Introduction to Greatest All Rounders
Cricket, often dubbed as the “Gentleman’s Game,” has witnessed the rise of extraordinary players who excel both with bat and ball, earning them the prestigious title of all-rounders.
What Makes a Greatest All Rounders?
Great all-rounders possess a rare blend of batting, bowling, and fielding skills. They contribute significantly to their team’s success across all game formats.
Historical All-round Legends
1. Sir Garfield Sobers
He led the West Indies for several years and was well-known for his fielding prowess. He was proficient in both spin and fast-medium bowling.
Initially, Sobers established himself as a spin bowler for the West Indian squad, frequently batting at the bottom of the order. In 93 test matches, he would take 235 wickets at an average of 34.03.
Except for Sir Donald Bradman, the all-time greatest cricketer, his 57.78 average is the 10th-best in the history of the game.
Sobers achieved 30 fifty-five and 26 hundred. However, his 1958 365-not-out against the Pakistani squad remains his most well-known achievement.
Much later, in 1994, Brian Lara beat that long-standing world record. Even now, it stands as the fifth-highest test cricket score ever.
2. Jacques Kallis
Jacques Kallis ranks highly on the all-time list and is undoubtedly the best all-rounder in contemporary cricket.
Few batsmen have an average of 57.02, which includes 41 hundred and 55 half-centuries, than Kallis. This average is higher compared to other legends like Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, and Virat Kohli.
While most all-rounders prefer to score runs unconventionally, Kallis takes a more traditional approach by hitting various amazing shots.
Some wickets are indeed more difficult to take than Kallis’.In addition, he bowls fast-medium and occasionally hits powerful balls.
Kallis has a 32.51 average while grabbing 274 wickets. Even while it may not be as noteworthy as his hitting record, his bowling stats are still remarkable, and he would be able to earn a spot on many international teams.
3. Imran Khan
Without question, Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan, is the best cricket player to have ever represented his country. In addition, he became the most successful cricket captain in Pakistan.
With Pakistan, Imran won the World Cup in 1992. He took three hundred sixty-two test wickets at an average of 22.81. He opened the bowling for Pakistan for many years and was a true pacer.
He would certainly rank among the best bowlers of all time. With an average of 37.69 at the end of his Test career, he scored six hundred and eighteen half-centuries.
Only eight players have ever accomplished the “all-rounders triple” of three thousand runs and three hundred wickets.
4. Keith Miller
The first genuine all-rounder in test cricket was Keith Miller. He frequently batted third in the order, which was high. He was regarded as a natural striker and left his mark on cricket history as a potent hitter.
When bowling, Miller might confuse the batsman by altering his pace, line, and length. From a short run-up, he bowled his fastest deliveries, making great use of slower deliveries.
He was acrobatic in the slips as well. Miller succeeded as a pitcher and batter due to his all-around skills.
Over more than a decade of his career, Miller amassed 2,958 runs and claimed 170 wickets.
5. Richard Hadlee
While at the top, Richard Hadlee frequently made the difference between New Zealand being a pushover and a world-beater. He is renowned as a fantastic bowler who set a world record with 431 wickets at an average of 22.29.
He was a fast-opening bowler when he started, but as he got older, he shortened his run-up and focused more on moving the ball, which he is the best at.
In his prime, he sometimes appeared to have the ball on a string, as seen by his 9 for 52 performance against Australia.
Without a doubt, he was an all-around bowler and a good hitter who could contribute significant runs closer to the conclusion of an inning.
6. Ian Botham
Ian Botham, one of the best all-around Englishmen of the 1980s, played a significant role in bringing cricket’s sleeping lion back to life.
Known by his nickname “Beefy,” he debuted for England in 1976. With his all-around performances in the 1981 Ashes series, which included 399 runs and 34 wickets, he was the sole reason behind England’s victory.
Later on, the show was dubbed “Botham’s Ashes.”Throughout his career, he averaged 33.54 at the bat, but he demonstrated several times that he could continue to put up large innings, scoring 14 hundreds and 22 half-centuries.
His high strike rate of 60.71 indicates that he was typically a powerful hitter. As a bowler, he still maintains the record for the most Test wickets taken by an England player with 383 wickets at a pace of 28.40.
His performance of 149* against Australia was considered among the top ten greatest test innings in history.
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7. Shaun Pollock
In contemporary cricket, Pollock was one of the best all-around performers. With the bat and the ball, this former South African captain has an outstanding ODI and test cricket record.
Pollock was an all-around bowler who could also contribute at the bat and was, for a period, among the world’s most reliable bowlers.
At 23.11, he had 421 test wickets. However, his most valuable bowling quality was his consistency and economy, which made it difficult to score runs off of him most of the time.
He could play well with the bat as a batsman but frequently found it difficult to advance to a large score. And despite only having two centuries to his credit, he still averages 32.31, which demonstrates this.
8. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is the first of the great all-rounders of the 1980s to feature on this list, also known as the “Haryana Hurricane” and arguably the best fast bowler in India.
In 1983, he became the first captain from India to raise the World Cup trophy.
In his final test, he broke Richard Hadlee’s world record and became only the second bowler in history to capture 400 wickets, finishing with 434 wickets at an average of 29.64.
Throughout his career, which featured eight centuries and twenty-seven half-centuries, he averaged 31.05 at bat. His 175 not out against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup stands out in ODIs for Kapil.
9. Andrew Flintoff
Many people refer to Andrew Flintoff as “Freddie.” The Ashes series in 2005, which saw England win the series for the first time since the 1986–1987 season, is what made him most famous.
Flintoff, one of the all-time greats, was a fast bowler who could bowl over 140 km. He got 226 wickets at an average of 32.78.
In addition, he was a quick-scorer with a 31.07 average that included five hundred and twenty-six half-centuries. The crowd finds great amusement in watching him bat.
10. Sanath Jayasuriya
Sanath Teran Jayasuriya was the person who reinterpreted the meaning of the opening in ODIs. During the required field restriction period, the strategy targeted the opening bowlers by lofting their deliveries over the infielders.
He has destroyed nearly every bowler of his generation. He was a Slow Left-arm Orthodox bowler when he made his Sri Lankan international debut.
In Test cricket, he was not as prolific, with just over 7,000 runs and 100 wickets. However, he was among the greatest of his time in the shorter format, amassing over 13,000 runs and taking over 300 wickets.
At the beginning of his career, Jayasuriya was a bowler. Still, he gradually turned his attention to his batting to develop into the all-rounder his club needed him to be.
He was among the top finishers and will always be remembered for his crisp off-side and strong-cut shots. He was also capable of doing much with the ball rather than just a little, as has been observed numerous times.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the legacy of all-rounders in cricket is illustrious and enduring. From the likes of Sir Garfield Sobers to contemporary stars like Ben Stokes, these exceptional athletes embody the essence of cricketing excellence. Their impact transcends mere statistics, shaping the course of matches and inspiring generations to come.