8 Cricket Sporting Greats – Best Players Of All Time

Choosing the best cricketers of all time is not easy, but here is our list of 8 of the best cricket players.

1.  Sir Donald Bradman

Cricket Career: 1928-1948

Country:  Australia

Total Matches: 52 (Test) and 234 (First Class)

Total Runs: 6,996 (Test) and 28,067 (First Class)

Test Average: 99.94

Donald Bradman, commonly known as “The Don”, is one of the best cricketers of all time. He currently holds the record for the highest test average at 99.94. The record sets him apart from other cricketers. Even after retiring from the game more than 70 years ago, he remains a household name globally.

2. Sachin Tendulkar

Cricket Career: 1989-2013

Country: India

Total Matches: 200 (Test) and 463 (ODI)

Total Runs: 15,921 (Test) and 18,426 (ODI)

Test Average: 53.78

Sachin Tendulkar is the highest-scoring batsman in international cricket recording over 30,000 test runs. At one point, he was the captain of the Indian team and today he remains the only player in cricket history to record 100 international centuries. What’s more, as an international superstar, Tendulkar received multiple awards including the highest and the second-highest civilian awards in India.

3. Sir Garfield Sobers

Cricket Career years: 1954 – 1974

Country: West Indies

Total Matches: 93

Total Runs: 8032

Test Average: 57.78

Sir Garfield Sobers is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. He played for the West Indies from 1954 to 1974, during which time he scored 8,032 runs and took 235 wickets in test cricket. Sobers was also a brilliant fielder and was known for his outstanding catches. He is the only cricketer to have scored six sixes in an over in first-class cricket. Sobers was knighted in 1975 for his services to cricket and was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2009.

4. Imran Khan

Cricket Career years: 1971 – 1992

Country: Pakistan

Total Matches: 88

Total Runs: 3807

Test Average: 37.69

Imran Khan is a former Pakistani cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in the game’s history. He played for Pakistan from 1971 to 1992 and scored 3,807 runs and took 362 wickets in test cricket. Khan was also a skilled captain and led Pakistan to their first-ever World Cup win in 1992. After retiring from cricket, he became a politician and served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan from 2018 to 2021.

5. Sir Ian Botham

Cricket Career years: 1977 – 1992

Country: England

Total Matches: 102

Total Runs: 5200

Test Average: 33.54

Sir Ian Botham is a former English cricketer who is widely regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. He played for England from 1977 to 1992 and scored 5,200 runs and took 383 wickets in test cricket. Botham was also a brilliant fielder and was known for his outstanding catches. He is the only player to have scored a century and taken ten wickets in the same test match twice. After retiring from cricket, Botham became a commentator and was knighted in 2007 for his services to charity.

6.  Shane Warne

Cricket Career: 1992-2007

Country: Australia

Total Matches: 145 (Test) and 194 (ODI)

Total Runs: 17,995 (Test) and 7,541 (ODI)

Test Average: 25.41

Shane Warne holds the record for the most wickets (96) in a calendar year in Test matches. Also, he was the first bowler in the history of cricket to record 600 wickets. In 2000, he was the only spin bowler to be considered the “Wisden Cricketer of the Century.” As a testament to their exploits, a Test series between Sri Lanka and Australia was referred to as Warne and Muralitharan Trophy.

7. Viv Richards

Cricket Career: 1974-1991

Country: West Indies

Total Matches: 121 (Test) and 187 (ODI)

Total Runs: 8540 (Test) and 6721 (ODI)

Test Average: 50.23

Viv Richards was the most consistent player in ODI cricket history. In 2002, he was voted as the best all-time ODI player by Wisden magazine. His scores helped West Indies win the first and the second Cricket World Cup. In 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame.

8. Brian Lara

Cricket Career: 1990-2006

Country: West Indies

Total Matches: 131 (Test) and 299 (ODI)

Total Runs: 11,953 (Test) and 10,405 (ODI)

Test Average: 52.88

In his active career, Brian was the only batsman to reach the highest individual score in 2 different Tests. What’s more, his score of 153 runs against Australia is considered the second-best in Test cricket history

1. Sir Don Bradman (Australia)
2. Sachin Tendulkar (India)
3. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
4. Imran Khan (Pakistan)
5. Sir Ian Botham (England)
6. Shane Warne (Australia)
7. Sir Viv Richards (West Indies)
8. Brian Lara (West Indies)
9. Jaques Kallis (South Africa)
10. MS Dhoni (India)
11. Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
12. Virat Kohli (India)
13. James Anderson (England)
14. Sir Alastair Cook (England)
15. Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)
16. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
17. Kapil Dev (India)
18. Sir Richard Hadlee (New Zealand)
19. Adam Gilchrist (Australia)
20. Chris Gayle (West Indies)
21. Glenn McGrath (Australia)
22. Ricky Ponting (Australia)
23. Steve Waugh (Australia)
24. Rahul Dravid (India)
25. Sunil Gavaskar (India)
26. Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)
27. Sir Curtly Ambrose (West Indies)
28. Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
29. Dale Steyn (South Africa)
30. Allan Donald (South Africa)

Why is cricket popular?

There are many reasons why cricket enjoys such immense popularity. Perhaps the biggest reason is its accessibility; the rules of the game are reasonably straightforward, making it relatively easy to learn compared to other sports like baseball or rugby. Younger players are more likely to pick up the game quickly, which explains how cricket has managed to remain so popular for generations.

Cricket also brings together people from different parts of the world in a way that few other sports do. International teams play against each other regularly, while local leagues form all over, giving fans a variety of levels at which they can get involved in the sport they love. The great thing about cricket is that it offers something for everyone – international stars, budding players and amateur fans alike.

Finally, part of what makes cricket so beloved by fans around the world is its deep-seated tradition and history; it’s been around in some form since the 16th century and even today there are still references back to this rich heritage both on and off the field. Whether you’re watching an international match or keeping up with your local team, cricket’s long-standing history helps make every game special.

The Benefits of Playing Cricket

Playing cricket has plenty of physical and mental benefits, making it a great sport for people of all ages. Physically, it is an excellent way to improve your overall fitness level. Running around the field and swinging a bat offers a complete body workout, while also helping you increase strength and endurance levels. Additionally, this sport can help reduce stress and anxiety, improving mental health and allowing players to better cope with their day-to-day lives.

Another benefit is the social aspect; team sports have been found to have positive impacts on relationships between players as well as help create strong bonds between them. Beyond being able to share in each other’s successes, learning to work together as a unit helps develop interpersonal skills that are invaluable both off and on the field.

Finally, playing this game enables people to hone their problem solving and decision-making skills in real-time situations. The ability to think through different scenarios quickly helps cricketers make better decisions both in matches and outside of them, giving them more confidence throughout life’s challenges.

Conclusion

Every sport has its heroes – motorsports has Schumacher, Hamilton and Petty, football has Pele, Messi and Ronaldo, ice hockey has Gretzky, but these players are cricket’s heroes. While these records will be hard to break, every year a bunch of promising new rookies join the teams and any one of them could have a shot at becoming the next Bradman or Tendulkar. After all, that’s why we watch cricket!