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Opinion: 8 Best Cricket Players of All-Time

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Last Updated on 5 years by Charbel Coorey

As the British Empire spread across the world, it took with it one of the UK’s favourite pastimes: cricket. The game soon came to be loved in just about every corner of the world, from the deserts of Australia to the banks of the Ganges, and the tiny tropical islands of the Caribbean to the savannahs of South Africa. As the sport flourished, legendary cricket players emerged across the globe, making their mark on the game.

Although it is hard to pick the best cricketers of all time from the wealth of talent throughout history, here is a list of eight of the best.

1. Sir Donald Bradman

Legendary Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman is often known affectionately as simply “The Don”. His impressive batting record not only made him a hero in his day, but it has stood the test of time, and he is still considered by experts to be the greatest batsman in the history of the game. Bradman’s test batting average was an exceptional 99.94 and his Wisden rating is 1349, outstripping any other batsman by more than 300 points. His career spanned throughout the 1930’s and 1940’s and he is renowned not only for his unbeaten run scoring, but also his grace and class as a true gentleman.

Opinion: 8 Best Cricket Players of All-Time | Discussing the best cricketers of all-time | Listing the top 8 best cricket players ever
Don Bradman: Best Cricket Player of all-time

Also read: Top 5 Best Australia Tests since 2000

2. Sachin Tendulkar

The Indian national cricket team roster has full of stars during the early years of the 21st century, but probably none more so than batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who continues to be one of the most loved figures in India today. Tendulkar was probably the greatest pioneer of the straight drive and has an almost unrivalled batting record. He scored nearly 16,000 runs in Test matches and more than 18,000 runs in ODIs, being able to handle both pace and spin bowling and challenging even the most powerful bowlers at the time.

Opinion: 8 Best Cricket Players of All-Time | Discussing the best cricketers of all-time | Listing the top 8 best cricket players ever
Best Cricket Players – Sachin Tendulkar: A true great of the game.

Also read: Top 5 Best India Tests since 2000

3. Sir Vivian Richards

The greatest cricketer in West Indies history and one of the greatest batsmen in the history of the game, Sir Vivian Richards is recognised as the best ODI batsman ever. He has an average of 47 from a total of 187 ODI matches played (SR 90), and 50 from 121 Test cricket matches. A versatile player, Richards was also an exceptional bowler, taking 118 wickets in ODIs.

Best Cricket Players – Viv Richards is one of the greatest batsmen of all-time

4. Brian Lara

Another legend of West Indies cricket and one of the best players in the history of the game is Brian Lara. He has the record for the most runs in a First Class cricket match, thanks to his amazing 1994 performance where he scored 501 not out. With 400 not out in 2004, he also has the record for the most runs in a single Test inning. Batting with his left, Lara is also considered by many to be the greatest left-handed batsman of all time.

Best Cricket Players – Brian Lara is one of the all-time greats.

5. Wasim Akram

This legendary Pakistani cricketer is known as one of the best (and fastest) bowlers of all time. Akram was the first bowler to break the record for making 500 wickets in ODIs, and in total he took an unbeaten 881 in List A cricket across his career. Akram pioneered the technique of reverse swing bowling and was a great exponent of this tactic. He was also an excellent captain, renowned for his leadership of the Pakistani cricket team.

Best Cricket Players – Wasim Akram: First bowler to 500 ODI wickets

6. Sir Garfield Sobers

Another beloved figure in West Indies cricket is legendary all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers. Sobers is arguably the greatest all-rounder of all-time, winning Wisden’s cricketer of the year eight times throughout his career (only Bradman has more, with 10). A cricketing genius, Sobers scored 8,032 Test runs at a remarkable average of 57.78. If that wasn’t enough, he took 235 wickets at 34.03, impacting many-a-Test in an incredible career.

Best Cricket Players – Garfield Sobers was an incredible all-rounder

7. Muttiah Muralitharan

The next legendary cricketer on our list comes from Sri Lanka. Muttiah Muralitharan is not only a hero in his native Sri Lanka but he is also considered by many to the best Test match bowler of all time. A pioneer of wrist-spinning and off-spinning, Muralitharan took 534 wickets in ODIs and 800 in Test cricket. He also holds the record as the only bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test on four occasons, and more than 50 wickets against every test-playing nation on earth.

Opinion: 8 Best Cricket Players of All-Time | Discussing the best cricketers of all-time | Listing the top 8 best cricket players ever
Best Cricket Players – Muttiah Muralitharan: spin wizard

8. Shane Warne

Cricket fans were blessed to have Muttiah Muralitharan starring at the same time as the great Shane Warne. Warne, undoubtedly the greatest wrist-spinner to ever play the game, revolutionised legspin bowling in the most remarkable way imaginable. Along with his incredible ability, Warne had a great cricketing brain, able to work batsmen over en-route to becoming the first bowler in history to reach 700 Test wickets.

Opinion: 8 Best Cricket Players of All-Time | Discussing the best cricketers of all-time | Listing the top 8 best cricket players ever
Best Cricket Players – Shane Warne: the best legspin bowler in history

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