The ten best all-rounder ever in your opinion.
1. Sir Garfield Sobers
2. Imran Khan
3. Ian Botham
4. Keith Miller
5. Sir Richard Hadlee
6. Wasim Akram
7. Kapil Dev
8. Mike Proctor
9. Ritchie Benaud
10. Tony Greig
A few guys there like Akram, Benaud and Hadlee and who you might not consider all-rounders, which is fair enough. They're like diamonds, true all rounders. It's like taking 12 men on to the field. And there are so few of them. I think it's like spin bowlers. Warne reminded us of the value of having a good spin bowler. I think Freddie has reminded us all of the value of a good all-rounder. Problem is... there's so few of them. From what I've seen, Shane Watson is a total waste of time.
Anyway the top 2 are a mortal lock for me. Easy picks. I picked Botham because of his sudden impact on games and it's often said he was much greater than his stats indicated. It's a shame people like Jack Hobbs and Keith Miller didn't try their best all the time. Miller could have gone on to be as great at Imran Khan I believe, but he was there for fun and was just as likely to get stumped charging down the pitch trying to hit a six. Hadlee I don't rate as highly as others and I think stats influence people too much when he's talked about. One of the greatest though. Comparing Hadlee to Botham is like comparing Warne to Flintoff in the Ashes. Warne made handy runs and got many more wickets and is clearly the better bowler. But Flintoff was more likely to impact the game in both way in more effective ways... and like Botham, did them in all the right places. Be it bowling Australia out on day 4 of the fifth tests. Making an extra 50 runs with Simon Jones at Edgbaston... he was just the man for the hour. I love Akram to no ends and if you consider him an all-rounder, he's in there. Dev may be overrated or underrated... I haven't decided. Getting that many sub-continent wickets as a seamer is impressive. Tough to guage Proctor since he was there in SA's finest period... but his all-round contributions are clear. Benaud I had no idea was that great until I read some stuff on him recently... not just cricket's greatest commentator. And who doesn't love Tony Greig - England's greatest sledger. Saying the West Indies would grovell, or mocking Hookes at back pad, or roughing up Dennis Lillee by signalling four everytime he hit a four off Lillee... great character. Just as great when he riles Bill Lawry up. His century against Australia in the 74/75 Ashes is just hilarious to see how mad he made the bowlers. Great character.
1. Sir Garfield Sobers
2. Imran Khan
3. Ian Botham
4. Keith Miller
5. Sir Richard Hadlee
6. Wasim Akram
7. Kapil Dev
8. Mike Proctor
9. Ritchie Benaud
10. Tony Greig
A few guys there like Akram, Benaud and Hadlee and who you might not consider all-rounders, which is fair enough. They're like diamonds, true all rounders. It's like taking 12 men on to the field. And there are so few of them. I think it's like spin bowlers. Warne reminded us of the value of having a good spin bowler. I think Freddie has reminded us all of the value of a good all-rounder. Problem is... there's so few of them. From what I've seen, Shane Watson is a total waste of time.
Anyway the top 2 are a mortal lock for me. Easy picks. I picked Botham because of his sudden impact on games and it's often said he was much greater than his stats indicated. It's a shame people like Jack Hobbs and Keith Miller didn't try their best all the time. Miller could have gone on to be as great at Imran Khan I believe, but he was there for fun and was just as likely to get stumped charging down the pitch trying to hit a six. Hadlee I don't rate as highly as others and I think stats influence people too much when he's talked about. One of the greatest though. Comparing Hadlee to Botham is like comparing Warne to Flintoff in the Ashes. Warne made handy runs and got many more wickets and is clearly the better bowler. But Flintoff was more likely to impact the game in both way in more effective ways... and like Botham, did them in all the right places. Be it bowling Australia out on day 4 of the fifth tests. Making an extra 50 runs with Simon Jones at Edgbaston... he was just the man for the hour. I love Akram to no ends and if you consider him an all-rounder, he's in there. Dev may be overrated or underrated... I haven't decided. Getting that many sub-continent wickets as a seamer is impressive. Tough to guage Proctor since he was there in SA's finest period... but his all-round contributions are clear. Benaud I had no idea was that great until I read some stuff on him recently... not just cricket's greatest commentator. And who doesn't love Tony Greig - England's greatest sledger. Saying the West Indies would grovell, or mocking Hookes at back pad, or roughing up Dennis Lillee by signalling four everytime he hit a four off Lillee... great character. Just as great when he riles Bill Lawry up. His century against Australia in the 74/75 Ashes is just hilarious to see how mad he made the bowlers. Great character.
