Who are the top 15 left-handed cricketers of all time?

[Harsh Thakor]

1.Garfield Sobers
2.Brian Lara
3.Wasim Akram


Sobers attained the ultimate pinnacle of glory in a complete cricketing career taking cricketing genius to depths never reached before. He was a three in one cricketer .No cricketer could turn the complexion of a game more than Gary. Lara single-handedly carried the mantle of a weak batting side like no great batsmen ever and had a higher penchant for registering mammoth scores than any batting great.He could produce strokes that were surreal.Wasim Akram wa sthe equivalent of a magician to fast bowling taking creative genius in pace bolwing to depths not reached before.

Adam Gilchrist and Kumar Sangakaara just missed out.Although Gilly won more games than any left-hander he had the advantage of playing for a great team and was at his best at no7 in test cricket.I also dont rate him to be as good a keeper as Alan Knott.Sanga had a phenomenal record but did not equal Lara's domination or was as impactful.Wasim was ahead as an all-round cricketer than both of them .

 

[Ab Fan]

Gilly at 4 and then the rest.

 

[Hasan123]

Akram,Lara, and Gilly.

 

[Anik Sharma]

First of all three is too short to make a genuine list.

So I am making it in my own different way.

The three greatest left handed batsmen of all time.

1. Brian Lara
2. Gari Sobers
3. Saeed Anwar

The three greatest left handed bowlers of all time.

1. Wasim Akram
2. Gari Sobers
3. Chaminda Vaas (a very underrated bowler, record speaks for himself)

The three greatest left handed all rounders of all time.

1. Gari Sobers
2. Shakib Al Hasan
3. Adam Gilchrist (As an Wicket keeping All rounder)

Lastly thanks for reading it

 

[WengerOut]

First of all three is too short to make a genuine list.

So I am making it in my own different way.

The three greatest left handed batsmen of all time.

1. Brian Lara
2. Gari Sobers
3. Saeed Anwar

The three greatest left handed bowlers of all time.

1. Wasim Akram
2. Gari Sobers
3. Chaminda Vaas (a very underrated bowler, record speaks for himself)

The three greatest left handed all rounders of all time.

1. Gari Sobers
2. Shakib Al Hasan
3. Adam Gilchrist (As an Wicket keeping All rounder)

Lastly thanks for reading it

Pretty sure that there would be better left arm bowlers than Sobers. Johnson for eg.

 

[Madplayer]

First of all three is too short to make a genuine list.

So I am making it in my own different way.

The three greatest left handed batsmen of all time.

1. Brian Lara
2. Gari Sobers
3. Saeed Anwar

The three greatest left handed bowlers of all time.

1. Wasim Akram
2. Gari Sobers
3. Chaminda Vaas (a very underrated bowler, record speaks for himself)

The three greatest left handed all rounders of all time.

1. Gari Sobers
2. Shakib Al Hasan
3. Adam Gilchrist (As an Wicket keeping All rounder)

Lastly thanks for reading it

Gary sobers among top 3 left arm pacers of all time? You cant be serious.

 

[MMHS]

First of all three is too short to make a genuine list.

So I am making it in my own different way.

The three greatest left handed batsmen of all time.

1. Brian Lara
2. Gari Sobers
3. Saeed Anwar

The three greatest left handed bowlers of all time.

1. Wasim Akram
2. Gari Sobers
3. Chaminda Vaas (a very underrated bowler, record speaks for himself)

The three greatest left handed all rounders of all time.

1. Gari Sobers
2. Shakib Al Hasan
3. Adam Gilchrist (As an Wicket keeping All rounder)

Lastly thanks for reading it

If you consider Sobers (that from the era before 1970s), one has to consider Davidson & Vinnu Mankad as well.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

If you consider Sobers (that from the era before 1970s), one has to consider Davidson & Vinnu Mankad as well.

What do you feel about my selection!

 

[MMHS]

What do you feel about my selection!

Sobers & Wasim has to be there for ever - no doubt in that. For the 3rd one, I think you have picked BC for his batting only (because he is a natural right hander), which is fine. I tend to favor all-rounders more, so top 2 spot goes to Was & Sir Gary; 3rd one Brian, Davidson, Gilchrist, RG Pollock, AV Mankad, A Border, Bishan Bedi...FE Wooley, W Rhodes

I think Lara is fine for the time being, at 3rd. If Shakib can improve in his next 50 Tests (Say 6000+ Runs at ~45 & 350+ wickets at <35), he'll end among very high as well.

 

[Hitman]

Garry Sobers, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram.

 

[Cuts_and_cuts_hard]

1) Sobers
2) Akram
3) Lara
4) Davidson
5) Gilchrist
6) Sangakkara
7) Verity
8) Graeme Pollock
9) Shakib
10) Herath

 

[MenInG]

Left handers day today!

So who is your best left-handed batsmen?

 

[therealAB]

Purely long form cricket:
Sobers
Lara
Gilchrist
Border
Pollock
Davidson
Akram
Shiv
Harvey
verity
Herath

 

[Last Monetarist]

Purely long form cricket:
Sobers
Lara
Gilchrist
Border
Pollock
Davidson
Akram
Shiv
Harvey
verity
Herath

Agree with the top 4, but Davidson and Pollock cannot be above Wasim. Yes, he underachieved given his talent but he still had a great career.

 

[Ab Fan]

How about Ravindra Jadeja ?

 

[Ab Fan]

Gary Sobers

 

[Ab Fan]

Sobers

 

[Bhaijaan]

This discussion is incomplete without Bishen Singh Bedi.

 

[Salman4.]

Rana
Faheem
Ashraf

 

[therealAB]

This discussion is incomplete without Bishen Singh Bedi.

A great, but not to the tier of people like Sobers, Border, Gilchrist, Akram, Pollock etc

 

[therealAB]

Agree with the top 4, but Davidson and Pollock cannot be above Wasim. Yes, he underachieved given his talent but he still had a great career.

For me Davidson is as good a bowler, and a better fielder and batsmen
Pollock is a legitimate 2nd best bat of all time contender in my opinion

 

[Ucdkee]

No one mentioned Mathew Hayden?

 

[Last Monetarist]

For me Davidson is as good a bowler, and a better fielder and batsmen
Pollock is a legitimate 2nd best bat of all time contender in my opinion

That bit about Davidson being better than Wasim is not really backed by any kind of evidence though, not when you also account for what Wasim's peers say about him. He could do things with the ball not many have done in the history of the game. You are underrating him criminally here.

Whereas, Pollock didn't play enough tests to be considered that high in the pantheon. He suffers from the same problem as Richards and Procter.

 

[CrIc_Mystique]

Sir Gary Sobers
- took some catches off the bootlaces of the batsman whilst fielding at silly point, took some blinders every where. As for his bowling and batting - shoud we really go there?
- Wasim Akram - magician and genius all rolled into one, impossible angles had everything as a bowler.
terrific fielder as well. He let himself down in his batting, at one point i thought he would be better/as good as the fab four.
B c Lara - to see Lara score even 10 was a treat in itself...

Gilchrist might have missed out but not by much, Hayden, Gower, Sanga, Graham Pollock not too far away... thats my piece...cheers

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Purely long form cricket:
Sobers
Lara
Gilchrist
Border
Pollock
Davidson
Akram
Shiv
Harvey
verity
Herath

Bedi ahead of Herath based on significantly better SENA stats.

 

[therealAB]

Bedi ahead of Herath based on significantly better SENA stats.

That is probably fair, juts picked Herath due to the significantly higher WPM and the way he carried his attack. For me it is a close call and depends on what you value in a player

 

[therealAB]

That bit about Davidson being better than Wasim is not really backed by any kind of evidence though, not when you also account for what Wasim's peers say about him. He could do things with the ball not many have done in the history of the game. You are underrating him criminally here.

Whereas, Pollock didn't play enough tests to be considered that high in the pantheon. He suffers from the same problem as Richards and Procter.

Davidson has a better average, WPM despite playing in a batting-friendly era
I do not look at one's 'skill' with the ball, I look at their results and Davidson was more effective. Looking purely at style and skills, someone like Starc would be better than Cummins. That is not the truth. McGrath is one of the great fast bowlers, significantly more effective than Wasim despite Wasim's 'skills'. i put 'skill' in inverted commas because is not the ability to be a metronome more important than being able to bowl 6 different balls in an over. That skill, the most important skill is what has caused bowlers like Hadlee, McGrath, Garner, Ambrose and yes, Davidson to be more effective bowlers than Mr "I can bowl 6 different deliveries" Akram

 

[Kroll]

Might not be considered one of the best and not mentioned here but I thought Sanath Jayasuriya was exceptional. An impact player and revolutionised the ODI game. He still managed a test average of 40.

 

[Bhaijaan]

A great, but not to the tier of people like Sobers, Border, Gilchrist, Akram, Pollock etc

Bishen Singh Bedi is a proper Tier-1 cricketer.

 

[Last Monetarist]

Davidson has a better average, WPM despite playing in a batting-friendly era
I do not look at one's 'skill' with the ball, I look at their results and Davidson was more effective. Looking purely at style and skills, someone like Starc would be better than Cummins. That is not the truth. McGrath is one of the great fast bowlers, significantly more effective than Wasim despite Wasim's 'skills'. i put 'skill' in inverted commas because is not the ability to be a metronome more important than being able to bowl 6 different balls in an over. That skill, the most important skill is what has caused bowlers like Hadlee, McGrath, Garner, Ambrose and yes, Davidson to be more effective bowlers than Mr "I can bowl 6 different deliveries" Akram

I still disagree about Davidson having a better record than Wasim given the sample size.

For what it's worth, I agree on McGrath being a significantly more effective bowler than Wasim. But at some stage, you have to consider the second-order effects of Wasim's skill and how he created value for his team by building up pressure on the batsmen, which led to folks at the other end getting wickets. It's a fairly limited view on ranking people just on basic statistics, not to mention positively unimaginative.

 

[therealAB]

Bishen Singh Bedi is a proper Tier-1 cricketer.

I could name 50 indisputably better

 

[therealAB]

I still disagree about Davidson having a better record than Wasim given the sample size.

For what it's worth, I agree on McGrath being a significantly more effective bowler than Wasim. But at some stage, you have to consider the second-order effects of Wasim's skill and how he created value for his team by building up pressure on the batsmen, which led to folks at the other end getting wickets. It's a fairly limited view on ranking people just on basic statistics, not to mention positively unimaginative.

I rank players on how they performed. Davidson has great performances throughout the world where he won matches for Australia. If you can find a subjective reason to put Akram ahead, I would be impressed

For the pressure thing, I would say Davidson built more pressure than Akram as he was just so miserly (Akram also has a very good economy but not to that level)
The other thing with Davidson is that he had a genuine peak, compared to Akram who was never number one in the world. From memory Davidson had a period where he average 19 with about 5 wpm

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

1. Gilchrist
2. Sobers
3. Akram

Gilchrist as #1 as he's the most influential cricketer of the 21st century changing the very definition of an wicket-keeper batsman.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

15 best left-handed cricketers of all time ranked in order of merit?

My list of the 15 best left-handed cricketers of all in order of merit.Posted in commemoration of International left handers day.

1.Gary Sobers-Allround cricketing skill to heights of divinity.Figures simply don't tell the story.Could turn a game 360 degrees.50 years ago took a allround cricketing performance to a scale unequalled when scoring 583 runs and capturing 21 scalps. In England in 1966 achieved heroics no one ever did when capturing 20 wickets and scoring 722 runs.Had as much a repertoire of strokes as any batsman ,more versatile than any bowler and could pull off the most incredible catches.He could bowl pace,fast-medium spin and chinaman.In my view as a cricketer was more impactful than even Bradman.



2.Wasim Akram-Took the art of fast bowling or wizardry to metaphysical depths traversing unexplored regions with his reverse swing.At his best a world-call allrounder or batsman too.Placed above Lara because of ODI performance and also because of his greater success as a skipper.No pace man ever was as penetrative or lethal on flat tracks.The ultimate magician .Played a major role in Pakistan winning the world cup in 1992 .



3.Brian Lara-The most gifted batsman I ever saw who took aesthecism or creating genius to a height unsurpased.Could single-handedly turn or win games more than anyone .Twice supassed world record score and scored most double centuries after Bradman.No batsman carried the mantle of weak batting side as much as Lara.Argubaly the 2nd best test batsman ever to Bradman.




4.Graeme Pollock-Arguably more talented than Sobers who could master any conditions and had he had a full test carer may have bee 2nd to only Bradman.Gave exceptional performances in testing English condition s and high class Australian bowling.2nd best average of 60.97 before Steve Smith arrived on the scene.




5.Alan Border-The ultimate man to bat for your life.Border has the best overseas average of any batsman of his time .No left-hander was harder to dislodge or better on bad wickets.No Australian batsman conquered all types of conditions like Border,including Ponting,Chappell and Smith.More consistent than even Lara and overseas the best left-handed batsman of all in terms of records.No batsman averaged more in a series against the great West Indies pace attack than Border did when averaging 0ver 74 in 1984 on Carribean soil.Alos averaged 131.22 on turning wickets in Pakistan in 1980 and in four successive Ashes series in England averaged over 55..Also a great leader who played a major role in laying the base or breeding ground for Australia acquiring the mantle of the champion test side in 1995 and also led Australia to win their 1st ever world cup in 1987.



6.Adam Gilchrist-The best match-winner of his day and amongst the top 5 of all being more explosive than nay one in his age.Averaged over 60 in the first half of his test career and no batsmen before him had as impressive a strike rate.One of the architects in Australia emerging as world -beaters displaying an aura of invincibility.




7.Kumar Sangakkara-A model of consistency personified who statistically is the best left-handed batsman of all .A master in a crisis.Considerably less impressive overseas and rated below Gily as he could not so dramatically turn the course of a match.



8.Frank Woolley -A classical batsman who mastered wet tracks and also a very useful bowler.Outstanding 1st class statistics scoring 145 centuries and an aggregate only behind Hobbs.Talent of the Kith Miller class.



9.Alan Davidson-No let arm bowler has a more impressive average at 20.58 and few genuine quickies ever batted better.In terms of average better than Wasim Akram overall but played in a less competitive era.




10.Clive Lloyd-The father figure of West Indian cricket who resembled a great emperor galvanising his troops into an invincible army.No left-hander confronted the greatest pace duo of Lillee and Thomson so forthrightly like in 1975-76 in Australia.A model of consistency with the bat overshadowing the great Viv Richards from 1981-85 with the bat.Knitted a bunch of talented individuals to become arguably the best team ever in the history of test cricket.A great ODI batsman too whose 102 in the 1975 world cup finalranks as one of cricket's top dozen innings of all time.



11.Bishen Bedi-epitome of artistry in spin bowling revealing the grace of a flute player or ballad dancer.I have never sen a spinner with such harmonic rhythms who took bowling perfection to regions of the sublime.266 scalps speaks for itself and his record aggregate of 31 wickets by an Indian in Australia in 1977-78.



12.David Gower-I have never seen a more graceful batsman who literally caressed a cricket ball even when dispatching it to the ropes.Strokes were like the touches of a painter's brush.A master against genuine pace averaging over 43 in the Carribean and over 44 in Australia.



13.Neil Harvey-In terms of talent in the Greame Pollock class and on bad wickets one of the best of all time.Flourished most when the situation demanded like when scoring an unbeaten 151 in a run chase of 336 in a run chase on a wearing wicket against South Africa.



14.Derek Underwood -The best spinner ever on a helpful pitch who could skitttle a team for a score of around hundred.



15,Saed Anwar-Took batting histrionics at crescendo no left -handed opener did when blasting away.On his day could even join Lara.Played some of the finest tset and ODI innings in the most testing circumstances.His unbeaten 188 Kolkata in 1999 was one of cricket's gems.

 

[therealAB]

What has Akram actually achieved to be rated above people like Gilchrist, Lara and Border

 

[Ab Fan]

Big ugly but brutal Matthew Hayden should be there.

A legendary captain and great batsmen Graeme Smith should be there.

One of India's greatest captains and the current ICC President, Saurav Ganguly has a strong case as well.

Benjamin Stokes is heading on its way to become most influential England cricketer since Ian Botham post the controversial World Cup win.

Chris Gayle is one of the influencial cricketers of modern era and a T20 GOAT. So, he makes a case as well.

Andy Flower was by far the finest Zimbabwe cricketer of all-time.

 

[Godhelpma]

What has Akram actually achieved to be rated above people like Gilchrist, Lara and Border

He has achieved twice more than what Allan border has achieved and easily more than what Gilchrist has achieved.
Stop overrating Aussies .

 

[therealAB]

He has achieved twice more than what Allan border has achieved and easily more than what Gilchrist has achieved.
Stop overrating Aussies .

Border was a brilliant captain and a fantastic bat who carried Australia’s from its lowest point in recent history to one of the two greatest teams of all time. That was his performance, and he directly created a culture of excellence and work that Taylor and Waugh inherited

Gilchrist completely redefined position in a way that no modern cricketer has done, and is a sure shot for most test AT XI’s

These guys are easily comparable to akram and it is a legitimate discussion that could go either way, and what I value in a player has led to me rating these two players so highly

 

[anoop]

First of all three is too short to make a genuine list.

So I am making it in my own different way.

The three greatest left handed batsmen of all time.

1. Brian Lara
2. Gari Sobers
3. Saeed Anwar

The three greatest left handed bowlers of all time.

1. Wasim Akram
2. Gari Sobers
3. Chaminda Vaas (a very underrated bowler, record speaks for himself)

The three greatest left handed all rounders of all time.

1. Gari Sobers
2. Shakib Al Hasan
3. Adam Gilchrist (As an Wicket keeping All rounder)

Lastly thanks for reading it

I am sure there must be other left handers greater than Saeed Anwar. Hayden, Graeme smith etc..