Top 100 in ODI history - 2: Tendulkar, 1: Richards
- Thread starter sifter132
- Start date
#14 - Mark Waugh
Role: RH batsman: starting as middle order, but playing mostly as an opener. Part time RH bowler: medium pace earlier in his career, off-spinner towards the end.
Debut: vs Pakistan, Adelaide, 1988.
Matches: 244
Runs: 8500
Avg: 39.35
S/R: 76.90
Wkts: 85
Avg: 34.56
Econ: 4.78
Legacy: One of my absolute favourite players. Such a graceful batsman, he always seemed to have so much time to play whatever shot he pleased. Was criticised often for being too casual in his batting and throwing his wicket away with very lazy looking shots, but for fans a few loose shots was worth it to see Waugh go about his business in fine style. Very strong on his leg side, anything angled into the pads was given no quarter. Sometimes flicked in the air, sometimes just timed gracefully through whatever gap had been left. Waugh also loved facing the spinners, particularly off-spinners because he could use those excellent leg side skills to work or smash them.
His career changed when he was given the opening spot opposite Mark Taylor in 1995/96. Waugh turned into a century machine as an opener, making 15 100s in 139 innings at the top, including 3 in the 1996 World Cup. Only Tendulkar has made as many 100s at a better ratio than a century every 10 innings.
In the field he was brilliant and owned arguably the best pair of catching hands in ODI history, although AB de Villiers could might be able to make a claim to that title. Waugh made catching the ball look so easy, seeming to have more time to react than anyone else. He was more athletic than other catching specialists eg. Mark Taylor, so he could create more chances to claim those incredible catches.
His bowling followed an interesting path, with his lively medium pacers being his ticket into the side for the early part of his career as Australia looked for all-rounders in the middle order. He was a very effective partnership breaking/strike bowler for a time. But a dodgy back consigned Waugh to trying off spin in the mid 90s, and it meant he became a much more occasional bowler, taking only 22 wickets in his 131 ODIs after 1995/96 (approximately when his offies began).
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 57 (70) & 5/24 (6) vs West Indies, Melbourne, 1992. The Aussie batsmen struggled for timing, Waugh (batting at #5) was the only one to hit more than 1 boundary (he hit 5). Their final total of 198 looked small with the WI at 2/158. But Waugh changed the match by bowling Lara, then followed with the wickets of Richardson, Arthurton, Murray and the final one of Cummins when only 5 more were needed.
2) 1/43 (8) & 110 (112) vs New Zealand, Chennai, 1996. Quarter-final at the World Cup, and Waugh stroked a lovely century, never looking rushed and collecting runs with that typical nonchalance. He took the wicket of Cairns earlier in the day when NZ were threatening a 300+ score, NZ finally settling at 286. Waugh then controlled the chase beautifully, without hitting a lot of boundaries on the slow outfield. Was out with 74 still to get, but his brother and Stuart Law saw Australia home.
3) 173 (148) vs West Indies, Melbourne, 2001. Waugh propelled Australia to a massive 338 in the 2nd final of the series. Wasn't against the strongest attack, but it was noteworthy in that Waugh had raised the highest score by an Australian in ODIs (at the time). He reached 100 off 104 balls and started hitting out more aggressively at the end. WI couldn't get the runs.
Highlights:
Role: RH batsman: starting as middle order, but playing mostly as an opener. Part time RH bowler: medium pace earlier in his career, off-spinner towards the end.
Debut: vs Pakistan, Adelaide, 1988.
Matches: 244
Runs: 8500
Avg: 39.35
S/R: 76.90
Wkts: 85
Avg: 34.56
Econ: 4.78
Legacy: One of my absolute favourite players. Such a graceful batsman, he always seemed to have so much time to play whatever shot he pleased. Was criticised often for being too casual in his batting and throwing his wicket away with very lazy looking shots, but for fans a few loose shots was worth it to see Waugh go about his business in fine style. Very strong on his leg side, anything angled into the pads was given no quarter. Sometimes flicked in the air, sometimes just timed gracefully through whatever gap had been left. Waugh also loved facing the spinners, particularly off-spinners because he could use those excellent leg side skills to work or smash them.
His career changed when he was given the opening spot opposite Mark Taylor in 1995/96. Waugh turned into a century machine as an opener, making 15 100s in 139 innings at the top, including 3 in the 1996 World Cup. Only Tendulkar has made as many 100s at a better ratio than a century every 10 innings.
In the field he was brilliant and owned arguably the best pair of catching hands in ODI history, although AB de Villiers could might be able to make a claim to that title. Waugh made catching the ball look so easy, seeming to have more time to react than anyone else. He was more athletic than other catching specialists eg. Mark Taylor, so he could create more chances to claim those incredible catches.
His bowling followed an interesting path, with his lively medium pacers being his ticket into the side for the early part of his career as Australia looked for all-rounders in the middle order. He was a very effective partnership breaking/strike bowler for a time. But a dodgy back consigned Waugh to trying off spin in the mid 90s, and it meant he became a much more occasional bowler, taking only 22 wickets in his 131 ODIs after 1995/96 (approximately when his offies began).
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 57 (70) & 5/24 (6) vs West Indies, Melbourne, 1992. The Aussie batsmen struggled for timing, Waugh (batting at #5) was the only one to hit more than 1 boundary (he hit 5). Their final total of 198 looked small with the WI at 2/158. But Waugh changed the match by bowling Lara, then followed with the wickets of Richardson, Arthurton, Murray and the final one of Cummins when only 5 more were needed.
2) 1/43 (8) & 110 (112) vs New Zealand, Chennai, 1996. Quarter-final at the World Cup, and Waugh stroked a lovely century, never looking rushed and collecting runs with that typical nonchalance. He took the wicket of Cairns earlier in the day when NZ were threatening a 300+ score, NZ finally settling at 286. Waugh then controlled the chase beautifully, without hitting a lot of boundaries on the slow outfield. Was out with 74 still to get, but his brother and Stuart Law saw Australia home.
3) 173 (148) vs West Indies, Melbourne, 2001. Waugh propelled Australia to a massive 338 in the 2nd final of the series. Wasn't against the strongest attack, but it was noteworthy in that Waugh had raised the highest score by an Australian in ODIs (at the time). He reached 100 off 104 balls and started hitting out more aggressively at the end. WI couldn't get the runs.
Highlights:
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#13 - Kapil Dev
Role: All-rounder. RH fast-medium opening bowler. RH middle or lower order batsman: usually #6 or #7, sometimes #5.
Debut: vs Pakistan, Quetta, 1978.
Matches: 225
Runs: 3783
Avg: 23.79
S/R: 95.07
Wkts: 253
Avg: 27.45
Econ: 3.71
Legacy: I wish I'd seen more of Kapil Dev. He had a lovely, flowing side-on bowling action and could swing the ball prodigiously. Also developed his yorker over his career and that got him wickets at the death of the innings. With the bat he was very aggressive, full of shots, and liked to swing hard. His pull shot was particularly extravagant, using the Gordon Greenidge method of kicking his front leg when swivelling.
I know what you're thinking...Kapil Dev...#13?? His overall stats don't seem to merit a spot this high. But I was impressed by at least some of his stats: his performances at his peak, and by his scoring and economy rates.
First, his best career phase: Kapil Dev was red-hot in the mid 80s beginning with the 1983 World Cup. From May 1983 to Feb 1986 he put up excellent numbers :47 ODIs, 1000 runs @ 31.25, S/R: 98.91. 69 wickets @ 20.39, Econ: 3.51.
Second, his scoring and economy rates: His batting strike rate of 95.07 was the 3rd highest in ODI cricket history when he retired, behind Lance Cairns and Ian Smith, and neither of those had made even half the runs that Kapil Dev made over his career. Kapil Dev is also 3rd on the list of all-rounders with the biggest gap between scoring and economy rates, scoring almost 2 RPO faster than he conceded runs ie. his batting S/R of 95.07 = 5.70 RPO, minus his 3.71 Economy rate. Lance Cairns and Shahid Afridi are the 2 ahead of him for that stat, but both have less impressive career averages than Kapil Dev.
He also had good longevity, retiring as the leading wicket taker in ODI history - eventually overtaken by Wasim Akram.
Kapil was very important for Indian cricket's evolution: bowling fast when spin had been so dominant locally; and bowling aggressively, not just to contain. Of course his performances in the 1983 World Cup were noteworthy too, captaining the team to a surprise World Cup victory that changed both Indian and world cricket. He also took an excellent over the shoulder catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the final, a crucial moment.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 72 (38) & 2/33 (10) vs West Indies, Guyana, 1983. A "hurricane knock" by Kapil Dev, who lashed 7 4s and 3 6s in his 38 ball stay, elevating India to 5/282. At that time it was the highest score WI had ever conceded, despite their attack containing legends like Roberts, Holding and Marshall. WI could only make 255 in reply, Kapil getting Greendige early and returning for Roberts' wicket, bowling tidily throughout. This was an important win for India before the 1983 World Cup and gave them belief that WI were a beatable team.
2) 175* (138) & 1/32 (11) vs Zimbabwe, Tunbridge Wells, 1983. Touted as one of the most amazing ODI innings, Kapil came in at 4/9 and it was soon 5/17 on a lively wicket, but he countered attacked in the most brilliant fashion. Partners came and went and it was soon 7/78, but he controlled the strike and found an ally in keeper Syed Kirmani. They put on 126 for the 9th wicket, a record only passed a couple of years ago (Mathews/Malinga vs Aus). His century came from 100 balls exactly, before hitting out even more aggressively in the final 10 overs. India made 8/266, Zimbabwe all out for 235 in response. No TV cameras captured this innings as BBC was on strike!
3) 4/30 (9) & 23 (18) vs Australia, Melbourne, 1986. Was the most economical of the Indian bowlers and dismissed Border, Jones, Steve Waugh and McDermott as Australia made 235. Then joined Vengsarkar with 55 runs to go - they made 49 together in good time as India won with 7 balls to spare.
Highlights:
Role: All-rounder. RH fast-medium opening bowler. RH middle or lower order batsman: usually #6 or #7, sometimes #5.
Debut: vs Pakistan, Quetta, 1978.
Matches: 225
Runs: 3783
Avg: 23.79
S/R: 95.07
Wkts: 253
Avg: 27.45
Econ: 3.71
Legacy: I wish I'd seen more of Kapil Dev. He had a lovely, flowing side-on bowling action and could swing the ball prodigiously. Also developed his yorker over his career and that got him wickets at the death of the innings. With the bat he was very aggressive, full of shots, and liked to swing hard. His pull shot was particularly extravagant, using the Gordon Greenidge method of kicking his front leg when swivelling.
I know what you're thinking...Kapil Dev...#13?? His overall stats don't seem to merit a spot this high. But I was impressed by at least some of his stats: his performances at his peak, and by his scoring and economy rates.
First, his best career phase: Kapil Dev was red-hot in the mid 80s beginning with the 1983 World Cup. From May 1983 to Feb 1986 he put up excellent numbers :47 ODIs, 1000 runs @ 31.25, S/R: 98.91. 69 wickets @ 20.39, Econ: 3.51.
Second, his scoring and economy rates: His batting strike rate of 95.07 was the 3rd highest in ODI cricket history when he retired, behind Lance Cairns and Ian Smith, and neither of those had made even half the runs that Kapil Dev made over his career. Kapil Dev is also 3rd on the list of all-rounders with the biggest gap between scoring and economy rates, scoring almost 2 RPO faster than he conceded runs ie. his batting S/R of 95.07 = 5.70 RPO, minus his 3.71 Economy rate. Lance Cairns and Shahid Afridi are the 2 ahead of him for that stat, but both have less impressive career averages than Kapil Dev.
He also had good longevity, retiring as the leading wicket taker in ODI history - eventually overtaken by Wasim Akram.
Kapil was very important for Indian cricket's evolution: bowling fast when spin had been so dominant locally; and bowling aggressively, not just to contain. Of course his performances in the 1983 World Cup were noteworthy too, captaining the team to a surprise World Cup victory that changed both Indian and world cricket. He also took an excellent over the shoulder catch to dismiss Viv Richards in the final, a crucial moment.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 72 (38) & 2/33 (10) vs West Indies, Guyana, 1983. A "hurricane knock" by Kapil Dev, who lashed 7 4s and 3 6s in his 38 ball stay, elevating India to 5/282. At that time it was the highest score WI had ever conceded, despite their attack containing legends like Roberts, Holding and Marshall. WI could only make 255 in reply, Kapil getting Greendige early and returning for Roberts' wicket, bowling tidily throughout. This was an important win for India before the 1983 World Cup and gave them belief that WI were a beatable team.
2) 175* (138) & 1/32 (11) vs Zimbabwe, Tunbridge Wells, 1983. Touted as one of the most amazing ODI innings, Kapil came in at 4/9 and it was soon 5/17 on a lively wicket, but he countered attacked in the most brilliant fashion. Partners came and went and it was soon 7/78, but he controlled the strike and found an ally in keeper Syed Kirmani. They put on 126 for the 9th wicket, a record only passed a couple of years ago (Mathews/Malinga vs Aus). His century came from 100 balls exactly, before hitting out even more aggressively in the final 10 overs. India made 8/266, Zimbabwe all out for 235 in response. No TV cameras captured this innings as BBC was on strike!
3) 4/30 (9) & 23 (18) vs Australia, Melbourne, 1986. Was the most economical of the Indian bowlers and dismissed Border, Jones, Steve Waugh and McDermott as Australia made 235. Then joined Vengsarkar with 55 runs to go - they made 49 together in good time as India won with 7 balls to spare.
Highlights:
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Fenil
PC Cricket Leagues Legend
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
Whats Kapil doing at 13? I agree that he had scored 175 against Zimbabweans (the lone hundred of his career) when India needed the most and also captained India to its first world cup victory but man, even the likes Lance Klusener has better, much better stats than him. Kapil, I feel was far better in tests but as far as ODIs are concerned, he would find it hard even to break into the top 20 ODI cricketers of all time.
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StinkyBoHoon
National Board President
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Location
- Glasgow, Scotland
I'd gamble it will be two saffers up next.
StinkyBoHoon
National Board President
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Location
- Glasgow, Scotland
well, I'll wait and see and then we'll have a debate, but I think murali is a better bowler in ODIs than pollock and jayasuriya is more of a game changer than kallis. the sri lankans won a world cup and made the final in another.
Fenil
PC Cricket Leagues Legend
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
I rate Pollock very highly so would like to see MS Dhoni instead.
^You are in luck Fenil...
#12 - Glenn McGrath
Role: RH fast-medium opening bowler. RH #11 batsman.
Debut: vs South Africa, Melbourne, 1993.
Matches: 250
Wkts: 381
Avg: 22.02
Econ: 3.88
Legacy: Line and length was supposed to be McGrath's game, but it was what he did with that basic accuracy that set him apart. He didn't swing the ball much, but he could frequently nip the ball in or sometimes away off the seam, even in unhelpful conditions. His height and upright action also gave him a lot of bounce, keeping the batsmen on the back foot.
McGrath hated giving away runs, often seen muttering under his breath in frustration - 99% of the time he was annoyed at himself for any slight waywardness. Occasionally he muttered in the batsman's direction
The other relatively unique thing about McGrath was the way he talked himself up, often saying in interviews how he wanted to dismiss the opposition's top batsman or key opening batsmen cheaply. Most of the time it worked: Tendulkar, Jayasuriya, Kirsten and Gibbs all fell 7 times to McGrath in ODIs; Kallis and Trescothick 6 times each.
The other great attribute of McGrath was resilience. He played for 13 years and his bowling was even more effective the longer his career went. He wasn't as fast by then, but had more tricks including better accuracy at the death and a couple of different slower balls. His last captain was Ricky Ponting and it's under Ponting that McGrath had his best returns:
Under Ponting: 96 ODIs, 147 wickets @ 19.74, S/R: 31.7, Econ: 3.72
Also has an incredible World Cup record: winning 3 World Cups for starters, but taking 71 wickets in his 39 World Cup games - at 18.19 average.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 5/14 (8.5) vs West Indies, Manchester, 1999. This World Cup match ended up a farce when Australia batted slowly to exploit the net run-rate rules, but Australia's outstanding bowling was the best story. McGrath got the rewards, taking the first 3 wickets - including a gorgeous seaming ball to hit the top of Lara's off stump. He got the last 2 as well to finish off WI for 110, which Australia took 40.4 overs to achieve...
2) 4/8 (10) vs India, Sydney, 2000. McGrath bowled 4 maidens and picked up Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and finally Dighe as India got rissoled for 100. Was a truly brilliant display, not a loose ball to be found as McGrath joined an exclusive list of players who have bowled their full 10 overs (or 12) for less than 10 runs conceded.
3) 4/16 (9.4) vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2005. McGrath's opening spell was a typically mean 7-3-7-1. But his last 3 overs were just as important, as NZ closed in on Australia's 237. He had McMillan STUMPED brilliantly by Gilchrist, then took the big wicket of Marshall and the final one of Tuffey to finish the match in the penultimate over when NZ had needed only 13 from 12 to win.
Highlights:
#11 - Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Role: Wicketkeeper batsman. RH batsman, most often at #6.
Debut: vs Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2004.
Matches: 206
Runs: 6773
Avg: 51.70
S/R: 88.19
Catches: 193
Stumpings: 65
Legacy: Dhoni is "Captain Cool" - the calm, stable, almost robotic man who rarely shows emotions, either with bat in hand or on the field as captain. As a batsman his bottom hand technique is not orthodox, but very effective. At the end of an innings in particular, when bowlers are trying to spear in yorkers, Dhoni is someone who can hit those near yorkers for 6 by hanging back in his crease and scooping the ball powerfully - even if it is very full. But Dhoni isn't all power, having learned to work the ball into gaps when he can and running quickly between the wickets. With the gloves he has smoothed out his game after starting as a fairly rough edged keeper in 2005. Particularly against spin he keeps pretty well, where he must be the quickest stumper in the game.
Looking into his record, the amazing Dhoni stat that was mentioned last summer in Australia is that when India bat 2nd, Dhoni has never been not out in a loss. Given that he's been not out 32 times in the 2nd innings, it's a fair achievement. Or putting it another way, to defend your total you MUST get Dhoni out - if he's not out then India will most likely win. Other records held by Dhoni: he has the highest average among wicketkeepers in ODI history; he has the highest batting average of any Indian player as well; and he is also joint holder of the record for most wicket-keeping dismissals in an innings (6). Only Dhoni, Gilchrist and Sangakkara are in the 5000 runs and 250 dismissals club.
Dhoni's captaincy has had it's fair share of detractors recently, especially in Test cricket. His record however shows that he's India's most successful ODI leader: winning 61.84% of games is India's best captaincy phase in history and of course he lead them to victory in the 2011 World Cup.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 183* (145) vs Sri Lanka, Jaipur, 2005. SL made 299, a good looking score but Dhoni's batting soon made it look small. Sehwag's 39 was the next top score, as Dhoni (at #3) took it on himself to pulverise the SL attack. Victory was achieved with 23 balls to spare The 120 runs in boundaries (15 x 4s, 10 x 6s) was a record at the time. It's still the highest score by a wicket-keeper.
2) 139* (97) & 3 stumpings for Asia XI vs Africa XI, Chennai, 2007. Dhoni and Jayawardene put on 218 in 30 overs after coming together with Asia in trouble at 5/72. They started relatively slowly to make sure there were no more wickets, Dhoni's 50 coming off 56 balls. From there the brutality switch was turned on as his last 89 came from just 39 balls. It remains the highest 6th wicket partnership in history, and Dhoni's 139 is the best ever score by a #7 in ODIs. As Africa tried to reach 332, Dhoni effected 3 stumpings: 2 from Harbhajan, 1 from Rafique.
3) 91* (79) vs Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2011. World Cup final of course. Dhoni caught Sangakkara and ran out Kulasekara in the 1st innings, before coming out at #5 to join Gambhir in the chase of 275. Who better than Captain Cool to steer a chase in the World Cup final? At the time the answer was not so obvious as Dhoni hadn't made many runs in the tournament - but in this game he was brilliant. He worked the ball early to get himself in and started hitting boundaries at the end as Gambhir tired and was ultimately dismissed. Finished the game with a big 6 and India had won the World Cup with 10 balls to spare.
Highlights:
#12 - Glenn McGrath
Role: RH fast-medium opening bowler. RH #11 batsman.
Debut: vs South Africa, Melbourne, 1993.
Matches: 250
Wkts: 381
Avg: 22.02
Econ: 3.88
Legacy: Line and length was supposed to be McGrath's game, but it was what he did with that basic accuracy that set him apart. He didn't swing the ball much, but he could frequently nip the ball in or sometimes away off the seam, even in unhelpful conditions. His height and upright action also gave him a lot of bounce, keeping the batsmen on the back foot.
McGrath hated giving away runs, often seen muttering under his breath in frustration - 99% of the time he was annoyed at himself for any slight waywardness. Occasionally he muttered in the batsman's direction
The other relatively unique thing about McGrath was the way he talked himself up, often saying in interviews how he wanted to dismiss the opposition's top batsman or key opening batsmen cheaply. Most of the time it worked: Tendulkar, Jayasuriya, Kirsten and Gibbs all fell 7 times to McGrath in ODIs; Kallis and Trescothick 6 times each.The other great attribute of McGrath was resilience. He played for 13 years and his bowling was even more effective the longer his career went. He wasn't as fast by then, but had more tricks including better accuracy at the death and a couple of different slower balls. His last captain was Ricky Ponting and it's under Ponting that McGrath had his best returns:
Under Ponting: 96 ODIs, 147 wickets @ 19.74, S/R: 31.7, Econ: 3.72
Also has an incredible World Cup record: winning 3 World Cups for starters, but taking 71 wickets in his 39 World Cup games - at 18.19 average.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 5/14 (8.5) vs West Indies, Manchester, 1999. This World Cup match ended up a farce when Australia batted slowly to exploit the net run-rate rules, but Australia's outstanding bowling was the best story. McGrath got the rewards, taking the first 3 wickets - including a gorgeous seaming ball to hit the top of Lara's off stump. He got the last 2 as well to finish off WI for 110, which Australia took 40.4 overs to achieve...
2) 4/8 (10) vs India, Sydney, 2000. McGrath bowled 4 maidens and picked up Tendulkar, Ganguly, Laxman and finally Dighe as India got rissoled for 100. Was a truly brilliant display, not a loose ball to be found as McGrath joined an exclusive list of players who have bowled their full 10 overs (or 12) for less than 10 runs conceded.
3) 4/16 (9.4) vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2005. McGrath's opening spell was a typically mean 7-3-7-1. But his last 3 overs were just as important, as NZ closed in on Australia's 237. He had McMillan STUMPED brilliantly by Gilchrist, then took the big wicket of Marshall and the final one of Tuffey to finish the match in the penultimate over when NZ had needed only 13 from 12 to win.
Highlights:
#11 - Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Role: Wicketkeeper batsman. RH batsman, most often at #6.
Debut: vs Bangladesh, Chittagong, 2004.
Matches: 206
Runs: 6773
Avg: 51.70
S/R: 88.19
Catches: 193
Stumpings: 65
Legacy: Dhoni is "Captain Cool" - the calm, stable, almost robotic man who rarely shows emotions, either with bat in hand or on the field as captain. As a batsman his bottom hand technique is not orthodox, but very effective. At the end of an innings in particular, when bowlers are trying to spear in yorkers, Dhoni is someone who can hit those near yorkers for 6 by hanging back in his crease and scooping the ball powerfully - even if it is very full. But Dhoni isn't all power, having learned to work the ball into gaps when he can and running quickly between the wickets. With the gloves he has smoothed out his game after starting as a fairly rough edged keeper in 2005. Particularly against spin he keeps pretty well, where he must be the quickest stumper in the game.
Looking into his record, the amazing Dhoni stat that was mentioned last summer in Australia is that when India bat 2nd, Dhoni has never been not out in a loss. Given that he's been not out 32 times in the 2nd innings, it's a fair achievement. Or putting it another way, to defend your total you MUST get Dhoni out - if he's not out then India will most likely win. Other records held by Dhoni: he has the highest average among wicketkeepers in ODI history; he has the highest batting average of any Indian player as well; and he is also joint holder of the record for most wicket-keeping dismissals in an innings (6). Only Dhoni, Gilchrist and Sangakkara are in the 5000 runs and 250 dismissals club.
Dhoni's captaincy has had it's fair share of detractors recently, especially in Test cricket. His record however shows that he's India's most successful ODI leader: winning 61.84% of games is India's best captaincy phase in history and of course he lead them to victory in the 2011 World Cup.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 183* (145) vs Sri Lanka, Jaipur, 2005. SL made 299, a good looking score but Dhoni's batting soon made it look small. Sehwag's 39 was the next top score, as Dhoni (at #3) took it on himself to pulverise the SL attack. Victory was achieved with 23 balls to spare The 120 runs in boundaries (15 x 4s, 10 x 6s) was a record at the time. It's still the highest score by a wicket-keeper.
2) 139* (97) & 3 stumpings for Asia XI vs Africa XI, Chennai, 2007. Dhoni and Jayawardene put on 218 in 30 overs after coming together with Asia in trouble at 5/72. They started relatively slowly to make sure there were no more wickets, Dhoni's 50 coming off 56 balls. From there the brutality switch was turned on as his last 89 came from just 39 balls. It remains the highest 6th wicket partnership in history, and Dhoni's 139 is the best ever score by a #7 in ODIs. As Africa tried to reach 332, Dhoni effected 3 stumpings: 2 from Harbhajan, 1 from Rafique.
3) 91* (79) vs Sri Lanka, Mumbai, 2011. World Cup final of course. Dhoni caught Sangakkara and ran out Kulasekara in the 1st innings, before coming out at #5 to join Gambhir in the chase of 275. Who better than Captain Cool to steer a chase in the World Cup final? At the time the answer was not so obvious as Dhoni hadn't made many runs in the tournament - but in this game he was brilliant. He worked the ball early to get himself in and started hitting boundaries at the end as Gambhir tired and was ultimately dismissed. Finished the game with a big 6 and India had won the World Cup with 10 balls to spare.
Highlights:
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StinkyBoHoon
National Board President
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Location
- Glasgow, Scotland
I'm not sure I really agree that kallis and pollock are two top ten of all time players. this means that from 1996-2008 south africa had two players in their team at the same time that apparently would have played in an all time XI and yet won very little of note.
fantastic records but kallis has hit 1 ton in a world cup match and it was against the netherlands and pollock only took more than 2 wickets in a match on a single occassion and his average baloons. their under performance is a big reason south africa were labled chokers.
Personally, I think to be of that quality you need to perform on the big stage. mcgrath has a world cup man of the series award and dhoni has a man of the match award in a winning final. both better players imo.
(this was always when it was going to get contentious but honestly man, cannot begin to praise you enough for the work you've put into this sifter. fantastic.)
fantastic records but kallis has hit 1 ton in a world cup match and it was against the netherlands and pollock only took more than 2 wickets in a match on a single occassion and his average baloons. their under performance is a big reason south africa were labled chokers.
Personally, I think to be of that quality you need to perform on the big stage. mcgrath has a world cup man of the series award and dhoni has a man of the match award in a winning final. both better players imo.
(this was always when it was going to get contentious
but honestly man, cannot begin to praise you enough for the work you've put into this sifter. fantastic.)
StinkyBoHoon
National Board President
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Location
- Glasgow, Scotland
has kohli just bounced up another place or two? boringly tearing up another match. more hundreds than tendulkar made before he was 24, took about 60 less matches as well.
wouldn't bet against him adding to it before the end of this series.
wouldn't bet against him adding to it before the end of this series.
nelson111
School Cricketer
"I'm not sure I really agree that kallis and pollock are two top ten of all time players. this means that from 1996-2008 south africa had two players in their team at the same time that apparently would have played in an all time XI and yet won very little of note."
It's true, South Africa have never won the World Cup (what else of note is there to win?), but since re-admission SA has won 64.73% of their games, only topped by Asia XI (whoever they are). South Africa have consistently been in the top three in the ICC rankings - I can't remember when they weren't there - when other teams have come and gone. Kallis and Pollock definitely deserve to be there, and I could throw quite a few more SA names into the pot.
It's true, South Africa have never won the World Cup (what else of note is there to win?), but since re-admission SA has won 64.73% of their games, only topped by Asia XI (whoever they are). South Africa have consistently been in the top three in the ICC rankings - I can't remember when they weren't there - when other teams have come and gone. Kallis and Pollock definitely deserve to be there, and I could throw quite a few more SA names into the pot.
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I got enticed by his scoring rate I'll admit. When people were posting their all-time XIs in the other thread, I thought of Kapil Dev and to me he was very close to being my #7 in an all-time XI. If you've got a good top 6, Kapil Dev is a fantastic guy to come in and play a demoralising cameo. And you know he can bowl 10 quality overs. Imran could play the big hitting innings sometimes, but he was generally more a stabilising batsman - Kapil attacked all the time. Klusener could play that attacking/finishing innings too, but Kapil still has a better strike rate than Klusener, yet played 15 years earlier! All that said...yeah I think Kapil's too high here
I just had him high in my own list because he was close to my all-time XI.Which raises the other issue you were talking about stinky
I don't think Kallis makes my all-time XI just because he plays the same role that I prefer Jayasuriya for eg. batting all-rounder. But then that's why Kallis made my top 10 players - because he could bowl. If Kallis didn't bowl he might be around 20-30. So it's tough to say he wouldn't be in an all-time XI therefore he shouldn't be a top 10 player. And it makes it incredibly difficult to judge how high players should go based on 2 disciplines. It's a little bit the same for Wasim Akram vs Shaun Pollock - both fill that bowling all-rounder role very well. But you probably only want one in your all-time XI. Makes for fun arguments
(this was always when it was going to get contentious
Yeah for the first 80 guys it was fun finding new things and performances of note, and the rankings weren't so important - unless they were way off... But now, these are players everyone knows and has a high opinion of. Even one spot off and there will be scrutiny! And now we can start finding holes in players records instead of talking up their strengths - because they are all very strong, except for factor X or reason Y. Anyway, thanks for the support
It started as a way to get me posting more - now it's the only thing I do in my spare time 
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Yeah good points. Raises the question doesn't it: how much value to put on 'big match' performances? Some guys only played a handful of World Cup games others get to play a lot in the modern day. Other games are important without being in a World Cup eg. Jacques Kallis coming up has 2 of his best games from the first ever Champions Trophy in 1998 - the only thing SA has ever won
#10 - Jacques Kallis
Role: All-rounder. RH top order batsman, mostly at #3 or #4. RH fast-medium change bowler.
Debut: vs England, Cape Town, 1996.
Matches: 321
Runs: 11498
Avg: 45.26
S/R: 72.97
Wkts: 270
Avg: 31.69
Econ: 4.82
Legacy: I enjoy watching Jacques Kallis bat. Sure he plods along a bit sometimes, but the correct way that he plays appeals to me. Uses his height well, whether it's getting over a drive or on top of a back foot forcing shot. His bowling is easy to underappreciate too as he ambles to the crease - often 4th in line for the ball behind more fancied seam bowlers. But he hits the wicket and the bat hard and always seems to find a bit of outswing. After all a career strike rate of 39.3 with the ball is better than some more fancied bowlers eg. Imran Khan, Kapil Dev or Curtley Ambrose.
Much like Glenn McGrath's bowling at #12, Kallis' batting has become even better with age. Since Graeme Smith took over as captain, Kallis went into his very best batting phase:
Under Smith: 112 ODIs, 4330 runs @ 50.94, S/R: 75.89, 8 100s
The same cannot quite be said of his bowling though, his average under Smith is 35.22 versus averages of 30.67 under Cronje and 30.13 under Pollock.
Has twice achived '250 runs and 10 wickets in a series/tournament', joining Andrew Symonds and Viv Richards as the only ones to do it twice. Is also one of only 3 players to have over 5000 runs and over 200 wickets: others being Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya, and of those only Kallis has a batting average higher than his bowling average.
Certainly one of cricket's most underappreciated players, as a quick youtube or internet search proves he isn't one of the modern favourites - despite Kallis' amazingly productive record. I guess he's just not a very magnetic or charismatic figure. He's had some hair treatment, that's interesting - worked for Shane Warne...He's dated some magnificent models, Ms South Africa Cindy Nell being one, and he's with another lovely lady currently - again like Warne...I think we need a campaign to give Jacques some love.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 113* (100) vs Sri Lanka, Dhaka, 1998. Semi-final of he first Champions Trophy and the match was reduced to 39 overs. Kallis was the only SA batsman to really get going scoring most of the runs while he was at the wicket. SA made 240 before SL had a similar problem, no one could get going and they were bowled out for 132. Cullinan's 30 was the next highest score in the match to illustrate how much better Kallis was than anyone else.
2) 5/30 (7.3) & 37 (51) vs West Indies, Dhaka, 1998. Only 2 days later and Kallis was at it again in the Champions Trophy final , this time exhibiting his bowling prowess. Hooper, Arthurton, Simmons, Lewis and King all fell to Kallis, collapsing WI from 3/180 to 245 all out. Kallis then helped put on 58 with Rindel in the chase before falling midway through. Cronje eventually top scored and guided SA to the target with 3 overs left.
3) 139 (142) vs West Indies, Johannesburg, 2004. Kallis' top score in ODIs, achieved in a successful chase of 305. Kallis had done really well, pacing his innings well and forging good parterships with Smith, Dippenaar and Rudolph but almost messed it up with 9 needed of 12. He played 3 dot balls and then was caught. Luckily Shaun Pollock hit a couple of boundaries in the last over to ensure SA were victorious.
Highlights: Not much of Kallis batting in ODIs or much of him bowling at all on youtube...seems everyone hates him! So there's a Test 200 and some brief bowling from the IPL...I think we've all seen Kallis bowl
Role: All-rounder. RH top order batsman, mostly at #3 or #4. RH fast-medium change bowler.
Debut: vs England, Cape Town, 1996.
Matches: 321
Runs: 11498
Avg: 45.26
S/R: 72.97
Wkts: 270
Avg: 31.69
Econ: 4.82
Legacy: I enjoy watching Jacques Kallis bat. Sure he plods along a bit sometimes, but the correct way that he plays appeals to me. Uses his height well, whether it's getting over a drive or on top of a back foot forcing shot. His bowling is easy to underappreciate too as he ambles to the crease - often 4th in line for the ball behind more fancied seam bowlers. But he hits the wicket and the bat hard and always seems to find a bit of outswing. After all a career strike rate of 39.3 with the ball is better than some more fancied bowlers eg. Imran Khan, Kapil Dev or Curtley Ambrose.
Much like Glenn McGrath's bowling at #12, Kallis' batting has become even better with age. Since Graeme Smith took over as captain, Kallis went into his very best batting phase:
Under Smith: 112 ODIs, 4330 runs @ 50.94, S/R: 75.89, 8 100s
The same cannot quite be said of his bowling though, his average under Smith is 35.22 versus averages of 30.67 under Cronje and 30.13 under Pollock.
Has twice achived '250 runs and 10 wickets in a series/tournament', joining Andrew Symonds and Viv Richards as the only ones to do it twice. Is also one of only 3 players to have over 5000 runs and over 200 wickets: others being Shahid Afridi and Sanath Jayasuriya, and of those only Kallis has a batting average higher than his bowling average.
Certainly one of cricket's most underappreciated players, as a quick youtube or internet search proves he isn't one of the modern favourites - despite Kallis' amazingly productive record. I guess he's just not a very magnetic or charismatic figure. He's had some hair treatment, that's interesting - worked for Shane Warne...He's dated some magnificent models, Ms South Africa Cindy Nell being one, and he's with another lovely lady currently - again like Warne...I think we need a campaign to give Jacques some love.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 113* (100) vs Sri Lanka, Dhaka, 1998. Semi-final of he first Champions Trophy and the match was reduced to 39 overs. Kallis was the only SA batsman to really get going scoring most of the runs while he was at the wicket. SA made 240 before SL had a similar problem, no one could get going and they were bowled out for 132. Cullinan's 30 was the next highest score in the match to illustrate how much better Kallis was than anyone else.
2) 5/30 (7.3) & 37 (51) vs West Indies, Dhaka, 1998. Only 2 days later and Kallis was at it again in the Champions Trophy final , this time exhibiting his bowling prowess. Hooper, Arthurton, Simmons, Lewis and King all fell to Kallis, collapsing WI from 3/180 to 245 all out. Kallis then helped put on 58 with Rindel in the chase before falling midway through. Cronje eventually top scored and guided SA to the target with 3 overs left.
3) 139 (142) vs West Indies, Johannesburg, 2004. Kallis' top score in ODIs, achieved in a successful chase of 305. Kallis had done really well, pacing his innings well and forging good parterships with Smith, Dippenaar and Rudolph but almost messed it up with 9 needed of 12. He played 3 dot balls and then was caught. Luckily Shaun Pollock hit a couple of boundaries in the last over to ensure SA were victorious.
Highlights: Not much of Kallis batting in ODIs or much of him bowling at all on youtube...seems everyone hates him! So there's a Test 200 and some brief bowling from the IPL...I think we've all seen Kallis bowl
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#9 - Muttiah Muralitharan
Role: RH off-spin bowler. RH tail end batsman, usually #10 or #11.
Debut: vs India, Colombo, 1993.
Matches: 350
Wkts: 534
Avg: 23.08
Econ: 3.93
Legacy: Whether you approve of his action or not, there is no question that Murali was a remarkable bowler. He really fizzed the ball with his strong and flexible wrists doing most of the work, getting more turn than any off-spinner I remember. Murali was also very accurate, able to plug away on a tantalising line and length for over upon over. He mastered the doosra as well, giving him an extra wicket-taking threat and putting doubt into the batsman's mind about which way the ball was turning and which ball they could attack.
Murali's best run was at the turn of the century, with 5 straight calendar years where he averaged 20 or lower. Would be hard to find a more productive 5 year haul for a spinner than this one:
1999/00-2004/05: 118 ODIs, 206 wickets @ 17.40, Econ: 3.35, S/R: 31.0
No one has taken more ODI wickets than Murali, having passed Wasim Akram's tally in 2009. Renowned for being a home pitch bully in Test cricket, but the theory doesn't stand up in ODIs. At home his average is 24.62, away it is 24.71 and in neutral venues it's 20.80 - having played at least 100 ODIs in all 3 settings.
Never much of a batsman, but he was one of my favourite guys to watch bat. Always full of shots, and none of them very orthodox He won one match against Bangladesh with a late cameo of 30-odd.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 5/34 (10) vs England, Lord's, 1998. This was the final of the 3 team tournament. Murali came to the home of cricket and put on a show of what a real attacking off-spinner can do in ODI cricket, flighting and spinning the ball brilliantly. He took out 5 of England's top 6 in a high class display. England made 256, SL overhauled it with 5 wickets and 17 balls remaining. Murali Man of the Match despite Atapattu's 132*.
2) 7/30 (10) vs India, Sharjah, 2000. 294 was a good score by SL, but at 2/94 in the 18th over India were in the game - until Murali came on. He broke the Robin Singh/Tendulkar partnership, getting them both. From there India had no shot, eventually all out for 226. At the time, Murali's figures were the best in history.
3) 5/9 (10) vs New Zealand, Sharjah, 2002. Murali completely dazzled the Kiwi batsmen, Wisden says that "they might as well have been playing with sticks of rhubarb". He broke the Nevin/Fleming partnership and proceeded to humiliate the batsmen, wizzing balls past their groping bats. Everyone else conceded at least 3 RPO, most at least 5 - Murali was on another planet. But in the end it wasn't a match winning spell. NZ struggled to 218 and SL were all out 11 runs short.
Highlights:
#8 - Brian Lara
Role: LH top order batsman: has batted all positions in the top 5, most frequently #3 or #4.
Debut: vs Pakistan, Karachi, 1990.
Matches: 299
Runs: 10405
Avg: 40.48
S/R: 79.51
Legacy: A batting genius. Lara's extravagant backlift and loose wrists spawned plenty of lavish shotmaking, and when he was on song it was extremely difficult to contain him. His eye was so good and he could flay bowlers to any part of the ground he chose. Very accomplished against spin: Murali rated Lara as the best opponent he ever bowled to, and Shane Warne was on the receiving end of a Lara barrage quite a few times (his 90 vs Australia at Perth, 96/97 immediately comes to mind).
In the mid 90s there was none better than Lara and the numbers bear it out:
1992/93-1997/98: 103 ODIs, 4564 runs @ 50.15, S/R: 80.97, 12 100s
He began that period opening the innings alongside Desmond Haynes after Gordon Greenidge's retirement, but by the mid 90s he was the permanent #3. The streak was broken in 1998 by his elevation to the captaincy, something that had a negative effect on his batting - particularly earlier in his time as captain. Lara averaged 35.81 as captain over his career, against 43.66 without the leadership role. Knowing that, it's no surprise that his batting had a renassaince around 2000-2003 when he gave the captaincy away to Jimmy Adams and then Carl Hooper.
Took 120 catches over his career too, always doing pretty well in the slips for the West Indies.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 153 (143) vs Pakistan, Sharjah, 1993. Pakistan made a challenging 285 in the final of the Sharjah tournament. Opening the innings, Lara shared fast partnerships with Simmons and Arthurton, making the score look small. Lara was eventually was out 12 runs short of the target in the 42 over, showing how quickly the scoring rate had been. WI won by 6 wickets in the end. This innings equalled the record for most 4s in an innings: 21 (now the record is 25 by Tendulkar and Sehwag).
2) 169 (129) vs Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 1995. Lara was going so well that he was eyeing off 200, before coming unstuck a few overs before the end. Coming in at #3, he easily outscored hid partners, his 169 came out of 276 total runs made while he was at the wicket. WI made 333 and SL were only 4 runs short in the end, thanks to Tillakartne's 100.
3) 117 (62) & 2/12 (2.1) vs Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1999. This was Lara with his foot firmly to the floor. Yes it was only against Bangladesh, but no one else has hit a faster 100 against them and it's still the equal 3rd fastest in history. 50 came in 26 balls, only 19 more were needed to reach his 100 from 45 balls. Lara was opening that day and was out for 117 in only the 20th over! He even got a couple of wickets to finish off the Bangladesh innings, bowled out for 205, well short of the 315 needed to win.
Highlights:
Role: RH off-spin bowler. RH tail end batsman, usually #10 or #11.
Debut: vs India, Colombo, 1993.
Matches: 350
Wkts: 534
Avg: 23.08
Econ: 3.93
Legacy: Whether you approve of his action or not, there is no question that Murali was a remarkable bowler. He really fizzed the ball with his strong and flexible wrists doing most of the work, getting more turn than any off-spinner I remember. Murali was also very accurate, able to plug away on a tantalising line and length for over upon over. He mastered the doosra as well, giving him an extra wicket-taking threat and putting doubt into the batsman's mind about which way the ball was turning and which ball they could attack.
Murali's best run was at the turn of the century, with 5 straight calendar years where he averaged 20 or lower. Would be hard to find a more productive 5 year haul for a spinner than this one:
1999/00-2004/05: 118 ODIs, 206 wickets @ 17.40, Econ: 3.35, S/R: 31.0
No one has taken more ODI wickets than Murali, having passed Wasim Akram's tally in 2009. Renowned for being a home pitch bully in Test cricket, but the theory doesn't stand up in ODIs. At home his average is 24.62, away it is 24.71 and in neutral venues it's 20.80 - having played at least 100 ODIs in all 3 settings.
Never much of a batsman, but he was one of my favourite guys to watch bat. Always full of shots, and none of them very orthodox
He won one match against Bangladesh with a late cameo of 30-odd.Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 5/34 (10) vs England, Lord's, 1998. This was the final of the 3 team tournament. Murali came to the home of cricket and put on a show of what a real attacking off-spinner can do in ODI cricket, flighting and spinning the ball brilliantly. He took out 5 of England's top 6 in a high class display. England made 256, SL overhauled it with 5 wickets and 17 balls remaining. Murali Man of the Match despite Atapattu's 132*.
2) 7/30 (10) vs India, Sharjah, 2000. 294 was a good score by SL, but at 2/94 in the 18th over India were in the game - until Murali came on. He broke the Robin Singh/Tendulkar partnership, getting them both. From there India had no shot, eventually all out for 226. At the time, Murali's figures were the best in history.
3) 5/9 (10) vs New Zealand, Sharjah, 2002. Murali completely dazzled the Kiwi batsmen, Wisden says that "they might as well have been playing with sticks of rhubarb". He broke the Nevin/Fleming partnership and proceeded to humiliate the batsmen, wizzing balls past their groping bats. Everyone else conceded at least 3 RPO, most at least 5 - Murali was on another planet. But in the end it wasn't a match winning spell. NZ struggled to 218 and SL were all out 11 runs short.
Highlights:
#8 - Brian Lara
Role: LH top order batsman: has batted all positions in the top 5, most frequently #3 or #4.
Debut: vs Pakistan, Karachi, 1990.
Matches: 299
Runs: 10405
Avg: 40.48
S/R: 79.51
Legacy: A batting genius. Lara's extravagant backlift and loose wrists spawned plenty of lavish shotmaking, and when he was on song it was extremely difficult to contain him. His eye was so good and he could flay bowlers to any part of the ground he chose. Very accomplished against spin: Murali rated Lara as the best opponent he ever bowled to, and Shane Warne was on the receiving end of a Lara barrage quite a few times (his 90 vs Australia at Perth, 96/97 immediately comes to mind).
In the mid 90s there was none better than Lara and the numbers bear it out:
1992/93-1997/98: 103 ODIs, 4564 runs @ 50.15, S/R: 80.97, 12 100s
He began that period opening the innings alongside Desmond Haynes after Gordon Greenidge's retirement, but by the mid 90s he was the permanent #3. The streak was broken in 1998 by his elevation to the captaincy, something that had a negative effect on his batting - particularly earlier in his time as captain. Lara averaged 35.81 as captain over his career, against 43.66 without the leadership role. Knowing that, it's no surprise that his batting had a renassaince around 2000-2003 when he gave the captaincy away to Jimmy Adams and then Carl Hooper.
Took 120 catches over his career too, always doing pretty well in the slips for the West Indies.
Three of the best (matches in chronological order):
1) 153 (143) vs Pakistan, Sharjah, 1993. Pakistan made a challenging 285 in the final of the Sharjah tournament. Opening the innings, Lara shared fast partnerships with Simmons and Arthurton, making the score look small. Lara was eventually was out 12 runs short of the target in the 42 over, showing how quickly the scoring rate had been. WI won by 6 wickets in the end. This innings equalled the record for most 4s in an innings: 21 (now the record is 25 by Tendulkar and Sehwag).
2) 169 (129) vs Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 1995. Lara was going so well that he was eyeing off 200, before coming unstuck a few overs before the end. Coming in at #3, he easily outscored hid partners, his 169 came out of 276 total runs made while he was at the wicket. WI made 333 and SL were only 4 runs short in the end, thanks to Tillakartne's 100.
3) 117 (62) & 2/12 (2.1) vs Bangladesh, Dhaka, 1999. This was Lara with his foot firmly to the floor. Yes it was only against Bangladesh, but no one else has hit a faster 100 against them and it's still the equal 3rd fastest in history. 50 came in 26 balls, only 19 more were needed to reach his 100 from 45 balls. Lara was opening that day and was out for 117 in only the 20th over! He even got a couple of wickets to finish off the Bangladesh innings, bowled out for 205, well short of the 315 needed to win.
Highlights:
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