The Greatest Cricketers Ever - Top 50

[Asifnow]

In the last month or so, I have been compiling a list of the 50 greatest cricketers ever, similar to the format and criteria used by ESPN for their greatest boxers ever list some 15 years ago.

I will be producing this over the new few days, and providing write ups for a number of inclusions (probably on my favourites).

Eligibility criteria -

1974 and earlier:
A minimum of 20 tests
Batsmen must average 40 or more
Bowlers must average 35 or less
All rounders must have at least 1 century/2 5 wicket hauls

1975 and beyond (the modern era):
A minimum of 20 tests
A minimum of 50 ODIs
Test batting average of 45 or more
Test bowling average of 35 or less
ODI batting average of 30 or more
ODI bowling average of 30 or less
All rounders must have at least 2 centuries/5 5 wickets hauls
T20 cricket is not considered for eligibility

Players pre-1920 are not eligible.

I have changed the ODI batting average minimum criteria, as in practice it would have led to the exclusion of some terrific batsmen.

Below is my criteria for ranking:

1. Skillset
2. Number of runs/wickets
3. Comparison of achievements to contemporaries
4. Impact on the sport
5. Length of prime years

I will be updating once given the go ahead, and as I add my list of cricketers, feel free to fight over them !

 

[MenInG]

Looking forward to your post in this.

 

[Asifnow]

No. 50 Andrew Flintoff

No. 50 Andrew Flintoff​

Freddie, as he was so affectionately known, was not a man of numbers. His stats are good, maybe even very good but they fall short of the great all rounders of years past, yet he can't be judged by mere statistics. Freddie hast o be judged by his performances and he is a man who almost single-handedly reignited the English public's interest in cricket. It is his name which was sung around Lord's, The Oval, Headingley and beyond. It's his heart racing bowling spell remembered in 09 and 05 was his series. The singe most important cricket England had in a generation was a talisman. A brutal lower order hitter and a fiery, 95 mph bowler. There have not been many of those.

​

 

[Robert]

I wouldn’t call him the most important England cricketer in a generation. He was only really effective as an all rounder for about three years of his eleven in tests. He came up in a strong side which won a lot under Vaughan.

Just three test fivefers tells a tale. He was consistently too short for most of his career. He he pitched it up a yard in in England, he would have had many more wickets.

He was a really good ODI man though.

 

[Ab Fan]

In the last month or so, I have been compiling a list of the 50 greatest cricketers ever, similar to the format and criteria used by ESPN for their greatest boxers ever list some 15 years ago.

I will be producing this over the new few days, and providing write ups for a number of inclusions (probably on my favourites).

Eligibility criteria -

1974 and earlier:
A minimum of 20 tests
Batsmen must average 40 or more
Bowlers must average 35 or less
All rounders must have at least 1 century/2 5 wicket hauls

1975 and beyond (the modern era):
A minimum of 20 tests
A minimum of 50 ODIs
Test batting average of 45 or more
Test bowling average of 35 or less
ODI batting average of 30 or more
ODI bowling average of 30 or less
All rounders must have at least 2 centuries/5 5 wickets hauls
T20 cricket is not considered for eligibility

Players pre-1920 are not eligible.

I have changed the ODI batting average minimum criteria, as in practice it would have led to the exclusion of some terrific batsmen.

Below is my criteria for ranking:

1. Skillset
2. Number of runs/wickets
3. Comparison of achievements to contemporaries
4. Impact on the sport
5. Length of prime years

I will be updating once given the go ahead, and as I add my list of cricketers, feel free to fight over them !

Interesting really. But does Flintoff fulfills the criteria? It says five 5-fers but Freddy had only 3.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Top 3/5 or at a stretch 20 makes sense.

Anything beyond that you can't simply.put a number on it it's more of a league thing.

If you haven't completed it yet I have a suggestion for you.

Break it down tier wise. Make a pyramid of greatness

Greatest
Top 3
3-10
11-25

 

[Asifnow]

Interesting really. But does Flintoff fulfills the criteria? It says five 5-fers but Freddy had only 3.

Yes, across formats (it's why there is an increase to the pre-1975 players).

Top 3/5 or at a stretch 20 makes sense.

Anything beyond that you can't simply.put a number on it it's more of a league thing.

If you haven't completed it yet I have a suggestion for you.

Break it down tier wise. Make a pyramid of greatness

Greatest
Top 3
3-10
11-25

The list is completed, I am just completing some write ups. Thanks though

 

[Asifnow]

No. 49 Mahela Jayawardene

A class batsman who formed a wonderful partnership with childhood friend Kumar Sangakkara, blossomed into one of Sri Lanka's most aesthetically pleasing cricketers. His pose and play on both sides of the wicket was unremarkable but consistent - over ten thousand runs in both tests and ODIs attests to an exceptional perseverance and dedication. Not one of Sri Lanka's unique stars like Jayasuriya, Murali or Malinga but a standard bearer for technique and determination.

​

 

[Asifnow]

No. 48 Joe Root

In a career which has not yet even spanned ten years, Joe Root has centuries just about everywhere, has played some of England's best knocks of the century and solidified himself as an essential, all format cricketer. Four centuries across ICC ODI tournaments, a hunger and desire for runs and a terrific, series winning run of form in South Africa have placed him in the upper echelon of modern batsmen. It is exciting to think what he can achieve in yet another half a decade in the sport.

​

 

[Asifnow]

No. 47 - 45

No. 47 - Brett Lee
I was lucky enough to grow up in the age of the fast bowler, there were the Ws, the Windies duo of Walsh and Ambrose, white lightning from South Africa and a string of bit part players who did their bit. lee certainly wasn't the upper echelon of fast bowler but he was quick, almost as quick as the quickest there hasn't ever been. His deliveries pounced on a batsman in ways most Australian fast bowlers have not managed. He was "skiddy" as some put it, more like a Pakistan paceman than an Aussie. With that came his brilliant ODI yorker and at times, when he tried really hard, he even got the ball to reverse. He lit up every arena he ever played in.

​

No. 46 - Abdul Qadir
There are some sports people who revitalise their game, or an element of it at least. Qadir not only revitalised the art of leg spin, which had long since been lost in the shadow of mulleted, moustachoid fast bowlers, but inspired a new generation of spin bowlers. He was aggressive, flamboyant and brilliant. His ability to maintain quality under pressure has rarely been seen among spinners, too often were they used to being hit out and then walking away. Qadir was different. He was up for a fight and that endeared him to his great captain. His performances made him must watch sport, at a time when TV and replays were hard to come by. He was a ticket selling, bums on seat draw.

​

No. 45 - Mark Boucher
Wicket keepers have always been cricket's ginger stepchild. They are rarely brought up in best of discussions or mentioned beyond their batting. This is the reason why I never set a criteria on their eligibility, beyond the number of matches played. A great keeper, regardless of his batting, is one rarely spoken about, because if a keeper is mentioned, it is most often due to dropped catches than those taken. Boucher was an exceptional cricketer, one of the safest pair of hands there has ever been. His quiet calm behind the stumps held together one of the greatest teams to play the game. The fact that he could chip in with a few lower order runs adds to his greatness.

​

 

[MenInG]

Excellent effort - very curious to see where Kohli and Sachin will come in this list The real fun will begin then.

 

[Hitman]

Excellent effort - very curious to see where Kohli and Sachin will come in this list The real fun will begin then.

Naught, naughty MIGGY

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Excellent effort - very curious to see where Kohli and Sachin will come in this list The real fun will begin then.

Prediction
Kohli 15th
Tendulkar top 5

 

[Bhaijaan]

Prediction
Kohli 15th
Tendulkar top 5

Which means Imran and Lara and confirmed in Top 4

 

[Ab Fan]

Australia

McGrath
Warne
Lillee
Miller
Lee

Bradman
Ponting
Chappell
Border
S Waugh
S Smith
Gilchrist
Hayden

I can think of 13 names from Australia only lol. Not sure how you get all of them in fifty.

 

[Asifnow]

Excellent effort - very curious to see where Kohli and Sachin will come in this list The real fun will begin then.

Oh God, dont start

Prediction
Kohli 15th
Tendulkar top 5

Which means Imran and Lara and confirmed in Top 4

You guys should start pool!

 

[Asifnow]

No 44 - 40

No. 44 - Graeme Smith
Opening batsmen are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Smith is one of South Africa's best ever in the position; a strong willed, strong bodied individual who had the ability to grind with the best of them or to hit out, as evidenced by several memorable ODI innings but it is in the test arena where he deserves to be remembered best. A colossus for South Africa at the top of the innings, he made a mockery of Nasser Hussain's mockery in England and would cement his place as one of the very best batsmen in the world. However, it is for his captaincy that Smith is best remembered. After several false dawns, the nation had found their first incorruptible behemoth. It is easy to forget now, but Smith captained of the most successful test sides the game has ever seen, straddling the era of Australian dominance and the more open game post 2007.

No. 43 - Clive Lloyd
Smart, articulate, a genius of the game, Lloyd stands head and shoulders above many of his peers, both figuratively and literally. As captain, what more can I say that has not already been said; he led the greatest side the game has ever seen, pioneered the use of pace bowlers and intimidation, pushed the boundary when it came to fitness, game awareness and fielding. A man ahead of his time. As a batsman he is forgotten but Viv would never have been able to apply himself the way he did, if Loyd was not around to shore up an end and to mould the game to his tempo. He could manipulate fields and bowlers, so that he scored when and how he wanted. A true pioneer and a forgotten great.

​

No. 42 - Fred Trueman
All Yorkshire working class grit and brylcreem, Trueman was the archetype for modern fast bowlers. A beautiful, repetitive action, quick in his approach with sharp bite on the pitch and seam movement, just enough to garner the outside edge (or a forearm, no DRS and tonnes of home umpiring). He could also move the ball into the right hander and find the top of off. For a long time, Trueman was not only England's leading wicket taker but also the man young fast bowlers on the county circuit looked up to.

​

No. 41 - Kumar Sangakkara
Left handed batsman are supposed to be flashy, teetering on the edge between genius and madness; one who is also a keeper is supposed to launch into bowlers and annihilate attacks in short, powerful bursts. Sangakkara was none of those things. An intellectual on and off the pitch, it showed in his stoic presence at the crease, his calm against pace and spin and his immense batting fortitude. As a keeper he was excellent, as a batsman he was just about as good as it gets. He could unleash the style and flash if and when he wanted, but he largely played to the tune of his own inner calm, caressing the ball for singles, pinching doubles and pushing for boundaries when needed. A test average of almost 60 indicates he was the man.

No. 40 - Saeed Anwar
As cricket lovers, we all have a thing for left handers, especially ones that get the pulse racing, who can tear into bowling attacks and innovate shots, Anwar was just such a batsman. His brilliant, flowing play was limited by a limited test career, 55 games in total; indicative more of the tumultuous 90s than his lack of quality. Then umber of ODI games is better serving of his talent and highlights just how much of a pioneer he was in the format. He scored quickly but rarely hit the ball too hard, his 20 centuries at the top of the tree indicates consistency, not "mercurial talent". His counter attacks in test cricket, witnessed best against India and England indicate an eye of the tiger. With the exceptions of possibly Gower and Lara, there has never been a more eye-catching lefty.

​

 

[Titan24]

I think Sanga is a bit low as guy averages more than many players considered greats in people eyes and also averaged 60+ in Aus, NZ along 40+ in Eng. There are 7 countries where he averaged 60+ in tests. Not to forget his achievements as WK.

 

[Bhaijaan]

41. Sangakkara
40. Anwar


Bro i am starting to like you

 

[Asifnow]

I think Sanga is a bit low as guy averages more than many players considered greats in people eyes and also averaged 60+ in Aus, NZ along 40+ in Eng. There are 7 countries where he averaged 60+ in tests. Not to forget his achievements as WK.

I really think the people I have ranked anywhere between 30-50 have, at times, very little between them. Sanga could easily be higher, as could Lee or Qadir. There is just so little room to manoeuvre with some.

 

[Bhaijaan]

I really think the people I have ranked anywhere between 30-50 have, at times, very little between them. Sanga could easily be higher, as could Lee or Qadir. There is just so little room to manoeuvre with some.

You are right Asif bhai. Please no need to explain stick to your guns.

This is truly a work of art.

 

[Titan24]

I really think the people I have ranked anywhere between 30-50 have, at times, very little between them. Sanga could easily be higher, as could Lee or Qadir. There is just so little room to manoeuvre with some.

Lee, Qadir don’t necessarily have the test numbers which Sanga has as a player but at the same time I understand that there are a lot of cricketers in the time period you are looking for so you have to take a lot of aspects into account.

I must say [MENTION=152140]Asifnow[/MENTION] I am eagerly waiting for the others in the top 50 and its a great initiative.

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Ooh in here for the fireworks...

 

[Asifnow]

No. 39 - 35

No. 39 - Curtly Ambrose
A tall, languid man, built in the mould or Joel Garner but with a more menacing edge, Ambrose is the archetypal Windies fast bowler. It is odd to imagine that he came about at a time when the West Indies were already in decline, one of the best, most deadliest fast bowlers around, at a time when the greatness of his team was fading. By the time he retired, the sun had well and truly set but all the while, from start to finish, he was a brutal, thunderous test bowler.

No. 38 - Shoaib Akhtar
The ultimate fast bowler right here. Muscular, deadly, bouncers, yorkers, swing and reverse, on his day, The Rawalpindi Express had everything. It is rare to come across such a complete bowler, who did not always compete in a complete manner; but on those occasions when he was fit, determined and captained well, there were few like him. His strike rate and averages are truly upper tier, his pace second to none and his match winning spells as definitive as any other great bowler. Never has fast bowling meant so much.

No. 37 - Zaheer Abbas
The most elegant of Pakistani batsmen. His cover drive, his whip to the leg side, his quick grab for a single, his straight for a boundary can all be seen in highlights, and we are lucky to have those highlights. What is not highlighted in these clips of a bygone age of batsmanship is the sheer brilliance of the runs Abbas made, they came on wet outfields, in conditions where the bowl swung far more than it does now, at times on uncovered wickets. To score fluidly, with strike rates nearing modern batsmen is one thing, to do it when the game is not in your favour is another.

No. 36 - Virender Sehwag
Imagine if Sehwag was born ten years later, was now 31 and playing on grounds where boundaries are barely 65m, two new balls in ODIs, fielding restrictions every which way and free hits....oh the carnage. In the previous decade, without all these mod cons, Sehwag was a man apart. A test opening batsman who played with ODI brutality and he played ODIs with the type of rage normally reserved for the boxing ring. His list of big hundreds at barely believable rates will never be bettered.

No. 35 - James Anderson
There are some athletes where the sheer numbers are immense. Roger Federer and his singles titles or Bernard Hopkins and his championship wins over the age of forty...then there is James Anderson 871 international wickets, across 364 international matches. Factor in the 1500+ wickets he has in domestic cricket and the fact that he has played near 700 first class games....it is enough to boggle the mind. Anderson is still playing, still picking wickets, still maintaining fitness when not injured and still nipping the ball better than just about anyone before him.

 

[Robert]

Putting Shoaib (178 test wickets) and Anderson (average with the Kookaburra ball) above Trueman (his nation’s best and one time test wicket record holder) and Ambrose (super accurate and reliable, and on his day a bulldozer) makes no sense to me at all.

 

[Ab Fan]

I am expecting that we will have the complete list by this weekend ( long weekend). So, will be fun to debate once we enter into the top-20.

 

[Srtfan]

Akhtar better than Ambrose???

 

[therealAB]

curtly >>>>> shoaib, jimmy
sanga >>>>> zaheer "ooh fast bowling im scared" abbas

 

[Asifnow]

I am expecting that we will have the complete list by this weekend ( long weekend). So, will be fun to debate once we enter into the top-20.

so no pressure then

 

[Asifnow]

No. 34 - 30

No. 34 - Mohammad Yousuf
Yousuf may just be the most elegant batsman to come out of Asia, certainly in modern times. His brilliant 2006, which saw him break the record for most runs in a calendar year and centuries elevates him to the very top tier of batsman. In that disastrous England tour, he was a class above his compatriots, a brilliant double at Lord's, a near double at Leeds set him apart as the very best on show. His exploits against a rising India side was as good as Pakistani batting got at the time. Couple that with one of the best ODI records at the time and there is the hint of an almost complete batsman.

No. 33 - Shaun Pollock
Part of the proud, highly thought of Pollock dynasty, Shaun had the longest and most viewed career of his great line. Whereas his predecessors were cut short by their country's unforgiving Apartheid, Pollock came of age as South Africa were resurgent. In that early period, he was arguably one of the nation's most loved sporting heroes. Quiet but confident, calm yet combative, Pollock was an exceptional all rounder. He could flash his blade as well as just about anybody in the lower order but it wash is bowling which made him a cut above the rest. A brilliant swing bowler who was also an ODI spearhead, he helped South Africa through the dark days and into the modern behemoths that they would become.

No. 32 - Younis Khan
The most enigmatic of Pakistan's 00s batting trio. A ruthless run maker who could not get along with authority, whether it belonged to someone else, or himself. Yet when his head was clear, as it largely was throughout the last decade, and he focused on his batting, there were few batsman better in the game. His rearguards became not just the stuff of legend but an almost routine escape act (alongside his apt partner Misbah ul Haq). The fact that he could score second inning hundreds and chase world record scores only adds to the legend. As an ODI batsman he was solid, if unremarkable but in an age when the limited overs side fluctuated between the macabre and the insane, he often dug in and did his best. In combination, there are few who have scored more, or done so in such unique fashion.

No. 31 - Frank Worrell
The great man himself. The first coloured captain for the West Indies, a brilliant batsman with a steady head and one of the truly great captains. As a batsman, he was comfortable with the ball coming into his pads, whipping it way down leg side; if the bowler drifted too wide, he would reach for a drive through the covers, forever emulated by West Indian batsmen in the years that followed. As captain he was the great diplomat, a man of integrity and courage. A true cricketing pioneer, and that often goes hand in hand with greatness.

No. 30 - Steven Smith
Still only 30 years old, Smith has a long career to carve for himself but he is already synonymous with being a great test run maker; long forgotten are the memories of a gangly, uncomfortable leg spinner or put upon all rounder. He is now a top class batsman. Unorthodox technique, some may say, no technique at all, it certainly is not found in cricket books or written about with wishful thinking in Wisden, but it is effective. Steven Smith is effective. He has the knack of all great batsmen, to find runs where there may be none, to score where others can't, to tame the demons in the pitch.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Terrific selections Asif bhai.

Would have personally liked Shoaib Akhtar a lot higher maybe in Top 25 but i am biased as i admit.

 

[Zaz]

Very interesting list so far though surprised the likes of ambrose and sanga are so far down it

 

[Hitman]

Shoaib Akhtar greater than Curtley Ambrose? )

I'm pretty sure Imran Khan would be in the top 3.

 

[Asifnow]

No. 29 - 25

No. 29 - Matthew Hayden
Hayden bridges the gap (alongside Sehwag) between the modern powerhouse batsman who can strike just as well in tests as in limited overs cricket. Unlike many of those other hard hitting batsmen, he was remarkably consistent, 30 test hundreds can not be scored any other way. The fact that through it all he was the muscle head at the top of a remarkable batting order, buoyed by confidence grit, determination and self belief. That was a great team to watch, and as fun as it was to see Warne bamboozle opponents, Ponting hook and pull, Gilchrist assault....Hayden's brutish performances were right up there. Rarely has an opening batsman been so feared.

No. 28 - Inzamam Ul Haq
Inzy, as he was often known, was a rock in Pakistan's often fragile middle order. In his prime, he was a fluid stroke maker who loved taking on the fast bowlers and in his earliest days, he walked to the crease like Viv, chewing gum and without a helmet. Then he got going, moving his large forearms in unison with subtle yet powerful wrists. Most iconic for that knock in the '92 world cup but who can forget his rearguards against India, Bangladesh and England. As the world seemed to crumble around him, he stood still. An understudy to the three great batsmen of his age but no less important to the sport in those heady days gone by.

No. 27 - AB de Villiers
For a long time, in cricket, fans marvelled at the brilliance of stroke play from the likes of Viv, Greenidge, Botham and co. As the 90s came to an end, they marvelled at Lara, yet none would come to encompass the complete art of stroke making, 360 as we now know it, than a certain South African superstar. The brightest light in a stellar Saffers constellation, his ability to play all around him, against the best bowlers the rest of the world has to offer has not been surpassed. Even in the modern day of Buttler, Stokes and co, it is unlikely they can achieve that purest of batting stroke play.

No. 26 - Adam Gilchrist
It's another one of those names from that golden team, Gilchrist. The greatest keeper batsman to have donned the gloves and blasted with the bat. Just as ferocious and dangerous in both formats of the game, he showed what could be done by a keeper who had to bat lower down....or higher up. Gilchrist was just as important nearer the top of the order in ODI cricket as he was bridging the gap between batting and bowling in tests. Yet none of that would have mattered if he was not the calm, skilled and athletic presence behind the stumps. Has there been a more consistent keeper? Just how many wickets less would the likes of McGrath, Warne and Gillespie have had if Gilly wasn't around. They have a lot to thank him for.

No. 25 - Michael Holding
"The umpire had to look behind, just to make sure he was coming," is what they said of Holding. Whispering Death indeed. Fluid, as if every joint was greased from birth, he glided to the crease and before you can even see it (rewind if you have to) the ball is spearing up at the batsman; that is how fluid his arms were. Everything measured, everything in its time. There are greater bowlers but none are as aesthetically pleasing and none produced that pace, from so little effort. Holding also had the ability to move the ball and his away swinger to the right handers was a serious weapon.

 

[Asifnow]

Thanks for all the comments guys...I will try and reply to some of the discussions once the list is all written in.

 

[Asifnow]

No. 24 - 20

No. 24 - Waqar Younis
Younis was quick, ferociously quick. At his very best he would have been a shade under the limits that Akhtar and Lee would reach years later. Even in his swansong, playing T20 cricket in England he could routinely hit 90 mph...but so what? Many before and since have been fast. Waqar combined speed with precision and consistency. His average a little over 23 in tests and ODIs is remarkable, it becomes even more impressive when you factor in that he played the majority of his games on the slow, low, dusty pitches of Asia. His ability with the new ball was good but it was the older ball that made him great. That reverse swinging yorker is iconic and the best ever, not to be outdone, he could also get it to reverse swing away from the right hander, off a good length, leaving many batsmen bamboozled and unaware of what has just happened. A most complete fast bowler.

No. 23 - Sunil Gavaskar
The 70s and 80s produced batsmen who knew how to grind, Gavaskar knew this better than just about anyone else. He could dig himself in, barely play a shot and wait for the bowlers to tire themselves out. He did this, again and again and again. Test cricket, when Sunny was around, truly was a game of attrition, focus and will. That will was on show repeatedly, as Indians fell all around him against the mighty West Indies. It did not fade, it rarely wavered.

No. 22 - Steve Waugh
Captain fantastic, the most......minded Australia captain of them all. The side was not what it could be in the mid 90s. Steve Waugh knew this. They needed to win, not just to survive like Border's Australians, but to dominate. He adopted Border's "win ugly" tactics but he vamped them up to 100. The Australians were now all going to hunt you down, rip you apart and bathe in your blood. That was the mindset Steve instilled in his team, it may not have been the best, it certainly wasn't attractive, then neither was his batting. He punched into his teams soul and stole runs where there weren't any and made runs against the best bowlers of his day.

No. 21 - Len Hutton
The greatest of English batsman, a sublime touch and the will to try and score as much as possible. It is impressive seeing his record on unfavourable pitches, when damp could bog the game down. He was not a hacker or slasher like some of his contemporaries. His technique was in line with what one can conclude is a modern, developed technique. What his footage and you can see the seeds of the modern test batsman. Add to that his mountains of runs and legendary feats in the County circuit, back when it meant something and you see a great.

No. 20 - Virat Kohli
The highest ranked of the modern "Fab Four", Kohli is already a certified great. His combination of skill, fitness, durability and technique...don't forget the technique. For all his talent it would mean nothing if not for his high elbow, head over ball, eyes constantly watching. This is a man who has practiced for hours and learned his trade inside out. His youthful flare is now not quite what it was but this is by design, a need to score the volumes of runs he made in ODI cricket, translated into the test arena. Now the conversation is, how much greater can he become?

 

[Bhaijaan]

Asif bhai thanks for declaring Virat Kohli as greatest active batsman in the game.

It's a huge honour for Indian

 

[Ab Fan]

Gavaskar and Kohli should swap places IMO. Kohli is nowhere close to the test bat Gavaskar was.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

No. 24 - Waqar Younis
Younis was quick, ferociously quick. At his very best he would have been a shade under the limits that Akhtar and Lee would reach years later. Even in his swansong, playing T20 cricket in England he could routinely hit 90 mph...but so what? Many before and since have been fast. Waqar combined speed with precision and consistency. His average a little over 23 in tests and ODIs is remarkable, it becomes even more impressive when you factor in that he played the majority of his games on the slow, low, dusty pitches of Asia. His ability with the new ball was good but it was the older ball that made him great. That reverse swinging yorker is iconic and the best ever, not to be outdone, he could also get it to reverse swing away from the right hander, off a good length, leaving many batsmen bamboozled and unaware of what has just happened. A most complete fast bowler.

No. 23 - Sunil Gavaskar
The 70s and 80s produced batsmen who knew how to grind, Gavaskar knew this better than just about anyone else. He could dig himself in, barely play a shot and wait for the bowlers to tire themselves out. He did this, again and again and again. Test cricket, when Sunny was around, truly was a game of attrition, focus and will. That will was on show repeatedly, as Indians fell all around him against the mighty West Indies. It did not fade, it rarely wavered.

No. 22 - Steve Waugh
Captain fantastic, the most......minded Australia captain of them all. The side was not what it could be in the mid 90s. Steve Waugh knew this. They needed to win, not just to survive like Border's Australians, but to dominate. He adopted Border's "win ugly" tactics but he vamped them up to 100. The Australians were now all going to hunt you down, rip you apart and bathe in your blood. That was the mindset Steve instilled in his team, it may not have been the best, it certainly wasn't attractive, then neither was his batting. He punched into his teams soul and stole runs where there weren't any and made runs against the best bowlers of his day.

No. 21 - Len Hutton
The greatest of English batsman, a sublime touch and the will to try and score as much as possible. It is impressive seeing his record on unfavourable pitches, when damp could bog the game down. He was not a hacker or slasher like some of his contemporaries. His technique was in line with what one can conclude is a modern, developed technique. What his footage and you can see the seeds of the modern test batsman. Add to that his mountains of runs and legendary feats in the County circuit, back when it meant something and you see a great.

No. 20 - Virat Kohli
The highest ranked of the modern "Fab Four", Kohli is already a certified great. His combination of skill, fitness, durability and technique...don't forget the technique. For all his talent it would mean nothing if not for his high elbow, head over ball, eyes constantly watching. This is a man who has practiced for hours and learned his trade inside out. His youthful flare is now not quite what it was but this is by design, a need to score the volumes of runs he made in ODI cricket, translated into the test arena. Now the conversation is, how much greater can he become?

I dont agree Steve Waugh is above Sunil Gavaskar.Asess the quality of the team Gavaskar played for,the bowling attacks he faced ,the batting records he broke and his average percentage score .Sunil above all opened the batting.Waugh was a master in a crisis but not the equal of Gavaskar who was arguably the best batsmen of his era or even the closest to the Don.To me it was not Waugh's captaincy that changed the shape of Australian cricket but their phenomenal talent.To me even Alan Border or Javed Miandad were more impactful than Steve.Border set up the nucleus of Australian cricket becoming an empire.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

No. 39 - Curtly Ambrose
A tall, languid man, built in the mould or Joel Garner but with a more menacing edge, Ambrose is the archetypal Windies fast bowler. It is odd to imagine that he came about at a time when the West Indies were already in decline, one of the best, most deadliest fast bowlers around, at a time when the greatness of his team was fading. By the time he retired, the sun had well and truly set but all the while, from start to finish, he was a brutal, thunderous test bowler.

No. 38 - Shoaib Akhtar
The ultimate fast bowler right here. Muscular, deadly, bouncers, yorkers, swing and reverse, on his day, The Rawalpindi Express had everything. It is rare to come across such a complete bowler, who did not always compete in a complete manner; but on those occasions when he was fit, determined and captained well, there were few like him. His strike rate and averages are truly upper tier, his pace second to none and his match winning spells as definitive as any other great bowler. Never has fast bowling meant so much.

No. 37 - Zaheer Abbas
The most elegant of Pakistani batsmen. His cover drive, his whip to the leg side, his quick grab for a single, his straight for a boundary can all be seen in highlights, and we are lucky to have those highlights. What is not highlighted in these clips of a bygone age of batsmanship is the sheer brilliance of the runs Abbas made, they came on wet outfields, in conditions where the bowl swung far more than it does now, at times on uncovered wickets. To score fluidly, with strike rates nearing modern batsmen is one thing, to do it when the game is not in your favour is another.

No. 36 - Virender Sehwag
Imagine if Sehwag was born ten years later, was now 31 and playing on grounds where boundaries are barely 65m, two new balls in ODIs, fielding restrictions every which way and free hits....oh the carnage. In the previous decade, without all these mod cons, Sehwag was a man apart. A test opening batsman who played with ODI brutality and he played ODIs with the type of rage normally reserved for the boxing ring. His list of big hundreds at barely believable rates will never be bettered.

No. 35 - James Anderson
There are some athletes where the sheer numbers are immense. Roger Federer and his singles titles or Bernard Hopkins and his championship wins over the age of forty...then there is James Anderson 871 international wickets, across 364 international matches. Factor in the 1500+ wickets he has in domestic cricket and the fact that he has played near 700 first class games....it is enough to boggle the mind. Anderson is still playing, still picking wickets, still maintaining fitness when not injured and still nipping the ball better than just about anyone before him.

No way Amnbrose below James Anderson ,Zaheer Abbas or Sehwag.Few cricketers ever surpassed the match-winning ability and consistency of Curtly,let alone being the most accurate pace bowler of all.On bad wickets he wast he best of all pacemen and none was better in bowling in a 4th innings in defending a small total.His best spells were arguably beter than those of the best of Marshall,Wasim or Hadlee .True he was not at his best on falt decks or as versatile as Wasim or Marshall but he was more explosive than anyone.Zaheer Abbas was close to the very best in ODI's ,the best batsmen on flat wickets and a master aginst spin but not consistent against great pace or in a crisis.I would bracket him with a Gower,Crowe,Cowdrey or Vishwanath.True at his bet he was as good as anyone but that wa son flat tracks either in Pakistan or in England.No doubt at times he performed well in Australia like when averaging over 57 in 1976-77 and 56 in 1981-82.Above all he was the game's supreme stylist and adding ODI's arguably only behind Javed Miandad amongst Pakistani batsmen.Sehwag was reminiscent of a dynamite with the greatest penchant for mammoth scores who at his best could turn games more than even Tendulkar but fell out because of lack of consistency overseas.

Curtly's average of 20.97 and his best match-winning efforts speak for themselves.Anderson was basically a warhorse even of he was adept in the art of swing.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

No. 29 - Matthew Hayden
Hayden bridges the gap (alongside Sehwag) between the modern powerhouse batsman who can strike just as well in tests as in limited overs cricket. Unlike many of those other hard hitting batsmen, he was remarkably consistent, 30 test hundreds can not be scored any other way. The fact that through it all he was the muscle head at the top of a remarkable batting order, buoyed by confidence grit, determination and self belief. That was a great team to watch, and as fun as it was to see Warne bamboozle opponents, Ponting hook and pull, Gilchrist assault....Hayden's brutish performances were right up there. Rarely has an opening batsman been so feared.

No. 28 - Inzamam Ul Haq
Inzy, as he was often known, was a rock in Pakistan's often fragile middle order. In his prime, he was a fluid stroke maker who loved taking on the fast bowlers and in his earliest days, he walked to the crease like Viv, chewing gum and without a helmet. Then he got going, moving his large forearms in unison with subtle yet powerful wrists. Most iconic for that knock in the '92 world cup but who can forget his rearguards against India, Bangladesh and England. As the world seemed to crumble around him, he stood still. An understudy to the three great batsmen of his age but no less important to the sport in those heady days gone by.

No. 27 - AB de Villiers
For a long time, in cricket, fans marvelled at the brilliance of stroke play from the likes of Viv, Greenidge, Botham and co. As the 90s came to an end, they marvelled at Lara, yet none would come to encompass the complete art of stroke making, 360 as we now know it, than a certain South African superstar. The brightest light in a stellar Saffers constellation, his ability to play all around him, against the best bowlers the rest of the world has to offer has not been surpassed. Even in the modern day of Buttler, Stokes and co, it is unlikely they can achieve that purest of batting stroke play.

No. 26 - Adam Gilchrist
It's another one of those names from that golden team, Gilchrist. The greatest keeper batsman to have donned the gloves and blasted with the bat. Just as ferocious and dangerous in both formats of the game, he showed what could be done by a keeper who had to bat lower down....or higher up. Gilchrist was just as important nearer the top of the order in ODI cricket as he was bridging the gap between batting and bowling in tests. Yet none of that would have mattered if he was not the calm, skilled and athletic presence behind the stumps. Has there been a more consistent keeper? Just how many wickets less would the likes of McGrath, Warne and Gillespie have had if Gilly wasn't around. They have a lot to thank him for.

No. 25 - Michael Holding
"The umpire had to look behind, just to make sure he was coming," is what they said of Holding. Whispering Death indeed. Fluid, as if every joint was greased from birth, he glided to the crease and before you can even see it (rewind if you have to) the ball is spearing up at the batsman; that is how fluid his arms were. Everything measured, everything in its time. There are greater bowlers but none are as aesthetically pleasing and none produced that pace, from so little effort. Holding also had the ability to move the ball and his away swinger to the right handers was a serious weapon.

Arguably Inzy is an all-time great who posessed talent in the deth of a Tendulkar or Lara, with more skill against express pace.However he fell out on temperament and consistency not being at his best against Australia and South Africa .No doubt the best match-winners statistically with an average of over 78 in games won but still technically not in the class of the very best like Gavaskar or Tendulkar nor as artistic as Martin Crowe or Gower.Inzy to me rates a few inches below a David Gower,Colin Cowdrey ,Peter May or Ted Dexter .Perhaps a draw with VVS Laxman or Mark Waugh.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Michael Holding without doubt was the most aesthetic of fast bowlers in terms of bowling action who consistently posessed more speed through th air than any pacemen.He has to his credit the best ever test bowling spell at the Oval in 1976 of 14-149 and the best ever over bowled to Geoff Boycott at Barbados in 1981 when he cartwheeled him of the final delivery.

However it was Andy Roberts who was craftier and more versatile.Roberts posessed a slow and a faster bouncer which the batsmen could not detect,a very effective outswinger ,a subtle change in pace,was a master in disguising the path of the ball and could bring a 120 over old ball to nip back.Holding was faster and had a better action but not as deceptive as Andy ,who had a more effective slower ball.

Sunil Gavaskar and the Chappell brothers felt Andy was the best paceman they ever faced while Dennis Lillee regarded Roberts as the most complete fast bowler of his era.Even Barry Richards and Ian Botham placed Roberts only behind Lillee.

To me it was a a virtual draw with Holdings speed through the air and art but perhaps with a gun on my head I would choose Andy.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

No. 44 - Graeme Smith
Opening batsmen are damned if they do, damned if they don't. Smith is one of South Africa's best ever in the position; a strong willed, strong bodied individual who had the ability to grind with the best of them or to hit out, as evidenced by several memorable ODI innings but it is in the test arena where he deserves to be remembered best. A colossus for South Africa at the top of the innings, he made a mockery of Nasser Hussain's mockery in England and would cement his place as one of the very best batsmen in the world. However, it is for his captaincy that Smith is best remembered. After several false dawns, the nation had found their first incorruptible behemoth. It is easy to forget now, but Smith captained of the most successful test sides the game has ever seen, straddling the era of Australian dominance and the more open game post 2007.

No. 43 - Clive Lloyd
Smart, articulate, a genius of the game, Lloyd stands head and shoulders above many of his peers, both figuratively and literally. As captain, what more can I say that has not already been said; he led the greatest side the game has ever seen, pioneered the use of pace bowlers and intimidation, pushed the boundary when it came to fitness, game awareness and fielding. A man ahead of his time. As a batsman he is forgotten but Viv would never have been able to apply himself the way he did, if Loyd was not around to shore up an end and to mould the game to his tempo. He could manipulate fields and bowlers, so that he scored when and how he wanted. A true pioneer and a forgotten great.

View attachment 100619​

No. 42 - Fred Trueman
All Yorkshire working class grit and brylcreem, Trueman was the archetype for modern fast bowlers. A beautiful, repetitive action, quick in his approach with sharp bite on the pitch and seam movement, just enough to garner the outside edge (or a forearm, no DRS and tonnes of home umpiring). He could also move the ball into the right hander and find the top of off. For a long time, Trueman was not only England's leading wicket taker but also the man young fast bowlers on the county circuit looked up to.

View attachment 100620​

No. 41 - Kumar Sangakkara
Left handed batsman are supposed to be flashy, teetering on the edge between genius and madness; one who is also a keeper is supposed to launch into bowlers and annihilate attacks in short, powerful bursts. Sangakkara was none of those things. An intellectual on and off the pitch, it showed in his stoic presence at the crease, his calm against pace and spin and his immense batting fortitude. As a keeper he was excellent, as a batsman he was just about as good as it gets. He could unleash the style and flash if and when he wanted, but he largely played to the tune of his own inner calm, caressing the ball for singles, pinching doubles and pushing for boundaries when needed. A test average of almost 60 indicates he was the man.

No. 40 - Saeed Anwar
As cricket lovers, we all have a thing for left handers, especially ones that get the pulse racing, who can tear into bowling attacks and innovate shots, Anwar was just such a batsman. His brilliant, flowing play was limited by a limited test career, 55 games in total; indicative more of the tumultuous 90s than his lack of quality. Then umber of ODI games is better serving of his talent and highlights just how much of a pioneer he was in the format. He scored quickly but rarely hit the ball too hard, his 20 centuries at the top of the tree indicates consistency, not "mercurial talent". His counter attacks in test cricket, witnessed best against India and England indicate an eye of the tiger. With the exceptions of possibly Gower and Lara, there has never been a more eye-catching lefty.

View attachment 100621​

Anwar was a batting genius and would make the all-time left handers team.However his achievements do not equal those of Clive Lloyd who literally gave West Indies cricket a new dimension or shape.I can ner forget how Clive's batting on countless occasions set up big victories for his team whether in India ,England or Australia and from 1981-985 he overshadowed even Viv Richards in consistency.No batsmen performed better than the greatest pair of Lillee-Thomson as Clive who averaged 46.90 in 1975-76 down under.Clive played an instrumental role in West Indies winning their 1st series ever in Australia in 1979-80 and in both their series win sin India.Clive was also the architect of West Indies winning the 1975 cricket world cup with what was arguably amongst the 5 best ODI innings ever.

Anwar did not do complete justice to his potential.Ofcourse on his day the equal of a Sachin or Lara.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Anwar was a batting genius and would make the all-time left handers team.However his achievements do not equal those of Clive Lloyd who literally gave West Indies cricket a new dimension or shape.I can ner forget how Clive's batting on countless occasions set up big victories for his team whether in India ,England or Australia and from 1981-985 he overshadowed even Viv Richards in consistency.No batsmen performed better than the greatest pair of Lillee-Thomson as Clive who averaged 46.90 in 1975-76 down under.Clive played an instrumental role in West Indies winning their 1st series ever in Australia in 1979-80 and in both their series win sin India.Clive was also the architect of West Indies winning the 1975 cricket world cup with what was arguably amongst the 5 best ODI innings ever.

Anwar did not do complete justice to his potential.Ofcourse on his day the equal of a Sachin or Lara.

Sangakaara record is too staggering for Anwar to be rated ahead.Sanga is closer to around 20-25 with his phenomenal record.No way can they be even so close.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

No. 29 - Matthew Hayden
Hayden bridges the gap (alongside Sehwag) between the modern powerhouse batsman who can strike just as well in tests as in limited overs cricket. Unlike many of those other hard hitting batsmen, he was remarkably consistent, 30 test hundreds can not be scored any other way. The fact that through it all he was the muscle head at the top of a remarkable batting order, buoyed by confidence grit, determination and self belief. That was a great team to watch, and as fun as it was to see Warne bamboozle opponents, Ponting hook and pull, Gilchrist assault....Hayden's brutish performances were right up there. Rarely has an opening batsman been so feared.

No. 28 - Inzamam Ul Haq
Inzy, as he was often known, was a rock in Pakistan's often fragile middle order. In his prime, he was a fluid stroke maker who loved taking on the fast bowlers and in his earliest days, he walked to the crease like Viv, chewing gum and without a helmet. Then he got going, moving his large forearms in unison with subtle yet powerful wrists. Most iconic for that knock in the '92 world cup but who can forget his rearguards against India, Bangladesh and England. As the world seemed to crumble around him, he stood still. An understudy to the three great batsmen of his age but no less important to the sport in those heady days gone by.

No. 27 - AB de Villiers
For a long time, in cricket, fans marvelled at the brilliance of stroke play from the likes of Viv, Greenidge, Botham and co. As the 90s came to an end, they marvelled at Lara, yet none would come to encompass the complete art of stroke making, 360 as we now know it, than a certain South African superstar. The brightest light in a stellar Saffers constellation, his ability to play all around him, against the best bowlers the rest of the world has to offer has not been surpassed. Even in the modern day of Buttler, Stokes and co, it is unlikely they can achieve that purest of batting stroke play.

No. 26 - Adam Gilchrist
It's another one of those names from that golden team, Gilchrist. The greatest keeper batsman to have donned the gloves and blasted with the bat. Just as ferocious and dangerous in both formats of the game, he showed what could be done by a keeper who had to bat lower down....or higher up. Gilchrist was just as important nearer the top of the order in ODI cricket as he was bridging the gap between batting and bowling in tests. Yet none of that would have mattered if he was not the calm, skilled and athletic presence behind the stumps. Has there been a more consistent keeper? Just how many wickets less would the likes of McGrath, Warne and Gillespie have had if Gilly wasn't around. They have a lot to thank him for.

No. 25 - Michael Holding
"The umpire had to look behind, just to make sure he was coming," is what they said of Holding. Whispering Death indeed. Fluid, as if every joint was greased from birth, he glided to the crease and before you can even see it (rewind if you have to) the ball is spearing up at the batsman; that is how fluid his arms were. Everything measured, everything in its time. There are greater bowlers but none are as aesthetically pleasing and none produced that pace, from so little effort. Holding also had the ability to move the ball and his away swinger to the right handers was a serious weapon.

As sheer match winners Devilliers and Gilchrist should get the nod above Holding.Few batsmen ever had the ability to execute such dazzling strokes to turn the complexion of a game.Similar to Viv Richards.AB was more creative like a magician.Gilly was like a bulldozer who intimidated opponents more than even Lara or Tendulkar.

Holding never did true justice to his enormous potential.the stats of Gilly and AB speak for themselves.

 

[Asifnow]

No. 19 - 15

No. 19 - Kapil Dev
Often undone by being labelled as India's answer to Imran Khan, Dev was his own cricketer, moulded in his own image. He was a steady bowler, not quick but not too slow either, who managed to extract just the right amount of seam. His batting was the opposite of his steady batting, he was all crash, bang wallop and the fans adored him for it. His most ferociously famous innings may have been reserved for the World Cup, but he could be just as devastating in tests. In an Indian side often regarded as timid, more Sunny than Sehwag, Dev was a pioneer.

No. 18 - Allan Border
The man who built Australia in his image. The 1980s may have been a decade that belonged to Viv, Imran and Botham but Donald was there, walking while the others seemed to sprint. He became captain and instilled an inner belief in his team, that they could mean, even without all the great names his country had ones produced. He bedded in for the long haul and committed to scoring more than 10, 000 runs in the test arena and a further 5, 000 in ODIs. Australia would not be what they became in 1999-2007 if not for Border and the '80s.

No. 17 - Javed Miandad
The ultimate street fighter, of whom the great Vivian Richards once said, if there was ever a man to bat for his life, it would be Miandad. Feisty and fiery, a little fighter from the streets of Karachi, he fit right into the Pakistan international side and became arguably it's second most influential cricketer. He was never the most flashy or aesthetic of batsmen, but he knew how to make runs, so much so that his average in tests never dropped below 50. Only one great man has accomplished that in the history of this sport. Miandad was in rarefied air.

No. 16 - Dennis Lillee
The ultimate Australian. Strong, mullleted, moustachoid, foul mouthed and always up for a fight, Lillee inspired Australian fast bowlers for generations. His pace, at his absolute best was ferocious and in the age of no helmets, a lower tolerance of restricting bouncers and smaller bats, the batsman really was going into battle. His new ball ability was almost second to none and his canny ability to stay accurate late in the game helped him to pick batsmen who looked to bed themselves in. A remarkable bowler.

No. 15 - Richard Hadlee
New Zealand's greatest cricketer is a title unlikely to be rested from Hadlee's slender fingers any time soon. He was an accurate, intelligent and highly skilled bowler who could also bat just enough to be a serious danger in the lower order. Rarely has a player meant so much to a side limited by finances, structure and ability. He was the lone ranger, Atlas carrying the weight of it all on his shoulders. He did so with grace, professionalism and ended with one of the sports greatest careers.

 

[Robert]

I would put Border ahead of Miandad because of his excellent record against WI and away generally.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

A great effort with very well analyzed summaries of the virtues of all the players.However there were some exclusions I would not justify who would make it after 15th ranking and have to be in top 50.I cant understand how their names wee omitted.

Significant exclusions

Everton Weekes
Greg Chappell
Kevin Pieterson
Ray Lindwall
Denis Compton
Peter May
Barry Richards
Graeme Pollock
Graham Gooch

Remember the games is not about mere stats but also about artistry and impact.Batsmen like Greg Chappell,Greame Pollock,Everton Weekes have records in the Viv Richards category while Denis iCompton was the ultimate epitome of creative genius.Barry Richards few performances in International cricket were comparable to the very greatest .Peiterson and Gooch flayed great pace as few batsmen could ever do.Ray Lindwall was virtually the equal of a Lillee in his day ,with more control,pace and movement.


The above may just scrape in ahead of stars like Joe Root,Michael Holding,Clive Lloyd,Saed Anwar,Zaheer Abbas,Inazmam Ul Haq ,Jimmy Anderson .

VVS Laxman was almost the equal of Sehwag if you analyze his consistency in difficult situations.I would personally still prefer David Gower over Inzamam Ul Haq or arguably even Zaheer Abbas and maybe even Martin Crowe.I rank Gordon Greenidge above Greame Smith if you asess consistency and domination.If you could have Inzy or Zaheer then there must be Gower and Crowe.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

However great I don't think the likes of Inzamam, Zaheer Abbas, Shoaib Akhtar,Joe Root,Saed Anwar,Jimmy Anderson ,Bret Lee or Flintoff would make the top 50.I would categorize them with the greatness of a Gower,Ted Dexter, Walsh,Cowdrey,Martin Crowe,Mark Waugh,Hanif Mohammad or Gordon Greenidge.

Many stalwarts of yesteryear may have nosed ahead of those included.One prime exclusion was the great Andy Roberts,rated by many as the most complete paceman of his era.

 

[Ted123]

I already expect some big omissions from this list as we have 14 names left.

 

[therealAB]

Curtly>>Holding
Harsh's writeup on omissions very good, although Chappell could be considered a top 15 cricketers ever so we will see
George Headley another one, but he could still make it
I am currently working on one of these lists, should take me a fortnight ish

 

[Asifnow]

No. 14 - 11

No. 14 - Ian Botham
The big man of English cricket. Swachbuckling, mulleted, counter culture; an iconoclast who reshaped the popularity of the game across all the English greens. He was a supreme strike bowler in his youth, a more subtle practitioner as age and weight overtook him. However, he was always the stroke maker, a power hitting lower order destroyer, famous for his Ashes feats. Some his best innings show a man willing to change the game on his own, dragging the lesser mortals of his team with him. He lives long in the memory because of the moments he created, unmatched by any English cricketer before or since...almost. Stokes may one day be held in just such regard, if he ever manages to provide consistency with his bowling.

No. 13 - Brian Lara
The great West Indian hope, as the ship sank, he played his most iconic and stunning innings. That 153 at Bridgetown, a double at Kingston against the old enemy, that world record in Antigua, that other world record at St John's and that iconic first century against the Aussies. Rarely has a batsman looked so carefree, or so overburdened as captain. Yet through it all was that flashing blade, the cut and the slash. Lara was one of the truly great cricketers, sitting at the highest of high tables.

No. 12 - Jacques Kallis
The most important of South Africa's cricketers. He was the consummate professional, his batting technique was text book, his bowling effective and when you watched him play, he was not the star you would have thought. The great all rounders have always been the flashiest, most stunning performers in their side. Kallis was simply the best, if quiet, spectacular in his own way. His numbers are unmatched in the history of the game, his important to both the test and ODI sides can never be overestimated: just look at how South Africa have struggled in his absence. He was the cog in a team of great cogs. The lynchpin.

No. 11 - Malcolm Marshall
The greatest of West Indian fast bowlers was very un-West India in his look and manner. Not the tall man, not overly intimidating, yes he had a great bouncer but Marshall was more likely to bowl it fuller, allow the ball to swing. It is the latter aspect which provided him with greater longevity and created a more well rounded attack. He also acquired a little of the art of reverse and used it effectively in his later days, especially for his beloved county Hampshire. It's sad that he was taken from us so early and the wisdom of his bowling is now confined to videos and essays.

 

[viveks]

Remember the games is not about mere stats but also about artistry and impact.

Cricket (To some) can be about artistry but it can't be a factor in deciding which player is better because it is subjective

 

[Corridor of Uncertainty]

Agree with list or not, this is some splendid work by OP

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Agree with list or not, this is some splendid work by OP

I agree,great effort Any reaction to my comments on omissions?

 

[viveks]

Players who played in the last 10-20 years that would make it over Numbers 47-50:

KP
Graeme Swann
Lyon
Dravid(not sure if he's in the top 10 but probably not)
David Warner(equivalent to Mahela in Tests and better in ODIs)
Cook
Hashim Amla
Stokes
Williamson

 

[Ab Fan]

Bias aside, its understandable that there will always be few obvious omissions but there are some names whom you surely can't leave out from the list and must be there above several other names mentioned in the list. Apart from the few omissions already stated above, these names surely deserved a spot in top 50 ahead of several other names in the list.

Greg Chappell
Wally Hammond
Allan Donald
Rahul Dravid
Joel Garner
Andy Roberts
Courtney Walsh
Anil Kumble
Kevin Pietersen

With due respect, the likes of Mahela, Yousuf, Root, Flintoff, Qadir, Anwar, Boucher and Zaheer have no business for a spot in top 50 ahead of above mentioned names.

Inzamam, Hayden, Sehwag, Anderson, Younis, Shoaib may sneak in and complete the top 50 list.

However, really liked the analysis and descriptions on players, very thoughtful.

 

[Ab Fan]

Very good summary analysis of cricketers but expected the first six mentioned names in the top 30-35 list. Let's see we still have 10 names to go.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Top 10 prediction time :-


Bradman, Tendulkar, Warne, Murli, Wasim, Imran, Richards, Sobers, McGrath, Ponting,

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Bias aside, its understandable that there will always be few obvious omissions but there are some names whom you surely can't leave out from the list and must be there above several other names mentioned in the list. Apart from the few omissions already stated above, these names surely deserved a spot in top 50 ahead of several other names in the list.

Greg Chappell
Wally Hammond
Allan Donald
Rahul Dravid
Joel Garner
Andy Roberts
Courtney Walsh
Anil Kumble
Kevin Pietersen

With due respect, the likes of Mahela, Yousuf, Root, Flintoff, Qadir, Anwar, Boucher and Zaheer have no business for a spot in top 50 ahead of above mentioned names.

Inzamam, Hayden, Sehwag, Anderson, Younis, Shoaib may sneak in and complete the top 50 list.

However, really liked the analysis and descriptions on players, very thoughtful.

Any reaction to my post on omissions?Liked my choices and comparisons ?

 

[Asifnow]

Agree with list or not, this is some splendid work by OP

Thanks man!

Players who played in the last 10-20 years that would make it over Numbers 47-50:

KP
Graeme Swann
Lyon
Dravid(not sure if he's in the top 10 but probably not)
David Warner(equivalent to Mahela in Tests and better in ODIs)
Cook
Hashim Amla
Stokes
Williamson

KP, Amla, Williamson and Cook all could have been somewhere at the lower end of the top 50 but they just don't rank highly enough with the criteria I used. Amla was the most difficult omission as he is one of my all time favourites but I had to be subjective (Same goes for KP).

Top 10 prediction time :-


Bradman, Tendulkar, Warne, Murli, Wasim, Imran, Richards, Sobers, McGrath, Ponting,

That is a spot on prediction.....but what's their positioning?

I'll be trying longer write ups for each of them so might take a while longer for me to get all of these out as opposed to the week or so it took for the 11-50.

 

[viveks]

Another omission is Dale Steyn who I feel gets into the top 30 comfortably

 

[TheOnDrive]

Another omission is Dale Steyn who I feel gets into the top 30 comfortably

Agreed. Dale Steyn's omission doesn't make sense at all.

 

[Ab Fan]

Any reaction to my post on omissions?Liked my choices and comparisons ?

Good post. I liked your choices but it is very less likely that we will have many names from pre-70s era, simply because whenever these lists will be created, recency will always be prioritized.

However, names like Greg Chappell, Wally Hammond, Rahul Dravid, Dale Steyn, Allan Donald, Joel Garner are a must for these lists as per criteria. Even Walsh and Kumble for their longevity.

 

[Asifnow]

Good post. I liked your choices but it is very less likely that we will have many names from pre-70s era, simply because whenever these lists will be created, recency will always be prioritized.

However, names like Greg Chappell, Wally Hammond, Rahul Dravid, Dale Steyn, Allan Donald, Joel Garner are a must for these lists as per criteria. Even Walsh and Kumble for their longevity.

Kumble doesn't make it through my eligibility criteria/

Another omission is Dale Steyn who I feel gets into the top 30 comfortably

Steyn is a terrific test bowler but he was only sporadically as good in ODI cricket, which one of the fast bowlers could he have superseded? Possibly Lee but that would be a very close call.

 

[Asifnow]

No. 10 - Ricky Ponting

When making a list such as this, it is important to keep subjectivity at bay; to be as objective as possible and to stick to the criteria in mind. When ranking someone like Ricky Ponting, that is not an issue: fan favourite and batting legend. Famed for his hook and pull, for his ability to tame fast bowlers, the big innings and remarkable consistency across both major formats at the time. That is the key, maybe for all those player that have been ranked so highly in the post 1975 era, they were just as good whether it be in whites or colours. Ponting the test batsman was just as dangerous as Ponting the ODI run maker.

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Many view the 1990s and the 2000s as the golden years of ODI cricket, it was, for the most part, the only international "short" format of the game. Th e fast men were fast and the batsmen really had to learn their craft, on larger boundaries, with small bats and no free hits. There is that famed 140* against India in the '03 final, or his valiant and brutal century in THAT ODI game against the South Africans...Ponting was one for the big moments, taking to the ODI circuit like a fish to water. But his expertise and brilliance could also be seen in test cricket.

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What is Ponting's best test innings? His fourth innings century at Cape Town? The double against India at MCG where he batted for 144 overs? Who remembers the 197 at Perth, back when Perth was Perth, fast and deadly and boy he had to do it against AKhtar and Akram? For me however, and possibly for Ponting too, his Magnum Opus was the 156 at Old Trafford, in the greatest test series. Australia were behind on the cards, the series precarious at 1-1 and they needed someone to build an innings that could allow the lower order to survive. Ponting, as captain, took that task upon himself and batted for over 400 minutes and 275 deliveries. He dragged Australia into a position where they could draw the match.

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It is impossible to discuss Ponting and not mention his captaincy. Some complain that he inherited a great team, but so did the likes of Viv or Akram, did they make great captains? The answer is an emphatic no. Ponting understood the resources he had, the egos he had to meld into one and was able to do so. His players respected him and rather than being a tactical genius, he was the type of captain who led from the front. His team would follow him into the breaches of hell if they needed to. Tactically however, he was astute, he knew someone like Warne needed the right field to match his attacking mentality but also when he had to rein him in. For McGrath, he knew the importance of a solid slip cordon, for Lee fielders available at short leg and on the boundary.

Smart, focused, hard working and a very good fielder. A deserved top 10 entrant.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Kumble doesn't make it through my eligibility criteria/



Steyn is a terrific test bowler but he was only sporadically as good in ODI cricket, which one of the fast bowlers could he have superseded? Possibly Lee but that would be a very close call.

How did you find my post on omissions?Felt list valid?Like your response. Again greatly appreciate your work-lot of lucid writing.

 

[Robert]

Surprised at how highly Ponting is rated. I’d put him at fourth best Australian batter in my time (after Greg Chappell, AB and Steve Waugh).

Also a poor captain, tactically inept and vulnerable to mind games.

 

[therealAB]

Surprised at how highly Ponting is rated. I’d put him at fourth best Australian batter in my time (after Greg Chappell, AB and Steve Waugh).

Also a poor captain, tactically inept and vulnerable to mind games.

agree, and that is not to mention our great bowlers/keepers like McGrath, Lillee, Warne, Gilchrist.

I'd rate him below all 7 of those mentioned as the 8th best Australian since 1970, not counting current players (smith)

 

[Bhaijaan]

Top 10 prediction time :-


Bradman, Tendulkar, Warne, Murli, Wasim, Imran, Richards, Sobers, McGrath, Ponting,

That is a spot on prediction.....but what's their positioning?

Thanks bro.

You already posted Ponting ranked at #10

Here is my prediction :-

1. Bradman
2. Sobers
3. Warne
4. Imran
5. Tendulkar
6. Richards
7. McGrath
8. Wasim
9. Murali



Obviously this is me predicting what could be your ranking.

Let's see.

It's a great list nonetheless please ignore the haters no need to explain your stand

Well done bro

 

[Ab Fan]

Thanks bro.

You already posted Ponting ranked at #10

Here is my prediction :-

1. Bradman
2. Sobers
3. Warne
4. Imran
5. Tendulkar
6. Richards
7. McGrath
8. Wasim
9. Murali



Obviously this is me predicting what could be your ranking.

Let's see.

It's a great list nonetheless please ignore the haters no need to explain your stand

Well done bro

I think it will be

Bradman
Sobers
Richards
Warne
Imran
McGrath
Tendulkar
Wasim
Murali

 

[Robert]

agree, and that is not to mention our great bowlers/keepers like McGrath, Lillee, Warne, Gilchrist.

I'd rate him below all 7 of those mentioned as the 8th best Australian since 1970, not counting current players (smith)

I concur with this. We will have to see how Smith goes in the second half of his career before deciding his place in the pantheon.

If you were to ask me the greatest three Aussie fast bowlers I would say Lindwall, Lillee and McGrath, though not sure in what order.

 

[therealAB]

I concur with this. We will have to see how Smith goes in the second half of his career before deciding his place in the pantheon.

If you were to ask me the greatest three Aussie fast bowlers I would say Lindwall, Lillee and McGrath, though not sure in what order.

Agree, although I feel that Davidson is so close to Lindwall, and could be selected in an XI due to being a left armer, that he should be included in the top four, as opposed to a top three

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Thanks bro.

You already posted Ponting ranked at #10

Here is my prediction :-

1. Bradman
2. Sobers
3. Warne
4. Imran
5. Tendulkar
6. Richards
7. McGrath
8. Wasim
9. Murali



Obviously this is me predicting what could be your ranking.

Let's see.

It's a great list nonetheless please ignore the haters no need to explain your stand

Well done bro

Any view on my list of omissions?

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I concur with this. We will have to see how Smith goes in the second half of his career before deciding his place in the pantheon.

If you were to ask me the greatest three Aussie fast bowlers I would say Lindwall, Lillee and McGrath, though not sure in what order.

Liked my list in post on omissions?

 

[Asifnow]

How did you find my post on omissions?Felt list valid?Like your response. Again greatly appreciate your work-lot of lucid writing.

I havent had a chance to read that post properly. I will try and respond once my list is fully posted on here.

 

[Asifnow]

Thanks bro.

You already posted Ponting ranked at #10

Here is my prediction :-

1. Bradman
2. Sobers
3. Warne
4. Imran
5. Tendulkar
6. Richards
7. McGrath
8. Wasim
9. Murali



Obviously this is me predicting what could be your ranking.

Let's see.

It's a great list nonetheless please ignore the haters no need to explain your stand

Well done bro

Ok....let's see how close you get

And I'm not worried about the haters. There have been some constructive posts...and some pointless ones haha

But I would rather have discussion than no discussion.

 

[viveks]

Steyn is a terrific test bowler but he was only sporadically as good in ODI cricket, which one of the fast bowlers could he have superseded? Possibly Lee but that would be a very close call.

Steyn wasn't just a great test bowler but one of the best of all time. Most of his career coincided with run inflation in test cricket, which is why he was unrivaled as far as competition goes. The only pacers of the same caliber were Ryan Harris and Mohammad Asif, who had short lived careers. Probably no other all time great test bowler can claim the same(can't say for certain)

As far as comparisons go, Anderson played in the same period as Steyn and falls short by miles. If we were to give equal weight to ODI and Tests, then Anderson was an average ODI bowler and much worse than Steyn. In tests, Steyn is in another league

 

[Asifnow]

No. 9 Glenn McGrath

The metronome, as someone once named him, Glenn McGrath was probably the most accurate of bowlers. If you saw him bowl once, you had seen all he had to offer: back of a length, on or just outside off stump, a bit of bite off the pitch, waiting for the edge (either of them) or the top of off stump. Yes he had a bouncer which was effective at times; he also developed the slower ball later in his career, along with the wide of off stump full delivery. Yet that line and length, his best trick, maybe his only trick at times, was never truly solved. All the great batsmen of the day fell, across both major formats, whenever he willed.

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So how did McGrath repeat that one trick so often? Through hours upon hours of practice, developing a repeatable and economic action. It required little energy, there was no grunt, no last minute lunge, so speedy run to the wicket - just a single, smooth jog and rotation of the arms. He knew where he would bowl and he knew how he would do it. It was at Lord's in 1997 that McGrath was first truly unleashed, an 8-for, including England's top order ripped apart. He would return for another 5-for in '01 and then of course, the greatest test series of them all, McGrath made sure he picked another five, this time for just 11-runs. The great once had completed his English masterpiece.

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It should not be forgotten that he could also be effective in foreign conditions, in the bone yard of fast bowlers, Asia. His 4-18 in Kolkata was the perfect guide on how to bowl on slow, low pitches. On top of all that, he is one the greatest bowlers in World Cup history, taking wickets against all comers - 42 wickets in total with an average of just 18.His seven wickets against Namibia is a statistical dream but his 3-18 against a strong South African side in the semi of the 2007 World Cup may just be the highest of highlights.

 

[big_gamer007]

You probably got the 50 cricketer names right but the order in which you are listing them is just weird. Some of the rankings make no sense at all.

However, it's your personal opinion so I respect that.

Decent effort all round, makes for an interesting read