Your Top 20 Cricketers of all time

[BeeGee]

Sachin Tendulkar
Kapil Dev
Viv Richards
Donald Bradman
Imran Khan
Garry Sobers
Alan Border
Brian Lara
Ricky Ponting
Steve Waugh
Ian Botham
Nasir Husain
Shen Warn
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
Sanath Jaysurya
Adam Gilchrist
Rahul Dravid
Gaqck Kallis
Shawn pollack

No room for Denis lilly or Greyim pollack?

 

[watson]

Sachin Tendulkar
Kapil Dev
Viv Richards
Donald Bradman
Imran Khan
Garry Sobers
Alan Border
Brian Lara
Ricky Ponting
Steve Waugh
Ian Botham
Nasir Husain
Shen Warn
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
Sanath Jaysurya
Adam Gilchrist
Rahul Dravid
Gaqck Kallis
Shawn pollack

With Sachin and Kapil at 1 & 2 it seems inconsistent not to have Soony Gavilskarc at 3.

 

[watson]

Top 20 'Greatest' Cricketers
01. Ron Sadman
02. WG Grose
03. Larry Slobbers
04. Silly Yarnes
05. Shin Warp
06. Prictor Crumpet
07. Penis Willee
08. Jack Nobbs
09. George Medley
10. Talcolm Partial
11. Bill O'Really
12. Spiv Dickhards
13. Hen Mutton
14. Fed Clueman
15. Iron Bottom
16. Wally Salmon
17. Inran Calm
18. Scapel Dev
19. Damn Evilchrist
20. Scratchin Verucca

Note: Wanted to include Shorn Bollock in the Top 20 but couldn't quite swing it.

 

[Viscount Tom]

Sachin Tendulkar
Kapil Dev
Viv Richards
Donald Bradman
Imran Khan
Garry Sobers
Alan Border
Brian Lara
Ricky Ponting
Steve Waugh
Ian Botham
Nasir Husain
Shen Warn
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
Sanath Jaysurya
Adam Gilchrist
Rahul Dravid
Gaqck Kallis
Shawn pollack

Odds on half of these being use din the Ashes cricket game as substitutes for the unlicensed teams.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

favourite 20 that I've seen
1. Brian Lara - most exciting batsman I was lucky enough to watch
2. Allan Border - a gutsy leader
3. Jacques Kallis - most complete player I've seen, though he sounds nothing compared to Garry...
4. Ricky Ponting - best on drive and hook shot
5. Dan Vittori - good cricket brain
6. Shoaib Akhtar - faster bowler I ever watched
7. Inzamam Ul Haq - excellent eye and rhythm
8. Michael Clarke - best year last year
9. Freddy Flintoff - 2005 ashes, awesome
10. Shane Warne - the master
11. Dean Jones - when I was young he was amazing!!
12. Curtley Ambrose - loved his style
13. Michael Bevan - serious techniqual flaws once he jumped into test 'Bevo', but great early days odi
14. Chris Cairns - biggest hitter I ever saw
15. Wasim Akram - like Kallis but the bowling version
16. Adam Gilchrist - not a big fan of his gloves, but his batting WOW
17. Rahul Dravid - the wall, he did what his team needed so often
18. Anil Kumble - liked his bowling style
19. Glenn McGath - took on the best
20. Shiv Chanderpaul - for being down the other end so often to let Lara keep scoring

So my top 20, not a great overall group, sure there are others who should be in, but aren't

 

[kyear2]

With Sachin and Kapil at 1 & 2 it seems inconsistent not to have Soony Gavilskarc at 3.

That one is a mystery.

 

[Satguru2]

Greatest 20 that I've seen:
1) Sachin Tendulkar
2) Shane Warne
3) Glenn McGrath
4) Adam Gilchrist
5) Curtly Ambrose
6) Brian Lara
7) Mutthiah Muralitharan
8) Allan Donald .... As good as any other fast bowler in history, but for some inexplicable reason, his name doesn't come up enough in these sort of discussions
9) Dale Steyn
10) Courtney Walsh
11) Ricky Ponting
12) Waqar Younis
13) Rahul Dravid
14) Wasim Akram
15) Jacques Kallis
16) Kumar Sangakkara
17) Shaun Pollock
18) Steve Waugh
19) Virender Sehwag.... had his limitations, but achieved produced many ridiculous, unprecedented moments
20) Kevin Pietersen

Might have forgotten some, but these were the 20 that stick out in my mind

 

[morgieb]

1. Don Bradman
2. Gary Sobers
3. WG Grace
4. Imran Khan
5. Richard Hadlee
6. Jack Hobbs
7. Sydney Barnes
8. Malcolm Marshall
9. Shane Warne
10. Muttiah Muralitharan
11. Adam Gilchrist
12. Jacques Kallis
13. Keith Miller
14. Sachin Tendulkar
15. Viv Richards
16. Brian Lara
17. Graeme Pollock
18. George Headley
19. Glenn McGrath
20. Curtly Ambrose

Out of those that I've seen

1. Shane Warne
2. Muttiah Muralitharan
3. Adam Gilchrist
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Brian Lara
7. Glenn McGrath
8. Wasim Akram
9. Allan Donald
10. Ricky Ponting
11. Dale Steyn
12. Shaun Pollock
13. Rahul Dravid
14. Steve Waugh
15. Waqar Younis
16. Kumar Sangakarra
17. Courtney Walsh
18. Shoaib Akthar
19. Shane Bond
20. Inzaman-ul-Haq

FTR - I started watching cricket about the 2000/2001 WI series, and didn't really pay attention to international cricket until around 2003, so my list is kinda recent.

 

[Coronis]

1. Don Bradman
2. Gary Sobers
3. WG Grace
4. Imran Khan
5. Richard Hadlee
6. Jack Hobbs
7. Sydney Barnes
8. Malcolm Marshall
9. Shane Warne
10. Muttiah Muralitharan
11. Adam Gilchrist
12. Jacques Kallis
13. Keith Miller
14. Sachin Tendulkar
15. Viv Richards
16. Brian Lara
17. Graeme Pollock
18. George Headley
19. Glenn McGrath
20. Curtly Ambrose

Out of those that I've seen

1. Shane Warne
2. Muttiah Muralitharan
3. Adam Gilchrist
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Brian Lara
7. Glenn McGrath
8. Wasim Akram
9. Allan Donald
10. Ricky Ponting
11. Dale Steyn
12. Shaun Pollock
13. Rahul Dravid
14. Steve Waugh
15. Waqar Younis
16. Kumar Sangakarra
17. Courtney Walsh
18. Shoaib Akthar
19. Shane Bond
20. Inzaman-ul-Haq

FTR - I started watching cricket about the 2000/2001 WI series, and didn't really pay attention to international cricket until around 2003, so my list is kinda recent.

Nice to see Bond on somebody's list.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Greatest 20 that I've seen:
1) Sachin Tendulkar
2) Shane Warne
3) Glenn McGrath
4) Adam Gilchrist
5) Curtly Ambrose
6) Brian Lara
7) Mutthiah Muralitharan
8) Allan Donald .... As good as any other fast bowler in history, but for some inexplicable reason, his name doesn't come up enough in these sort of discussions9) Dale Steyn
10) Courtney Walsh
11) Ricky Ponting
12) Waqar Younis
13) Rahul Dravid
14) Wasim Akram
15) Jacques Kallis
16) Kumar Sangakkara
17) Shaun Pollock
18) Steve Waugh
19) Virender Sehwag.... had his limitations, but achieved produced many ridiculous, unprecedented moments
20) Kevin Pietersen

Might have forgotten some, but these were the 20 that stick out in my mind

definitely love these players, Allan Donald was one that I forgot, great bowler

 

[ankitj]

After giving honorary mention to W.G. Grace, I will name greatest 20 test cricketers as:

Don Bradman
Garry Sobers
Imran Khan
Muttiah Muralitharan
Richard Hadlee

Jacques Kallis (I did it )
Sachin Tendulkar
Malcolm Marshall
Sydney Barnes
Jack Hobbs

Viv Richards
Keith Miller
Curtley Ambrose
Glenn McGrath
Shane Warne

Ian Botham
Greame Pollock
Wally Hammond
Brian Lara
Fred Trueman

 

[Dan]

My Greatest 20 - Based on on- and off-field contributions to cricket

1. WG Grace
2. Sir Donald Bradman
3. Sir Frank Worrell
4. Harold Larwood
5. John Wisden
6. Sachin Tendulkar
7. Imran Khan
8. Shane Warne
9. Kumar Sangakkara
10. Garfield Sobers
11. Viv Richards
12. Mike Procter
13. Douglas Jardine
14. Bob Simpson
15. Sir Richard Hadlee
16. Sir Ian Botham
17. Sir Leonard Hutton
18. Ted Dexter
19. Keith Miller
20. Richie Benaud

Order sorta disintegrated after the top 8.

 

[Ruckus]

Top 20 'Greatest' Cricketers
01. Ron Sadman
02. WG Grose
03. Larry Slobbers
04. Silly Yarnes
05. Shin Warp
06. Prictor Crumpet
07. Penis Willee
08. Jack Nobbs
09. George Medley
10. Talcolm Partial
11. Bill O'Really
12. Spiv Dickhards
13. Hen Mutton
14. Fed Clueman
15. Iron Bottom
16. Wally Salmon
17. Inran Calm
18. Scapel Dev
19. Damn Evilchrist
20. Scratchin Verucca

Note: Wanted to include Shorn Bollock in the Top 20 but couldn't quite swing it.

I don't know why but that one made me laugh

 

[bitterTRUTH]

1.Gary Sobers - you can not rate any other cricketer above him ( arguable exceptions W.G and Bradman). Sobers is arguably greatest batsman ever + arguably greatest fielder ever + match winning bowler ( + variety ) . His worst ranking must be no:3 .

2. Wasim Akram - no cricketer would have been considered as an under achiever , if he has 400 wkts at 23 each ( or a roughly equal 10000 runs @ 52 for a batsman ) be it Marshall , Lillee , Hadlee , Donald, Sachin or Hutton. there were complete bowlers , Akram was more complete than them. he did impossible things with ball. it counts more than stats , wins and losses . ( doesnt mean he was ALL SKILLS no result , 17 MOM , best stats in first half of 90s - when competing against Donald, Waquar and Ambrose ). also a match winning lower order batsman. he could have done more , if he was free from controversies , if he played for a better TEAM , if he had better fielders..
you'll see more Steyns , Marshalls , Holdings... in future . may be with better stats. BUT an AKRAM ?? i doubt it.

3. MIKE PROCTER - there is no universally accepted GREATEST bowling AR ever. just because , Procter played only 7 tests.
Kapil , Botham and Miller were matchwinners with bat and ball + superb fielders too. Imran and Hadlee clearly ahead in primary skill than those 3.so its interesting to guess what would have been Procter's stats , if he played 100 tests. most probably 430 wkts @ 23 + 5500 runs @ 35

a bowler in the league of Imran and Hadlee + a match winning batsman = greatest bowling AR ever

4. Sunil Gavaskar - rated as greatest batsman they have seen by many ( Sobers , Crowe.. Hutton ? , Garner ?.. ). NO OPENING BATSMAN DID BETTER AGAINST SUCH QUALITY ATTACKS. and he had zero support. an Aussie batsman doing well against a quality pace attack is NORMAL and Natural . but when an INDIAN doing that , without any prior experience , its EXTRA ORDINARY . he has set many world records in his time. .
5. Richard Hadlee - arguably greatest bowler + useful lower order batsman and he is from a below average team.!!
6. Sachin Tendulkar - In my view, as a test batsman he equals Sobers and 2nd only to Gavaskar. as an ODI batsman HE IS THE BEST. biggest superstar in the history of game.
7.Viv Richards - arguably greatest batsman + great fielder and a useful bowler
8. Brian Lara
9.Don Bradman and 10.W.G - 200% better than their contemporaries. apart from Sobers , these two are the only serious contenders for THE GREATEST EVER. in my view , they played less competitive cricket.
11. Malcolm Marshall
12. Imran Khan
13. Muralitharan
14. Kapil Dev - no:1 attacking batsman ever. best ODI AR ever. , also A SUPERB TEST PLAYER TOO. especially , considering the pitches , lack of support..
15.Ian Botham
16. Graeme Pollock
17. S.F BARNES
18.Keith Miller
19. Lillee
20 Hutton
21.Barry Richards
22.Mcgrath
23.Hammond
24.Warne
25.Hobbs

unlucky to leave out - Headley , Trueman, Ranji , Donald , Trumper...

s

 

[Viscount Tom]

2. Wasim Akram - no cricketer would have been considered as an under achiever , if he has 400 wkts at 23 each ( or a roughly equal 10000 runs @ 52 for a batsman ) be it Marshall , Lillee , Hadlee , Donald, Sachin or Hutton. there were complete bowlers , Akram was more complete than them. he did impossible things with ball. it counts more than stats , wins and losses . ( doesnt mean he was ALL SKILLS no result , 17 MOM , best stats in first half of 90s - when competing against Donald, Waquar and Ambrose ). also a match winning lower order batsman. he could have done more , if he was free from controversies , if he played for a better TEAM , if he had better fielders..
you'll see more Steyns , Marshalls , Holdings... in future . may be with better stats. BUT an AKRAM ?? i doubt it.

How've you worked that conversion rate out?

 

[Dissector]

Roughly in descending order of greatness:

Sobers
Imran
Grace
Bradman
Muralitharan
Barnes
Kallis
Faulkner
Hadlee
Miller
Botham
Kapil
Marshall
Tendulkar
Hobbs
Knott
Gilchrist
Saun Pollock
Viv Richards
Gavaskar


Some explanation. I thought the 20 should have players for every position including two openers and a keeper. It's mostly based on test achievements but I gave a bonus for outstanding ODI performers. I give a higher weightage to performances against top teams. I think the standard of cricket has improved steadily over the decades, perhaps plateauing in the 70's-90's so I tend to give the benefit to later players. I am mostly judging players on their overall utility to the team so there are a lot of all-rounders. I am also judging the utility of players as captains.

 

[weldone]

Among the ones I've seen live:

1. Curtly Ambrose
2. Sachin Tendulkar
3. Imran Khan
4. Muttiah Muralitharan
5. Glenn McGrath
6. Jacques Kallis
7. Brian Lara
8. Adam Gilchrist
9. Courtney Walsh
10. Rahul Dravid
11. Matthew Hayden
12. Shane Warne
13. Wasim Akram
14. Javed Miandad
15. Steve Waugh
16. Ricky Ponting
17. Waqar Younis
18. Andy Flower
19. Kumar Sangakkara
20. Ian Botham

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Nice to see Bond on somebody's list.

I must be on your ignore list.

 

[smash84]

I must be on your ignore list.

tbf he is probably not the only one

 

[Coronis]

I must be on your ignore list.

I apologise, I missed him in your list.