Last Updated on 2 months by Charbel Coorey

Who the best player is at any moment in cricket is often a varied and heated debate. As the sport crosses three formats, several varying domestic leagues, different surfaces between nations, and three distinct player types, it’s always going to be difficult to point to one who outshines the rest.

It’s like comparing apples and oranges with batters and bowlers, so should all-rounders be given priority in such debates for their ability with both bat and ball? It’s all very subjective, but there are always standout star talents who make their way into just about every conversation.

There was a lot of cricket played over the last five years, but these are the cricketers who deserve to rank among the best cricketers of the half-decade and the one who stands as the top of the bunch.

5. Kane Williamson (New Zealand)

New Zealand’s all-format captain has quietly been among the top batsmen in the game for years. Not only has Kane Williamson been able to put up stellar numbers himself, but his leadership has clearly been the driving force behind New Zealand’s meteoric rise to the top of the Test, third in the ODI, and sixth in the T20I rankings.

Having perfected the off-drive and late defence against the moving ball, the sharp-minded Williamson’s last five years were highlighted by an emphatic 251 knock against the West Indies last year, as we detailed here at cricblog.net, which was followed by 238 against Pakistan to kick-off 2021.

4. James Anderson (England)

Not only is James Anderson a top contender in this debate of the best cricketer of the last five years, but he’ll also be brought up for decades to come as one of the best bowlers of all-time. Last year, ‘Jimmy’ became the first fast bowler to take 600 Test wickets, and since then, he’s climbed to 611 to close the gap on the third-highest Test wicket-taker, Anil Kumble.

What’s unique about Anderson is that he’s a fast bowler, with all of the other top-six wicket-takers in Test cricket being spin bowlers. The next closest is compatriot Stuart Broad, who’s only four years Anderson’s junior. Currently standing third in the ICC Men’s Test bowlers rankings, he’s added 185 wickets across 89 innings since the start of 2016, with 11 of those already coming in 2021.

3. Steve Smith (Australia)

If it wasn’t for the ball-tampering scandal of 2018, Steve Smith would almost certainly rank higher on this list. Alas, the lost 2018/19 season has forced the superb Australian batsman down to a respectable third-place. In the two years prior, Smith averaged 74.35 across 22 Tests and 47.54 in 39 ODIs.

Upon his return in 2019, he became only the second batter to score four scores of over 50 in Cricket World Cup knockout stages and a double-century in the fourth Test of the Ashes after Ben Stokes’ memorable Headingley knock. His Test average held firm at 74.23 through 2019 and built some additional ODI form in 2020, averaging 63.11 across is nine innings last year. Now, fans throw the 31-year-old atop the debate for who the best Test batsman since Don Bradman is.

2. Ellyse Perry (Australia)

The women’s game has boomed over the last decade, and especially so over the last five years, with hotly-contested matches and immensely-talented superstars coming to the fore. Australia, England, India, and South Africa, in particular, boast several stars capable of being world-beaters on their day, but no one has mastered the sport quite like Ellyse Perry.

Across all of cricket, men’s included, Perry is the one player who you can point to as the epitome of an all-rounder. With the bat, she averages 52.10 in ODIs and 28.32 in T20Is. With the ball, it’s 24.29 in ODIs and 19.37 in T20Is. Her dominance hasn’t been overlooked, either, with Perry winning the:

• ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year in 2017, 2019, and 2020
• ODI distinction in 2019 and 2020
• T20I award in 2020.

She was also named the ICC Female Cricketer of the Decade by the ICC.

1. Virat Kohli (India)

For anyone who follows all formats of cricket, there would have been little doubt that India’s talisman Virat Kohli would top this list. Now 32-years-old, the charismatic captain is the most decorated men’s cricketer of the last five years, claiming the:

• ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year award in 2017 and 2018
• Test Player of the Year in 2018
• ODI Player of the Year in 2017 and 2018.

To top it all off, he landed the ICC Men’s Male Cricketer of the Decade and ODI Cricketer of the Decade at the end of last year.

Kohli’s importance to the sport cannot be understated, particularly in India. India has a devout cricket following that’s only becoming more engaged as the nation modernises. In fact, a huge part of India’s involvement in the sport now is through cricket betting sites and fantasy cricket. The knowledgeable fan base will utilise the betting guides and market explanations of asiabet.org to back their predictions. Supplementary information is also available about the types of bets available, and the top cricket events too. With Kohli being such an almighty cricketer, and the home team is a true force of the game right now, Indian fans get to back their home team a lot.

When Kohli is on the pitch, the world watches his performances. With the bat in hand, he’s an expert, but he’s even good to study in the field, helping to tinker his team into a tough-to-beat unit. The Indian’s mindset, drive, leadership, and talent are major reasons why India ranks in the top-three across all formats.

Virat Kohli has been the star of men’s cricket for the last five years, as has Ellyse Perry in the women’s game.