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

[NUFAN]

I don't get the need for squads? When in doubt, pick the player rated highest.

 

[jimmy101]

I guess squads help because of the varying roles within a cricket team.

 

[bagapath]

The second XI has too many bowling options. drop one of the pacers and strengthen your batting

 

[NUFAN]

12 Ricky Ponting
Total Points: 343
Highest Pick: 3rd
2011 Ranking: 10th

A colossus of one-day cricket, Ricky Ponting emerged as a pint-sized Tasmanian with a ruthless streak that defined every facet of his game. With an incomparable pull shot the pick of a bagful of strokes, the belligerent right-hander was the driving force behind Australia's dominance in ODI cricket from the beginning of the 21st century. In the field, his catching was phenomenal, but it was his penchant for direct-hit run-outs that set a new benchmark. As captain, he entered uncharted waters, taking his team to consecutive World Cup titles in 2003 and 2007 without dropping a single match. Punter hit 30 centuries at an average of 42 and SR of 80.

Main Memory: His 140* in the 2003 World Cup Final. Especially his partnership with Martyn, it was absolute brilliant batsmanship, complete carnage where the side he led was at its peak.



11 Virat Kohli
Total Points: 355
Highest Pick: 3rd
2011 Ranking: New Entry

Virat Kohli's technique is flawless. His mindset is unforgiving. His numbers are mind-boggling. Kohli has 28 ODI centuries in 181 at an amazing average of 54.68 and strike rate of 91.06. In run chases, Kohli is phenominal. In matches India have won chasing, Kohli has scored almost 4000 runs from 63 innings at an average of 97.97 and an equally superb 97.97 strike rate.

Main Memory: As I highlighted above, the ease that Kohli goes about chasing a difficult target is incredible. I also think Jono's Kohli gloryhole pic deserves a mention here.

 

[harsh.ag]

Huge correction in Ponting's rating

Yeah, Kohli has leapfrogged him. Nice one by CW there.

 

[NUFAN]

Huge correction in Ponting's rating

Sorry, that was just me editing poorly, I've fixed it up.

 

[vcs]

Kohli's moment should be Hobart 2012.

WAG

 

[jaideep]

Ponting's total points 343 is the same as his total points in the 2011 edition.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Nice touch with the almost two identical pull shots

 

[NUFAN]

I normally try and get an action shot with my image but typically just type in something like *players name ODI* into Google. With Kohli so many of his photos are just of him raising his bat after another one day ton (or him pulling a weird face in the field).

 

[ankitj]

So 9 out of my top 10 ODI players will also be CW's top 10. I had Kohli in my top 10 (who is CW's 11th) but didn't have Gilchrist. Good hit rate

 

[srbhkshk]

So 9 out of my top 10 ODI players will also be CW's top 10. I had Kohli in my top 10 (who is CW's 11th) but didn't have Gilchrist. Good hit rate

Only Tendulkar and Viv are distinctly ahead of Kohli, the rest of the Batsman in top 11 are interchangeable.

 

[harsh.ag]

Seriously who thinks Gilly is a better ODI bat than Kohli? Or does his keeping tilt things for some people?

 

[srbhkshk]

Seriously who thinks Gilly is a better ODI bat than Kohli? Or does his keeping tilt things for some people?

It's probably Keeping + World cup knocks, Kohli is superior otherwise.

 

[honestbharani]

It's probably Keeping + World cup knocks, Kohli is superior otherwise.

Its just keeping AFAIC. And some strategic voting. I am amazed no one had Kohli as #1 when its obvious others have gone out of their way to ensure their favorites get a high rating by placing them #1 often. If Nuffers does the remove the best and worst thingy, we might get a better idea.

 

[Kirkut]

Ponting! What a player! He used to be the batsman I feared the most as a fan and simultaneously slightly jealous because he looked like breaking Sachin's test records at one time. Gilchrist being a predominantly attacking batsman bats only at one gear, hence the bowlers have better chance of getting him out, but that's not the case with Ponting, he can shift gears from being defensive to very attacking and hit massive sixes.

My favourite Ponting knock was his 111* vs England in 2009 CT. His offside strokeplay was a sight for gods in that knock.

 

[Red]

Seriously who thinks Gilly is a better ODI bat than Kohli? Or does his keeping tilt things for some people?

The player comes as a whole package and the flexibility that Gilly and Dhoni bought to their teams by being keepers who could bat top 6 was enormous. For mine those two are the best all-rounders in ODIs.

 

[Bijed]

I love how Kohli's average in successful chases is identical to his strike rate

 

[CricAddict]

Updated XIs. First 3 XIs still lack a wicketkeeper.

4th XI: 1. Chris Gayle 2. Gordon Greenidge 3. Kumar Sangakkara+ (c) 4. Javed Miandad 5. Aravinda de Sliva 6. Jonty Rhodes 7. Ian Harvey 8. Brett Lee 9. Dennis Lillee 10. Shane Bond 11. Andy Roberts 12th man Greg Chappell

3rd XI: 1. Saeed Anwar 2. Hashim Amla 3. Zaheer Abbas 4. Mark Waugh 5. Andrew Symonds 6. Shane Watson 7. Imran Khan (c) 8. [wicketkeeper] 9. Malcolm Marshall 10. Michael Holding 11. Nathan Bracken 12th man Jacques Kallis

2nd XI: 1. Sanath Jayasuriya 2. [wicketkeeper] 3.Dean Jones (c) 4. Brian Lara 5. Mike Hussey 6. Andrew Flintoff 7. Richard Hadlee 8. Shane Warne 9.Mitchell Starc 10. Waqar Younis 11. Allan Donald 12th man: Saqlain Mushtaq

1st XI: 3.Ricky Ponting 4. Virat Kohli 7.Lance Klusenar 8. Kapil Dev 9. Shaun Pollock 11. Curtly Ambrose

 

[CricAddict]

The second XI has too many bowling options. drop one of the pacers and strengthen your batting

The XIs are just based on the CW rankings. At the end of the exercise, we can re-evaluate and move people between the squads for balance if required.