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Who were the 5 most impactful Australian cricketers of all time?

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Harsh Thakor

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This is my list of the 5 most impactful cricketers in the history of Australian cricket ranked in order of merit.

1.Don Bradman
2.Shane Warne
3.Adam Gilchrist
4.Keith Miller
5.Dennis Lillee




Bradman unanimous choice at the top with attaining supremacy over rivals in the game at a height arguably never scaled in history of sport.Led Australia to famous Ashes wins and become the cricketing superpower.equivalent of an emperor when striding onto a cricket field making even other great batsmen look like knights bowing down before him.Only aspect that went aginst him is that he only played against Australia and was not at his best against bodyline.Neverthless defined a new epoch in the game like noone else.

Warne defined the shape of Australian cricket more than anyone with his phenomenal ability to turn and win matches writing anew chapter in the role of a spin or leg-spin bowler.Played the greatest role in Australia turning into a world champion test and O.D.I side.

Keith Miller was arguably at his best the best of all match-winner amongst all-rounders being a great fast bowler,surpassing Botham for consistency and Imran for flair.Australia never in it's cricket history had a genuine all-rounder in the stature of Miller whose blistering pace was accompanied by great flamboyance with the bat.Australian cricket was at it's ultimate crescendo with Miller in the team who would turn games and series with both ball and bat.


Dennis Lillee was simply the epitome of fast bowling perfection and grit ,agression and determination personified.Few sportsman ever made such a spectacular comeback after a back injury as Lillee or took agression to such a crescendo.The ultimate paceman to make a side rise like a phoenix from the Ashes.His most impactful period was in Kerry Packer supertsets when he captured 79 scalps in a mere 15 matches which was remarkable considering the strength of the oposition like West Indies and World XI's.


Adam Gilchrist was the closest to Viv Richards as master blaster who could turn games 360 degress with his cavalier batting.Often created the impact of a blitzkreig when batting in full flow or a dynamite exploding.At one stage averaged over 60 at no7 in the 1st part of his test career and in the end had one of the 3-4 best ever batting strike rates in tset cricket.The best match-winner of his day.

The likes of Glen Mcgrath,Steve Waugh,Ricky Ponting,Greg Chappell,Alan Border and Ian Chappell missed out by just a whisker.Although Mcgrath had a more staggering haul than Lillee I feel he would not turn games from dire straits like Dennis and althgough the likes of Border,Waugh,Greg Chappel and Ponting had substantially more aggregates Gilchrist. and Miller would define the outcome of games marginally more,with their all-round prowess.
 
In no particular order

Warne
McGrath
Gilly
Ponting
Keith Miller

Very difficult to leave certain names out.
 
Hasan123 said:
In no particular order

Warne
McGrath
Gilly
Ponting
Keith Miller

Very difficult to leave certain names out.
Click to expand...

Great list sir.Same boat as you.Just cant help leaving out Chappell brothers,Waugh.Mcgrath and Border.Why no Bradman in your 5 ?
 
Harsh Thakor said:
Great list sir.Same boat as you.Just cant help leaving out Chappell brothers,Waugh.Mcgrath and Border.Why no Bradman in your 5 ?
Click to expand...


Bradman is mostly known for smashing England around. And cricket was a different game at that time. It's difficult to say he had more impact than the names I mentioned as they were playing a more higher quality opponents in different conditions.
 
Allan Border has to be there for making the modern Australian juggernaut and a damn good batsman too.
 
WengerOut said:
Allan Border has to be there for making the modern Australian juggernaut and a damn good batsman too.
Click to expand...

No doubt a legend who misses out by a whisker.Overshadowed by the ones mentioned as he was not as attacking a player .I may even give a marginal edge to Chappel brothers,Steve Waugh,Mcgrath and Ponting being more agressive.Would you rank Border ahead of Ponting.Mcgrath and Greg Chappell?
 
anyone that isn't including Gilchrist is making a massive oversight. He truly revolutionised the game and what it means to be a wicketkeeper.
 
Bradman
Warne
Mcgrath
Gilly
Steve Waugh - ( Why Steve Waugh? Because, despite being one with limited abilities, he showed the world grit and the 90's and 2000 invincible team was largely based on that particular attribute if you were to ask me ).
 
Harsh Thakor said:
No doubt a legend who misses out by a whisker.Overshadowed by the ones mentioned as he was not as attacking a player .I may even give a marginal edge to Chappel brothers,Steve Waugh,Mcgrath and Ponting being more agressive.Would you rank Border ahead of Ponting.Mcgrath and Greg Chappell?
Click to expand...

If we are talking about impact on Australian cricket , then Border was the captain who helpe Australia navigate through mediocrity and reach greatness.
 
Rightarmfast said:
Bradman
Warne
Mcgrath
Gilly
Steve Waugh - ( Why Steve Waugh? Because, despite being one with limited abilities, he showed the world grit and the 90's and 2000 invincible team was largely based on that particular attribute if you were to ask me ).
Click to expand...

good list.Mcgrath just misses out to Lillee in my view being more hostile while Miller was more of a match-winner and all-round cricketer than Waugh.What about Greg Chappell?below Waugh?
 
McGrath
Warne
Bradman
Gilly
Dennis Lillee

Doubt any aus player had as much impact as glenn would have over any opposition's top batsman.
 
Harsh Thakor said:
good list.Mcgrath just misses out to Lillee in my view being more hostile while Miller was more of a match-winner and all-round cricketer than Waugh.What about Greg Chappell?below Waugh?
Click to expand...

Interesting you rate Lillee higher than Mcgrath. Mcgrath in my view, would be almost the best fast bowler ever.
I dare say I keep Greg Chappel a step below Waugh. But in all honesty, I havent watched Chappel play.
 
Don Bradman- twice as good as any of hi contemporaries. An extraordinary feat for a player in any sport in any era and lets not forget Don played in 2 eras, pre and post war. The game had to change to try and combat him, such were his skills and impact. Socially he was (is) Australia's greatest sporting hero and gave something to look forward to and be proud of during the Great Depression.


Shane Warne- revived (or kept alive) a dying art. Arguably the greatest player of his generation. Some will argue he was the greatest bowler ever. He took wickets with unplayable deliveries, absurd deliveries, with average and ugly deliveries, sometimes when his shoulder was crook he took wickets with sheer bluff and personality. If the ball wouldn't spin he'd spin your head. He delivered in big series, big games, crunch moments again and again.

The swerve on the ball. The dip. It left batsmen gasping and breathless. It defied physics. My wife still can't follow the flight of that Batting ball as it suddenly breaks and swoops down and to the right like a fighter breaking formation. You sat down and watched whenever Warne bowled. That says it all. It was pure theatre.

Adam Gilchrist- I wanted to put Glen McGrath here. I almost did. But the fact is Gilly also changed how the game is played. I've lost count of the number of match winning knocks he played. Not just a rearguard, hang in and show some fight knock, but a full frontal counter attack from a losing position or sagging momentum that completely turned a game on it's head.

After Gilly, being a good keeper in cricket was never going to be enough again. Modern keepers are expected to be excellent batsmen, not bonus runs. He changed the game. Every team wanted a Gilly. Others paved the way but Gilly marks the end of the specialist keeper and set the gold standard for the all rounder keepers have become. I haven't even mentioned how he made his runs. With joy vivre, derring do and a smile as he fearlessly smashed to all corners. And he walked! The Aussie who walked. Every time.

Alan Border- If you needed a man to bat for your life, AB was him. Tough as S. Waugh, G. Smith & anyone else you care to name put together. Stood alone again and again vs the Windies. Averaged 50 in the toughest era for batting in my memory. Demanded the same application and courage from others as he showed himself.

Other later captains were more creative and aggressive. But they could only be so because they stood on the shoulders of a giant. AB dragged a weak and divided Australian team kicking and screaming into the professional era. Batting talent and bowling talent he couldn't manufacture on the spot, so AB demanded you drill and drill until his team became the best fielding side in the world. He had a team picked on character and fostered a culture of no excuses and constant improvement, no exceptions. He shaped a team in his image, hard, battling, bristling, energetic, incapable of a backward step, that set the stage for Oz to launch their dominant period from the mid 90s. His impact on Oz cricket is often undersold, but in his own blue collar way, he was Australia's Imran.


Dennis Lillee- Simply a complete fast bowler. He was genuine express. He could swing it. He could bowl cutters. He could set a batsman up and out think him if he couldn't out blast him. He had swagger and style and aggression. He had that appeal, double fingered, down low, roaring and demanding the wicket. He'd bowl all day if you let him. Once a tearaway, he designed and conducted his own rehab from back fractures to return as a professor of fast bowling.

Every kid in Australia wanted to be Dennis. Everyone wanted to bowl fast. He influenced and inspired generations of quicks. It's impossible to think of Australian fast bowling without Dennis. He is the archetype- McGrath's skill, Johnson's intimidation, Merv's aggression, Fleming's swing, McDermott's persistence, even the flick of sweat off Brett Lee's brow. It's all Dennis.
 
wrongun said:
Don Bradman- twice as good as any of hi contemporaries. An extraordinary feat for a player in any sport in any era and lets not forget Don played in 2 eras, pre and post war. The game had to change to try and combat him, such were his skills and impact. Socially he was (is) Australia's greatest sporting hero and gave something to look forward to and be proud of during the Great Depression.


Shane Warne- revived (or kept alive) a dying art. Arguably the greatest player of his generation. Some will argue he was the greatest bowler ever. He took wickets with unplayable deliveries, absurd deliveries, with average and ugly deliveries, sometimes when his shoulder was crook he took wickets with sheer bluff and personality. If the ball wouldn't spin he'd spin your head. He delivered in big series, big games, crunch moments again and again.

The swerve on the ball. The dip. It left batsmen gasping and breathless. It defied physics. My wife still can't follow the flight of that Batting ball as it suddenly breaks and swoops down and to the right like a fighter breaking formation. You sat down and watched whenever Warne bowled. That says it all. It was pure theatre.

Adam Gilchrist- I wanted to put Glen McGrath here. I almost did. But the fact is Gilly also changed how the game is played. I've lost count of the number of match winning knocks he played. Not just a rearguard, hang in and show some fight knock, but a full frontal counter attack from a losing position or sagging momentum that completely turned a game on it's head.

After Gilly, being a good keeper in cricket was never going to be enough again. Modern keepers are expected to be excellent batsmen, not bonus runs. He changed the game. Every team wanted a Gilly. Others paved the way but Gilly marks the end of the specialist keeper and set the gold standard for the all rounder keepers have become. I haven't even mentioned how he made his runs. With joy vivre, derring do and a smile as he fearlessly smashed to all corners. And he walked! The Aussie who walked. Every time.

Alan Border- If you needed a man to bat for your life, AB was him. Tough as S. Waugh, G. Smith & anyone else you care to name put together. Stood alone again and again vs the Windies. Averaged 50 in the toughest era for batting in my memory. Demanded the same application and courage from others as he showed himself.

Other later captains were more creative and aggressive. But they could only be so because they stood on the shoulders of a giant. AB dragged a weak and divided Australian team kicking and screaming into the professional era. Batting talent and bowling talent he couldn't manufacture on the spot, so AB demanded you drill and drill until his team became the best fielding side in the world. He had a team picked on character and fostered a culture of no excuses and constant improvement, no exceptions. He shaped a team in his image, hard, battling, bristling, energetic, incapable of a backward step, that set the stage for Oz to launch their dominant period from the mid 90s. His impact on Oz cricket is often undersold, but in his own blue collar way, he was Australia's Imran.


Dennis Lillee- Simply a complete fast bowler. He was genuine express. He could swing it. He could bowl cutters. He could set a batsman up and out think him if he couldn't out blast him. He had swagger and style and aggression. He had that appeal, double fingered, down low, roaring and demanding the wicket. He'd bowl all day if you let him. Once a tearaway, he designed and conducted his own rehab from back fractures to return as a professor of fast bowling.

Every kid in Australia wanted to be Dennis. Everyone wanted to bowl fast. He influenced and inspired generations of quicks. It's impossible to think of Australian fast bowling without Dennis. He is the archetype- McGrath's skill, Johnson's intimidation, Merv's aggression, Fleming's swing, McDermott's persistence, even the flick of sweat off Brett Lee's brow. It's all Dennis.
Click to expand...

Great post .very logical analysis
 
Top 5 in my opinion (only those I have been privileged to watch, and in no particular order):
- Steve Vaugh
- Ricky Ponting
- Adam Gilchrist
- Shane Warne
- Glenn Mcgrath
 
wrongun said:
Don Bradman- twice as good as any of hi contemporaries. An extraordinary feat for a player in any sport in any era and lets not forget Don played in 2 eras, pre and post war. The game had to change to try and combat him, such were his skills and impact. Socially he was (is) Australia's greatest sporting hero and gave something to look forward to and be proud of during the Great Depression.


Shane Warne- revived (or kept alive) a dying art. Arguably the greatest player of his generation. Some will argue he was the greatest bowler ever. He took wickets with unplayable deliveries, absurd deliveries, with average and ugly deliveries, sometimes when his shoulder was crook he took wickets with sheer bluff and personality. If the ball wouldn't spin he'd spin your head. He delivered in big series, big games, crunch moments again and again.

The swerve on the ball. The dip. It left batsmen gasping and breathless. It defied physics. My wife still can't follow the flight of that Batting ball as it suddenly breaks and swoops down and to the right like a fighter breaking formation. You sat down and watched whenever Warne bowled. That says it all. It was pure theatre.

Adam Gilchrist- I wanted to put Glen McGrath here. I almost did. But the fact is Gilly also changed how the game is played. I've lost count of the number of match winning knocks he played. Not just a rearguard, hang in and show some fight knock, but a full frontal counter attack from a losing position or sagging momentum that completely turned a game on it's head.

After Gilly, being a good keeper in cricket was never going to be enough again. Modern keepers are expected to be excellent batsmen, not bonus runs. He changed the game. Every team wanted a Gilly. Others paved the way but Gilly marks the end of the specialist keeper and set the gold standard for the all rounder keepers have become. I haven't even mentioned how he made his runs. With joy vivre, derring do and a smile as he fearlessly smashed to all corners. And he walked! The Aussie who walked. Every time.

Alan Border- If you needed a man to bat for your life, AB was him. Tough as S. Waugh, G. Smith & anyone else you care to name put together. Stood alone again and again vs the Windies. Averaged 50 in the toughest era for batting in my memory. Demanded the same application and courage from others as he showed himself.

Other later captains were more creative and aggressive. But they could only be so because they stood on the shoulders of a giant. AB dragged a weak and divided Australian team kicking and screaming into the professional era. Batting talent and bowling talent he couldn't manufacture on the spot, so AB demanded you drill and drill until his team became the best fielding side in the world. He had a team picked on character and fostered a culture of no excuses and constant improvement, no exceptions. He shaped a team in his image, hard, battling, bristling, energetic, incapable of a backward step, that set the stage for Oz to launch their dominant period from the mid 90s. His impact on Oz cricket is often undersold, but in his own blue collar way, he was Australia's Imran.


Dennis Lillee- Simply a complete fast bowler. He was genuine express. He could swing it. He could bowl cutters. He could set a batsman up and out think him if he couldn't out blast him. He had swagger and style and aggression. He had that appeal, double fingered, down low, roaring and demanding the wicket. He'd bowl all day if you let him. Once a tearaway, he designed and conducted his own rehab from back fractures to return as a professor of fast bowling.

Every kid in Australia wanted to be Dennis. Everyone wanted to bowl fast. He influenced and inspired generations of quicks. It's impossible to think of Australian fast bowling without Dennis. He is the archetype- McGrath's skill, Johnson's intimidation, Merv's aggression, Fleming's swing, McDermott's persistence, even the flick of sweat off Brett Lee's brow. It's all Dennis.
Click to expand...

I second this. That will be my top 5 as well.
 
No idea how Miller makes it into the top 5. Ponting and Lillee have far greatest claims ,as does S. Waugh. I'll do my list later today.
 
Harsh Thakor said:
Very good selection Why benaud?
Click to expand...

I think it's indisputable Richie's one of the most influential figures in the history of cricket, a true icon who cast a benevolent shadow across the game that we love. He was one of the ATG captains, a very good all-rounder, and a great leg-spinner who ensured that the art of leg-spin bowling would always be considered important to Australians long before there was Shane Warne. En plus, he was the best spokesperson ever imaginable to promote the game. I think thousands of people only fell in love with cricket because of Richie.

Again, I'm assuming that impact is not just measured by on-field exploits here. In terms of cultural impact, he's easily one of the most influential Australians that have ever lived, he was one of the few that transcended his sport. In fact, I think he's the only cricketer after Bradman that has been able to do that. Richie was revered across the world, he truly was one of a kind. I think it's frankly laughable if in a discussion about the most impactful Australian cricketers in history, the name Richie Benaud is ignored.
 
Harsh Thakor said:
This is my list of the 5 most impactful cricketers in the history of Australian cricket ranked in order of merit.

1.Don Bradman
2.Shane Warne
3.Adam Gilchrist
4.Keith Miller
5.Dennis Lillee
Click to expand...

Pretty much what I’d say too, though I might push Lillee up to #2 or #3. His impact on fast bowling was seismic. Hadlee copied his action and attitude, and Imran learned from him in terms of technical skill and sheer determination.
 
Last Monetarist said:
I think it's indisputable Richie's one of the most influential figures in the history of cricket, a true icon who cast a benevolent shadow across the game that we love. He was one of the ATG captains, a very good all-rounder, and a great leg-spinner who ensured that the art of leg-spin bowling would always be considered important to Australians long before there was Shane Warne. En plus, he was the best spokesperson ever imaginable to promote the game. I think thousands of people only fell in love with cricket because of Richie.

Again, I'm assuming that impact is not just measured by on-field exploits here. In terms of cultural impact, he's easily one of the most influential Australians that have ever lived, he was one of the few that transcended his sport. In fact, I think he's the only cricketer after Bradman that has been able to do that. Richie was revered across the world, he truly was one of a kind. I think it's frankly laughable if in a discussion about the most impactful Australian cricketers in history, the name Richie Benaud is ignored.
Click to expand...

Interesting idea. Technically all cricket related. True that everyone in Oz, whether they like cricket or not, still know Richie and think positively on him. He was basically known as "the sound of summer" for decades.
 
Warne
Bradman
Ponting
McGrath
Adam Gilchrist

A lot more as well Hayden, Hussey, Steve Waugh are just a few I had to leave out. Man, Australia has produced some quality cricketers!
 
barah_admi said:
No idea how Miller makes it into the top 5. Ponting and Lillee have far greatest claims ,as does S. Waugh. I'll do my list later today.
Click to expand...

Because he is talking about impact. The Golden Nugget had a ton of that. It wasn’t just his cavalier batting or his alarmingly quick bowling off seven, eight or nine paces depending how he felt on a given day, as he was arguable the most natural cricketer ever. He didn’t know he could bowl fast until 1946 and then became harder to face than even the great Lindwall, according to Hutton and Compton. Lindy was a groove bowler, they could plan to a certain extent, but Miller was unpredictable.

It was his charisma too - a great big strong handsome fighter pilot war hero - the lads wanted to be him, the girls wanted to get with him. He was an advertiser’s dream.
 
Robert said:
Because he is talking about impact. The Golden Nugget had a ton of that. It wasn’t just his cavalier batting or his alarmingly quick bowling off seven, eight or nine paces depending how he felt on a given day, as he was arguable the most natural cricketer ever. He didn’t know he could bowl fast until 1946 and then became harder to face than even the great Lindwall, according to Hutton and Compton. Lindy was a groove bowler, they could plan to a certain extent, but Miller was unpredictable.

It was his charisma too - a great big strong handsome fighter pilot war hero - the lads wanted to be him, the girls wanted to get with him. He was an advertiser’s dream.
Click to expand...

Very well put
 
Robert said:
Because he is talking about impact. The Golden Nugget had a ton of that. It wasn’t just his cavalier batting or his alarmingly quick bowling off seven, eight or nine paces depending how he felt on a given day, as he was arguable the most natural cricketer ever. He didn’t know he could bowl fast until 1946 and then became harder to face than even the great Lindwall, according to Hutton and Compton. Lindy was a groove bowler, they could plan to a certain extent, but Miller was unpredictable.

It was his charisma too - a great big strong handsome fighter pilot war hero - the lads wanted to be him, the girls wanted to get with him. He was an advertiser’s dream.
Click to expand...

Yes, I am sure he had impact, I never denied that but there is noway he had more impact than Ponting, Waugh or Lillee. Actually I'd include Border in that too.

Miller's position as a cricketer seems to have magically increased in recent times with a lot of pseudo cricket intellectuals mentioning his name to sound smart, same way as boxing fans do by mentioning fighters from the black and white era.

This is not to say Miller wasn't a terrific cricketer but he falls far far behind the great Australians and great all rounders in general.
 
In which year should the appreciation of a cricketer be frozen?
 
barah_admi said:
Yes, I am sure he had impact, I never denied that but there is noway he had more impact than Ponting, Waugh or Lillee. Actually I'd include Border in that too.

Miller's position as a cricketer seems to have magically increased in recent times with a lot of pseudo cricket intellectuals mentioning his name to sound smart, same way as boxing fans do by mentioning fighters from the black and white era.

This is not to say Miller wasn't a terrific cricketer but he falls far far behind the great Australians and great all rounders in general.
Click to expand...

To my mind, name-checking Miller suggests an understanding of history. He’d be my second pick in an Aussie ATG side after Bradman.

Given the choice between Miller and Botham or Kapil, I would have the Australian. Miller vs Imran would be a tight call.

What is wrong with referring to sportsmen from days past? Rocky Marciano was utterly dominant. So was Fangio. So was Jesse Owens.

Miller was a ray of light after the dreadful years of World War Two. He symbolised health, hope and celebration. That’s why I agree with the OP.
 
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