - 11 , 50s - 12 , (From 11/04/2002 to 16/03/2005 )
Everything about Rahul Dravid was correct, proper and of another time. One of the true gentleman to have played the game Dravid's classically correct batting may not be seen in the game again. A technique built on supreme technicality, Dravid had all the shots and played them all, so perfectly. Allied to this were vast amounts of concentration, ensuring he became one of the all-time greats. Dravid could bat forever if needed, without ever looking winded.
At times he did; his 12 hour, 270 run vigil as captain, earned India its first series win in Pakistan in 2004. This was after his 835 min ode in Adelaide to help India win a test in Australia a year earlier. His 233 in the first innings, after coming in at 4/85 and a 72 not out in the second, sealed the the game. In 2011 in England, when the rest of the team disintegrated around him to a 4-0 loss, Dravid battled alone to the tune of 461 runs at 76.83 with three hundreds. In all, he had scored over 26% of India's runs in that series. Although he initially struggled in ODI's Dravid became a consistent enough scorer and backed by his keeping, played a pivotal role for India in the shortened format of the game.
He was part of the much celebrated Big Four batsmen in the Indian line-up - Tendulkar, Ganguly, VVS Laxman being the other three. He was the backbone off of which his other cavalier teammates played off. However, even in a career of so many highlights, his debut innings of 95, so classically perfect in every aspect, and his supporting act in the incredible Eden Garden recovery that saw India win after following on will forever stand the test of time. "The Wall" as he came to be known is now playing a pivotal coaching role at the U19 and A team levels in India. They could not ask for a better student and master of the game.
29. Leonard Hutton
Nominated by 31.25% users, Highest Ranking - 10
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 58 , Runs - 3354 @ 68.45 , HS - 206 , 100s - 10 , 50s - 17 , (From 22/07/1948 to 09/07/1953 )
When Herbert Sutcliffe gave a young boy of 13, a neighbour, some batting tips in his backyard, he could have hardly predicted who Len Hutton would turn out to be. Hutton impressed the England opener, as he did with everyone else involved in Yorkshire cricket at the time. Hutton rose through the ranks quickly, as an opening batsman with a superb technique and solid defence in the Yorkshire tradition, and at 17, was the youngest debutant for the county. Hutton however, felt a great burden on him at a young age - that of expectation. This was further elevated when Sutcliffe labelled him "a discovery of a generation". All before he'd played for England. And when he got the chance he did not fail to deliver. In only his sixth Test Hutton wrote himself into the record books in 1938 with the then highest individual score of 364. A record that stood for some 20 years.
Hutton continued to score consistently after the war but criticism of the nature of his runs was never too far away. "Dull" and "Pedestrian" were often used to describe Hutton's style. However, Hutton's style can be said to be a product of necessity more than anything else; for both Yorkshire and England became so heavily reliant on his contributions that Hutton felt a great deal of pressure to meet those expectations. It is, however, when Hutton was appointed the captain of England in 1952 that signified the stature Hutton was truly held to. Hutton, a professional, and not an amateur or a gentleman, was the first such appointment in England's cricketing History. It was indeed a paradigm shifting change. And it was proved to be a masterstroke as Hutton, the tough, determined professional from Yorkshire, regained the Ashes for England after a 20-year wait. And as if to prove a point, Hutton went out in a blaze of glory by touring Australia and retaining the Ashes in 1955/56 and was promptly knighted a few years later
28. Greg Chappell
Nominated by 50.00% users, Highest Ranking - 14
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 60 , Runs - 3182 @ 60.04 , HS - 235 , 100s - 9 , 50s - 16 , (From 28/11/1975 to 07/02/1981 )
It is a shame that World Series Cricket statistics are not officially recognised, for Greg Chappell's best performances arguably came in those 14 Super Tests where he amassed five hundreds and a total of 1415 runs at 56.6. This includes a dream run against West Indies - 45 and 90 in Barbados, 7 and 150 in Trinidad, 113 in Guyana and 104 and 85 in Antigua, all scored against an attack of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner on their home wickets.
It is these sorts of superlative batting feats that lead many to consider him the best Batsmen since Bradman to come out of Australia. Chappell, above all else, was a stylist who initially had a penchant for on side scoring. But with a changed grip on the advice of Bradman himself, he began to see more success. Indeed 7000+ Test runs at an average of 53 is the sign of a truly great player for that era when you consider the quality of attack that was going around the circuit. Chappell's career had all but an air of inevitability to it, and when he was made captain it seemed preordained. But leadership roles proved a trickier job than batting for Chappelle as, first as captain and later as coach, controversy followed him everywhere. From the infamous underarm incident and his spats with Indian captain Ganguly when he was the head coach that lead to the entire squad turning on him, life after cricket has proved harder than it was on it for Chappell.
27. Fred Trueman
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 12
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 172 @ 20.6 , SR - 47.65 , BBI - 44/7 , 5W - 12 , 10W - 3 , (From 20/08/1959 to 18/06/1964 )
"Fiery" Fred Trueman was the first bowler to claim 300 Test wickets. He did so in 67 Tests at an average of 21 and a strike rate of 49. A brilliant strike rate given the era of defensive cricket he played in. Trueman was a true character of the game, so large that it could not be contained, but not for want of trying. England played 110 Tests during his career, but frequent clashes with authorities meant that Trueman was left out of teams he so clearly should have played in. It seemed impossible that, as he recorded season after season of 100+ wickets for his beloved Yorkshire, mostly with sub 20 averages, that he kept getting ignored. Trueman himself believed he would have topped 400 Tests wickets had he been given more chances.
With a physique atypical for a fast bowler - short but powerfully built - Trueman thundered into the crease and let go of the ball with his infamous "cartwheel" action. The mind only boggles at what he could have achieved had he actually been given his due. "The greatest bowler to ever draw breath?". Quite possibly.
26. Allan Border
Nominated by 62.50% users, Highest Ranking - 12
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 57 , Runs - 3012 @ 62.75 , HS - 196 , 100s - 10 , 50s - 12 , (From 02/01/1983 to 18/09/1986 )
How can anyone possibly quantify what Allan Border has meant for Australian cricket? Handed the team during Australia's darkest of times - with World Series Cricket and Rebel tours crippling the side, it was Border who stood on either side of the WSC ban and reconciliation to hold all the broken parts together. As Australia went from one loss to the other from the late 70's to the late 80's it would be hard to imagine anyone other than Border being able to muster the courage and the character needed to not only keep the team together but also to inspire and instil a belief that better days were coming. All the while not breaking down himself.
Border's durability within that context is incredible; with 153 of his 156 tests coming consecutively, still a world record. He lead from the front as he compiled more runs than anyone in a career by the time he retired - 11, 174 Test runs at 50 and an amazing 156 catches. He finally helped Australia turn the corner after a decade in the abyss with their celebrated 1987 World Cup win. But the following Ashes tour in 1989 was when Borders endurance truly paid off. From then on Australian cricket strengthened to such a degree that they dominated the sport for nearly two decades. Borders legacy is secured as his the debt Australia owes to him
25. Steve Waugh
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 7
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 53 , Runs - 2876 @ 71.9 , HS - 200 , 100s - 9 , 50s - 16 , (From 26/11/1993 to 03/07/1997 )
What makes a man? For Steven Roger waugh, it is arguably watching his younger twin brother, score a 100 on debut from the sidelines, after having been dropped to include him. Waugh burst onto the international arena; an all shot making, aggressive all-around player with style, who dominated his debut Ashes series. Then his form faded and he was unceremoniously dumped from the side. When he eventually forced himself back into the side he was a changed player. He took everything his mentor, Allan Border, had taught him, and put away all the flash strokes and focused on consistency. From that period on Waugh was arguably the best batsman in the world for a period, which included a a decade averaging nearly 57 between 93-04, a tremendous era of bowling talent.
Waugh's greatest ability was his ability to dig Australia out of holes, scoring runs when it got absolutely desperate for Australia, and thus establishing himself as the most valuable player in that era. Adversity was when the Ice Man came forth. It was him who stood up when the baton of the best side in the world exchanged hands in 1995 as his epic 200 took Australia to a win in the West Indies. It was his inspirational 120* that saw Australia take on the challenge to win 7 games in a row on their way to winning the 1999 WC. In the the 87 WC semi-final against Pakistan, he scored 18 runs in the final over, the margin of victory in the end. His often overlooked bowling shone in his early days - In the 87 WC, he restricted NZ to 3 runs when 7 were needed. In the final, Waugh bowled a 2 run penultimate over when 19 were needed off the last 2. His flint-eyed grit and ruthlessness were what saw him captain Australia to an unprecedented 16 test wins in a row. Waugh retired, by the measure of anyone, as a true symbol of Australia .
24. Ricky Ponting
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 7
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 54 , Runs - 3329 @ 72.37 , HS - 270 , 100s - 11 , 50s - 12 , (From 11/04/2002 to 16/03/2005 )
Ricky Ponting was reckless youth, a middling captain tasked with a difficult job, and one of the greatest fielders the game has ever seen. But the glue that held all these parts together was his batting. "Punter", as he was known, didn't just bat, he dominated, every ball, every shot, a statement of intent. Jarrod Kimber affectionately called his 100's the "**** you 100". Ponting didn't just want to score 100's he wanted to destroy attacks while he did it.
A batting prodigy who once scored 4 centuries in a week as a child he signalled early that he was the heir apparent as the next big thing out of Tasmania. But brushes with authority and the sheer depth of the Aussie talent pool meant Pointing had to wait to have his chance. When he did, it was batting on another level. A man who possessed all the shots and could play them all to devastating effect, Ponting quickly established himself as the hottest no 3 in world Cricket. In a run of 49 games between 2003 and 2009 Ponting averaged 70. No one one than Bradman has had a higher average for such a duration. ODI cricket came easily to him and his 149 in the 2003 WC final killed the contest in a matter of hours. It would be remiss to talk about Ponting without mentioning his fielding. Arguably one of the most complete fielders the game's ever seen, Ponting took 196 catches and seemingly hit the stumps at will. And based on our rankings the Ponting is indeed the second greatest batsmen to come from Australia.
23. Kumar Sangakkara
Nominated by 62.50% users, Highest Ranking - 10
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Runs - 3816 @ 65.79 , HS - 319 , 100s - 13 , 50s - 18 , (From 08/09/2011 to 17/06/2015 )
Kumar Sangakkara was unlike any Sri Lankan cricketer that had come before him. A man who, at times, seemed like he could easily be retrofitted into an era at the start of the century, he was not the cavalier exponent of batting that the Sri Lankan's are known for, nor the misrepresented underdog who would only smile back at the opponents. Sangakkara, with the deeds of his bat, his words and his presence, elevated the side and Sri Lankan cricket to hitherto unseen stature in international cricket. A prime accumulator of runs, his tally of 12400 at 57, batting at the pivotal number three indicates his pedigree. But this includes 40 odd tests where he kept. As pure batsman, Sangakkara averages an astronomical 67 in 86 Tests. Sangakkara did not burst onto the side as a natural talent - his all weather, all condition technique was one he purpose-built like a mechanic in a shop over years of patience and hard work. And when the runs started to flow, oh how they flowed. Sangakkara feasted on 11 double 100s, the most after Bradman with 12, and scored a century against all test playing nations. A man not known for iconic centuries, his 230, never broadcast, in the Asia cup final in 2002, while keeping, is perhaps his finest. A close second his 192 against Australia in a one-man show that saw him pull off the near impossible in Hobart. As he aged, Sangakkara was like a black hole devouring runs. He was the quickest man to 8000, 9000, 10000 (joint), 11000, 12000 Test Runs and ended his career with 28,016 international runs in all formats, second behind Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time list.
With his great mate, Mahela Jayawardene, the pair formed the second most successful batting combination in the game. Including the world record partnership of 624, the highest in first class cricket. For all his feats of run-making, criticism was not far away for Sangakkara in the limited overs formats. Primarily for his stoic approach to batting that had a negative impact on the teams own goals. This makes Sangakkara's renaissance as a LOI batsmen all the more remarkable. 6000 runs in his last 5 years at 52, including a world record four consecutive centuries in the 2015 WC attests to what Sangakkara could do when the mood set in. Had he played for - how to put this - a more "significant" side in cricket, his status would have been one of an immortal. That he has nearly achieved this anyway, makes Sangakkara all the more special
22. Ian Botham
Nominated by 62.50% users, Highest Ranking - 9
Peak 33
Batting
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Runs - 2466 @ 44.84 , HS - 208 , 100s - 7 , 50s - 13 , (From 16/07/1981 to 12/07/1984 )
Bowling
M -33 , Inns - 58 , Wkts - 167 @ 21.5 , SR - 48.29 , BBI - 48/7 , 5W - 13 , 10W - 4 , (From 10/08/1978 to 27/11/1981 )
"Right then, let's have a bit of fun" was what Botham reportedly said to Graham Dilley as Dilly strode out to the wicket with England at 135-7. Following on, 92 runs behind, staring at defeat, was when Ian Botham wrote himself into folklore and became a cricketing and cultural icon. His breathtaking 149* gave England a slender lead. And with an inspired BoB Willis, England won the impossible test. This feat alone would have been enough for any mortal. But Botham, ludicrously, repeated these performances in the next two games to bring home an improbable Ashes series win.
Beefy Botham is unparalleled as England's greatest match winner because of his incredible ability to fire both cylinders more often any other. Botham has managed to score a 100 and take a 5fer in a Test an amazing 5 times. The closest second only achieved this twice. He was also the first to score a century and take a 10fer in a Test. A rockstar cricketer bar none. His charity work earned him a deserving knighthood and his entertaining style now comes in the form of his voice for the sky commentary team.
21. Sunil Gavaskar
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 5
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 59 , Runs - 3480 @ 62.14 , HS - 221 , 100s - 15 , 50s - 12 , (From 24/01/1976 to 30/08/1979 )
Sunil "Sunny" Gavaskar burst onto international cricket bigger than anyone before or since him. The staggering 774 runs scored in his debut series against the West Indies is still a record for a debutant. And when he eventually signed up from cricket, he left with the most runs scored by an individual, the most centuries and the most matches played. That he did this while batting at the precarious position of the opener, in an era with some exceptional fast bowlers, is one of the reasons many consider him to the greatest opener of all time.
Incredibly 13 of his 34 centuries came against the West Indian sides of the 70's and 80's. Even if these were not runs scored against the best the Islands had to offer, it still remains one of the most remarkable records in the history of the game. He is to date, still, the man who has scored the most centuries and centuries against the West Indies. It should come has no surprise that Gavaskar's technique was an impeccable study of technicality and a slow burn scoring rate. The "little master as he was known, stands a giant in the game.
50. Kapil Dev
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 24
Peak 33
Bat
M -33 , Inns - 51 , Runs - 1562 @ 32.54 , HS - 116 , 100s - 2 , 50s - 9 , (From 06/09/1985 to 30/01/1982 )
Bowl
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Wkts - 146 @ 27.2 , SR - 51.82 , BBI - 85/8 , 5W - 14 , 10W - 1 , (From 13/10/1979 to 23/02/1983 )
For a few seconds, time stood still - as Kapil Dev ran backwards, his eye on the ball, the fate of a World Cup final hanging in the balance. The ball landed so securely into his hands for such a difficult chance that it was truly astonishing. Viv Richards was the batsman and the moment his Kapil took the catch, a glorious turning point in Indian cricket, as they romped home to their first ever WC win in 1983.
Kapil's the first of the 4 great all-rounders the world was blessed with in the 1980's to appear on our list. His bowling was one nurtured and mastered on the dustbowls of Asia with wonderfully crafted seam and swing. Dev's undying determination bowling on those pitches saw him leave cricket with the highest individual wicket record on his retirement. A wonderfully clean hitter of the ball, his 175 against Zimbabwe in the 1983 WC is arguably one of the greatest displays of hitting most of the world never got to see for it was not broadcast. That it came from when India were 5/17 makes it all the more incredible.
50. AB De Villiers
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 24
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 53 , Runs - 3209 @ 71.31 , HS - 278 , 100s - 10 , 50s - 14 , (From 20/02/2014 to 10/06/2010 )
It is quite possible that AB De Villers is not human. The man they call Superman could do just about anything on the cricket field. And apparently off it - as an accomplished guitar player who's also released a pop album in South Africa attests. As a product of the modern era where batting has been taken to uncharted territories with the idea of 360 hitting and superhuman batting feats in all formats, de Villiers is unquestionably the gold standard.
De Villers is the owner to the fastest half-century (16 balls), century (31 balls), fastest 150 in an ODI and the fastest to reach 9000 runs in ODIs. Incredibly De Villiers only took 9005 balls to reach the milestone. Yes, you read that right. All his 24 ODI tons have come at a strike rate greater than 100. These are records that beggars belief. He also carries the great tradition of brilliant South African fieldsman and is widely considered to be one of all time great men in the field, from his keeping days to his many feats reminiscent of Jonty Rhodes. His lethal batting was best on display in the 2016 IPL season when he hit his way to 687 runs off just 407 balls with a SR of 168. But for all this De Villers's mightest feat, may be one from the Test arena, when in 2008, his 106* guided SA to a record chase of 414 at Perth. A series that SA would eventually go on to win - a historic first win in Australia.
49. Graham Gooch
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 23
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 61 , Runs - 3664 @ 61.07 , HS - 333 , 100s - 12 , 50s - 15 , (From 16/06/1994 to 21/06/1990 )
In short, Gooch is the greatest run scorer cricket has ever seen. His 67057 runs scored across First Class and List A is a record that is unlikely to be ever toppled. Gooch was plucked out of Essex and sent on a tour to Australia when he was just 21 in 1975. He promptly scored a pair on debut and was dropped after one series. He returned to the fold in 1978, scoring well and was named the Wisden Cricketer of the year in 1980. Then another roadblock arrived in the form of a 3-year ban, courtesy of a rebel tour to South Africa. This stop-start nature of his career looked to have taken a full toll when upon his return from the ban he lost form so significantly that he was dropped from even the Essex second XI.
But once he regained his form, and crucially handed the captaincy, Gooch blossomed at international level late into his career. His 333 and 126 against India in 1990 at Lord's is the highest tally in a single match in the history of the game. His match-winning knock of 154 against the WI in 1991 in a team total of 254 when only two other batsmen got to double figures, against an attack of Marshall, Walsh, Patterson and Ambrose remains one of the greatest innings of all time. Years after his retirement he was appointed batting coach, first of Essex and then of England, and formed a great relationship with Alistair Cook, the man who would go on to be the highest run scorer for England, breaking Gooch's own record.
49. Jim Laker
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 23
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 65 , Wkts - 146 @ 17.73 , SR - 58.73 , BBI - 53/10 , 5W - 7 , 10W - 3 , (From 05/07/1951 to 21/08/1958 )
"Jim, did you do something good today?" asked his Austrian wife when Laker returned home from "Laker's match". His wife had been fielding congratulatory calls all day following Laker's astonishing feat. Perhaps when he took all 10 in the innings against Australia playing for Surrey earlier in the season the world and his wife should have taken note. In the end, it read 19/90. Including all 10 in the first innings at The Oval in 1956.
There really is not much beyond this you need to look at when assessing Jim Laker - as the remarkable feat along would have been enough for anyone else. Yet in 46 Tests, Laker took 193 wickets at an incredible average of 21. His 19-fer also propelled him to 46 wickets in that 1956 Ashes series, the most for a 5 match series and yet to be broken. With his partner in crime, Tony Lock, also of Surrey, the pair helped country and county dominate their respective levels in the times they played.
48.Bill O'Reilly
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 23
Don Bradman called Bill "Tiger" O'Reilly the greatest bowler he had batted against or had seen. High praise to be sure. In all, Tiger stood a looming 6'2 tall with wild arms famously flapping as he approached the bowling crease for delivery. He bowled leg spin at almost medium pace along with an array of top-spinners and googlies with unerring accuracy and sharp bounce. A quick bowler in spinners clothing, Tiger had a fierce competitiveness to him. On the field and off it. Hence the name "Tiger".
His record of 144 wickets in just 27 matches at 22, at an incredible economy rate of 1.9, in a decade of batting dominance in the 1930s illuminates his greatness. With his great friend Clarrie Grimmett, the pair dominated bowling in the years between the two great wars. 104 of O Reilly's wickets came against England, including the dismissal of the great Wally Hammond 10 times. From the second Australia won one of their least famous wins - the singular match in they won in the Bodyline series that O' Reilly orchestrated - he never looked back.
47.Courtney Walsh
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 21
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 58 , Wkts - 157 @ 21.12 , SR - 52.97 , BBI - 74/6 , 5W - 8 , 10W - 1 , (From 20/06/1997 to 15/12/2000 )
Courtney Walsh could not bat, as his average of 7 and 43 tests ducks attests, but he could bowl. And he bowled a lot. He is in fact, one of the only 5 men in the history of test cricket to have sent down more than 5000 overs. Walsh was cut slightly differently to the all pace, decimating relentless of the other great West Indian quicks. A true workhorse, durable enough to last from 1984 to 2000, Walsh is also one of the 5 bowlers to have claimed over 500 Test wickets and the first to get there. He also held the record for most Test wickets from 2000 to 2004. With Curtly Ambrose he formed the last great hurrah of the legendary West Indian fast bowling partnerships, combining to take an incredible 419 wickets in 49 Tests. You will be hardpressed to find a truer servant to West Indian cricket and to its legacy.
46.Richie Benaud
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 20
Peak 33
Bat
M -33 , Inns - 47 , Runs - 1272 @ 28.91 , HS - 122 , 100s - 3 , 50s - 4 , (From 12/12/1959 to 26/11/1954 )
Bowl
M -33 , Inns - 65 , Wkts - 179 @ 23.86 , SR - 70.5 , BBI - 72/7 , 5W - 15 , 10W - 1 , (From 19/10/1956 to 11/01/1963 )
"Marvellous" came the call from Richie. For anyone growing up post-1970's, it was Richie Benaud who brought cricket into their living room. Richie's voice was one of common sense, sensibility and integrity which created interest and inspired, whenever he spoke. It is no surprise that these are all the same qualities that anchored him throughout his playing days, and in particular, as captain where he and Frank Worrell of West Indies single-handedly rekindled interest in Test Cricket with their adventures and aggressive captaincy in the 1960's following the dull nature of cricket in the 1950's.
For all of it, though, Benaud had a very mediocre start to his career. With 13 Tests under his belt, his career was heading nowhere. It all changed on a tour to South Africa in 1957/58 when he picked up 106 wickets on tour along with 817 runs. A year later Benaud, with little prior experience at leadership, was promoted to captain ahead of Neil Harvey.
Benaud embraced the responsibility of leadership and lead from the front on his first assignment - an Ashes series at home against favoured England. 132 runs at 26.4 and 31 wickets at 18.83 ensured he won his first Series as captain and would never lose another Ashes series nor any other series he captained. Following the Ashes, he took Australia to India and Pakistan and conquered both tours. His instinctive and daring captaincy was best on display in the famous tied Test. 6/92 on the final day chasing 233, a win looked remote at 6/109 with 124 runs still to get at tea. But with an attacking partnership between himself and Alan Davidson, the pair took Australia to 226. The rest, of course, is history but Benaud, the all-rounder, terrific leg spinner, the captain, then later the media darling will forever be remembered.
45. Aubrey Faulkner
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 19
Before the likes of Keith Miller and Imran Khan bestrode the world game - those all rounders with devilish looks - Aubrey Faulkner was breaking hearts in the early 1900s. A rare, unorthodox talent, Faulkner was one of the finest all-rounders the game has ever seen. A powerful batsman whose batting blossomed late in his career and a leading exponent of googly bowling, Faulkner is best remembered for his brilliant spell at Leeds of 6-17 in 11 overs. He married that with constant success for South Africa where he netted 1288 runs and 72 wickets for them in a single season of cricket. The first South African to 1000 runs and 100 wickets at Test level, he also dismissed Jack Hobbs four times. He remains the only man to average over 40 with the bat and under 30 with the ball (1000 run qualification)
He continued his dominance in Australia where he once again topped averages with 732 runs and an average of 73.20 in 1910/11 including a tremendous 204 in Melbourne. From there he moved to England to live, and retired from the international game, and would join the War and fought on the Western Front. Many argue that his finest innings came outside of the test arena, when in 1921, he demolished Australia, unbeaten on tour in 34 games, with a brilliant 153 which gave AC Mclarens XI victory. That he did this as a broken war hero, called upon out of retirement for the game, makes this an incredible performance. When he moved to England he opened up a world renowned cricket school in London, the first of its kind and help shape the careers of many world players. However, with his years in the war - where he earned a DSO and Order of the Nile - weighing him down and the continued financial trouble of his cricket school playing on his mind, Faulkner tragically took his own life in a small store room in the cricket school he founded
45. Derek Underwood
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 19
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 140 @ 21.44 , SR - 66.72 , BBI - 32/7 , 5W - 10 , 10W - 4 , (From 10/08/1967 to 26/07/1973 )
Derek Underwood
"Deadly" Derek Underwood, thus named for his lethal bowling on the sticky wickets of the 60s and 70s was a left-arm spinner who had taken 1000 first class wickets by the time he was 25. "Spinner" might be a loosely used term for Underwood who bowled at near medium pace and known for his in-swinging deliveries when the weather was on his side. And in England, it was generally always speaking his language.
A captains dream due to his accuracy, Underwood thought of bowling as a "low mentality profession: plug away, line and length, until there's a mistake". And in all Underwood induced just shy of 300 mistakes at Test level at an average of 25. Underwoods most famous spell is surely the 4 wickets he got in 27 balls in the final half an hour at the end of the fifth Test in 1968. After a heavy thunderstorm on the fifth day had nearly ended the game, Underwood's spell squared an Ashes series that Australia was winning 1–0 with just 5 mins to spare.
44. Barry Richards
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 17
Perhaps Test Crickets greatest loss - Barry Richards the South African opener, who by any who'd seen him, was a supernatural talent.In his all too brief appearance at Test level, he blitzed a side captained by Bill Lawry in 1971 to the tune of 504 runs at 74 in 4 games to help inflict a 4-0 loss on the Aussies at home. There his career ended - due to isolation. Richards was from that rare school of opener who combined attack with a brilliant technique, as he tore apart attacks.
During isolation, Richards played for a number of teams in different countries. His revered stint in Hampshire where he scored an amazing 2395 runs in his first season, 1968, more than anybody else in the country. And went on to form one of the most destructive opening partnerships in county cricket with Gordon Greenidge. In 1970–71, for South Australia, Richards scored 325 in a single day against Western Australia off an attack that included Dennis Lillee, Graham McKenzie, Tony Lock and Tony Mann. 1538 runs in 10 matches at 109.86 is how that season ended.
He would later reappear in World Series Cricket in 78/79 to score 500 runs in 5 games with two centuries that included a 207 against the Australians. Cricket's greatest loss? Maybe.
44. Joel Garner
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 17
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 147 @ 21.41 , SR - 49.34 , BBI - 60/6 , 5W - 6 , 10W - 0 , (From 26/12/1981 to 12/03/1987 )
When the man-mountain that was Joel Garner approached the crease it felt like a shadow moving across the ground and near-certain doom for the batsmen. The rest of the revered West Indian bowlers may have had larger reputations but that did not make "Big Bird" any less lethal. Garner was relentless, miserly and destructive. To the tune of a bowling average that barely touched 20. 259 wickets were scalped in conjunction with the rest of the attack.
He possessed a great yorker that descended from such a height that it was nearly impossible to keep out. And using his height Garner was able to extract bounce from virtually any surface and any length. This made him perfectly suited for one day cricket where he was arguably even a more difficult customer. He partnered an incredible economy rate of just over 3 with an eye-popping average of 18. Indeed, he is one of the only two men to have over 100 ODI wickets with a sub 20 average. All this culminated in the World Cup final in 1979 against England, when he grabbed 5 for 39, which remains the best performance by a bowler in a final; including a spell of 5 wickets for 4 runs.
43. W G Grace
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 16
Dr William Gilbert Grace scored some 54,000 first class runs, including 126 centuries. He also took 3000 first class wickets and was a brilliant fielder before the girth, that he became famous for, set in. These numbers, particularly in the batting, are stupendous given the terrible pitches cricket was played on in that era. And it was for this sheer volume of runs that he was simply called - The Champion. He began his career at the tender age of 18 and scored 224* for All-England against Surrey in 1866. He would go on to play a record equaling 44 seasons of cricket. 1871 though, would be the year "WG" would completely capture the imagination. 17 first class centuries were scored in that season - WG accounted for 10 of them. In all he scored an incredible 2739 runs - the first time this was achieved, at an average of 78. To put this into perspective - the next best was 1068. It was this year that led to the moniker of - The Champion.
WG was also an amateur- or even a Gentleman, and within crickets context, this was hugely important. Grace had status and thus an audience. Others may stake a claim to being the greatest to play the sport but there can be no argument that Grace was the most important and influential person to have played the game. He invented batting as we know it, he popularised the game from a past time to England's summer sport. When cricket wasn't even an international sport he'd played in Australia, New Zealand, Malta, Northern Ireland, Ceylon and a number of other countries.
But make no mistake - he did not do this due to the kindness of his heart. He is notoriously known to have made more money from the game than any professional to have played in his era, even though he played under amateur status. Stories are rife with Grace charging for the use of his name or making any appearance. He arguably also had the first sports advertising deal with Coleman mustard.
The tall, imposing man with the unmistakable beard is said to have been the most recognisable face in the empire outside of royalty. Indeed he was treated like it regardless. Grounds were named after him. Ticket prices would double when he played. Grace knew his worth and he reveled in it. It meant an interest whenever he played or where ever he played. Everyone tried to copy the great man thus expanding the game he was developing and working on, to other corners of the globe. The Champion was also known for his attitude of winning at all cost and had a reputation for his gamesmanship. Indeed, it was Grace's running out of Sammy Jones in 1882 - when Jones had thought ball dead, looked at Grace, nodded, and gone down to pat down the pitch, that Grace took the ball and whipped the bails off. That resulted in Fred Spofforth's full anger being brought down on England to defend a target of 85 that gave birth to the Ashes. His legacy lives on in the sport and as a man. WG Grace - forever The Champion.
42. Ken Barrington
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 15
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 53 , Runs - 3214 @ 68.38 , HS - 256 , 100s - 11 , 50s - 14 , (From 25/07/1963 to 08/02/1968 )
It was not uncommon to see Ken Barrington smoking in the change room, watching the match unfold intently before he went out to bat at Number 3. Barrington was a great many things - nervous, fidgety, nonplussed by bumpers, but he was also courageous, adaptable, dogged with a lion heart. He started his career as a flashy shotmaking upstart from Surrey with a talent large enough that some called him "the biggest thing since Dennis Compton". But his Surrey and then England career went nowhere when he was dropped from even Surrey and tasked with carrying the kit from one ground to the other.
Determined to make his return, Barrington reengineered his technique and attitude to become the stonewalling giant he would later be famous for. With no less help from Alec Bedser and Jim Laker, Barrington would go on to form England's backbone in throughout the 1960's.
While Barrington, appreciated as he was, held a reputation for dire and diabolical batting in England he was held in exceptional regard elsewhere he played in the world. Particularly in Australia and India where he was a beloved figure for his batting and jovial nature. This is not a coincidence as 14 of his 20 Test hundreds came away from home. Indeed a unique record, Barrington was often thought of being more of a match saver than a match winner. all-rounders only lost one Test in which he made three figures but also won eight. He twice peeled off 4 centuries in consecutive matches. On retirement, he became a beloved tour manager within the England team which further elevated his status when England travelled abroad. Sadly he died of a second heart attack but not before leaving the game with an average of 58 and over 6000 Test runs to his name.
41. Graeme Pollock
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 19
"Next time you decide to play like that, send me a telegram", said Bradman of a 19-year-old Pollock's innings in his 3rd Test in Sydney in 1963. His 122 was the youngest by a South African and still remains so. Trent Bridge in 1965 saw arguably his finest innings, a brilliant 125 scored in just over 2 hours in a team total of 269. This having come in at 16/2 and then later being reduced to 80/5. This was no village hitting either and is described as one of the cleanest and most beautiful innings ever played in England since the second world war. A year later against the Australians Pollock made 209 runs from a team total of 353 despite batting with an injured groin which restricted his footwork and running.
Pollock, Procter and Richards are a lost generation of cricketers to Test cricket. The mind only boggles at the possibilities that could have arisen had they played full careers. But at least Pollock got to play 23 Tests, and he reeled off runs at an alarming rate. 2256 runs all up at an incredible average of 60. Pollock scored heavily domestically after isolation which included 16 unofficial tests played against rebel teams from England, Sri Lanka, the West Indies and Australia. 1376 runs, including 5 centuries, at an average of 65.52 was the final tally there. He was still scoring hundreds at the ripe age of 42 against Rebel Australian teams in 1987 when he officially signed off from cricket underscoring his genius. If only.
40. Allan Donald
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 21
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 61 , Wkts - 177 @ 20.5 , SR - 42.67 , BBI - 71/8 , 5W - 12 , 10W - 1 , (From 18/08/1994 to 10/12/1998 )
It is fitting that when South Africa returned to the fold in 1992 that they brought with them the man they called "White Lightning" to terrorise international batsman for nearly a decade. Allan Donald bowled with a venom and a fierceness that suggested he was none too pleased to have been kept away from the international arena. With a wonderfully classical action and white zinc painted across his cheeks and nose like war paint, Donald thundered into the crease and gave plenty of good batsmen in the 1990s a lot of awkward moments. 300 wickets in all with an average a tick over 22 and 200 ODI wickets at just over 21 showcased the greatness of the man.
At Trent Bridge in 1998, with England needing just 247 to win, Donald took the new ball against Mike Atherton and unleashed a spell that both would go on to call their most intense moments in Test cricket. Those who witnessed it could scarcely argue the point. "White Lightning" did not strike that time but he did plenty of other times. With an increased workload due to him being SA's go to bowler in the era, Donald's body broke down. Now a much sought after coach, Donald still stands out as one of the best bowlers of the 1990s in an era spoilt for choice.
39. Michael Holding
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 15
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 64 , Wkts - 159 @ 21.38 , SR - 47.67 , BBI - 92/8 , 5W - 10 , 10W - 2 , (From 21/04/1976 to 10/12/1983 )
When Holding got to the top of his mark, you stopped to catch your breath. A hurdler and a long jumper in his youth, Holding put all that body conditioning and precision to use as he strode gracefully, and purposefully, at full pelt, yet with feet that barely seemed to touch the ground for it did not make a sound - leading to umpires calling him "Whispering Death". Holding was easily one of the fastest bowlers in the world in an era filled with true greats and made for compelling viewing.
In 1976 at The Oval, Holding captured 14 wickets for 149, to date, the best Test figures by a West Indian. 9 of them bowled, 3 of them LBW. It was a truly magical spell of pure fast bowling, on a slow dead pitch. Then, of course, there is the over to Geoff Boycott in 1981 at the Kensington Oval. Boycott, a master technician and a dogged fighter, simply could not compete with the sheer ferocity of the bowling that day - a 6 ball exchange that is arguably the greatest bowled in the sport.
38. Shaun Pollock
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 17
Peak 33
Batting
M -33 , Inns - 44 , Runs - 1335 @ 46.03 , HS - 111 , 100s - 2 , 50s - 5 , (From 06/08/2000 to 12/12/2003 )
Bowling
M -33 , Inns - 62 , Wkts - 153 @ 19.31 , SR - 51.14 , BBI - 87/7 , 5W - 9 , 10W - 0 , (From 24/10/1997 to 06/08/2000 )
When you come from a cricketing family, there is always additional pressure on you; to carry on a legacy and to also stand out on your own. When your father is Peter Pollock, a splendid fast bowler, and uncle Graeme Pollock, universally recognised as an all-time great, both tasks become nearly impossible.
Letting go of his pace early on in his career, Pollock preferred to adopt a model of consistency. With an action and approach that saw the ball delivered very close to the stumps, Pollock hit a length and line and could stay there for days. This paid rich dividends as he collected 400+ Test wickets, and became the first South African to do so. His batting never resulted in extravagant scores but he scored runs when it mattered and could hit the ball as cleanly as anyone. Perhaps Pollocks greatest achievement is that he not only successfully carried on his family's legacy but was also able to leave a large mark on it as his own
man too.
37. Keith Miller
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 18
Peak 33
Batting
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Runs - 1962 @ 37.02 , HS - 147 , 100s - 6 , 50s - 6 , (From 10/02/1950 to 12/07/1956 )
Bowling
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 115 @ 22.89 , SR - 60.32 , BBI - 107/6 , 5W - 5 , 10W - 1 , (From 20/01/1950 to 21/06/1956 )
Keith Miller is a beloved Australian figure, their greatest all rounder and a cult hero. Miller was a debonaire, handsome, brooding man who's irreverence towards the sport he played only elevated his status. This perspective of cricket was, of course, developed through his years in WW2 as a fighter-bomber pilot, where he escaped his own allotment of near death experiences. "I'll tell you what pressure is son. Pressure is a Messerschmitt up your arse - playing cricket is not.", these words perfectly encapsulated Miller's entire outlook on life and the "pressures" of cricket.
He made his name in the Victory Tests, the celebratory series of matches between English and Australian servicemen following WW2. But his finest game before the returning to Test cricket was his 185 scored for the Dominions XI at Lords - To this day one of the finest shows of hitting ever seen at the home of cricket.
Miller was an aggressive batsman with an off drive like a rifle shot, and generally batted as high up as at No3. As a bowler, he was often quicker than his great friend and bowling partner Ray Lindwall. With whom he formed one of the most celebrated and enduring new ball pairings in the sport. The pairs battles and friendship with Len Hutton and Denis Compton is the stuff of legend. Miller, with his view on life forever altered due to the war, was a man who cherished the competition above all else. So much so that he once got himself out bowled purposely when Australia were 3/364 against Essex citing a lack of competition, much to the fury of Bradman. It is no surprise that his best performances were produced when the competition was at it's more fervent - against the West Indies and England, the two best sides in the era. Miller was, of course, part of the Invincibles tour and Australia owed much to him for the success of that legendary tour. Miller totalled 1,088 runs for the tour at an average of 47.30 and took 56 wickets at 17.58 and held onto 20 catches. His death was a deeply sad loss for cricket and Australia.
36. Anil Kumble
Nominated by 6.25% users, Highest Ranking - 9
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 62 , Wkts - 184 @ 27.39 , SR - 58.73 , BBI - 141/8 , 5W - 13 , 10W - 4 , (From 03/11/2001 to 16/03/2005 )
Anil Kumble was a gentlemanly cricketer who carried himself to the highest standard on the field and off it. Only the second man to have claimed the perfect 10 in an innings, albeit with some controversy as his great friend, Javagal Srinath, bowled wides to ensure "Jumbo" had an even shot at the 10.
Throughout the mid to late 90's cricket was blessed with 3 great leg spinners. But Kumble was the most unique of all. Far from
being the classic spinner he operated at near medium pace and relied more on change of pace and unerring accuracy, that was supported with a devastating flipper.
A bowler who once bowled 72 over in an innings and another time, came back to bowl with a broken jaw and still managed to claim the wicket of Brian Lara , Kumble was a tireless workhorse with a big heart, who along with Srinath formed the backbone of India's attack throughout much of their careers. In all, he sent down 40850 balls in his career. He is one of three men to have taken over 600 Test wickets and is the 3rd on the all-time list. He also boasts an incredible 30+ times of taking 5 wickets or more in an innings. A record he shares with just 3 others in the game.
As a much-respected figure in the game, he was appointed as the chairman of the ICC cricket committee as well has being offered the chance to coach India.
35. Javed Miandad
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 18
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 46 , Runs - 2731 @ 62.07 , HS - 271 , 100s - 9 , 50s - 10 , (From 09/02/1985 to 01/12/1989 )
Abdul Kardar, Pakistan's first Test captain, proclaimed that Miandad was the "find of the decade" when he first saw him. And in 1976 a 19-year-old Miandad scored a century on debut (163) and in his third match, a double followed. He ended the series with 504 runs against New Zealand at 126. Kardar, it seems, had it got it perfectly right. Indeed it was incredible that Miandad was even picked - when the side had a batting line up that consisted of Mushtaq Mohammad, Majid Khan, Sadiq Mohammad, Zaheer Abbas, Asif Iqbal and Wasim Raja. Such was the brilliance of that they saw in Miandad.
Javed would go on to be recognised as the greatest batsman from Pakistan. With a batting average that never dropped below 50, Miandad stroked, ran and deflected his way to 8000 plus Test runs. A batsman who was never bogged down Miandad had a get out of jail shot whenever he needed it, in any situation. This mastery of the scoreboard would also go on to make him a brilliant ODI batsmen. His greatest test feats include back to back centuries in the West Indies against attacks of Ambrose, Marshall, Walsh and Patterson and superlative doubles in England and India
Miandad usually reserved his very best for India, and none more so than legendary six he hit off the last ball when four runs were needed against Chetan Sharma. Captaincy seemed inevitable, but as an abrasive and as a too-hands-on approach figure, a player revolt or two was never far away. When the squad refused to play under him the great Imran Khan ascended to the throne. However, both shared the captaincy intermittently in the 80's, and Khan has often credited Miandad with the huge impact he had has his deputy. And the old duo signed off with the 92 World Cup win in 92 with Miandad contributing 6 half centuries
34. Herbert Sutcliffe
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 9
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 54 , Runs - 3319 @ 69.15 , HS - 176 , 100s - 14 , 50s - 14 , (From 19/12/1924 to 15/08/1931 )
Herbert Sutcliffe's career will always be spoken of in conjunction with 3 players. First with Percy Holmes, his opening partner at Yorkshire, then with Jack Hobbs, in the greatest opening Test partnership in the history of the game, and later with the young Len Hutton, again for Yorkshire. Yet the man stood out on his own accord. His Test average of 60 elevates him to a level only a select few have touched. Remarkably, it never once fell below 60 during his career.
Sutcliffe put a heavy price on his wicket and coupled with an insatiable appetite for runs, he became the true personification of a run machine. Armed with a great eye, droves of determination and boundless powers of concentration Sutcliffe compiled runs upon runs during an incredible career. He was also noted for being one of the finest batsmen on those infamous sticky wickets - indeed he was known as a man for a crisis and considered the best batsman when the team needed him the most on the most difficult surfaces.
33. Waqar Younis
Nominated by 12.50% users, Highest Ranking - 12
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 61 , Wkts - 191 @ 19.56 , SR - 36.41 , BBI - 76/7 , 5W - 19 , 10W - 4 , (From 18/10/1990 to 25/07/1996 )
When Imran Khan saw the young Waqar Younis on TV, playing a domestic match, he was moved to come to the ground to watch the bowler. The next day he told Younis that he's going to be joining the national team. And so, the world got to meet this fast bowler from Pakistan with a slingshot action, doing things with the ball that was so alien, most people thought it illegal. Younis became known for his reverse swinging yorkers, a skill he learned while he was primarily used as an old ball bowler when Imran was still playing. "Banana swing" as it was called, were impossible balls to hit or get out of the way of. With its searing speed and then late dip and drop, Waqar shattered stumps and toes alike.
With Wasim Akram, the pair formed one of the most lethal new ball pairings of their generation or any other. Moving the ball at alarming speed, in and out, with the new and old balls, the two were simply brilliant viewing. Younis can, of course, claim to have been the quicker and indeed throughout his career, he was one of the fastest in the sport. His old ball skills also made him an incredible asset in Limited overs cricket. With over 400 wickets at the second best strike rate in the game, there are plenty of batsmen who are happy he is no longer playing. On retirement, he's dabbled intermittently with coaching where Younis has found dealing with the PCB as tricky as batsmen found his bowling.
32. Clive Lloyd
Nominated by 18.75% users, Highest Ranking - 8
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Runs - 2743 @ 52.75 , HS - 242 , 100s - 8 , 50s - 13 , (From 06/04/1973 to 18/02/1977 )
Clive Lloyd strode the world game as if he owned it. And for nearly two decades he and his side did. It wasn't always so and the 1975 tour to Australia proved to be a watershed moment for him, West Indies and world cricket at large. Lloyd had been made captain just a year earlier and improved his game to meet the demands with a 100 off 85 balls and a double late in the Tour to India. When the team arrived in Australia a tight contest was expected. But a 5-1 smashing - swept away by a tsunami in the form of Lillee and Thompson, meant West Indies had nowhere to hide and a realisation that their way of carefree cricket was no match for the hard-nosed tough game Australia played. Lloyd was deeply affected by the loss and reflected upon it heavily on their return to the islands. It was here he decided to fight fire with fire and scour the islands for his own battery of fast bowlers.
What followed was a domination of the sport that has not been seen in cricket before or since, nor in any other sport barring All Blacks in rugby. Lloyd had a run of 27 tests where he never tasted defeat and the West Indies became the most feared and revered team and they set about breaking down social barriers as the team was seen "as the culmination of the possibility of the black man"
A powerful batsman himself, Lloyd could tear apart an attack on a whim. But was given to playing within himself due to the team's needs. He was ever a man for the occasion and instinctively knew when to turn it on. None more so than when he scored a brilliant century in the 1975 World Cup final, his fist and last ODI century from a position of 3/50.
31. George Headley
Nominated by 25.00% users, Highest Ranking - 10
George Alphonso Headley was once described as the "yardstick against which all West Indian batsmen will be measured". Such was the reverence the man they called "Black Bradman" was held to. Indeed, Headley was West Indies in the 1930's and West Indies-Headley. Never has the fortunes of one team depended so much on a singular entity. His other nickname "Atlas" typified the nature of West Indies swimming or sinking on Headley's back. All told, before the war, Headley scored 25.61% of the runs scored in Tests by West Indies, more than twice as many as the next best batsman, and two-thirds of the team's centuries, scoring ten of the team's first fourteen centuries in Test cricket. With all this on his shoulders, the man still managed to average 60, the third best average of all time for batsmen who've scored more than 2000 Test runs. This was truly a great, great batsman.
But perhaps even his greatest run-scoring feats at Test, First Class or League cricket could not eclipse the importance of his success had for the West Indies. Headley became an icon for a team establishing themselves in a white man's sport. Headley was described as "demonstrating black capacity". Writer M. Manley said of Headley that "in his carrying "the hopes of the black, English-speaking Caribbean man ... He was black excellence personified in a white world and in a white sport." Excellence, there can be no better word to describe Headley.
30. Rahul Dravid
Nominated by 25.00% users, Highest Ranking - 7
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 54 , Runs - 3329 @ 72.37 , HS - 270 , 100s - 11 , 50s - 12 , (From 11/04/2002 to 16/03/2005 )
Everything about Rahul Dravid was correct, proper and of another time. One of the true gentleman to have played the game Dravid's classically correct batting may not be seen in the game again. A technique built on supreme technicality, Dravid had all the shots and played them all, so perfectly. Allied to this were vast amounts of concentration, ensuring he became one of the all-time greats. Dravid could bat forever if needed, without ever looking winded.
At times he did; his 12 hour, 270 run vigil as captain, earned India its first series win in Pakistan in 2004. This was after his 835 min ode in Adelaide to help India win a test in Australia a year earlier. His 233 in the first innings, after coming in at 4/85 and a 72 not out in the second, sealed the the game. In 2011 in England, when the rest of the team disintegrated around him to a 4-0 loss, Dravid battled alone to the tune of 461 runs at 76.83 with three hundreds. In all, he had scored over 26% of India's runs in that series. Although he initially struggled in ODI's Dravid became a consistent enough scorer and backed by his keeping, played a pivotal role for India in the shortened format of the game.
He was part of the much celebrated Big Four batsmen in the Indian line-up - Tendulkar, Ganguly, VVS Laxman being the other three. He was the backbone off of which his other cavalier teammates played off. However, even in a career of so many highlights, his debut innings of 95, so classically perfect in every aspect, and his supporting act in the incredible Eden Garden recovery that saw India win after following on will forever stand the test of time. "The Wall" as he came to be known is now playing a pivotal coaching role at the U19 and A team levels in India. They could not ask for a better student and master of the game.
29. Leonard Hutton
Nominated by 31.25% users, Highest Ranking - 10
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 58 , Runs - 3354 @ 68.45 , HS - 206 , 100s - 10 , 50s - 17 , (From 22/07/1948 to 09/07/1953 )
When Herbert Sutcliffe gave a young boy of 13, a neighbour, some batting tips in his backyard, he could have hardly predicted who Len Hutton would turn out to be. Hutton impressed the England opener, as he did with everyone else involved in Yorkshire cricket at the time. Hutton rose through the ranks quickly, as an opening batsman with a superb technique and solid defence in the Yorkshire tradition, and at 17, was the youngest debutant for the county. Hutton however, felt a great burden on him at a young age - that of expectation. This was further elevated when Sutcliffe labelled him "a discovery of a generation". All before he'd played for England. And when he got the chance he did not fail to deliver. In only his sixth Test Hutton wrote himself into the record books in 1938 with the then highest individual score of 364. A record that stood for some 20 years.
Hutton continued to score consistently after the war but criticism of the nature of his runs was never too far away. "Dull" and "Pedestrian" were often used to describe Hutton's style. However, Hutton's style can be said to be a product of necessity more than anything else; for both Yorkshire and England became so heavily reliant on his contributions that Hutton felt a great deal of pressure to meet those expectations. It is, however, when Hutton was appointed the captain of England in 1952 that signified the stature Hutton was truly held to. Hutton, a professional, and not an amateur or a gentleman, was the first such appointment in England's cricketing History. It was indeed a paradigm shifting change. And it was proved to be a masterstroke as Hutton, the tough, determined professional from Yorkshire, regained the Ashes for England after a 20-year wait. And as if to prove a point, Hutton went out in a blaze of glory by touring Australia and retaining the Ashes in 1955/56 and was promptly knighted a few years later
28. Greg Chappell
Nominated by 50.00% users, Highest Ranking - 14
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 60 , Runs - 3182 @ 60.04 , HS - 235 , 100s - 9 , 50s - 16 , (From 28/11/1975 to 07/02/1981 )
It is a shame that World Series Cricket statistics are not officially recognised, for Greg Chappell's best performances arguably came in those 14 Super Tests where he amassed five hundreds and a total of 1415 runs at 56.6. This includes a dream run against West Indies - 45 and 90 in Barbados, 7 and 150 in Trinidad, 113 in Guyana and 104 and 85 in Antigua, all scored against an attack of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner on their home wickets.
It is these sorts of superlative batting feats that lead many to consider him the best Batsmen since Bradman to come out of Australia. Chappell, above all else, was a stylist who initially had a penchant for on side scoring. But with a changed grip on the advice of Bradman himself, he began to see more success. Indeed 7000+ Test runs at an average of 53 is the sign of a truly great player for that era when you consider the quality of attack that was going around the circuit. Chappell's career had all but an air of inevitability to it, and when he was made captain it seemed preordained. But leadership roles proved a trickier job than batting for Chappelle as, first as captain and later as coach, controversy followed him everywhere. From the infamous underarm incident and his spats with Indian captain Ganguly when he was the head coach that lead to the entire squad turning on him, life after cricket has proved harder than it was on it for Chappell.
27. Fred Trueman
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 12
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Wkts - 172 @ 20.6 , SR - 47.65 , BBI - 44/7 , 5W - 12 , 10W - 3 , (From 20/08/1959 to 18/06/1964 )
"Fiery" Fred Trueman was the first bowler to claim 300 Test wickets. He did so in 67 Tests at an average of 21 and a strike rate of 49. A brilliant strike rate given the era of defensive cricket he played in. Trueman was a true character of the game, so large that it could not be contained, but not for want of trying. England played 110 Tests during his career, but frequent clashes with authorities meant that Trueman was left out of teams he so clearly should have played in. It seemed impossible that, as he recorded season after season of 100+ wickets for his beloved Yorkshire, mostly with sub 20 averages, that he kept getting ignored. Trueman himself believed he would have topped 400 Tests wickets had he been given more chances.
With a physique atypical for a fast bowler - short but powerfully built - Trueman thundered into the crease and let go of the ball with his infamous "cartwheel" action. The mind only boggles at what he could have achieved had he actually been given his due. "The greatest bowler to ever draw breath?". Quite possibly.
26. Allan Border
Nominated by 62.50% users, Highest Ranking - 12
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 57 , Runs - 3012 @ 62.75 , HS - 196 , 100s - 10 , 50s - 12 , (From 02/01/1983 to 18/09/1986 )
How can anyone possibly quantify what Allan Border has meant for Australian cricket? Handed the team during Australia's darkest of times - with World Series Cricket and Rebel tours crippling the side, it was Border who stood on either side of the WSC ban and reconciliation to hold all the broken parts together. As Australia went from one loss to the other from the late 70's to the late 80's it would be hard to imagine anyone other than Border being able to muster the courage and the character needed to not only keep the team together but also to inspire and instil a belief that better days were coming. All the while not breaking down himself.
Border's durability within that context is incredible; with 153 of his 156 tests coming consecutively, still a world record. He lead from the front as he compiled more runs than anyone in a career by the time he retired - 11, 174 Test runs at 50 and an amazing 156 catches. He finally helped Australia turn the corner after a decade in the abyss with their celebrated 1987 World Cup win. But the following Ashes tour in 1989 was when Borders endurance truly paid off. From then on Australian cricket strengthened to such a degree that they dominated the sport for nearly two decades. Borders legacy is secured as his the debt Australia owes to him
25. Steve Waugh
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 7
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 53 , Runs - 2876 @ 71.9 , HS - 200 , 100s - 9 , 50s - 16 , (From 26/11/1993 to 03/07/1997 )
What makes a man? For Steven Roger waugh, it is arguably watching his younger twin brother, score a 100 on debut from the sidelines, after having been dropped to include him. Waugh burst onto the international arena; an all shot making, aggressive all-around player with style, who dominated his debut Ashes series. Then his form faded and he was unceremoniously dumped from the side. When he eventually forced himself back into the side he was a changed player. He took everything his mentor, Allan Border, had taught him, and put away all the flash strokes and focused on consistency. From that period on Waugh was arguably the best batsman in the world for a period, which included a a decade averaging nearly 57 between 93-04, a tremendous era of bowling talent.
Waugh's greatest ability was his ability to dig Australia out of holes, scoring runs when it got absolutely desperate for Australia, and thus establishing himself as the most valuable player in that era. Adversity was when the Ice Man came forth. It was him who stood up when the baton of the best side in the world exchanged hands in 1995 as his epic 200 took Australia to a win in the West Indies. It was his inspirational 120* that saw Australia take on the challenge to win 7 games in a row on their way to winning the 1999 WC. In the the 87 WC semi-final against Pakistan, he scored 18 runs in the final over, the margin of victory in the end. His often overlooked bowling shone in his early days - In the 87 WC, he restricted NZ to 3 runs when 7 were needed. In the final, Waugh bowled a 2 run penultimate over when 19 were needed off the last 2. His flint-eyed grit and ruthlessness were what saw him captain Australia to an unprecedented 16 test wins in a row. Waugh retired, by the measure of anyone, as a true symbol of Australia .
24. Ricky Ponting
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 7
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 54 , Runs - 3329 @ 72.37 , HS - 270 , 100s - 11 , 50s - 12 , (From 11/04/2002 to 16/03/2005 )
Ricky Ponting was reckless youth, a middling captain tasked with a difficult job, and one of the greatest fielders the game has ever seen. But the glue that held all these parts together was his batting. "Punter", as he was known, didn't just bat, he dominated, every ball, every shot, a statement of intent. Jarrod Kimber affectionately called his 100's the "**** you 100". Ponting didn't just want to score 100's he wanted to destroy attacks while he did it.
A batting prodigy who once scored 4 centuries in a week as a child he signalled early that he was the heir apparent as the next big thing out of Tasmania. But brushes with authority and the sheer depth of the Aussie talent pool meant Pointing had to wait to have his chance. When he did, it was batting on another level. A man who possessed all the shots and could play them all to devastating effect, Ponting quickly established himself as the hottest no 3 in world Cricket. In a run of 49 games between 2003 and 2009 Ponting averaged 70. No one one than Bradman has had a higher average for such a duration. ODI cricket came easily to him and his 149 in the 2003 WC final killed the contest in a matter of hours. It would be remiss to talk about Ponting without mentioning his fielding. Arguably one of the most complete fielders the game's ever seen, Ponting took 196 catches and seemingly hit the stumps at will. And based on our rankings the Ponting is indeed the second greatest batsmen to come from Australia.
23. Kumar Sangakkara
Nominated by 62.50% users, Highest Ranking - 10
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 63 , Runs - 3816 @ 65.79 , HS - 319 , 100s - 13 , 50s - 18 , (From 08/09/2011 to 17/06/2015 )
Kumar Sangakkara was unlike any Sri Lankan cricketer that had come before him. A man who, at times, seemed like he could easily be retrofitted into an era at the start of the century, he was not the cavalier exponent of batting that the Sri Lankan's are known for, nor the misrepresented underdog who would only smile back at the opponents. Sangakkara, with the deeds of his bat, his words and his presence, elevated the side and Sri Lankan cricket to hitherto unseen stature in international cricket. A prime accumulator of runs, his tally of 12400 at 57, batting at the pivotal number three indicates his pedigree. But this includes 40 odd tests where he kept. As pure batsman, Sangakkara averages an astronomical 67 in 86 Tests. Sangakkara did not burst onto the side as a natural talent - his all weather, all condition technique was one he purpose-built like a mechanic in a shop over years of patience and hard work. And when the runs started to flow, oh how they flowed. Sangakkara feasted on 11 double 100s, the most after Bradman with 12, and scored a century against all test playing nations. A man not known for iconic centuries, his 230, never broadcast, in the Asia cup final in 2002, while keeping, is perhaps his finest. A close second his 192 against Australia in a one-man show that saw him pull off the near impossible in Hobart. As he aged, Sangakkara was like a black hole devouring runs. He was the quickest man to 8000, 9000, 10000 (joint), 11000, 12000 Test Runs and ended his career with 28,016 international runs in all formats, second behind Sachin Tendulkar on the all-time list.
With his great mate, Mahela Jayawardene, the pair formed the second most successful batting combination in the game. Including the world record partnership of 624, the highest in first class cricket. For all his feats of run-making, criticism was not far away for Sangakkara in the limited overs formats. Primarily for his stoic approach to batting that had a negative impact on the teams own goals. This makes Sangakkara's renaissance as a LOI batsmen all the more remarkable. 6000 runs in his last 5 years at 52, including a world record four consecutive centuries in the 2015 WC attests to what Sangakkara could do when the mood set in. Had he played for - how to put this - a more "significant" side in cricket, his status would have been one of an immortal. That he has nearly achieved this anyway, makes Sangakkara all the more special
22. Ian Botham
Nominated by 62.50% users, Highest Ranking - 9
Peak 33
Batting
M -33 , Inns - 56 , Runs - 2466 @ 44.84 , HS - 208 , 100s - 7 , 50s - 13 , (From 16/07/1981 to 12/07/1984 )
Bowling
M -33 , Inns - 58 , Wkts - 167 @ 21.5 , SR - 48.29 , BBI - 48/7 , 5W - 13 , 10W - 4 , (From 10/08/1978 to 27/11/1981 )
"Right then, let's have a bit of fun" was what Botham reportedly said to Graham Dilley as Dilly strode out to the wicket with England at 135-7. Following on, 92 runs behind, staring at defeat, was when Ian Botham wrote himself into folklore and became a cricketing and cultural icon. His breathtaking 149* gave England a slender lead. And with an inspired BoB Willis, England won the impossible test. This feat alone would have been enough for any mortal. But Botham, ludicrously, repeated these performances in the next two games to bring home an improbable Ashes series win.
Beefy Botham is unparalleled as England's greatest match winner because of his incredible ability to fire both cylinders more often any other. Botham has managed to score a 100 and take a 5fer in a Test an amazing 5 times. The closest second only achieved this twice. He was also the first to score a century and take a 10fer in a Test. A rockstar cricketer bar none. His charity work earned him a deserving knighthood and his entertaining style now comes in the form of his voice for the sky commentary team.
21. Sunil Gavaskar
Nominated by 56.25% users, Highest Ranking - 5
Peak 33
M -33 , Inns - 59 , Runs - 3480 @ 62.14 , HS - 221 , 100s - 15 , 50s - 12 , (From 24/01/1976 to 30/08/1979 )
Sunil "Sunny" Gavaskar burst onto international cricket bigger than anyone before or since him. The staggering 774 runs scored in his debut series against the West Indies is still a record for a debutant. And when he eventually signed up from cricket, he left with the most runs scored by an individual, the most centuries and the most matches played. That he did this while batting at the precarious position of the opener, in an era with some exceptional fast bowlers, is one of the reasons many consider him to the greatest opener of all time.
Incredibly 13 of his 34 centuries came against the West Indian sides of the 70's and 80's. Even if these were not runs scored against the best the Islands had to offer, it still remains one of the most remarkable records in the history of the game. He is to date, still, the man who has scored the most centuries and centuries against the West Indies. It should come has no surprise that Gavaskar's technique was an impeccable study of technicality and a slow burn scoring rate. The "little master as he was known, stands a giant in the game.