Who do you think is the best all-rounder in the world? Well, this article will help you find that out. Just keep a close watch on the names, and you will have your answer. Let us dive right in without further ado.
Who Is The Best All-Rounder In The World
Cricket has been around since the late 1800s. As a result, there have been several ‘Best All-Rounder In The World’. Let us celebrate the sport and look at the best players who are worthy to earn this moniker. Here we go!
Vinoo Mankad (India)
Before Jadejas and Patels, there was Vinoo Mankad. Vinoo Mankad was a left-arm spinner and a batsman. Mankad was one of the most talented players. On two occasions, Mankad opened for his team, took captaincy roles midway, scored 2 centuries, and then took 8 wickets. No wonder he is included in this piece.
Monty Noble (Australia)
Monty Noble was one of the rarest players whose contribution led to the restructuring of the game as a whole. Noble was often lauded as one of the most complete players of his time. He was like a wall with a bat. Furthermore, his exceptional ability to captain was also why he was included in this article.
Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
Starting his journey in 2006, Bravo was an amazing pacer. He spent the first few matches exclusively as a pacer. However, he soon changed his role from a pacer to an all-rounder. And the rest is history. His agile stature and quick thinking made him one of the best all-rounders of all time. Bravo excels in the t20 format, but he also showed expertise in the ODI and Test formats.
Wasim Akram (Pakistan)
Wasim Akram was one of the first to manage to take 500 wickets in the one-day format. His impeccable bowling and amazing personality made him a sweetheart. Subsequently, he is also known to have four hat tricks in his international career. Hence, it is understandable why Akram managed to secure a spot on our list to search for the ‘Best All-Rounder In The World.”
Brian McMillan (South Africa)
ESPNCricinfo rated Brian Mcmillan as the ‘best allrounder in the world in the mid-1990s.’ Brian was certainly a phenomenon. McMillan managed to score a huge corpus of runs in the 38 test matches and 78 one-day matches that he played. He was an absolute beast and was one of the best players during the 90s. In fact, he was one of the rarest players who is also a professor at Durban University. Therefore, he was certainly one of a kind.
Alan Davidson (Australia)
Alan Davidson might not be the most long-standing player of the Australian Cricket team. But he certainly is one of the rarest players of all time. He was the only person who managed to score a hundred and take a 10-fer in a test match. Apart from this, there were several instances where Alan Davidson proved that he was one of the best players on the pitch.
Eddie Barlow (South Africa)
Another south african who made his mark on international cricketing is Eddie Barlow. Barlow was an aggressive batsman who managed to capture the attention of bowlers. Records suggest that Barlow was a seminal individual who achieved newer horizons for the South African Cricketing team. In fact, he managed to become one of the leading individuals to bring new changes to the African cricketing community. A true people’s person.
Tony Greig (England)
Tony Greig was always known as one of the voices of cricket and cricketers. But he is also known as one of the finest all-rounders of all time. He managed to score around 3599 tests and 16,660 first-class runs. Subsequently, he is also known for 141 tests and 856 first-class wickets. Finally, he was also lauded as one of the best English captains of all time.
Ben Stokes (England)
Stokes started playing in 2011. Since then, he has managed to become one of the biggest names in the English Cricket community. His bold batting style, coupled with his strong bowling arm, has made him one of the most genre-defining cricketers in existence.
Shane Watson (Australia)
Shane Watson was one of the most aggressive and powerful players in Australia from 2002 to 2016. Watson was an explosive batsman and an amazing bowler. He was all about force and consistency. He won several MVP trophies and is one of the most celebrated players of all time.
Ray Illingworth (England)
Ray Illingworth scored 24,134 runs and has taken a total of 2072 wickets. These stats speak for themselves. In fact, Illingworth’s dedication to the game was unparalleled. He managed to become an inspiration for his amazing cricketing skills and was used as a role model for many up-and-coming cricketers.
George Hirst (England)
Many people might not even know about George Hirst, but he was one of the best all-rounders of his time. He was one of the players who laid the groundwork for the future of cricket. Therefore, he has earned his place dearly in this list of some of the best all-rounders of all time.
Aubrey Faulkner (South Africa)
Faulkner is not just one of the best all-rounders of all time. He was also one of the best specimens of international cricket. His greatness moved beyond the throes of cricket. He fought in wars, wrote a book, and even opened a school. Therefore, he was a believer in giving back to the community. A true gem of a human being.
Clive Rice (South Africa)
Rice was not just a player. He was revered as a god by his fans. Rice was a showman, as he was known for his explosive playability. He single-handedly scored 26,000 runs and has taken 930 wickets during his career. As a result, he found a spot on our list to find the best all-rounder in the world.
Frank Woolley (England)
Frank Woolley was a product of the golden age of cricket. Woolley was a beast on the pitch. One might even say that Woolley played a major role in popularising the game during the early 1900s (1900-1930). He managed to amass a total of 58,959 runs and has taken 2,503 wickets. This shows the English’s true capability.
Wilfred Rhodes (England)
Rhodes might not be one of the most memorable players of all time, but he certainly was a player to reckon with. Rhodes had the longest career in cricketing history. He managed to play for around 3 decades. He was one of the earliest pioneers of cricket. A true genius before the legends stepped in.
Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka)
Jayasurya gave the Sri Lankan cricket team its identity in the 90s. In fact, I believe that he gave the Sri Lankan Team its identity. His effective bowling skills, along with an amazing sense of the game, made him a true legend. He is the only player who managed to score around 10,000 runs and has taken 300 wickets in a single format.
Daniel Vettori (New Zealand)
Cricketing fans of the late ‘90s and mid-2010s would definitely recognize this Kiwi legend. Vettori was a crucial player for New Zealand for around two decades. During this time, he managed to become one of the biggest names in the international cricketing community. Vettori was capable as a batsman as well as a bowler.
Shaun Pollock (South Africa)
Shaun Pollock of South Africa was a beast in his peak. Pollock redefined cricket ever since he stepped on the pitch. Pollock went for consistency. His consistent and static approach made him a reliable cog in the whole machinery. He even led his team as a captain and left a deeper mark on history.
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Pakistan during the 90s was Afridi’s kingdom. Afridi managed to redefine the role of an all-rounder. His aggressive batting and versatile bowling capabilities made him a true champion of the Pakistani cricket front. However, he failed to shine as a leader. As a result, he only managed to lead the team to a handful of victories.
Andrew Flintoff (England)
Flintoff was the most energetic all-rounder of his team. His over with Ricky Ponting and Jacques Kallis could be used as a summary of his career. Flintoff was a force to be reckoned with. His amazing skill behind the bat and aggressive bowling managed to inspire generations of new cricketers.
Sir Richard Hadlee (New Zealand)
Sir Richard Hadlee was not only a legend but a record-breaker as well. Hadlee managed to retire with the most number of Test wickets in the 1990s. Hadlee became a true champion for the Kiwi cricketing community. Hadlee retired with 431 test wickets. This makes him a beacon of inspiration. However, his batting stats were not up to the mark. As a result, he did not score high enough on this quest to find the best all-rounder in the world.
Mike Procter (South Africa)
Some cricket fans might find Procter’s inclusion a little odd. However, I believe that Procter was a victim of external political factors. Procter only played seven Test matches. However, he amassed a total of 21,936 runs and 1,417 wickets. Therefore, these stats are a true testament to Procter’s excellence.
Richie Benaud (Australia)
Richie Benaud is one of the greatest commentators of all time. However, he was an equally talented all-rounder of his time. Benaud lived an eventful life. He was primarily a leg-spinner, but he then became an all-rounder and even captained the Australian Cricket team. Later on, he took retirement from playing and went on to excel as a commentator.
Keith Miller (Australia)
Keith Miller was once synonymous with Australian cricketing excellence. Miller was Australia’s Post-war superstar. He managed to keep generations of cricket fans entertained with his cricketing finesse. In Fact, he is often lauded as the GOAT of Australian Cricket.
Imran Khan (Pakistan)
There is a reason why Imran Khan was popularly lauded as a cricket maestro. Even though Khan has moved leagues away from cricket, his name is still etched in history. Imran Khan was the driving force behind Pakistan’s one and only World Cup Win in 1992.
Kapil Dev (India)
Kapil Dev single-handedly put the Indian Cricket team on the map. He was nothing short of a trailblazer. Kapil Dev was a true all-rounder of his generation. Dev dominated whatever role he was charged with. He was a great bowler, an explosive batsman, and an inspiring captain.
Sir Ian Botham (England)
The charms of Sir Ian Botham dominated the ’80s cricket community. In fact, several historians believe that his aggressive playstyle changed the very face of the game. His significant contribution to bowling and dynamic style of batting made him a fan favorite. He
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
The third position in our list is held by the Asian all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. Shakib hails from a small town in Bangladesh. However, he has grown to a different level. He is currently the third-best all-rounder in the world. A truly momentous feat to achieve.
Sir Garfield Sobers (West Indies)
The second player on our list is none other than Sir Garfield Sobers. This West Indian all-rounder managed to amass a total of 8,032 runs and 235 test wickets. The player’s versatile bowling and quick-thinking while batting have made him a true legend.
Best All-Rounder In The World Title-Winner: Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
You hate me or love me, but Jacques Kallis is definitely the Best all-rounder in the world. Period. This South African beast has earned a total score of 13,289 Test runs and 292 wickets. His stats and playability have made him one of the driving factors behind the South African team’s success. A true legend and worthy of the crown.
The Final Thought
With that, you have reached the very end of this article about who is the Best All-Rounder In The World. Even though these answers might change five months down the line, it feels good to know more about these players. Keep following our page for more sports-related content and stories.
