CW's Top 25 All-Rounders: 2022 Results

[Line and Length]

As with the Batsmen thread, I thank @gftw for opening the original voting thread and all those who contributed their votes and opinions.

The final list of 25, together with relevant stats, is provided below. I added a wickets per match column as this indicates how important a player was to the team's bowling attack. Batting value should be apparent by batting averages.

The List	Tests	Batting	Bowling	WPM
1. Garry Sobers	93	8032 @ 57.78	235 @ 34.04	2.53
2. Imran Khan	88	3807 @ 37.69	362 @ 22.81	4.11
3. Jacques Kallis	166	13289 @ 55.37	292 @ 32.65	1.76
4. Keith Miller	55	2958 @ 36.98	170 @ 22.98	3.09
5. Ian Botham	102	5200 @ 33.55	383 @ 28.40	3.75
6. Shakib Al Hasan	59	4029 @ 39.50	215 @ 31.13	3.64
7. Kapil Dev	131	5248 @ 31.05	434 @ 29.65	3.31
8. Aubrey Faulkner	25	1754 @ 40.79	82 @ 26.59	3.28
9. Richard Hadlee	86	3124 @ 27.17	431 @ 22.30	5.01
10. Shaun Pollock	108	3781 @ 32.32	421 @ 23.12	3.90
11. Ravindra Jadeja	59	2396 @ 35.76	242 @ 24.44	4.10
12. Ben Stokes	79	5061 @ 35.89	174 @ 32.12	2.20
13. Monty Noble	42	1997 @ 30.26	121 @ 25.00	2.88
14. Tony Greig	58	3599 @ 40.44	141 @ 32.21	2.43
15. Trevor Goddard	41	2516 @ 34.47	123 @ 26.23	3.00
16. Chris Cairns	62	3320 @ 33.54	218 @ 29.40	3.52
17. Vinoo Mankad	44	2109 @ 31.48	162 @ 32.32	3.68
18. Mushtaq Mohammad	57	3643 @ 39.17	79 @ 29.23	1.39
19. Andrew Flintoff	79	3845 @ 31.78	226 @ 32.79	2.86
20. Jack Gregory	24	1146 @ 36.97	85 @ 31.15	3.54
21. Eddie Barlow	30	2516 @ 45.75	40 @ 34.05	1.33
22. Warwick Armstrong	50	2863 @ 38.69	87 @ 33.60	1.74
23. Ravichandran Ashwin	86	2931 @ 26.89	442 @ 24.13	5.14
24. Walter Hammond	85	7249 @ 58.46	83 @ 37.81	0.98
25. Jason Holder	56	2571 @ 30.61	142 @ 28.02	2.54

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

So Shakib is the greatest all-rounder of our generation.

I’ll take that.

 

[Line and Length]

The definition of "all-rounder" can cause a certain amount of debate. ATG bowlers who are handy with the bat (eg Hadlee, Ashwin)
and ATG batsmen who bowl a bit (eg Hammond, Barlow) are often referred to as all-rounders but, from my perspective, a truly great all-rounder can be a match winner with either discipline.

The final result leads to many observations and opinions. Would Jadeja have ranked higher if his name wasn't so frequently thrown into polls on CW (either seriously or in fun)? His statistics certainly are worthy of a high ranking.

I have seen a differential of batting and bowling averages used to determine an all-rounder's worth (eg Sobers is + 23.74) but is this fair? A couple on this list (Mankad and Flintoff) actually have negative differentials yet they definitely fit the AR category.

Obviously players such as Benaud and Davidson were contenders for a slot but I'd be interested to read comments as to which players might have been unlucky to be overlooked along with general comments on our final list.

 

[ataraxia]

I must say, I dunno why there was so much debate over whether Hadlee is an all-rounder or not. Averaged 30 with bat in the 80s, which is similar to many specialist bats of the era. And he was most definitely a match-winner with bat!

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I must say, I dunno why there was so much debate over whether Hadlee is an all-rounder or not. Averaged 30 with bat in the 80s, which is similar to many specialist bats of the era. And he was most definitely a match-winner with bat!

Well he averaged more than some specialist bats in his NZ team. Would easily make the current English team as a specialist bat.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Meanwhile the great CDG didn't get a single vote:

28 matches, 1390 @ 38.61 and 48 wickets @ 33.08 (1.7 wpm). Pretty much identical stats to Warwick Armstrong.

 

[The Sean]

Well he averaged more than some specialist bats in his NZ team. Would easily make the current English team as a specialist bat.

That's an insultingly low bar. Everyone would make this current England team as a specialist bat.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Meanwhile the great CDG didn't get a single vote:

28 matches, 1390 @ 38.61 and 48 wickets @ 33.08 (1.7 wpm).

Small sample size probably?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Unfortunately Colin can't play spin and needed more away from home (averages a crazy 51 with the bat in NZ, but away 30, and neutral only 10 as really struggled with Yasir Shah in the UAE).

 

[Migara]

Meanwhile the great CDG didn't get a single vote:

28 matches, 1390 @ 38.61 and 48 wickets @ 33.08 (1.7 wpm). Pretty much identical stats to Warwick Armstrong.

Sanath Jayasuriya 110 matches 6973 @ 40.1 and 98 wickets at 34.3 al so has claim.

 

[_00_deathscar]

Sanath Jayasuriya 110 matches 6973 @ 40.1 and 98 wickets at 34.3 al so has claim.

In your head, maybe.

 

[ma1978]

I will reiterate my point on Shakib - it takes a group of phenomenally context unaware stats geeks to rank a weakling who consistently screws his own country over ahead of Kapil Dev, Ben Stokes, Sir Richard Hadlee, etc

 

[Coronis]

I will reiterate my point on Shakib - it takes a group of phenomenally context unaware stats geeks to rank a weakling who consistently screws his own country over ahead of Kapil Dev, Ben Stokes, Sir Richard Hadlee, etc

Despite his personal shortcomings is he not also 90% of the reason Bangladesh cricket has been internationally relevant?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I wouldn’t comment on the accuracy or otherwise of the statement, but calling fellow forum members “a group of phenomenally context unaware stats geeks” must be infractable. Where’s Fusion?

 

[_00_deathscar]

I wouldn’t comment on the accuracy or otherwise of the statement, but calling fellow forum members “a group of phenomenally context unaware stats geeks” must be infractable. Where’s Fusion?

Should be the site tag.

 

[ankitj]

This thread definitively answers Jadeja vs. Stokes. Kids be bickering in the other thread.

 

[andruid]

Despite his personal shortcomings is he not also 90% of the reason Bangladesh cricket has been internationally relevant?

It kinda feels like personal shortcomings are a necessary part of being a all time great test match all rounder. Especially these days

That's an insultingly low bar. Everyone would make this current England team as a specialist bat.

Even Rory Burns?

 

[jayjay]

Shakib above Dev and Hadlee

I'm surprised Jadeja didn't makei t at 1.

 

[Coronis]

It kinda feels like personal shortcomings are a necessary part of being a all time great test match all rounder. Especially these days

Obviously its not ideal but at least for me the presumption in any of these threads is to base my voting purely on cricketing skill, unless otherwise stated.

 

[Flem274*]

well these are certainly some results.

stokes, jadeja and lol ashwin definitely benefitting from modern voters.

top 5 looks fair.