BettingSite’s All time best cricket team
It’s an argument every cricket fan has had at some point in their adult life.
You might be at the pub, or sitting around the dinner table, or catching up with relatives at Christmas. The talk turns to cricket – maybe last night’s Twenty20 result, maybe the upcoming Test match.
It starts out as a light, amiable discussion. Everything is swell, you’re having fun.
Then someone mentions in passing how so-and-so was one of the best that ever lived. Someone else cites such-and-such’s superior record. A third party ventures that you couldn’t possibly compare so-and-so with such-and-such, as they played in different eras.
The debate escalates and all hell breaks loose.
Out come the scraps of paper, the betting pencils, the Wikipedia links, the endless reams of statistics and anecdotes, as a bunch of drunk blokes try to answer that age-old question: what is the greatest fantasy cricket team of all time?
One of the major sports publications throws up their ‘definitive’ best world XI every other year, or a poorly thought-out fan poll where most of India’s current ODI squad is voted in.
So, we at BettingSite.com.au thought: why not throw in our two cents?
We’ve trawled through the archives, compared player against player in every discipline and every position, and come up with what we think is the cream of the crop. Naturally, given the scope of the assignment, there is a predisposition towards Test records, but limited-overs performances certainly count towards the modern-era players in this list.
Here, then, is BS’s all-time greatest cricket team. Let us know what you think.
1. Sir Jack Hobbs
- Tests: 61
- Average: 56.94
- 100/50: 15/28
- High score: 211
With a roll call that includes names like Herbert Sutcliffe, Leonard Hutton, Geoffrey Boycott and Graeme Gooch, it was all but inevitable that one of the opening slots would go to an Englishman. The granddaddy of them all was Jack Hobbs – the one they called ‘The Master’.
Renowned as a consummate stylist and a trendsetter in batting technique, Hobbs was one of the first true greats of the game. Who knows what he might have achieved at Test level if World War I hadn’t broken out during his prime years? Nevertheless, he was England’s main man in an international career spanning some 22 years, and his partnership with Sutcliffe is widely regarded as the greatest there ever was.
But perhaps Hobbs’ greatest legacy is his otherworldly longevity in the game. He remains the oldest player to score a Test century (at 46 years of age), played county cricket well into his 50s, and amassed more than 61,000 first-class runs with 199 centuries – a record that will never be bested.
2. Sunil Gavaskar
- Tests: 125
- Average: 51.12
- 100/50: 34/45
- High score: 236*
It is highly appropriate that the career of India’s greatest opener was built on firsts. The first man to score 30 Test centuries; the first man to pass 10,000 Test runs; the first Indian outfielder to take 100 Test catches.
For Sunil Gavaskar was a true number one. He faced the first ball of the innings in 186 of his 214 Test knocks and was an absolute rock for India from 1971 to 1987, when that nation had nothing like the depth of talent or the commercial and political influence that it does now.
Sunny’s greatest quality was a fierce mindset and all-round technique that allowed him to master foreign conditions in a way very few subcontinental players have ever managed. Nobody played the West Indies’ fearsome fast bowling better than Gavaskar, who averaged 70.20 in the Caribbean with seven 100s and four 50s in 13 matches.
3. Sir Donald Bradman
- Tests: 52
- Average: 99.94
- 100/50: 29/13
- High score: 334
Honesty, did you expect anything else? Don Bradman was without doubt the greatest cricketer in the history of the game. Indeed, recent far-reaching statistical analyses suggest ‘The Don’ may have been the most dominant athlete of the last 100 years in any sport – ahead of names like Pele, Ty Cobb and Michael Jordan.
Bradman’s achievements are ingrained in Australian folklore. Everybody knows the story of how the boy from Cootamundra used to practice with a stump and a golf ball; of how England devised the brutal Bodyline tactic specifically to thwart his unparalleled shotmaking skills; and how, needing just four runs to finish with a career batting average of 100, he was out for a duck in his final Test innings.
So while we’d love to consider Ricky Ponting, Viv Richards, Wally Hammond and all the other greats for the number three slot, there is no debate here. As leader of the Invincibles that conquered England in the 1948 Ashes tour, he’s also the obvious choice to captain our all-time XI.
4. Sachin Tendulkar
- Tests: 200
- Average: 53.78
- 100/50: 51/68
- High score: 248*
What Jack Hobbs is to first-class cricket, Sachin Tendulkar is to the modern international game. He is the highest all-time runscorer in both Tests (15,921) and One Day Internationals (18,426), and has represented his country a staggering 664 times in all forms of the game.
‘The Little Master’ is the poster child of India’s rise to prominence in the grand scheme of world cricket. He was the best of the best in an era dominated by world-class batsmen, and perhaps the only man who regularly got the better of Australia’s almighty bowling duo of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
Nevertheless, it was a tough call between Tendulkar and contemporary greats like Brian Lara and Kumar Sangakkara. We went with Sachin partly because of his superior record in Test matches overseas. He averaged over 46 everywhere except Pakistan and Zimbabwe, with especially impressive figures in Australia (53.20) and England (54.31).
5. Jacques Kallis
- Tests: 166
- Runs: 13,289
- 100/50: 45/58
- Wickets: 292
Jacques Kallis is too often overlooked when people discuss the best batsmen of the 1990s and onwards. Perhaps it’s because he is not considered a ‘pure’ run-maker; perhaps it’s because he was often a very patient player, more akin to Rahul Dravid than to the likes of Ponting, Lara and Tendulkar.
Neither of those reasons make any sense to us. Kallis is South Africa’s all-time leading runscorer in both the long and short forms, and only one man (Tendulkar) has scored more centuries in Test cricket. He also has over 330 catches to his name and was a fixture in the Proteas’ slip cordon for many years.
They say an excellent all-rounder is one who could get a game based on one discipline alone. Kallis starred in both, snaring some 577 international wickets with his accurate medium-fast swing bowling. When he retired from international cricket in 2014, only Shaun Pollock, Makaya Ntini and Allan Donald had taken more overall wickets for the Proteas. If he’s not the most complete cricketer of the last 25 years, then who is?
6. Sir Garfield Sobers
- Tests: 93
- Runs: 8032
- 100/50: 26/30
- Wickets: 235
Besides being a phenomenal all-round performer, Garry Sobers was one of the game’s great entertainers and set the trend for the crowd-thrilling West Indian sides of the 1970s and ’80s. His style and swagger at the crease was like nothing seen before or since, and his ballstriking was second to none – as witnessed in that famous county game at Glamorgan when he hit six consecutive sixes.
With the ball, there was never a player more versatile than Sobers. Having started out for the Windies as a fast opening bowler, the Barbadian also switched between wrist spin and orthodox finger spin on a regular basis throughout his career. His extraordinary athletic ability was evident around the ground as well, where he excelled at close catching and out-fielding alike.
So, in summary: Sir Garfield averaged just under 58 with the bat, held the world-record Test score (365*) for nearly 40 years, took 235 wickets bowling every imaginable style and was a freak in the field. Only Bradman is a surer pick than his guy, and some would even switch the order.
7. Adam Gilchrist
- Tests: 96
- Average: 47.60
- 100/50: 17/26
- Catches/stumpings: 379/37
This is probably the most contentious spot on the list. Do you go with the best specialist wicketkeeper, or with the best all-round player who wore the gloves?
In our eyes, there is no contest. Adam Gilchrist was not only a highly competent glovesman, but one of the most brutal left-hand hitters ever to play the game. Coming in at seven, he was the X-factor in that great Australian Test side around the turn of the millennium, often making Ashes fixtures his own, while his opening partnerships with Mark Waugh and Matthew Hayden in ODIs were integral in the Aussies’ three consecutive Cricket World Cup victories.
The likes of Alan Knott and Ian Healy may have been more technically adept behind the stumps, but Gilchrist was never a liability as a wicketkeeper. Indeed, his reach and athleticism made him a wonderful catcher to fast bowling, while his 92 international stumpings are testament to the solid service he provided Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill.
He’s the greatest number seven ever to play the game – without exception.
8. Malcolm Marshall
- Tests: 81
- Wickets: 376
- Average: 20.94
- Strike rate: 46.7
He may not have had the physical presence of Joel Garner, the raw speed of Michael Holding, or the sheer menace of Curtly Ambrose, but the late Malcolm Marshall was probably the best of the great West Indian fast bowlers of yore – if not the very best of all fast bowlers, ever.
Marshall was fairly short, lightly built and bowled with an unconventional front-on action. But what he lacked in physique and classical technique, the Bridgetown native made up for with a quick arm, the ability to move the ball both ways, and one of the sharpest minds going around. His skiddy delivery style set the standard for modern quicks like Dale Steyn and made his bouncer one of the most dangerous in all of cricket.
Most of all, Marshall took wickets at an alarming rate. His strike rate of 46.7 is bettered by only two bowlers who have played more than 50 Test matches (Steyn and Waqar Younis), and at a far tighter economy rate than both.
9. Wasim Akram
- Tests: 104
- Wickets: 414
- Average: 23.62
- Strike rate: 54.6
Among all the Pakistani quicks of the ’80s and ’90s, Wasim Akram tormented batsmen more consistently and cruelly than any other. Watch any highlight reel of his performances in Australia over the years, and it’s no wonder he is generally considered the best left-arm bowler of all time.
What separated Akram from the pack was his ability to move the ball both ways – and we don’t just mean following up an outswinger with an inswinger. The Lahore native was such a master of reverse swing that he could make the ball move through the air one way and then the other, all in a single delivery. His late-swinging yorker was all but unplayable, even by the world’s best bats.
Akram amassed more than 900 international wickets (414 in Tests, 502 in ODIs) and was one of Pakistan’s most loyal and dedicated servants despite constant political turmoil throughout his 19-year career. He was also a very capable batsman down the order, with three Test centuries and a high score of 257 not out.
10. Shane Warne
- Tests: 145
- Wickets: 708
- Average: 25.41
- Strike rate: 57.1
Some say he was the best spinner of his generation. A few even say he’s the greatest player of all time. Others say he was neither and we should’ve picked Muttiah Muralithuran instead, and also that he was a bit of a douche. But whatever you think of Shane Warne, you cannot deny that there’s never been a player quite like him.
For all his controversies and shenanigans off the pitch, the St Kilda boy was a straight-up match winner when you put the ball in his hand. Watching him bowl was a rare treat that statistics and raw data can’t even come close to describing. He made the most difficult of all cricket’s crafts look like child’s play, toying with batsmen as he dropped flippers, zooters and the odd goggly in amongst his perfectly honed leg breaks.
But the genius of ‘Warney’ wasn’t in his pure skill; it was in his thought process and his execution of a plan. Nobody could outsmart an opponent more completely than Warne could. He was the best player in one of the best teams that has ever existed, and there can be no higher praise than that. Just quietly, Warnie, also filled up our pockets at the top online bookmakers more than once.
11. Glenn McGrath
- Tests: 124
- Wickets: 563
- Average: 21.64
- Strike rate: 51.9
He didn’t have express pace. He didn’t swing it much, either, and only got a little bit of movement off the surface. But what Glenn McGrath did was take wickets for Australia – 944 of them, all up.
The fast bowler’s mantra of ‘line and length’ was bread and butter for the lanky New South Welshman. He was metronomic with his accuracy and consistency, so much so that batsmen would get out playing streaky shots just to break the monotony. Subtle changes and natural variation were his biggest weapons, along with a razor-sharp bouncer that always forced a reaction.
Besides being one of only two fast bowlers to pass 500 Test wickets, McGrath is also one of the most accomplished seamers in limited-overs history. He was especially prolific at the ICC Cricket World Cup, where he still holds the tournament record for most total wickets (71).
12th man: Imran Khan
- Tests: 88
- Wickets: 362
- Runs: 3807
- 100/50: 6/18
This is just about the hardest spot to fill on the entire team. There are so many candidates, but only one position available. We’ve gone with Imran Khan – an all-round gun who led the Pakistani bowling attack for many years and matured into an extremely reliable middle-order batsman, averaging over 50 in the back half of his career.
Best world cricket XI of all time
- Sir Jack Hobbs (England)
- Sunil Gavaskar (India)
- Sir Donald Bradman (Australia)
- Sachin Tendulkar (India)
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
- Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
- Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
- Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
- Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
- Shane Warne (Australia)
- Glenn McGrath (Australia)
12th man: Imran Khan (Pakistan)
Fuck this XI because the EMPEROR OF CRICKET – SIR VIVIAN RICHARDS – WHO TAUGHT ALL THE PLAYERS 90, 120, 180, 360 DEGREES. IF THESE BIGGEST PLAYERS DON’T SELECT HIM IN THEIR XI, THEY AREN’T ELIGIBLE TO SELECT AS WELL AS THEY MIGHT HAVE PLAYED FOR THEIR COUNTRY BECAUSE OF RECOMMENDATIONS. WI ARE THE MOST UNSELFISH PLAYERS, WHO DON’T BOTHER ABOUT RECORDS. BUT CREATE RECORDS, WHICH CANNOT BE BROKEN. I never respect the Selection based on figures, country, etc., Appreciate all the greats, if you cannot select properly don’t select a wrong team and called names.
Barry Richards was the greatest ever opening batsman and was chosen by Don Bradman in his best ever team. Bradman left out Hobbs. Yes to numbers 2, 3, 4 who were all chosen by Bradman. For number 5 Graham Pollock with test average 61 is second only to Bradman and is far superior to Kallis test average of 55. Kallis was cautious accumulator of runs while Pollock could demolish the best of bowlers and turn around a test match. It is really no contest. Number 6 Sobers agreed and included by Bradman. Number 7 Gilchrist is not the world’s best wicket keeper based on wicket keeping. Dennis Lindsay of South Africa was the world’s best ever wicket keeper. In his last test series against Australia Lindsay scored 606 runs and was just as great a batsman as Gilchrist but a better wicket keeper. 8 one should consider Mike Proctor, an exceptional fast bowler with an average of 15 and good batsman/ all rounder in a test career cut short. 9 and 10 agreed. 11 Bradman chose Dennis Lillee instead of McGrath. Pat Cummins is better than McGrath. If we replace Bradmans choice then it has to be Cummins. 12. Ricky Ponting the second highest test run scorer of all time and one of the best fielders of all time, an essential quality for number 12.
Nigel, Barry R played too few tests, besides he wasn’t the greatest opening bat, Trumper was
Stephen, with all due respect, Sir Donald Bradman chose Barry Richards as the number 1 opening batsman. Bradman did not include Trumper in his best ever team, which was otherwise loaded with Australians.
I agree that Viv Richards must be in the best ever team. He could bat at any position as a devastating batsman. Therefore I would include him as opening batsman and move Sunil Gavaskar to 12 or to the touring reserve squad.
The full best ever team with reserves after adjusting for the above.
1, Barry Richards
2, Viv Richards
3, Donald Bradman
4, Sachin Tendulkar
5, Graeme Pollock
6, Garfield Sobers
7, Dennis Lindsay (wk)
8, Malcolm Marshall
9, Wasim Akram
10, Shane Warne
11, Dennis Lillee
Reserves
12, Ricky Ponting
13, Sunil Gavaskar
14, Adam Gilchrist
15, Mike Proctor
Dropped: Hobbs, Kallis, McGrath.
Your team sucks bro! lmao
Why would you drop McGrath
I agree McGrath is one of the greatest ever but Proctor, Hadlee, Marshall and Akram have a better bowling average, a better strike rate and a much better batting average than McGrath. The above 4 fast bowlers are the 4 best fast bowlers and also the 4 best bowling all rounders. So if you are selecting a team of 14 you would take all 4 and play 3 of them. I really don’t think that selection of fast bowlers can be improved on. As a bonus the 14 man team includes players from all main test countries and includes their best cricketers. The numbers 13 and 14 are reserve spinner and reserve batter/wk.
why would you move Gilchrist he is the BEST wicket keepers/batsman ever
Wicket keeper batsmen. Very few wicket keepers have scored more than 250 runs and taken 20 or more wickets in the same test series. Denis Lindsay is at the top of the list with 606 runs at average of over 86 and 24 dismissals. Gilchrist’s best is 340 runs at average of 68 and 26 dismissals. No other wicket keeper comes even close to Lindsay’s runs total of 606 runs or his series batting average of 86. He is in a class of his own, and that’s before one even looks at his wicket keeping record which is also in a class of its own.
After more consideration I think number 8 needs to be a bowling all rounder. Mike Procter comes in at 8 and Malcolm Marshall is included in reserves. Compare their statistics. Proctor was the first batsman to hit six consecutive sixes after Sobers. Proctor was one of very few batsmen to hit six consecutive first class centuries after Bradman. Proctors bowling stats are 15 Tests and 19.5 FC compared to Marshall 20 and 19.1 but batting Proctor 25 and 36 compared to Marshall 19 and 25. Proctor is a better bowling all rounder than Marshall and so Proctor must be number 8.
For reserve opening batsman either Gavaskar or Hobbs. For reserve top order batsman either Ponting or Kallis or Brian Lara. A batting all rounder reserve might be what is needed which favours Kallis. Marshall is the reserve bowling all rounder. The only player then to be completely ruled out is McGrath.
Bowling all rounders who are comparable to Proctor. Ranked as best to worst on bowling (low) and batting (high) first class career.
Mike Proctor. 19.5 and 36,0
Richard Hadlee 18.1 and 31.7
Malcolm Marshall 19.1 and 24.8
Wasim Akram. 21.6 and 22.7
Keith Miller. 22.3 and 48.9
Clive Rice. 22.5 and 41,0
Imran Khan. 22.3 and 36.8
Shaun Pollock. 23.3 and 33.1
Ian Botham. 27.2 and 34
Batting all rounders
Garfield Sobers. 27.7 and 54.9
Jacques Kallis. 31.7 and 54.1
Comments in next post
Sorry, wrong again Nigel, the greatest ever all-rounder, with a batting av. 56 and bowling of 6/test <10 (and first person to take 10 wickets and score a ton in one test) was Betty Wison. Applying stats the way you do, she was the GOAT!
Marshall, Hadlee and Proctor are equivalent bowlers but Proctor is a better batsman. Proctor and Hadlee need to replace Marshall and Akram (one can be retained in reserves). None of the others come close to Proctor (or Hadlee) as a bowling all rounder. Akram, Botham and Pollock are worse bowlers and worse batters than Proctor. Rice and Khan are worse bowlers but equivalent batters. Miller was worse bowler but better batter. Sobers takes up the batting all rounder at number 6 in the team. No place for Kallis except as reserve option.
The final best ever team has to be
1, Barry Richards
2, Viv Richards
3, Don Bradman
4, Sachin Tendulkar
5, Graeme Pollock
6. Garfield Sobers
7, Dennis Lindsay
8, Mike Proctor
9, Richard Hadlee
10, Shane Warne
11, Joel Garner
12, Adam Gilchrist
Very good and well balanced side.
Viv NEVER opened. Tsk, tsk!
Stephen, I was trying to placate Mr Abdullah. Okay select batsmen: 1 Barry Richards 2. Jack Hobbs 3. Don Bradman 4. Sachin Tendulkar 5, Graeme Pollock 6. Gary Sobers. Sir Don Bradman chose Barry Richards as greatest ever opening batsman. Graeme Pollock is the worlds second best ever test batsman and is far superior to Jacques Kallis chosen by Betting Site. They are both South Africans and no South African would rate Kallis above Pollock. Bradman also rated him highly.
Graeme Pollocks test batting average over 23 tests over nine years was 61 and his strike rate was 112 compared to Kallis average of 57 and a strike rate of 46. Pollock was an attacking batsman whereas Kallis was a careful accumulator of runs. Pollock won most of the tests in which he played. Pollocks test career ended at the height of his career and he had not yet reached his peak.
See Cricbuzz. Don Bradmans strike rate was 71. Kallis at SR of 46 was on the slow side.
Stay with Ricky Ponting at 12 and others are in touring team reserves
To confirm their superiority over all other fast bowlers and bowler all rounders Marshall 1651, Hadlee 1490 and Proctor 1417 are the leading first class wicket takers of all the top bowlers in the modern era above Khan 1287, Donald 1216, Botham 1172, Akram 1042, Ambrose 941
Final correction
11, Malcolm Marshall
12, Ricky Ponting
Changes (out) in (Hobbs) Barry Richards, (Gavaskar) Viv Richards, (Kallis), Graeme Pollock, (Gilchrist), Dennis Lindsay, (Akram) Mike Procter, (McGrath), Richard Hadlee
An improvement in all instances. I did try to make the least changes but these were necessary and are supported by the stats and real life performances.
Malcolm Marshall will bat at 10 instead of 8. Shane Warne will bat at 11 instead of 10. Further proof that this is both a stronger bowling and batting side.
Why pick Mike Proctor the worlds best ever bowling all rounder.
FCstats Proctor Kallis Marshall Pollock
Runs. 21936. 19695 11004. 7021
100/50. 48/109. 62/97 7/54. 6/35
HS. 254. 224. 120. 150
Bat av. 36.0. 54.1. 24.8. 33.1
Wkts 1417. 427. 1651. 667
Ave. 19.5. 31.7. 19.1. 23.3
J Kallis is often rated as the second best or even the best allrounder ever, but Mike Procter is a better all rounder than Kallis, Malcolm Marshall, and Shaun Pollock. Proctor overshadows all three. He is a much better bowler than Kallis, and a much better batter than Marshall, and a much better bowler and batter than Shaun Pollock. Proctor was also a better fast bowler than his compatriots Alan Donald and Dale Steyn. These are facts and not just stats. He also captained Natal and Gloucestershire (known as Proctorshire).
Compare Garfield Sobers and Mike Proctor.
First class Sobers Proctor
Runs 28314. 21936
100s. 86. 48
Ave. 54.9. 36.0
Wkts. 1043. 1417
5w. 36. 70
10w. 1. 15
Ave. 27.7. 19.5
Sobers is the worlds best batting all rounder. Proctor is the world’s best bowling all rounder.
Kallis (427 wkts) is not even close. Nor is Hadlee (14 centuries) Marshall (7) or Akram (7).
Proctor has 21936 runs compared to Kallis 19695 runs. Proctor has taken more than three times the number of first Class wickets. Kallis is not the equal of Mike Proctor as an all rounder or of Graeme Pollock or Barry Richards as a batsman.
Best bowler in history.
Mike Proctor’s bowling strike rate for the 7 tests he played, all against Australia in 1966 and 1970, was 36.9 and his bowling average was 15. These are the best stats in history since 1900. (There is one better before 1900).
Strike rates
M Proctor 36.9
D Steyn 42.3
M Marshall 46.7
A Donald 47.0
J Garner 50.8
R. Hadlee 50.8
G McGrath 51.9
D. Lillee 52.0
I Khan 53.7
Where is waqar younis?
Waqar Younis is 43.4 strike rate with a Test bowling average 23.56 and FC 22.33
A very good strike rate but not as good as Proctor or Steyn.
Better than Malcolm Marshall but Malcolm had a better bowling average than Waqar. They are all very good fast bowlers.
In conclusion Mike Procter is the worlds best ever bowler and bowling all rounder. There is no one else who comes close. This is shown by his shortened Test career and is confirmed by his very full first class career. Richard Hadlee and Malcolm Marshall are the next two best ever fast bowlers and world ranked bowling all rounders. This is shown by their Test careers and is confirmed by their first class careers. Shane Warne is the best ever spin/leg spin bowler in history. Proctor Hadlee Marshall and Warne are selected at 8,9,10 and 11 respectively. Garfield Sobers is undoubtedly the best ever batting all rounder at number 6.
Let me confirm: to select the best ever Test team, you do what selectors do: you look at players Test and First Class results and NOT his ODI nor his 20/20 results. ODI and 20/20 are irrelevant for Test team selection- they are very different games. If you use the wrong approach you will select the wrong team. Most of the best ever teams have been chosen using a wrong approach.
In conclusion batting and keeper. Dennis Lindsay is the best ever wicket keeper and wk batsman. He is selected at 7. Gilchrist never reached the level achieved by Lindsay, and Gilchrist had more opportunity. Lindsays 606 runs at average of 86 (in 7 innings) with 24 dismissals in the same series (against Australia) puts him in a league of his own. The best that Gilly could achieve in a long Test career was 340 runs at average of 68 with 26 dismissals. Gilly is second best ever. Lindsay played in 19 tests and was keeper in 15 Tests. His career record of 20 byes in 15 tests at an average of 1.3 per Test is the world best ever. Others keepers average from 3 to above 4 per Test. This puts Lindsay in a league of his own as a pure wicket keeper even ignoring his batting.
Total rubbish-Lindsay 19 tests??????? and basing stats on one series DOESN’T put him in a league of his own, anyone can have one good/great series, whereas Gilchrist averages & records are over 96!!!! tests, your bias gone mad, i’m afraid, just nonsense
Conclusion Batsmen. Greatest batsmen of the modern era stats and ranked from 1 to 12
Name, FC runs, best, 100s, ave Test/ First class
1 DBradman 28067, 452, 117, 100/95.1
2 B Richards 28358, 356, 80, 72.6/54.7
3 G Pollock 20949, 274, 64, 61/54.7
4 G Sobers 28314, 365, 86, 57.8/ 54.8
5 J Kallis 19695, 224, 62, 55.4/54.1
6 STendulkar 25396, 248,81, 53.8/57.8
7 B Lara 22156, 501, 65, 52.9/51.9
8 R Dravid. 23794, 270, 68, 52.3/55.3
9 R Ponting 24150, 257, 82, 51.9/55.9
10 S Gavaskar 25834, 340, 81, 51.1/51.5
11 MHayden 24603, 380, 79, 50.7/52.6
12VRichards 36212, 322, 114, 50.2/49.4
The top 6 are not debateable but lower down there is room for debate.
Numbers 1 to 4 are automatic selections for 4 of the 6 top batsmen. Another opener is needed either Hayden or use Viv Richards as an opener. The sixth batsman is either Tendulkar or Kallis and I have chosen Tendulkar unless Kallis is wanted as a bowling option. There are already the worlds two best ever all rounders in the team, Sobers and Proctor.
Graeme Smith
Barry Richards
Vivian Richards
Sachin Tendulkar
Graeme Pollock
Jacques Kallis
Garfield Sobers
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Joel Garner
12th Man
Colin Bland
Stop using bad la pnguage,Abdullah
i see south African’s stick together, most of the south African’s haven’t played enough test matches to be in the team, Adam Gilchrist at one stage averaged over 60 with the bat after 40 test matches, so, if you look at most test players who have played over 50 tests, there average has dropped as the near the end of there career
50 tests is a wrong bench mark. Don Bradman who had a prolific test career played 52 tests over 20 years. Prior to 1970s cricket was not a full time professional career and cricketers only played in one test series a year at most. The ICC does not use such a ridiculous bench mark.
i agree Jacques Kallis should be in the team
where is steve smith and labuschagne
my xi
warner
finch (c)
smith
labuschagne
head
green
pain
starc
cummins
lyon
hazlewood
muralitharan is nt there
Surprised there’s no room for Lara in the middle or Gavaskar at the top
Best XI:
1. Jack Hobbs
2. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Don Bradman
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Gary Sobers
6. Kumar Sangakkara
7. Imran Khan
8. Wasim Akram
9. Shane Warne
10. Malcolm Marshall
11. Mutthiah Muralitharan
Reserves :
1. Len Hutton
2. Barry Richards
3. Viv Richards
4. Brian Lara
5. Jacques Kallis
6. Adam Gilchrist
7. Ian Botham
8. Richard Hadlee
9. Anil Kumble
10. Dennis Lillee
11. Sydney Barnes
This is what i call an XI
THE greatest team in heart & spirit & experience over a long period is to those of us who follow cricket and not just modern stats nor S African bias over short lengths & lacking 1st class opposition is
Hobbs
Hutton
Bradman
Tendulker
Viv Richards,
Sobers
Gilchrist
Warne,
Akram,
Marshall
McGrath
12th Khan
That’s !!! the best of the best in those positions, Nigels convoluted stuff not withstanding. Slow Kallis (a fine player no doubt) not needed with Richards golden bat & Sobers allround-manship
01. Saeed Anwar
02. Sachin Tendulkar
03. Ricky Ponting
04. Arvinda De’silva
05. Jacques Kallis
06. Adam Gilchrist
07. Lance Klusener
08. Wasim Akram
09. Shane Warne
10. Courtney Walsh
11. Glenn McGratth
This was the Ultimate XI that was created by Sportsmax in 2020, under EXTENSIVE analysis and discussion to arrive at this point, with contributions from zone, panelists, and online voters. I agree with this team 100%. (Its on Youtube, look for Sportsmax Ultimate XI)
I feel that there is a lack in Sri Lankan Cricketers. Kumar Sangakkara, Muralitharan needs to be added
Tony, I respect everyone’s opinion. However the statistics provide the proof. Graham Pollock had a very long career as a batsman who retired at the age of 43. He scored more FC runs than Kaliis. Similarly Barry Richards who retired at 39. Both were better batsmen than Kallis and most people would include Kallis among the top batsmen in the world. The same applies to Proctor who played until his 40s. Their stats were consistent throughout their long careers. The best of the post 1990 South African cricketers were very good but not equal to these three who were exceptional.
Tony,
Denis Lindsay at his best was a better batsman keeper than Adam Gilchrist at his best. You can look up the official Test statistics.
Nigel, just because lindsay at his best was better than Gilchrist as his best doesn’t mean he is better. Adam Gilchrist had a better average and most amount of stumpings among all wicket keepers. If you look at just best performances then by that logic Rohit Sharma is better than Virat Kohli because his best ODI score is more than Kohli’s best ODI score, but no Kohli had a better average and is obviously better. Also Lindsay has played too few tests and Gilchrist played in an era of legendary bowlers and thus had more competiton
Denis Lindsay had a career batting average of over 50 when batting at 6 and 7. His batting average at 7 was over 61. Lindsay was also used as a a test opening batsman but was unsuccessful in that position which affected his overall average. In the 1966/67 test series against Australia he scored 606 runs at an average of 86 in 7 innings and dismissed 24 batsmen as wk. No other batsman wk has come anywhere close to that achievement and he achieved it against a strong Australian team led by Bill Lawry and Ian Chappell.
RUBBISH AGAIN—- EASY IN 19 TESTS TO BE FINE OR AT YOUR BEST, WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THAT WOULD HAVE LASTED — AND HIS OVERALL RUN AV WAS 37 & 60 CATCH/STUMP OUTS IN 19 TESTS IE 3 A MATCH—— TRY 96!!!!!! TESTS AS GILCHRIST DID WITH 47 RUN AV & 400 OUTS IN 96 MATCHES, 4 A MATCH NO COMPARISON I’LL GO WITH LONG CONSISTENCY TO MARK GREATNESS NOT ONE GOOD SERIES!! GET REAL MAN.
Tony,
I will be happy to go with either Gilly or Lindsay. They were both exceptional. A good point is also made for including Steve Smith. And there are many other valid mentions.
Gee, the way you are calling it Nigel, you may even get to bring out the oranges!
Yes Murali is included in the team depending on the pitch. If it is a spinners pitch then drop one of the fast bowlers and play Warne and Murali.
What is the point of averages if you don’t know how to apply them. The most telling stat that you have overlooked for choosing batsmen is how fast they scored and how they rated in their respective eras. Gavaskar never #1 and Hobbs was too slow, so bung in
Trumper and Sehwag (or Warner) 3, yes, Tendulker too slow, put in McCartney or Frank Woolley, or Graham Pollock. Then Stokes or Miller the rest are excellent choices. Ready for the Team from Mars!
Another way to confirm the best ever team of players is to first select the best cricketer from each country in a full team of 14. A fairly selected team of the best will have at least one from each test country. So here goes;
Australia Don Bradman
NZ Richard Hadlee
India Sachin Tendulkar
Pakistan Wassim Akram
Sri Lanka Kumar Sangikarra
West Indies Gary Sobers
South Africa Graeme Pollock
England Jack Hobbs
The choice of England best is the only choice which could be argued. But betting site has only chosen one Englishman and he is Jack Hobbs and so that’s as good a selection as any. So that’s 8 team members. We need another opening bat. Sir Don Bradman rated Barry Richards as the greatest ever opening batsman. So he is in the team. We need a spinner. Shane Warne and Muralitharan are the greatest ever. Room for another three: two fast bowlers and a batter/ wk. The two bowlers Malcolm Marshall and Mike Proctor the best ever bowling all rounder. A reserve batter wk either Denis Lindsay or Adam Gilchrist. Lindsay was a better wk and his best batting in a series is better than Gilly and so Lindsay is chosen. It is difficult to argue against any of the above. Each country chooses their best ever and the missing positions are then filled.
An alternative to Hobbs would be Len Hutton. England rates its opening batsmen as its greatest contribution to cricket. So the batting line up )with reserves is;
1. Barry Richards
2. One of Jack Hobbs or Len Hutton
3. Don Bradman
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5.!Graeme Pollock
6. Gary Sobers
7. Kumar Sangikara and Denis Lindsay
8. 9, 10. Mile Proctor, Richard Hadlee, Malcolm Marshall, Wasim Akram (Three to play)
11. Shane Warne and Muralitharan
This team truly represents the best of every Test Cricket nation. It also includes 7 of the 11 cricketers chosen by Betting Site. And it includes 4 of the top 5 batsmen from Don Bradman’s eleven.
There is longevity, the ability to score quickly and also flexibility – an all rounder (like Sobers) is worth their weight in gold – so I have to drop Gavaskar, not sure about Hobbs, and while I am a major fan of McGrath and Marshall – wonder about Denis Lillee, then you’ve got to have Viv Richards, and consider Steve Smith, Virat Kohli, Keith Miller (as a fast bowling all rounder) – then in squad – definitely Sangukarra as a backup for Gilchrist and Ponting? a lot of discussion to be had
The Best Batsmen
The best of the great batsmen win matches. They have a high strike rate. They dominate the bowlers and knock the bowlers out of the attack. The very best batsmen take control of a match and on their own attacking batting are able to determine the outcome of a match. They carry the other batsmen with them and they win matches.
Then there are the batsmen who accumulate runs. They have a lower strike rate but their batting average is still high. They take longer to score centuries than the attacking batsmen. They establish stability, but if they bat for long periods they are more likely to draw matches. They are the grinders much loved by England. Very good if your team is batting for survival and a draw.
These are the three types of great batsmen: those that win matches, those that draw matches, and those in between who are the majority. It is as much about attitude and character as it is about skill.
Don Bradman was the greatest ever batsman. Career average 100. He was an attacking batsman who won matches. His batting average in won matches was 130, in drawn matches 112 and lost matches 43. Bradman scored 23 centuries in won games, 4 centuries in drawn games and 2 in lost games. This is not by chance. His batting won matches. His strike rate is recorded as 71. The second greatest batsman was Graeme Pollock. Career average 61. His batting average in won games was 84, in drawn games 50, and lost games 40. His batting won matches. His strike rate is recorded as 112 (cricbuzz). These are the exceptional type one batsmen whose batting wins matches.
Then there are type two batsmen whose batting is more likely to end in drawn matches. They are accumulators of runs. Jacques Kallis career average 55. His batting average in won games was 63, in drawn games 75, and in lost games 32. Kallis scored 22 centuries in won games, 20 in drawn games and 3 in lost games. This is not by chance. His batting avoided losses and drew as many matches as it won. He has a higher batting average in drawn games because he batted for long periods at a low strike rate of 47. Sunil Gavaskar is a similar batsman. His career batting average is 51. His batting average in won matches is 44, in drawn matches 66, and lost matches 35. Gavaskar scored 6 centuries in won games, 22 in drawn games, 6 in lost games. His strike rate was 66 which is better than Kallis. But Gavaskar’s batting did not win a high ratio of matches. His best batting (of 66 average) drew matches.
The majority of the best batsman are type 3 which is in between types 1 and 2. Their batting averages for win and draw is much the same. They are not able to dominate bowlers and take control of a match like the type 1 batsmen whose batting determines the outcome of the match.
It is for the above reasons that Bradman excluded Gavaskar and included Barry Richards. I have done the same as Bradman. It is also for the above reasons that I have excluded Jacques Kallis and included Graeme Pollock in the best ever team.
WHICH IS WHY VIV RICHARDS SHOULD ALWAYS BE INCLUDED IN ANY GREAT 11 CHOICE– ANY SO CALLED BEST TEAM WITHOUT HIM, SOBERS, BRADMAN, WARNE, HOBBS (IE WISDENS GREATS) IS NONSENSE-
Tendulkar and Kallis out for Viv Richards and Brian Lara.
Marshall, Akram and McGrath out for Ambrose, Hadell and Lillee.
I’ve always wondered why people rank Akram above Imran. Rediculous
BEST LEFT HANDED PACE BOWLER OF ALL TIME READ THE EXPERTS
Very sad news about Shane Warne. Our sympathies and condolences to his family. In any best ever cricket team there are only 3 certainties that everyone can agree on: Don Bradman, Garfield Sobers, and Shane Warne.
AND VIV RICHARDS
Seriously no Murali!!!!! No this is not the team of the 20th century, how can you not have the great Murali in this team
This is the best XI
Don Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Vivian Richards
Adam Gilchrist(W)
Garfield Sobers
Jacques Kallis
Imran Khan(C)
Shane Warne
Glenn McGrath
Dale Steyn
Jim Laker
Vice captains: Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Garfield Sobers, Don Bradman
Openers: Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar
I know Tendulkar hasn’t opened much in tests, but he is the best ODI opener and can be best test opener if he plays like ODI
Also JYFI this is just the 11 men written, it isn’t the lineup
Worl Best Cricket Team All Time :
1) Brian Lara
2) Steve Smith
3) Adam Gilchrist
4) Jacques Kallis
5) Chris Cairns
6) Andrew Flintoff
7) Lance Klusener
8) Shane Warne
9) Muttiah Muralitharan
10) Courtney Walsh
11) Curtly Ambrose
this one is okay but where is the windies?!
obviously, shane warne, the don and Gilchrist were the right choices but where is the west indies
No Lillee?? … No Viv?? .. no cred
The fairest and most reliable is to select the best cricketer from each of the 8 major test countries and then to fill in the three remaining places in the batting line up. So we get:
1. Best opening batsman
2. Jack Hobbs – England
3. Don Bradman- Australia
4. Graeme Pollock – South Africa
5. Sachin Tendulkar- India
6. Garry Sobers – West Indies Capt
7. Kumar Sangakarra – Sri Lanka Wk
8. Imran Khan – Pakistan
9. Richard Hadlee – New Zealand
10. Spin or leg spin bowler
11. Best fast bowler
The three remaining choices are:
1. Barry Richards – South Africa
10. Shane Warne – Australia
11. Malcolm Marshall- West Indies
That is the fairest and most accurate best ever test team without bias to or against any country. I have excluded Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe as minor test countries.