50 CHRIS HARRIS
Chris Harris | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 25
Nominated by 2/30
A cult hero in New Zealand cricket and, for a time, one of the most effective allround limited-overs cricketers in the international game, Chris Harris will be remembered as much for his versatile accumulation with the bat as for his nagging slow-medium wobblers. Harris's ability to score all around the wicket, pick the gaps and hit boundaries at just the right time turned him into New Zealand's answer to Michael Bevan, and his 62 not-outs in one-day cricket testify to his ability to close out an innings. His bowling was ideally suited to the shorter game - a gentle medium-pace that forces the batsman to do all the work allied to subtle changes in pace and the ability to cut the ball either way off the wicket. Harris was also a very safe fielder, particularly within the inner circle and in the covers.
49 CHRIS GAYLE
Chris Gayle | West Indies Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 25
Nominated by 3/30
A thrusting Jamaican left-hander, He is one of only five players in One Day International history to have three or more scores of 150. Gayle also bowls brisk non-turning offspin, with which he has turned himself into a genuine one-day allrounder. Maturing quickly, he has become a consistently prolific scorer in the ODIs.
He is of strapping frame with a bleach-white smile that belies a tendency to flay opposition bowling to all parts of the ground. Moreover, his lusty hitting through point, coupled with a Jamaican swagger unseen since Michael Holding, make him a fierce proposition in the modern game and a real crowd pleasure.
48 JONTY RHODES
Jonty Rhodes | South Africa Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 26
Nominated by 4/30
The Jonty Rhodes legend may have begun with the diving run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq during the 1992 World Cup but it would never have grown as it did without genuine substance. Rhodes worked harder than anyone else in a team of hard workers, frequently delaying the team bus at the end of practice for one more round of reflex catches hit from ten metres or less. Nobody has ever fielded better in the key one-day position of backward point, where he leapt like a salmon, threw off balance, and stopped singles by reputation alone.
Few batsmen have turned the quick single into a finer art form, and his willingness to experiment and adapt enabled him to lead the way with the reverse-sweep under Bob Woolmer's tutelage.
47 NEIL FAIRBROTHER
Neil Fairbrother | England Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 28
Nominated by 2/30
Fairbrother carved out a career for himself as England's leading one-day batsman in the middle order for much of the 1990s, picking the gaps with scientific precision, dabbing the ball behind square, occasionally hitting over the top on the leg side - and running like hell. He was a livewire in the field patrolling the cover region with great expertise.
The highlights of Fairbrother's international career were his appearances in three World Cups. He has been the architect of several one-day triumphs at Lancashire and for England.
46 AB DE VILLIERS
AB de Villiers | South Africa Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 30
Nominated by 2/30
A batsman of breathtaking chutzpah and enterprise, as well as the skills and the temperament required to back up his creative intent. He is a fielder able to leap tall buildings and still come up with the catch. A wicketkeeper who is perfectly at ease donning pads and gloves, Cricket should be pleased to have him.
AB de Villiers blasted the seventh fastest century in ODI cricket, in 58 balls, when he slammed an unbeaten 102 off just 59 balls against India in Ahmedabad in February 2010. De Villiers is currently ranked the second best batsman in the world in the ICC rankings.
45 MICHAEL HOLDING
Michael Holding | West Indies Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 30
Nominated by 3/30
It began intimidatingly far away. He turned, and began the most elegant long-striding run of them all, feet kissing the turf silently, his head turning gently and ever so slightly from side to side, rhythmically, like that of a cobra hypnotising its prey. Good batsmen tended not to watch him all the way lest they became mesmerised. To the umpires he was malevolent stealth personified so they christened him Whispering Death. No-one in the game has bowled faster.
In 102 ODI’s Holding took 142 wickets at the superb economy rate of just 3.32 runs per over.
44 SHANE WATSON
Shane Watson | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 31
Nominated by 4/30
At the crease he is an aggressive brute with a broad chest, a right-handed disciple of Matthew Hayden, and someone who often doesn't need to follow-through to gain a boundary. However, his drives and pulls are delivered in a much smoother style than his former Queensland team-mate and his technique is worth copying.
As a bowler Watson is willing and speedy, he picks up handy wickets and delivers useful overs. After years of doubt he has developed into a very modern, complete and enviable package.
43 ALLAN BORDER
Allan Border | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 32
Nominated by 3/30
Border was an artful one-day player with a deadly arm from short midwicket. Border took over the captaincy in the dark age of Australia Cricket. He applied himself to the task as proudly as to his batting and was rewarded with the World Cup win in 1987, Australia’s first.
In ODI’s Border averaged over 30 with the bat and under 30 with the ball, add in the captaincy and direct hits and you can see why AB was rated so highly.
42 CHRIS CAIRNS
Chris Cairns | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 32
Nominated by 5/30
One of the more colourful characters to come from New Zealand, he was one of the finest all rounders in the world taking over 200 wickets and making almost 5000 runs in his 215 matches.
Cairns was a lusty hitter who turned matches in the blink of an eye just like his father Lance did. On January 22, 2006, Cairns announced his retirement from ODIs in a tear-filled press conference.
41 MARTIN CROWE
Martin Crowe | New Zealand Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 38
Nominated by 4/30
Crowe was a classical batsman with a wide range of shots and seemingly all the time in the world to play them. In 21 World Cup matches he averaged a superb 55, which included a fine 100* against Australia at the 1992 World Cup.
With Richard Hadlee, Crowe was at the heart of a New Zealand side which enjoyed considerable success in the 1980s. He captained New Zealand in the early 1990s, and during this period he brought many innovations, such as opening with spin bowlers and utilising pinch hitting batsmen.
This means there are atleast 9 guys from my list who won't be making the top 25, and it surprises me.
