Top 10 Best Cricketers in the World

Cricket has been played in a different way than it was started back in 1597. The game has evolved a lot over the years and the changes in the dynamics of the game have entertained the fans and the players as well. However, modern-day cricket has shifted its gears to the batters as they get more importance than the bowlers. The pitches and the ground diameters have been shortened so the batters can score easy runs. 

Over the years, many players have made their names in the game of cricket. But there have also been cricketers in every era who have made a name for themselves and the country. From sensational batters to amazing bowlers and agile fielders, these players have left an indelible mark on the game and inspired generations of fans. To shortlist and find out the top 10 best cricketers in world cricket is a tough job. 

Ranking Factors

We are ranking the greatest cricketers in consistency, impact, batting, and bowling performances for their country. We have players with sustained excellence and the impact they created for their country and in the game as well. Along with the players who redefined the game through style or skill innovation, and with great leadership and tactical brilliance, changed the matches of their own.

• Consistency: Being consistent at the international level is very crucial. Otherwise, the player might be dropped from the team and might also not get a second chance. This is the reason the cricketers who are consistent performers have been the matchwinner for their respective sides, be it in batting, bowling or all-round performances. They have consistently won the matches for their side.

• Impact in Crucial Matches: Performances in high-stakes games, such as World Cups or Test series, are significantly weighted in ratings. Maintaining high-performance levels over time is critical to ranking prominence. Over the years, they have played some crucial knocks or picked wickets in crunch situations of the match from where their team has gone on to win the game.

• Batting, Bowling and All-round Performances: Since the inception of cricket, players have been contributing to their teams with batting, bowling, and all-round performances. There are some of the greatest cricketers who have mastered these different parts of the game. This is the reason they are one of the greatest cricketers of all time. And thus has been listed below.

In this article, we dive into the top 10 best cricketers in the world

10. Ricky Ponting (Australia)

Ricky Ponting was one of the greatest cricketers of all time. He was a fantastic batter of his era. The former Australian skipper is the only captain to win the ICC ODI World Cup twice in his career. He has amassed by scoring over 27,000 international runs and is considered one of the game’s greats because of his aggressive captaincy and outstanding batting.

For nearly two decades he was one of the finest Australian cricketers of all time. He has scored the third most number of centuries in international cricket with 71 tons beside his name. Ponting has a total of 13,704 runs in 375 matches for the Aussies in ODI. Along with this, he has 30 centuries and 82 half-centuries in the 50-over format of the game.

9. Wasim Akram (Pakistan)

Wasim Akram is one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. The former Pakistan skipper took 916 international wickets and was a threat to batters due to his skill with swing bowling, both conventional and reverse. He also played a vital role in Pakistan’s World Cup victory in 1992. He made a serious impact in the game with his skill and the trio of Wasim Waqar Shoaib terrorised the batting team with their lethal bowling.

He was named the “Sultan of Swing.” Due to his ability to swing the ball both ways. Akram has also been a decent batter lower down the order and has over 6,000 runs across formats he has featured in. Later on, he was the only Pakistani cricketer to be named in an all-time Test World XI to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

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8. Brian Lara (West Indies)

Brian Charles Lara was one of the most stylish batters of all time. The fans were mesmerised by his elegance and strokeplay. Lara is the only captain for West Indies to win the ICC 50-over format Trophy. He led the side to the ICC Champions Trophy in 2004. He was also the highest run-getter in Test match cricket till Sachin Tendulkar surpassed him and achieved the 12,000 runs mark.

Lara achieved many successes, in the longest format of the game. He is the only batter to score 400* runs in an innings, it is still the highest-ever individual score by a batter in the traditional format of the game. His legacy has been unmatched in West Indies and world cricket. He was able to dominate bowlers with a style that made him different from others.

7. Muttiah Muralidaran (Sri Lanka)

Muttiah Muralidaran is the highest wicket-taker of all time in the red ball format. He has picked 800 wickets in the longest format of the game. The Sri Lankan off-spinner is known for his decisive doosra and was a nightmare for the batters. He played for 18 years for the side, featuring in 350 ODIs and won the World Cup in 1996 for the side as well.

Murali has been an icon of the game and has been the idol for many young cricketers. He picked up 534 wickets in the 50-over format. He bowled some of the greatest in world cricket from Sachin to Lara, he created trouble for these legendary batters and they always talk about the most difficult bowler they have ever faced was him.

6. Jacques Kallis (South Africa)

Jacques Kallis is the greatest South African player. He was underrated and did not get the fame he should have gotten. He is the only Protea cricketer in the history of the game to score more than 10,000 runs and take over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test match cricket. This showcased his talent with bat and ball, as he was a match-winner for his side.

He holds the record for most Test centuries by a South African and is known for his classic, methodical batting and versatile bowling. Other than that, he was also an exceptional fielder for the side. His international career lasted for more than two decades and he also helped South Africa win their only ICC Trophy, which was then the ICC Knockout Cup, back in 1998.

5. Shane Warne (Australia)

Shane Warne, the greatest leg-spinner in world cricket, was exceptional with his bowling. He remains among one of the best cricketers in the world. His mastery of leg-spin created havoc for the batters as they had no answers to it. Warne’s ball against Mike Gatting which turned from leg stump to clip off the off-stump was named as the ball of the century.

He has been part of Australia’s greatest-ever side across formats. Warne appeared in 145 Tests picking 708 wickets, and set the record for the most wickets taken by any bowler in Test cricket, a record he held until 2007 when Muttiah Muralidaran surpassed his record. During 2000 he was one of five Wisden Cricketers of the Century, and the only specialist bowler selected.

4. Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)

Viv Richards was one of the most destructive batters of his era. The West Indies superstar had a different aura during his playing days. His aggressive attitude and ability to dominate bowlers, helped the West Indies win many games. Sir Viv averaged a remarkable 66.51 with the bat in the red ball format. His aura during the 1970s to 1990s was different.

He is regarded as the greatest West Indies batter ever. Sir Viv played for more than a decade and had numerous records under his belt. The bowlers had a nightmare bowling him in the match. The former West Indies batter is the fastest West Indian to score 5000 runs in ODI format.

3. Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)

Sir Garfield Sobers will always be regarded as the greatest West Indies cricketer of all time. He is widely regarded as cricket’s greatest-ever all-rounder, having been a highly talented bowler, an aggressive batter, and an excellent fielder. He featured for the side from 1954 to 1974. He laid the foundation for the Caribbean nation that won the World Cup in 1975 and 1979.

He was the first-ever batter to hit six sixes in a single over of six consecutive balls in first-class cricket. His versatility helped him to bowl all kinds of deliveries of left-arm bowling from spin to fast-medium. Sobers also represented the football side of Barbados and was a solid left-back as well, as his tactical awareness helped him to become a good footballer as well.

2. Sir Donald Bradman (Australia)

Sir Donald Bradman can be named as the best Australian cricketer of all time. His career Test batting average of 99.94 is considered to be the greatest achievement by any sportsman in any major sport. Bradman played 52 matches for the Aussies, scoring 6,996 runs and his highest score in 334. He had 13 hundreds in his test career, which was broken by Sunil Gavaskar.

Whenever there’s a discussion on cricket, Bradman’s name will always be into consideration. No batter is yet close to his amazing average and it is nearly impossible to be broken in modern-day cricket.

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1. Sachin Tendulkar (India)

Sachin Tendulkar is the best cricketer of all time. The ‘God of Cricket’ had a career of 24 years, which is an impossible milestone for any cricketer to achieve. He has the record for scoring the most international hundreds to his name. The former India captain has scored 100 international centuries. Sachin played in 463 matches for India, showcasing unparalleled consistency, and scored 18,426 runs in ODI cricket. His 51 Test centuries are also nearly impossible to achieve for any batter in modern-day cricket.

Tendulkar changed the dynamics of Indian cricket a whole generation got inspired by his batting style and started idolising the ‘Master Blaster’ from a young age as they wanted to become like him. Tendulkar was known for his run-scoring ability and has the most runs in international cricket, with more than 34,000 international runs he still tops the chart.

Rank	Player	Runs Scored/ Wickets Taken	Major Achievements
1	Sachin Tendulkar	34,357	– Highest run-scorer in both Test and ODI cricket – First player to score 100 international centuries – Key player in India’s 2011 World Cup victory
2	Sir Donald Bradman	6,996	– Highest Test batting average of 99.94 – Scored 29 Test centuries in 52 matches – Considered the greatest batsman of all time
3	Sir Garfield Sobers	8032 and 235 wickets	– One of the greatest all-rounders – Held the record for highest individual Test score (365*) – Knighted for services to cricket
4	Sir Vivian Richards	8,540	– Dominant batsman of his era – Led West Indies to two World Cup victories (1975, 1979) – Known for his swagger and aggressive style
5	Shane Warne	1,001	– Second-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket (708 wickets) – Revived the art of leg-spin bowling – Key player in Australia’s dominance in the 1990s and early 2000s
6	Jacques Kallis	25534 and 577 wickets	– One of the greatest all-rounders – Only player with over 10,000 runs and 250 wickets in both Tests and ODIs – South Africa’s leading run-scorer in Tests and ODIs
7	Muttiah Muralitharan	1,347	– Highest wicket-taker in both Test (800) and ODI (534) cricket – Renowned for his unique bowling action and spin variations – Integral to Sri Lanka’s bowling attack
8	Brian Lara	22,358	– Holder of the highest individual scores in both Test (400*) and first-class cricket (501*) – Known for his stylish and aggressive batting – Captained West Indies in Test and ODI formats
9	Wasim Akram	6615 and 916 wickets	– Pioneer of reverse swing bowling – Leading wicket-taker for Pakistan in both Tests and ODIs – Instrumental in Pakistan’s 1992 World Cup win
10	Ricky Ponting	27,483	– Australia’s most prolific run-scorer – Led Australia to two World Cup victories (2003, 2007)