Determining the greatest cricketer of all time isn’t an easy feat. However, every now and then, there comes a cricketer who forever alters the game. These types of cricketers perform beyond the wildest imaginations, elevating the benchmarks to new levels.
They set new standards and dimensions for future generations to reach or surpass. Some players create benchmarks and records that may never be surpassed. Here’s a list of the greatest 7 cricketers of all time, whose achievements and legacy will be cherished forever.
The Greatest 7 Cricketers of All Time
Here are our top seven picks.
- Donald Bradman
Sir Donald Bradman, also known as “The Don,” is widely regarded by most experts as the greatest batsman of all time. His astonishing batting average of 99.94 in Test cricket is an achievement unmatched by any major sporting endeavor. The term “Bradmanesque” has become synonymous with excellence, not just in cricket but across other domains as well. He’s considered the epitome of cricketing excellence.
The right-handed batsman holds a Wisden rating of 1349, the highest ever for a Test batsman, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar, who is ranked second by 349 points. Don amassed 29 Test centuries and 117 first-class centuries. His highest score in Test cricket was 334 runs. Apart from Ned Kelly, no other Australian has more biographies written about them than him.
- Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar is regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time. The right-handed Indian batsman holds the record for the highest run scorer in international cricket matches. Interestingly, this legendary figure made his debut in cricket at the age of 16. Tendulkar is also known as the “Master Blaster” or the “God of Cricket” and is the only cricketer to score 100 international centuries. His name is associated with dozens of records in cricket that remain unmatched to this day.
Sachin was the first cricketer to score a double century in a One Day International (ODI) match. He leads in both runs scored in Test cricket and ODI formats. To date, no other player has crossed the 30,000-run mark in international cricket matches. This powerhouse batsman was also rated the second greatest Test batsman by Wisden, second only to Don Bradman.
- Vivian Richards
Sir Vivian Richards is a former West Indies right-handed batsman and is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time. The Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack acknowledges Richards for playing the greatest ODI innings ever. Wisden also recognizes him as the greatest ODI batsman and the third-best Test batsman of all time.
Richards was the first person to play an ODI match and received 20 Man of the Match awards. He’s also one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century. He participated in 187 ODIs and 131 Test cricket matches, averaging 47 and 50.23 respectively. His highest scores were an unbeaten 189 in Tests and 291 in both ODIs and Tests. Richards was also a prolific bowler, taking 118 wickets in ODIs, including two instances of 5-wicket hauls.
- Michael Bevan
Michael Bevan is a former left-handed Australian cricketer known for being one of the most consistent players in the ODI format. Bevan holds the record for the highest batting average by a retired player in ODIs at 53.58. He was a member of the two-time World Cup-winning Australian team. Bevan is often referred to as “The Finisher,” as he played crucial roles in many matches, leading the team to victory. Few other batsmen have been as consistent in both batting performance and helping their team win. Bevan is also considered one of the best limited-overs batsmen in the world.
- Brian Lara
Brian Lara epitomizes stylish and flamboyant cricket on the field. The former West Indies left-handed batsman is considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He holds the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket. In 1994, Lara scored an unbeaten 501, the only instance in first-class cricket history of a score exceeding 500. He also holds the record for the highest individual score in a single Test innings, scoring 400 in 2004.
Lara’s innings of 153 against Australia in Barbados is the second-highest batting performance in Test cricket, according to Wisden. He participated in 299 ODIs, 131 Tests, 429 List A cricket matches, and 261 first-class cricket matches. His averages in ODIs and Tests were 40.48 and 52.88, respectively, which is impressive. He scored 19 and 34 centuries in the two formats, respectively. According to the assessment of Wisden’s top-rated bowler, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lara was the most difficult opponent he encountered during his career. Lara was named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World for two consecutive years.
- Sydney Barnes
Sydney Barnes was an English right-arm medium-fast bowler considered one of the greatest bowlers of all time. This medium-pace bowler holds the record for the fastest 150 Test wickets. The 2008 ICC Best Test Championship Ratings, recognizing him in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, named him one of the “Wisden’s Six Giants of the Wisden Age” in 1963. Barnes was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.
Barnes participated in 27 Test matches, with an average bowling figure of just 16.43, taking 189 wickets. His first-class cricket performance is even more impressive. In his 133 first-class matches, he took 719 wickets at an average of 17.09. He took 7 10-wicket hauls and 24 5-wicket hauls in Test cricket, with the best bowling figures being 9/103. John Arlott claimed in an article in The Cricketer (May 1963) that Barnes was considered “the greatest bowler those who had played in his time had ever encountered.”
- Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli is the current right-handed Indian batsman considered one of the best batsmen in the world. He often tops ESPN’s most famous athletes rankings. He has participated in 208 ODIs and 66 Test matches, with batting averages of 58.10 and 53.40, respectively. In just a decade-long career, he has achieved 35 ODI centuries and 21 Test centuries.
Kohli has won multiple ICC awards, including the 2016 Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World award. No other batsman averages over 50 in both ODI and Test formats. It is believed that if he continues performing the way he does, he will break many records set by legends like Sachin Tendulkar.
