Harsh Thakor
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This is my list of 25 best match-winners of all time in order of merit.Sorry if excluded some really big names but given preference to all-rounders,captains,and great fast bowlers as it is the fast men who were better match winners than the batsmen.It does not rank in terms of overall merit or class but only the player's explosive ability to turn games.
1.Gary Sobers
2.Viv Richards
3.Don Bradman
4.Shane Warne
5.Imran Khan
6.Adam Gilchrist
7.Walter Hammond
8.Malcolm Marshall
9.Keith Miller
10.Ian Botham
11.Curtly Ambrose
12.Dennis Lillee
Sobers was the epitome of cricketing genius who could make a 360 degree turn in game in every department.Viv Richards intimidated the greatest bowlers like a sword piercing flesh and demoralized the opposition like noone else. Simply took batting domination to regions of the sublime.Bradman was a run machine on another plane in runs and run-rate.Warne played the greatest role in rekindling the fire of Australian cricket to take it to a zenith it never reached before.He re-defined the role of the leg spinner.Imran shaped the destiny of nation as a skipper and all-round cricketer like no one else.Gilchrist could make the impact of a dynamite exploding when batting with a phenomenal average in games won.Hammond would have been close to the greatest ever had he not played in the era of Bradman.In addition to his 7249 runs he captured 85 wickets and his scoring rate could be devastating.Inspite of bowling alongside three other all-time greats Marshall delivered the ultimate knockout punch which enabled West Indies to emerge as arguably the strongest test team of all time.Miller had the talent to swing a game equally with both ball and bat.On his day Botham reminded you of a bucaneer,who could create the impact of a hurricane as much as anybody and his best efforts created reversals in cricket matches or test series more than anyone.In a 4th innings on a broken wicket Ambrose was the ultimate man to defend a low total making a bating line up look like nine pins rolling.Lillee was determination and agression personified on a cricket field.
1.Gary Sobers
2.Viv Richards
3.Don Bradman
4.Shane Warne
5.Imran Khan
6.Adam Gilchrist
7.Walter Hammond
8.Malcolm Marshall
9.Keith Miller
10.Ian Botham
11.Curtly Ambrose
12.Dennis Lillee
Sobers was the epitome of cricketing genius who could make a 360 degree turn in game in every department.Viv Richards intimidated the greatest bowlers like a sword piercing flesh and demoralized the opposition like noone else. Simply took batting domination to regions of the sublime.Bradman was a run machine on another plane in runs and run-rate.Warne played the greatest role in rekindling the fire of Australian cricket to take it to a zenith it never reached before.He re-defined the role of the leg spinner.Imran shaped the destiny of nation as a skipper and all-round cricketer like no one else.Gilchrist could make the impact of a dynamite exploding when batting with a phenomenal average in games won.Hammond would have been close to the greatest ever had he not played in the era of Bradman.In addition to his 7249 runs he captured 85 wickets and his scoring rate could be devastating.Inspite of bowling alongside three other all-time greats Marshall delivered the ultimate knockout punch which enabled West Indies to emerge as arguably the strongest test team of all time.Miller had the talent to swing a game equally with both ball and bat.On his day Botham reminded you of a bucaneer,who could create the impact of a hurricane as much as anybody and his best efforts created reversals in cricket matches or test series more than anyone.In a 4th innings on a broken wicket Ambrose was the ultimate man to defend a low total making a bating line up look like nine pins rolling.Lillee was determination and agression personified on a cricket field.