The debate over who are the greatest cricketers of all-time is a never-ending crusade and one that is renewed every time a new star comes to the fore.
We’ve given our two cents here with a list of our 10 top cricketers in history, outlining their best achievements.
We are sure not everyone will agree with our rankings, so have a go for yourself!
10. Virat Kohli
Indian batsman Kohli is one of the best batsmen of his era, reaching the number one spot in the ICC rankings for ODI batsman for the first time in 2013.
He twice won Man of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup and is a big reason why India are one of the favourites in the online cricket betting odds to win the tournament next year in Australia.
9. Ricky Ponting
Captain of Australia during their ‘golden era’ between 2002 and 2011 and the most successful skipper in international cricket history, with 220 victories in 324 matches.
Led the Aussies to their second 5-0 Ashes win over England as well as victories at the 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cups.
Second in the list of international centuries scored, the only cricketer in history to be involved in 100 Test wins and Australia’s leading run-scorer in Test and ODI cricket.
8. Jacques Kallis
One of the greatest all-rounders ever and South Africa’s greatest ever batsman, named Player of the Tournament during his country’s victorious 1998 ICC KnockOut Trophy (the only ICC tournament win in their history).
Only cricketer in the history of the game to score over 10,000 runs and take over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test match cricket.
7. Shane Warne
Considered one of the greatest bowlers in history, Warne took over 1,000 international wickets in Test and ODI matches.
His haul of 96 wickets taken in a calendar year in Test matches remains a record, while in 2000 he was selected by a panel of experts as one of five ‘Wisden Cricketers of the Century’ and the only spin bowler.
6. Brian Lara
Trinidad legend Lara topped the Test batting rankings on several occasions and holds the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket, hitting 501 not out for Warwickshire – the only quintuple-hundred in history at that level of the game.
He also holds the highest individual score in a Test innings after firing 400 not out against England in 2004, while his match-winning 153 not out against Australia in 1999 has been rated by Wisden as the second-best batting performance in the history of Test cricket.
5. Wasim Akram
Regarded as one of the best fast bowlers ever, the Pakistani left-armer holds the world record for most wickets in List A cricket with 881.
Thought to be perhaps the finest exponent of reverse swing bowling, he was the first bowler to reach the 500-wicket mark in ODI cricket during the 2003 World Cup.
4. Viv Richards
Antiguan batsman who represented West Indies with distinction, scoring 8,540 Test runs from 121 matches at an average of 50.23, including 24 centuries.
Chosen by Wisden as the greatest ODI batsman of all time in 2002, as well as the third greatest Test batsman of all-time behind Don Bradman and Sachin Tendulkar.
3. Muttiah Muralitharan
Averaging over six wickets per Test match, Murali is regarded as the greatest and most successful bowler ever to play international cricket.
Only bowler to take 800 Test wickets and 530+ ODI wickets, the Sri Lankan held the number one spot in ICC player rankings for Test bowlers for a period of 1,711 days spanning 214 Test matches.
2. Don Bradman
Bradman’s Test batting average of 99.94 has been cited as the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport.
During a 20-year career he consistently scored runs that made former Australia captain Bill Woodfull claim he was “worth three batsmen to Australia”.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
Highest run scorer of all-time in international cricket and only player to have scored one hundred international centuries.
Holder of most runs in both Test and ODI cricket and only player to complete more than 30,000 runs in international cricket, India batsman Tendulkar is our greatest ever cricketer.
