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Your Top 20 Cricketers of all time

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
I know we do this rating stuff a bit, but the overrated subcontinent players thread made me think about this. Who would you say are the twenty greatest cricketers of all time? Selections could be based on any criteria you like. Playing ability, influence on the game, etc etc.

Here's my first crack at a top 5:

1. Don Bradman. Peerless as a batsman, in spite of what some morons might suggest. Was not the most loved figure by all, but many speak very highly of him. Spent decades as an administrator and selector, and his opinion carried enormous weight for a very long time.

2. WG Grace. Credited with 'inventing' modern batting, particularly in regards to footwork. Was regarded as the second most most recognisable figure within the British empire during his remarkably long playing career.

3. Shane Warne. The master of cricket's most difficult craft. A genius at creating moments. Always reliable in his team's moment of need.

4. Frank Worrell. The first black man to regularly captain the West Indies. An inspirational leader, underrated cricketer and humble gentleman.

5. Imran Khan. Capable of drawing together a disparate Pakistani team as a leader. Great all rounder and highly influential in many spheres.
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Yesterday was reading Smali's writeups from the last top list, nice idea Monk. Have another exercise planned after this as well.

My top 20

Garry Sobers
Don Bradman
Malcolm Marshall
Jack Hobbs
Adam Gilchrist
Viv Richards
Shane Warne
Sachin Tendulkar
Imran Khan
Muttiah Muralitharan
George Headley
Dennis Lillee
Brian Lara
Bill O’Reilly
Glenn McGrath
Wally Hammond
Curtly Ambrose
Greg Chappell
Syd Barnes
Keith Miller
 
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NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
kyear, Hutton makes your 1st XI in your signature but can't make your top 20 while Hammond is in your 3rd XI but is in your top 20. I know they played different positions, but why is this?
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Hutton was the better batsman, but Hammond has more to offer with his sublime slip catching and more than useful bowling.
 

smash84

The Tiger King
Yesterday was reading Smali's writeups from the last top list, nice idea Monk. Have another exercise planned after this as well.
Those were pretty decent write ups if I say so myself :D

And you think that Tendulkar and Warne were overall better cricketers than Imran?
 

TNT

Banned
Lillee
Marshall
Hadlee
Imran
McGrath
Warne
Ambrose
Garner
Wasim
Botham
Ponting
Waugh S
Viv
Tendulkar
chappell G
Dravid
Kallis
Gilchrist
Murali
Styen


In no particular order.
 

Agent Nationaux

International Coach
In no particular order, those I have seen:

Waqar
Wasim
Donald
McGrath
Akhtar
Warne
Lara
Tendulkar
Gilchrist
Kallis
S Waugh
Ponting
Dravid
Steyn
Ambrose
Pollock
Sanga
Bond
Inzi
KP
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Would definitely not agree.
Hammond was quite suspect againts quality fast bowling, while Hutton proved himself againts some of the best attacks of All Time while breaking Bradman's record with the great man at cover and facing Tiger O'Reilly.
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Those were pretty decent write ups if I say so myself :D

And you think that Tendulkar and Warne were overall better cricketers than Imran?
For me Tendulkar was a better batsman than Imran was a bowler, Imran INHO never quite dominated with the bat and ball at the same time and was never the greatest of fielders. Warne was the greatest ever spinner and quite a good slip fielder and for me impacted the game more than Imran. All quite close though.
 

Coronis

Cricketer Of The Year
Hammond was quite suspect againts quality fast bowling, while Hutton proved himself againts some of the best attacks of All Time while breaking Bradman's record with the great man at cover and facing Tiger O'Reilly.
Where do you get this information about Hammond from? Which quality fast bowlers did he supposedly struggle against?
 

watson

Banned
Yes, there is a perception on CW that Hammond was uncomfortable against fast-bowling, and this is why he gave up hooking in the latter part of the career. But I haven't been able to find any sources that testify to that fact. However, I did find this;

.....In May 1927, in his 24th year, Hammond descended with the Gloucestershire XI on Old Trafford. At close of play on the second day Lancashire were so ****sure of a victory early tomorrow (Whit Friday) that the Lancashire bowlers Macdonald, Richard Tyldesley and company, arranged for taxis to be in readiness to take them to the Manchester races.

Macdonald opened his attack at half-past eleven in glorious sunshine. He bowled his fastest, eager to be quick on the spot at Castle Irwell to get a good price on a "certainty". Hammond, not out overnight, actually drove the first five balls, sent at him from Macdonald's superbly rhythmical arm, to the boundary. The sixth, also, would have counted--but it was stopped by a fieldsman sent out to defend the edge of the field, in front of the sight-screen straight deep for the greatest fast bowler of the period, bowling his first over of the day and in a desperate hurry to get to the course before the odds shortened...

That day Hammond scored 187 in three hours--four 6's twenty-four 4's. He hooked Macdonald mercilessly, yes, "Wally" hooked during the first careless raptures of his youth.....

-Neville Cardus

Wisden - Walter Hammond
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I don't believe Hammond and quick bowling was a case of anything other than that frequently cited comment of Maurice Leyland's (one of a number it was attributed to but I think it was his) "none of us likes it but some don't let on"

There's also the fairly well known incident when he took a bang on the head when the WIndies bowled bodyline at England in 1933 and he was quoted as saying if that was what the game was coming to it was time he got out - I suspect he would have said that before Jardine showed him how to play it :)
 

kingkallis

International Coach
My TOP 20 'Cricketers' on the basis of what I've witnessed and the footage we have on YouTube! & other sources. I wont go to articles and wont take people's opinions as it can be biased ;)

Donald Bradman
Garry Sobers
Imran Khan
Malcolm Marshall
Richard Hadlee
Shane Warne
Graeme Pollock
Adam Gilchrist
Jacques Kallis
Viv Richards
Muttiah Muralitharan
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Ricky Ponting
Glenn McGrath
Curtly Ambrose
Wasim Akram
Dale Steyn ( No, I dont think its too early to rate him and Allan Donald misses out just cause of this )
Dennis Lillee
Waqar Younis
 
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flibbertyjibber

Request Your Custom Title Now!
This will end well, just going to do a top 20 of those I have seen.

Marshall
Warne
Gilchrist
Muralitharan
Ponting
Tendulkar
Lara
Kallis
Botham
McGrath
Richards
Ambrose
Steyn
Crowe
Hadlee
Greenidge
Border
Waugh S
Gower
Waqar
 

Coronis

Cricketer Of The Year
As for an actual top 20, I'd probably go with these guys (no particular order)

Bradman
Sobers
Hobbs
Hammond
Pollock
Marshall
McGrath
Hadlee
Lillee
Imran
Murali
Warne
Barnes
O'Reilly
Grimmett
Gilchrist
Miller
Headley
Sutcliffe
Kallis
 
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bagapath

International Captain
Top 20 (in chronological order of their debuts)

1. Grace
2. Hobbs
3. Hammond
4. Bradman
5. O'Reilly
6. Hutton
7. Miller
8. Sobers
9. Imran
10, Hadlee
11. Gavaskar
12. Lillee
13. Richards
14. Marshall
15. Tendulkar
16. Lara
17. Warne
18. Murali
19. Kallis
20. Gilchrist
 

watson

Banned
Top 20 'Greatest' Cricketers
01. Don Bradman
02. WG Grace
03. Gary Sobers
04. SF Barnes
05. Shane Warne
06. Victor Trumper
07. Dennis Lillee
08. Jack Hobbs
09. George Headley
10. Malcolm Marshall
11. Bill O'Reilly
12. Vivian Richards
13. Len Hutton
14. Fred Trueman
15. Ian Botham
16. Walter Hammond
17. Imran Khan
18. Kapil Dev
19. Adam Gilchrist
20. Sachin Tendulkar

Note: Not to be confused with my Top 20 'Best' cricketers which would somewhat different.
 

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