Harsh Thakor
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My 12 best cricketers of all time in order of merit combining test matches and ODI's equally. Excludes any great cricketer who has not played ODI cricket or not more than 12 ODI games .Equal emphasis given on tests and ODIS.
1.Viv Richards-Decimated or intimidated opposition more than anyone and best match-winner.At top because he was also an all-time great captain unlike Sachin.Best of all ODI batsmen who championed finals in tournaments.Never lost a test series as a skipper from 1985-91.In peak period in combined cricket best of all batsmen.No cricketer delivered a greater death blow.His batting average in world cups speaks for itself ,as well as in 1977-78 in WSC supertests and when averaging over 118 in 4 tests in England in 1976 or 96.50 in Australia in 1979-80.Great cricketers have read Viv as more daunting than even Sachin or Lara,including those from later eras.
2.Sachin Tendulkar-The most complete of all batsmen whose staggering figures of 100 centuries is a yardstick for everyone.Not the greatest match-winner but for longevity the ultimate champion.Mastered any kind of conditions with consistency unmatched.Still did not win as many games as he could have lanking consistency in delivering a knockout punch.
3.Wasim Akram-Endowed with genius which arguably no pace bowler ever posessed with his magical variations.Even if Mcgrath had better stats it was Wasim who was morally the more impactful in all types of conditions.Best ever ODI bowler.For a period also a very successful test and ODI captain.Rated high also because he won more man of the match awards than any fast bowler of his time.
4.Shane Warne-The best match-wining cricketer of his day and leg-spinner ever who gave the art of leg spin a new definition.Above all played the biggest role in Australia's rise to an almost invincible cricketing power.
5.Imran Khan-Arguably the most charismatic cricketer ever who shaped his nation's destiny as none ever did.As a skipper took hi steam to reach the pedestal of joint unofficial world test champion sin 1988 in West Indies and official world ODI champion sin the 1992 world cup.From 1981-87 the best all-rounder in the world and at his peak close to the bets ever bowler .Although not attacking,Imran played some of the most defining innings in tests and ODI's ,becoming a great batsman towards the end of his career.I can never forget his bowling spells v India at Karchi and Hyderabad in 1982-83,at Leeds in 1987,at Trinidada and Georgetown in 1988 and earlier at Sydney in 1976-77.Close to the greatest of match-winners and all-time great captains.
6.Jacques Kallis-In terms of figures the best cricketer ever and arguably the 2nd best all-rounder of all time,if not the best.A model of consistency who at his peak also championed cause with the ball.However often did not step the gas to the extent required and scored bulk of runs against weaker opposition.To bat for your life he was the best of all all-rounders and also had some big scores versus Australia.Not great with both bat and ball at same time like Sobers.
7.Virat Kohli-Figures speak for themselves and he is the only one likey to emulate Sachin Tendulkar.Possesses match-winning killer instinct more than any batsmen today being a master in manouvering matches around him.
8.Brian Lara-No batsmen was blessed with more creative genius or natural talent or who could single-handedly win games for his team.At his best a better match-winner than even Tendulkar.
9.Richard Hadlee-The best ever bowler on green tops with a staggering haul of scalps as well as 5 and 10 wicket hauls,inspite of spearheading bowling attack of such a weak team.The most clinical pacemen of his day with more control than Lillee and Roberts.Also a more than useful batsmen.
10.Glen Mcgrath- Staistically the best ever bowler ,posessing more control and more relentless than anyone.-,with possible exception of Garner,Ambrose and Hadlee.Won 84 test matches for his country
11.Javed Miandad-Not the most elegant or technically correct but a master craftsman and ultimate one to niggle opponents or be a scourge in their eyes.Manipulated a cricket ball with great precision and imagination to be the biggest thorn in the flesh to opposition in a crisis.The one I would wish to have most in the climax of an ODI run chase,to steer a side across the line.
12.Ricky Ponting-One of the best players of genuine pace,front foot batsman and best exponents of the pull and hook shot ever.One of the architects in building the Australian cricketing empire taking his nation to the top of the pedestal in both forms of the game,as a player and captain.Arguably after Bradman no Australian batsman dominated bowling to the degree of Ricky,who looked like an ultimate batting machine.At one stage looked likely to rival Tendulkar ,but then declined after 2007.Not outstanding against spin or on turning surfaces .He also had an advantage of representing a champion side,thus not ranked with Tendulkar or Lara.
1.Viv Richards-Decimated or intimidated opposition more than anyone and best match-winner.At top because he was also an all-time great captain unlike Sachin.Best of all ODI batsmen who championed finals in tournaments.Never lost a test series as a skipper from 1985-91.In peak period in combined cricket best of all batsmen.No cricketer delivered a greater death blow.His batting average in world cups speaks for itself ,as well as in 1977-78 in WSC supertests and when averaging over 118 in 4 tests in England in 1976 or 96.50 in Australia in 1979-80.Great cricketers have read Viv as more daunting than even Sachin or Lara,including those from later eras.
2.Sachin Tendulkar-The most complete of all batsmen whose staggering figures of 100 centuries is a yardstick for everyone.Not the greatest match-winner but for longevity the ultimate champion.Mastered any kind of conditions with consistency unmatched.Still did not win as many games as he could have lanking consistency in delivering a knockout punch.
3.Wasim Akram-Endowed with genius which arguably no pace bowler ever posessed with his magical variations.Even if Mcgrath had better stats it was Wasim who was morally the more impactful in all types of conditions.Best ever ODI bowler.For a period also a very successful test and ODI captain.Rated high also because he won more man of the match awards than any fast bowler of his time.
4.Shane Warne-The best match-wining cricketer of his day and leg-spinner ever who gave the art of leg spin a new definition.Above all played the biggest role in Australia's rise to an almost invincible cricketing power.
5.Imran Khan-Arguably the most charismatic cricketer ever who shaped his nation's destiny as none ever did.As a skipper took hi steam to reach the pedestal of joint unofficial world test champion sin 1988 in West Indies and official world ODI champion sin the 1992 world cup.From 1981-87 the best all-rounder in the world and at his peak close to the bets ever bowler .Although not attacking,Imran played some of the most defining innings in tests and ODI's ,becoming a great batsman towards the end of his career.I can never forget his bowling spells v India at Karchi and Hyderabad in 1982-83,at Leeds in 1987,at Trinidada and Georgetown in 1988 and earlier at Sydney in 1976-77.Close to the greatest of match-winners and all-time great captains.
6.Jacques Kallis-In terms of figures the best cricketer ever and arguably the 2nd best all-rounder of all time,if not the best.A model of consistency who at his peak also championed cause with the ball.However often did not step the gas to the extent required and scored bulk of runs against weaker opposition.To bat for your life he was the best of all all-rounders and also had some big scores versus Australia.Not great with both bat and ball at same time like Sobers.
7.Virat Kohli-Figures speak for themselves and he is the only one likey to emulate Sachin Tendulkar.Possesses match-winning killer instinct more than any batsmen today being a master in manouvering matches around him.
8.Brian Lara-No batsmen was blessed with more creative genius or natural talent or who could single-handedly win games for his team.At his best a better match-winner than even Tendulkar.
9.Richard Hadlee-The best ever bowler on green tops with a staggering haul of scalps as well as 5 and 10 wicket hauls,inspite of spearheading bowling attack of such a weak team.The most clinical pacemen of his day with more control than Lillee and Roberts.Also a more than useful batsmen.
10.Glen Mcgrath- Staistically the best ever bowler ,posessing more control and more relentless than anyone.-,with possible exception of Garner,Ambrose and Hadlee.Won 84 test matches for his country
11.Javed Miandad-Not the most elegant or technically correct but a master craftsman and ultimate one to niggle opponents or be a scourge in their eyes.Manipulated a cricket ball with great precision and imagination to be the biggest thorn in the flesh to opposition in a crisis.The one I would wish to have most in the climax of an ODI run chase,to steer a side across the line.
12.Ricky Ponting-One of the best players of genuine pace,front foot batsman and best exponents of the pull and hook shot ever.One of the architects in building the Australian cricketing empire taking his nation to the top of the pedestal in both forms of the game,as a player and captain.Arguably after Bradman no Australian batsman dominated bowling to the degree of Ricky,who looked like an ultimate batting machine.At one stage looked likely to rival Tendulkar ,but then declined after 2007.Not outstanding against spin or on turning surfaces .He also had an advantage of representing a champion side,thus not ranked with Tendulkar or Lara.
