CW's 50 Best ODI Cricketers of all time - The Countdown (2017 Version)

[honestbharani]

Got owned in the 96 final though.

Negative impact still = impact. I meant to say his performances pretty much seemed to decide the game. And he did have dew to contend with in the 96 final, not that it is a big excuse. If anything, Warne was one player who always seemed to do better as the occasion got bigger. So most people will rate him higher than what his numbers suggest, rightly or wrongly depending on where you fall on the debate.

 

[vcs]

Ranatunga and De Silva played him beautifully in that '96 final.

He was epic against the WI in the semi.

 

[honestbharani]

I think Gurusingha played him awesomely well too. I remember he along with Sidhu being one of those cant explain why they play him so easily type batsmen against Warney.

 

[Red]

Kapil > Flintoff

(in terms of playing role in ODI)

 

[NUFAN]

Speaking of the 96 Final I had forgotten that Warms was used as a pinch hitter batting ahead of pure batsman Law and Bevan.

I know my Warne comment was negative for a top 20 player, the guy was always so enjoyable to watch.

 

[ankitj]

Do wish I'd been able to see Saqlain at the peak of his powers

He was an extra ordinarily gifted player is all I can tell you. His confidence bowling at death was amazing for a spinner. For me, he completes the trio of special spin bowlers of his time.

 

[vic_orthdox]

He was the first off-spinner I remember ever watching where batsmen were just stuck to the crease. It was like watching Narine in a T20 game for the first time, but with a traditional off-spinner's action.

 

[NUFAN]

18 Brian Lara
Total Points: 159
Highest Pick: 1st
2011 Ranking: 12th

Brian Lara at the crease was always such a nice sight (for viewers, not bowlers). With his bat raised high in the air, the weight poised on a bent front knee, the eyes low and level. Then the willow would fall, sending the ball flashing to the boundary. Brian Lara scored over 10,000 ODI runs at an average of 40.48 and a SR of 79.51. Lara's individual performance was always extremely influential on the teams result. In 139 matches won Lara averaged an amazing 61.82 (SR 86.32), in 144 losses he averaged only 25.40 (SR 70.40).

Main Memory: I loved his hundred at the SCG. He ended up scoring 116* (106) in a D/L loss against Australia. No one else reached 30. Also Lara's footwork against spinners, particularly getting out of the crease against the spinners, he just hit the ball so cleanly.


17 Curtly Ambrose
Total Points: 162
Highest Pick: 2nd
2011 Ranking: 23rd

A giant of the game in every sense, Curtly Ambrose was the most lethal pace bowler of his generation. Ambrose didn't say much, refusing countless interview requests with the motto "Curtly talk to no man". Yet his silence seemed only to magnify his achievements - taking 225 wickets at 24.12 and an economy rate of just 3.48.

Main Memory: My favourite non-Aussie bowler ever. So ****ing cool.

 

[NUFAN]

The top 50 so far:
50 Greg Chappell
49 Javed Miandad
48 Aravinda de Silva
47 Andy Roberts
46 Chris Gayle
45 Jonty Rhodes
44 Ian Harvey
43 Gordon Greenidge
42 Shane Bond
41 Jacques Kallis
40 Saeed Anwar
39 Hashim Amla
38 Brett Lee
37 Kumar Sangakkara
36 Dennis Lillee
35 Nathan Bracken
34 Mark Waugh
33 Malcolm Marshall
32 Michael Holding
31 Zaheer Abbas
30 Andrew Symonds
29 Shane Watson
28 Imran Khan
27 Allan Donald
26 Waqar Younis
25 Mitchell Starc
24 Michael Hussey
23 Dean Jones
22 Richard Hadlee
21 Andrew Flintoff
20 Saqlain Mushtaq
19 Shane Warne
18 Brian Lara
17 Curtly Ambrose

 

[jimmy101]

Oh yes. Two West Indian Gods.

 

[Red]

My first, second and third ODI XIs (selected as teams to actually play a game) would be:

Gilchrist +
Tendulkar
Richards
Kohli
DeVilliers
Symonds 6
Kapil 4
Wasim 3
Garner 2
Murali 5
McGrath 1

Jayasuriya 6
Amla
Ponting
Lara
Dhoni +
Hussey
Flintoff 5
Lee 3
Qadir 4
Donald 1
Waqar 2

Waugh
Watson 6
Sangakkara +
Jones
Pietersen
Kallis 6
Klusener 4
Warne 5
Hadlee 2
Lillee 4
Ambrose 1


Interested to see how they will match up with the finalised XIs in here.

 

[NUFAN]

16 Lance Klusener
Total Points: 171
Highest Pick: 9th
2011 Ranking: 19th

Contrary to his reputation as an unrefined slogger, Klusener was one of the most skillful players in the game - which made him one of the most adaptable. His baseball-style backlift and thunderous hitting symbolised the tournament and his heroics nearly took South Africa to the final. Zulu averaged an impressive 41.10 in 137 bats and his strike rate was 89.91. He also took 192 wickets at a fraction under 30.
Klusener was a colossus in World Cups, where he averaged an astonishing 124 with the bat (8 not outs in 11 innings) at a strike rate of 121.17 and he took 22 wickets at 22.13.

Main Memory: His brutal batting at the 1999 World Cup and of course the final over (which included 2 brilliant shots for 4) that Fleming bowled.


15 Kapil Dev
Total Points: 176
Highest Pick: 4th
2011 Ranking: 13th

Kapil Dev was the greatest pace bowler India has produced, and their greatest fast-bowling allrounder. His most impressive feats were to lead India almost jauntily, and by his all-round example and to the victorious 1983 World Cup. Kapil took 253 ODI wickets at 27.45 and his economy rate was 3.71. His batting strike rate of 95.07 was incredible in the era he played in. It is still the all time 8th highest strike rate for any batsman who has played 100 innings.

Main Memory: I've never watched it, but his 175 not out vs Zimbabwe must have been one helluva knock.

 

[cnerd123]

Excellent! I was hoping Dev would get recognised. So glad he did.

 

[vcs]

No footage of that 175* exists, except for one or two privately recorded videos I think. BBC were on strike that day.

 

[harsh.ag]

Klusener and Kapil such fantastic players to have in an ODI XI. Absolute champs. Klusener probably had more off days with the ball, but he had a much better head for pacing his innings than Kapil did.

 

[ankitj]

Fairly certain these 15 will make it to top 16: Ponting, Jayasuriya, Klusener, Pollock, Gilchrist, De villiers, Kohli, Dhoni, Bevan, Garner, Akram, Murali, McGrath, Tendulkar, Richards.

Who gets 16th spot? Kapil, Ganguly?

 

[ankitj]

Wait, too late. Kapil is the 16th then.

 

[Victor Ian]

Imran Looks like he is taking a Selfie - Just missing a phone.

 

[ankitj]

Some cool Kapil Dev footage. What a champ. Among the 4 famed all-rounders of 80s he was next only to Botham in natural batting ability.

https://youtu.be/UvyMO6qIoXQ
https://youtu.be/ItC_fubzf_Y

 

[OverratedSanity]

Klusener fulfilled the batting potential that Kapil showed in ODIs imo. Just as destructive with more consistency. Not anywhere near as good as Kapil with the ball though, obviously. I had both of them in the top 12-13 I think.