TumTum
Banned
As if he wouldn't make it to the top 50.
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CW's 50 Best ODI Cricketers of all time - The Countdown
- Thread starter NUFAN
- Start date
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
Do you really think that with 30 people nominating, Ponting got under 25 points?
Noble One
International Vice-Captain
Warne rated so highly is hardly a shock though. Some of the greatest moments in ODI history are attributable to Warne. As time moves on it's the great performances that are remembered, not the bowler who averages 20 in tri-series # 57 in Sharjah.
morgieb
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No.
Surprised he'd make the top 10 though. He was a good player, yes. However, people would think there's better.
morgieb
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He had a lot of influence on the game, but there were better pinch-hitters out there. Top 15 is fair enough imo.
Guessing the top 10 will be....Bevan, Richards, Tendulkar, Garner, Wasim, Pollock, Gilchrist, McGrath, Ponting and Murali.
slugger
State Vice-Captain
heres something to think about. you selected 25 of you best ODI players, but how many of that 25 you selected are in the collective top 25. thus far I've got 3. Im sure Ill get the next 10 (maybe) hehe
but that means currently my selection is 12% correct to everybody else
if i get the remaining 10 I'll finsh with a 48%
hows everyone else going.
but that means currently my selection is 12% correct to everybody else
if i get the remaining 10 I'll finsh with a 48%
hows everyone else going.
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ankitj
Hall of Fame Member
12 of mine in top 25 so far. Expect another 9. Rest 4 were between 26-50.
Ikki
Hall of Fame Member
Not high enough IMO.
Wow! I didn't realize Mark Waugh had come up already. It's a joke that he got 36.
I'll probably get knocked for this, but in my opinion Mark Waugh was better than Adam Gilchrist in ODI's. This is another example of 'you had to see them play to really understand how good they were.'
Mark Waugh in 1995/96 in ODI's was phenomenal. He had one of the best batting peaks I've ever seen. I'd rank Tendulkar against Australia in 1998 as the best batting peak I've seen, but Mark Waugh was incredible during that period of time.
The five best Australian ODI batsman I've seen are: Michael Bevan, Ricky Ponting, Dean Jones, Adam Gilchrist, and Mark Waugh.
If people want to say Gilchrist is better, that's fine, it's certainly close in my mind. But he's certainly on the same level as Adam Gilchrist for mine.
I remember there was a period in Australian cricket when you could predict whether Australia would win depending on whether Waugh opened the batting well.
A forgotten underrated great ODI player.
As far as Warne goes... he polarizes people. 14 is a good place for him.
I'll probably get knocked for this, but in my opinion Mark Waugh was better than Adam Gilchrist in ODI's. This is another example of 'you had to see them play to really understand how good they were.'
Mark Waugh in 1995/96 in ODI's was phenomenal. He had one of the best batting peaks I've ever seen. I'd rank Tendulkar against Australia in 1998 as the best batting peak I've seen, but Mark Waugh was incredible during that period of time.
The five best Australian ODI batsman I've seen are: Michael Bevan, Ricky Ponting, Dean Jones, Adam Gilchrist, and Mark Waugh.
If people want to say Gilchrist is better, that's fine, it's certainly close in my mind. But he's certainly on the same level as Adam Gilchrist for mine.
I remember there was a period in Australian cricket when you could predict whether Australia would win depending on whether Waugh opened the batting well.
A forgotten underrated great ODI player.
As far as Warne goes... he polarizes people. 14 is a good place for him.
Burgey
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If Ricky Ponting isn't in the list of the top 50 ODI players of all time, CW has lost it's collective mind.
Given that:
a. He has not yet been listed; and
b. CW probably hasn't yet lost it's mind;
I'd say it will be there.
Why Tendulkar and Akram.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
The number of ODI centuries he's scored were phenomenal. His performances in the 2003 World Cup went for granted since Australia won every game they played, but he was Man of the Tournament by far. But the best you'll ever see Tendulkar was in 1998, when he was the best player in the world. Imagine Warne's single-handed heroics in the 2005 Ashes, Tendulkar did the equivelant in ODI's where he single-handedly got India over 300 in a few games, against a very good Aussie side. No doubt in my mind, he's the best.
I'm not a man who likes stats, but no player has Sachin's stats, and I'll make an exception here.
2. Wasim Akram
Watch his first two wickets in the 1992 World Cup final. They were unplayable. To me they were the fast bowling equivalent of the Gatting Ball. Wasim Akram was the best death bowler I've ever seen. It wasn't uncommon for him to keep sides to less than 40 runs off the last 10 overs if you had Akram bowling half the time. Something about his quick arm action made his deliveries hard to pick.
Stephen Fleming has said it, he's the best fast bowler he ever faced. He got 500 wickets so fast. And while Murali overtook him, Akram is just a level above Murali in ODI's. Mark Taylor once said you need four overs to get used to Akram, but in ODI's it's no use. After four overs he's gone. And then he'll come back with amazing swing.
To me he has everything some players who will make the top 10 don't have...
Some players didn't perform on the big stage. Akram made hugely important runs in the 1992 World Cup final, and then backed it up with two amazing deliveries. Poor Alan Lamb! Imran was the leader of that side, but Akram was the star of that game.
Akram was the first ODI player to take 500 wickets, so he had the longevity. But he did it faster than anybody I've seen. He did it against everybody. Australians feared him.
The best left-arm bowler in cricket history. The best death bowler in history. Maybe the best swing bowler in history. He ticks every box.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
The number of ODI centuries he's scored were phenomenal. His performances in the 2003 World Cup went for granted since Australia won every game they played, but he was Man of the Tournament by far. But the best you'll ever see Tendulkar was in 1998, when he was the best player in the world. Imagine Warne's single-handed heroics in the 2005 Ashes, Tendulkar did the equivelant in ODI's where he single-handedly got India over 300 in a few games, against a very good Aussie side. No doubt in my mind, he's the best.
I'm not a man who likes stats, but no player has Sachin's stats, and I'll make an exception here.
2. Wasim Akram
Watch his first two wickets in the 1992 World Cup final. They were unplayable. To me they were the fast bowling equivalent of the Gatting Ball. Wasim Akram was the best death bowler I've ever seen. It wasn't uncommon for him to keep sides to less than 40 runs off the last 10 overs if you had Akram bowling half the time. Something about his quick arm action made his deliveries hard to pick.
Stephen Fleming has said it, he's the best fast bowler he ever faced. He got 500 wickets so fast. And while Murali overtook him, Akram is just a level above Murali in ODI's. Mark Taylor once said you need four overs to get used to Akram, but in ODI's it's no use. After four overs he's gone. And then he'll come back with amazing swing.
To me he has everything some players who will make the top 10 don't have...
Some players didn't perform on the big stage. Akram made hugely important runs in the 1992 World Cup final, and then backed it up with two amazing deliveries. Poor Alan Lamb! Imran was the leader of that side, but Akram was the star of that game.
Akram was the first ODI player to take 500 wickets, so he had the longevity. But he did it faster than anybody I've seen. He did it against everybody. Australians feared him.
The best left-arm bowler in cricket history. The best death bowler in history. Maybe the best swing bowler in history. He ticks every box.
I don't think I would have put Warne in my top 10, but he'd have been very close.
It's baffling and incredible to me that people don't think he was that great in ODI cricket. He was very good on a regular basis. He had a form slump around 1998 when injuries took their toll. I remember around 2000 his form was bad and Stuart MacGill was being considered to be in the Test side. Warne made the test side based on some awesome ODI performances.
Warne won many, many, MOTM awards. And if you're someone who cares about stats (I'M NOT), there's nothing about Murali's stats in ODI's that show he had anything over Warne. Please don't tell me he Warne went for three more runs per game. Three runs is a fast outfield, three runs is a good batting pitch. Don't tell me his average shows he's better. There's two runs between their averages. And how many times have I seen sides just block Murali out of the game, knowing they had it won against Sri Lanka. And there's one ball between their strike rates, this not forgetting all the games Murali played against Bangladesh etc.
I say this as a bloke who'd pick Murali over Warne in an ODI side.
I don't want to turn this into a Warne v Murali debate. But why people are so abhorrent to Warne being ranked 14 I don't know. Warne was really great in ODI's, often on a regular basis, and certainly in big games. He's one of the greats of ODI cricket.
It's baffling and incredible to me that people don't think he was that great in ODI cricket. He was very good on a regular basis. He had a form slump around 1998 when injuries took their toll. I remember around 2000 his form was bad and Stuart MacGill was being considered to be in the Test side. Warne made the test side based on some awesome ODI performances.
Warne won many, many, MOTM awards. And if you're someone who cares about stats (I'M NOT), there's nothing about Murali's stats in ODI's that show he had anything over Warne. Please don't tell me he Warne went for three more runs per game. Three runs is a fast outfield, three runs is a good batting pitch. Don't tell me his average shows he's better. There's two runs between their averages. And how many times have I seen sides just block Murali out of the game, knowing they had it won against Sri Lanka. And there's one ball between their strike rates, this not forgetting all the games Murali played against Bangladesh etc.
I say this as a bloke who'd pick Murali over Warne in an ODI side.
I don't want to turn this into a Warne v Murali debate. But why people are so abhorrent to Warne being ranked 14 I don't know. Warne was really great in ODI's, often on a regular basis, and certainly in big games. He's one of the greats of ODI cricket.
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
I'm tempted to use this in my write up when/if (lol) they make the top 50..
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
I don't think that many people are that disturbed with Warne's ranking. For the record I had him in 14th place so I think CW is right on the money with this one!
The Sean
Cricketer Of The Year
+1
Cevno
Hall of Fame Member
http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/49430-best-odi-spinner-murli-vs-warne-vs-saqlain-3.html
Looking at this thread,it's strange how Warne got rated so ahead of Saqlain here.
Maybe people forgot him or voted baed on test memories?
Looking at this thread,it's strange how Warne got rated so ahead of Saqlain here.
Maybe people forgot him or voted baed on test memories?
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
Apologies for the somewhat poor bio on the played who finished in 9th.
The 50 best ODI Cricketers so far
50 Chris Harris
49 Chris Gayle
48 Jonty Rhodes
47 Neil Fairbrother
46 AB de Villiers
45 Michael Holding
44 Shane Watson
43 Allan Border
42 Chris Cairns
41 Martin Crowe
40 Malcolm Marshall
39 Nathan Bracken
38 Gordon Greenidge
37 Greg Chappell
36 Mark Waugh
35 Saeed Anwar
34 Desmond Haynes
33 Shane Bond
32 Inzamam-Ul-Haq
31 Aravinda de Silva
30 Brett Lee
29 Sourav Ganguly
28 Michael Hussey
27 Allan Donald
26 Javed Miandad
25 Andrew Symonds
24 MS Dhoni
23 Curtly Ambrose
22 Zaheer Abbas
21 Saqlain Mushtaq
20 Richard Hadlee
19 Lance Klusener
18 Dean Jones
17 Imran Khan
16 Waqar Younis
15 Jacques Kallis
14 Shane Warne
13 Kapil Dev
12 Brian Lara
11 Sanath Jayasuriya
Numbers 10 to 6..
10 RICKY PONTING
Ricky Ponting | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 343
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 5
It takes an extremely critical eye to diminish Ricky Ponting's run-scoring achievements, which seem to collect new records in every series.
He plays all the shots with a full flourish of the bat - the cover drive and the pull are particularly productive methods - and knows only to attack. His breathtaking, dead-eye fielding is a force in the game by itself. Only Sachin Tendulkar has more centuries in ODIs than Ponting.
Ponting has won 3 World Cups in his career and he has played in the last 4 finals. As captain, his record is unbelievable, having won all 22 World Cup matches to date.
9 SHAUN POLLOCK
Shaun Pollock | South Africa Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 433
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 2
Shaun Pollock main weapons were his unwavering accuracy and his ability to make the ball swing both ways. Known more as a bowling all rounder, his batting was not to be taken lightly, as he averaged over 26 and had a strike rate of over 86.
Pollock took 393 ODI wickets and conceded just 3.67 runs per over throughout his career.
His fielding, both in the outfield and occasionally in the slip region, made him all the more potent.
8 MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN
Muttiah Muralitharan | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 458
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 2
Perhaps no cricketer since Douglas Jardine has polarised opinion quite like Muttiah Muralitharan. For the believers, he's among the greatest to ever spin a ball. For the doubters, he's a charlatan undeserving of the game's greatest records. What was undeniable was his ability to turn the ball sharply on just about any surface,
Part of the World Cup-winning side in 1996, he was instrumental in the run to the final 11 years later, and he played his part in some of the country's greatest sporting moments.
Muralitharan has take 4 or more wickets on 24 occasions and has taken over 500 wickets..
The wonderful thing, though, is that despite his huge success he remains so humble and down to earth.
7 JOEL GARNER
Joel Garner | West Indies Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 463
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 1
Batsmen would say that the overriding feeling when first confronted by the Big Bird was that he would trample on them such was the foreshortening effect of his 6ft 8 inches. Delivered from the clouds it seemed, and at a lively pace that when the mood took could be cranked up to the brisk side of rapid, the ball would rear alarmingly from barely short of a length.
in one-day cricket, particularly in the overs at the end of an innings, when the unhittable yorker speared in relentlessly, he was priceless. At Lord's in 1979 he simply blew England's slim hopes away with 5 for 38, the best figures ever in a World Cup final.
Garner finished his career with a bowling average of 18.84 and economy rate of 3.09, a phenomenal bowler.
6 MICHAEL BEVAN
Michael Bevan | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 496
Total Nominations 28/30
Highest Rating 1
Regularly dubbed the world's best limited-overs batsman, Michael Bevan continued his prolific ways when his international career closed at the end of the 2003-04 season. An essential part of the one-day outfit for a decade, especially when orchestrating calm chases in crises that often ended in last-over or last-ball heroics, he was cut from the contract list with two World Cup wins and kitbags full of highlights.
He will long be remembered for his pair of sensational innings against West Indies at Sydney in 1996 and New Zealand at Melbourne in 2002, when nerveless batting and juggling of the tail secured nail-biting victories. Picking the gaps, running hard and knowing the right moment - and place - to hit a boundary were the hallmarks of his success.
He was also a fine fieldsman and his left-arm wrist spin, which swung from erratic to more than useful, added to his lure.
The 50 best ODI Cricketers so far
50 Chris Harris
49 Chris Gayle
48 Jonty Rhodes
47 Neil Fairbrother
46 AB de Villiers
45 Michael Holding
44 Shane Watson
43 Allan Border
42 Chris Cairns
41 Martin Crowe
40 Malcolm Marshall
39 Nathan Bracken
38 Gordon Greenidge
37 Greg Chappell
36 Mark Waugh
35 Saeed Anwar
34 Desmond Haynes
33 Shane Bond
32 Inzamam-Ul-Haq
31 Aravinda de Silva
30 Brett Lee
29 Sourav Ganguly
28 Michael Hussey
27 Allan Donald
26 Javed Miandad
25 Andrew Symonds
24 MS Dhoni
23 Curtly Ambrose
22 Zaheer Abbas
21 Saqlain Mushtaq
20 Richard Hadlee
19 Lance Klusener
18 Dean Jones
17 Imran Khan
16 Waqar Younis
15 Jacques Kallis
14 Shane Warne
13 Kapil Dev
12 Brian Lara
11 Sanath Jayasuriya
Numbers 10 to 6..
10 RICKY PONTING
Ricky Ponting | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 343
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 5
It takes an extremely critical eye to diminish Ricky Ponting's run-scoring achievements, which seem to collect new records in every series.
He plays all the shots with a full flourish of the bat - the cover drive and the pull are particularly productive methods - and knows only to attack. His breathtaking, dead-eye fielding is a force in the game by itself. Only Sachin Tendulkar has more centuries in ODIs than Ponting.
Ponting has won 3 World Cups in his career and he has played in the last 4 finals. As captain, his record is unbelievable, having won all 22 World Cup matches to date.
9 SHAUN POLLOCK
Shaun Pollock | South Africa Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 433
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 2
Shaun Pollock main weapons were his unwavering accuracy and his ability to make the ball swing both ways. Known more as a bowling all rounder, his batting was not to be taken lightly, as he averaged over 26 and had a strike rate of over 86.
Pollock took 393 ODI wickets and conceded just 3.67 runs per over throughout his career.
His fielding, both in the outfield and occasionally in the slip region, made him all the more potent.
8 MUTTIAH MURALITHARAN
Muttiah Muralitharan | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 458
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 2
Perhaps no cricketer since Douglas Jardine has polarised opinion quite like Muttiah Muralitharan. For the believers, he's among the greatest to ever spin a ball. For the doubters, he's a charlatan undeserving of the game's greatest records. What was undeniable was his ability to turn the ball sharply on just about any surface,
Part of the World Cup-winning side in 1996, he was instrumental in the run to the final 11 years later, and he played his part in some of the country's greatest sporting moments.
Muralitharan has take 4 or more wickets on 24 occasions and has taken over 500 wickets..
The wonderful thing, though, is that despite his huge success he remains so humble and down to earth.
7 JOEL GARNER
Joel Garner | West Indies Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 463
Total Nominations 25/30
Highest Rating 1
Batsmen would say that the overriding feeling when first confronted by the Big Bird was that he would trample on them such was the foreshortening effect of his 6ft 8 inches. Delivered from the clouds it seemed, and at a lively pace that when the mood took could be cranked up to the brisk side of rapid, the ball would rear alarmingly from barely short of a length.
in one-day cricket, particularly in the overs at the end of an innings, when the unhittable yorker speared in relentlessly, he was priceless. At Lord's in 1979 he simply blew England's slim hopes away with 5 for 38, the best figures ever in a World Cup final.
Garner finished his career with a bowling average of 18.84 and economy rate of 3.09, a phenomenal bowler.
6 MICHAEL BEVAN
Michael Bevan | Australia Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Total Points 496
Total Nominations 28/30
Highest Rating 1
Regularly dubbed the world's best limited-overs batsman, Michael Bevan continued his prolific ways when his international career closed at the end of the 2003-04 season. An essential part of the one-day outfit for a decade, especially when orchestrating calm chases in crises that often ended in last-over or last-ball heroics, he was cut from the contract list with two World Cup wins and kitbags full of highlights.
He will long be remembered for his pair of sensational innings against West Indies at Sydney in 1996 and New Zealand at Melbourne in 2002, when nerveless batting and juggling of the tail secured nail-biting victories. Picking the gaps, running hard and knowing the right moment - and place - to hit a boundary were the hallmarks of his success.
He was also a fine fieldsman and his left-arm wrist spin, which swung from erratic to more than useful, added to his lure.
Burgey
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Or maybe his batting and fielding and captaincy (on occasions) also put him ahead. Maybe people voted for Saqlain in the "anyone but Warne" thread because they have romantic memories of him being the first to bowl arguably the worst innovation of the past 20 years of cricket, AKA the doosra.
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