smash84
The Tiger King
Number 03 Imran Khan
Highest Ranking 1
Total Points 962
Number of Votes Received 54/57
Rank in 1st Edition 7
What they said of him
“Imran Khan running in to bowl is a sight for gods” (Sunil Gavaskar, arguably the finest opening batsman of all time comments on Imran)
“If you have to have an All Time XI of the greatest players you need to have Imran in there, he probably should be captain of the All Time XI, Bradman might be annoyed but I think on merit it probably should be Imran” (Tim de Lisle, Editor of Wisden)
“Imran Khan in particular was a very mentally strong man and a great leader. When Imran Khan took 10 others out with him onto the field, the 10 others that went with him believed in him, believed in the team that he was leading, and believed that Pakistan could achieve anything” (Michael Holding, former WI great on Imran Khan)
Imran Khan
Many are conceived great but it can also be achieved by not necessarily being yourself as at conception, by changing, evolving, renovating. The broad outline is that he went from being a good player to the finest one his country produced, and arguably the finest bowling allrounder cricket has seen. Underpinning this was his real genius: an unbending commitment and a pig-headed focus, a blind devotion, really, to any given single cause - to better himself, to better his side, to better his country, to better the world. As the sport burst out of urban Pakistan, pouring out a hurl of talent, he remained at the centre, driving his side forth and, by default, shaping the game as it grew. If that sounds too much, just imagine cricket's landscape in Pakistan without him. Might not hockey be the national sport in name and spirit? For sure the country would have been one of spinners and medium-pacers, no Wasim, Waqar, Zahid, Shoaib, Aqib, and Amir in sight. There probably wouldn't be the modern attacking mores of their play, the gung-ho shot-making, the wicket-taking lengths and stump-hitting lines that were Imran commandments, developed as an antidote to the ennui he felt was drowning him on the English county circuit. The art of reverse swing that he perfected with Sarfaraz would bring a new weapon into the armory of fast bowlers. That for the last 10 years of his career, across 50 matches, he averaged 19 with the ball and 52 with the bat almost go unnoticed because of the leadership that he provided. Series wins in India, England, Sri Lanka, and almost beating the WI in WI were some of his achievements. On his day he could run through batting line ups or with his batting hold up one end to stop the slide of wickets. That he handpicked players like Anwar, Inzamam, Wasim, Waqar, Aqib, and groomed them is a testament to his eye for talent. Arguably the most glamorous cricketer ever to grace the field of cricket, the tiger king, takes his place at number 3 on CW’s top 50 cricketers of all time.
Highest Ranking 1
Total Points 962
Number of Votes Received 54/57
Rank in 1st Edition 7
What they said of him
“Imran Khan running in to bowl is a sight for gods” (Sunil Gavaskar, arguably the finest opening batsman of all time comments on Imran)
“If you have to have an All Time XI of the greatest players you need to have Imran in there, he probably should be captain of the All Time XI, Bradman might be annoyed but I think on merit it probably should be Imran” (Tim de Lisle, Editor of Wisden)
“Imran Khan in particular was a very mentally strong man and a great leader. When Imran Khan took 10 others out with him onto the field, the 10 others that went with him believed in him, believed in the team that he was leading, and believed that Pakistan could achieve anything” (Michael Holding, former WI great on Imran Khan)
Imran Khan
Many are conceived great but it can also be achieved by not necessarily being yourself as at conception, by changing, evolving, renovating. The broad outline is that he went from being a good player to the finest one his country produced, and arguably the finest bowling allrounder cricket has seen. Underpinning this was his real genius: an unbending commitment and a pig-headed focus, a blind devotion, really, to any given single cause - to better himself, to better his side, to better his country, to better the world. As the sport burst out of urban Pakistan, pouring out a hurl of talent, he remained at the centre, driving his side forth and, by default, shaping the game as it grew. If that sounds too much, just imagine cricket's landscape in Pakistan without him. Might not hockey be the national sport in name and spirit? For sure the country would have been one of spinners and medium-pacers, no Wasim, Waqar, Zahid, Shoaib, Aqib, and Amir in sight. There probably wouldn't be the modern attacking mores of their play, the gung-ho shot-making, the wicket-taking lengths and stump-hitting lines that were Imran commandments, developed as an antidote to the ennui he felt was drowning him on the English county circuit. The art of reverse swing that he perfected with Sarfaraz would bring a new weapon into the armory of fast bowlers. That for the last 10 years of his career, across 50 matches, he averaged 19 with the ball and 52 with the bat almost go unnoticed because of the leadership that he provided. Series wins in India, England, Sri Lanka, and almost beating the WI in WI were some of his achievements. On his day he could run through batting line ups or with his batting hold up one end to stop the slide of wickets. That he handpicked players like Anwar, Inzamam, Wasim, Waqar, Aqib, and groomed them is a testament to his eye for talent. Arguably the most glamorous cricketer ever to grace the field of cricket, the tiger king, takes his place at number 3 on CW’s top 50 cricketers of all time.
Had him at 3. I consider him to be the 2nd most complete cricketer ever behind Sobers. He would make my all time XI as a bowler alone. His batting, competitiveness, and leadership just adds to the value. His influence on a generation of Pakistani players that he inspired can't be understated. What a champ!
