Let’s take a look at some of the best cricket players ever to figure out who stands out the most.
Cricket has been around for a long time, and it’s gone through a lot of changes over the years. New rules, different ways of playing, and better technology have all made it harder to compare players from different times. There’s a lot to think about when we’re trying to decide who the greatest cricketers of all time are.
Some of today’s top players focus more on shorter games like T20 cricket, which weren’t really a thing in the past. And some never even got to play in big tournaments like the 50-over World Cup. Plus, some countries don’t care as much about Test cricket as they used to.
We can look at stats to help us decide who’s the best Cricket player. Since we don’t have video footage for all players, stats are really important. But even with all these numbers, it’s still tough to say who’s better between players like AB De Villiers and W.G. Grace.
Here are 10 Best cricket players of all time:
10. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev took 434 wickets in Test cricket, which was a record until Courtney Walsh broke it in 2000. But Kapil still holds some other records. He’s the only player to have both 400 wickets and 5,000 runs in Test matches. Also, he’s the youngest captain to lead his team to a World Cup victory.
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Just looking at his averages doesn’t show how much Kapil really brought to the game. He had a bigger impact than his stats might show, like many other all-rounders who hit hard.
9. Imran Khan
The 1980s were a great time for all-rounders, with players like Dev, Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee, and Imran Khan shining bright. Among them, Imran stood out. He not only boosted Pakistan’s love for cricket but also showed excellence as a fast bowler, a good batter, and a strong leader.
Imran ended his amazing career with a win at the 1992 World Cup. It was a perfect ending for a player who only got better with time. In his final ten years of Test cricket, he scored an average of 50 runs per match and took just 19 wickets on average.
8. Jack Hobbs
One of the best cricket players in the history of the game had to be on this list. Jack Hobbs, known as ‘The Master’, was really good. He played 61 Test matches and scored lots of runs, making a hundred many times. His average score was just under 57. He played for a long time, but there was a big break because of World War I, which lasted for 22 years between his first and last Tests for his country.
There aren’t many videos of Hobbs playing, but people who saw him play say he was quick on his feet and had new ideas about how to bat. He was liked by many during his career, and most of those who saw him play thought he was the best of his time.
7. Sachin Tendulkar
Ever since Sachin Tendulkar started playing for India when he was only 15, he’s been more than just a cricketer. Tendulkar, who scored the most runs in Tests and ODIs, is like a hero in India and one of the best batters in cricket.
With his almost flawless technique, Tendulkar did amazingly well worldwide. His straight drive, where he hits the ball straight past the bowler, is famous in cricket, just like Ricky Ponting’s pull shot or Ian Bell’s cover drive.
6. Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall was one of the best bowlers in cricket history. He took more wickets in Test matches for the West Indies than anyone else before he retired, with 376 wickets. His average of 20.94 for each wicket he took is the best among bowlers with over 200 wickets.
Even though Marshall wasn’t as tall as some other fast bowlers, his bouncer was really scary. He worked hard on his skills and learned to bowl different kinds of deliveries, like in-swingers and leg-cutters, alongside his natural out-swinger.
On top of being a great bowler, Marshall was also good at batting. He scored ten fifties in Test matches during his career.
5. Muttiah Muralitharan
Muttiah Muralitharan faced lots of doubts about his bowling style, but he still managed to get 800 wickets in Test matches and 534 in One Day Internationals (ODIs). He’s the top wicket-taker in both types of games.
Even though scientists studied Murali’s bowling technique and even had him bowl with a special brace on his arm, some people still question if he played fair. But his records speak for themselves, and he’s changed how people see off-spin bowling.
Muralitharan is unique, and it’s likely no one will match his achievements for a long time.
4. Viv Richards
Viv Richards was a key player in the West Indies cricket teams that were really successful. He was really good at batting, with an average of 50 in Test matches and 47 in ODIs. But what made him stand out even more was his impact on the bowlers.
When he played, Richards was like a nightmare for bowlers. He hit the ball hard and all around the field, showing no mercy. His ability to connect bat to ball was unbelievable, allowing him to make shots that seemed impossible for others. Richards was known for his aggressive style of play, which was way ahead of his time.
Many other cricket legends, like Bob Willis, Brian Lara, and Dennis Lillee, have said that Richards was the best batter they ever saw.
3. Shane Warne
Shane Warne, who was a fantastic cricketer, ended his career with fewer Test and ODI wickets than Muralitharan. Some might argue whether he deserves such high praise.
But Warne was not just a bowler; he was also a great batter and fielder, better than Muralitharan in those aspects. His intense competitiveness and love for big moments made him stand out among all bowlers.
When the game is close, Warne is the one you’d trust to deliver with the ball.
2. Don Bradman
Don Bradman was so good at cricket that England had to resort to a strategy called Bodyline just to try and stop him from scoring too much. After World War II, he led a team called ‘The Invincibles’ and ended his Test cricket career with a score of zero, which kept his average at an astonishing 99.94.
While players like Richards and Tendulkar were known for their dominating style and classic technique respectively, Bradman had his own unique way of playing. At first, he was all about attacking, but later in his career, he focused more on collecting runs steadily rather than going all out for big shots.
1. Garfield Sobers
Garfield Sobers was an amazing cricketer, great at batting, bowling, and fielding. He played for a long time, from the 1950s to the 1970s. He scored over 8,000 runs and took 235 wickets in Test matches. He could bowl both spin and seam. He would have been awesome in one-day cricket too, but it wasn’t big when he played.