NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
Cricinfo will probably do a list of the 43 best ODI players of all time to the celebrate the 43 years since the first ever ODI World Cup.
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CW's 50 Best ODI Cricketers of all time - The Countdown (2017 Version)
- Thread starter NUFAN
- Start date
Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The fact Harvey is in makes me realise that I missed the chance to vote for Geoff Lawson. I think I'll save that for any test poll.
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
43 Gordon Greenidge
Total Points: 41
Highest Pick: 13th
2011 Ranking: 38
Never in the game has there been a more withering and dismissive square-cut, nor a more willing and able hooker and puller. Greenidge scored over 5000 runs in his ODI career at an average of 45. A scorer of 11 centuries he was the first batsman to score a century in his 100th match. The one negative was scores of 13 (61) 9 (31) and 1 (12) so just 23 runs from 104 balls in World Cup Finals.
Main memory: The opening partnership with Haynes. As a kid for some reason I thought Haynes was the better ODI cricketer.
42 Shane Bond
Total Points: 42
Highest Pick: 7th
2011 Ranking: 33th
Shane Bond was a fast and fearsome quick who averaged 20 and had a Strike Rate below 30. Bond made just 82 ODIs in 9 injury plagued years, but when on the field he was a devastating wicket-taker being the second quickest bowler to 100 wickets.
Main Memory: Bond's amazing 6-23 against a strong Australian batting lineup in the 2003 World Cup. Actually against Australia in general he was amazing.
41 Jacques Kallis
Total Points: 43
Highest Pick: 13th
2011 Ranking: 15th
Kallis had a distinguished all round career being one of only 2 players to score 10000 runs, take 200 wickets and 100 catches. His detractors would sometimes say that he batted in a bubble, but he was clearly a matchwinner winning the MoTM award on 32 occasions.
Main Memory: His dominating performances against the West Indies with both bat and ball.
Total Points: 41
Highest Pick: 13th
2011 Ranking: 38
Never in the game has there been a more withering and dismissive square-cut, nor a more willing and able hooker and puller. Greenidge scored over 5000 runs in his ODI career at an average of 45. A scorer of 11 centuries he was the first batsman to score a century in his 100th match. The one negative was scores of 13 (61) 9 (31) and 1 (12) so just 23 runs from 104 balls in World Cup Finals.
Main memory: The opening partnership with Haynes. As a kid for some reason I thought Haynes was the better ODI cricketer.
42 Shane Bond
Total Points: 42
Highest Pick: 7th
2011 Ranking: 33th
Shane Bond was a fast and fearsome quick who averaged 20 and had a Strike Rate below 30. Bond made just 82 ODIs in 9 injury plagued years, but when on the field he was a devastating wicket-taker being the second quickest bowler to 100 wickets.
Main Memory: Bond's amazing 6-23 against a strong Australian batting lineup in the 2003 World Cup. Actually against Australia in general he was amazing.
41 Jacques Kallis
Total Points: 43
Highest Pick: 13th
2011 Ranking: 15th
Kallis had a distinguished all round career being one of only 2 players to score 10000 runs, take 200 wickets and 100 catches. His detractors would sometimes say that he batted in a bubble, but he was clearly a matchwinner winning the MoTM award on 32 occasions.
Main Memory: His dominating performances against the West Indies with both bat and ball.
Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Some part of me is a little surprised that Bond didn't come in a bit higher, but he wasn't around all that much. Amazing when he was though.
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
If someone wants to do a write up for a player you can email me at sheepdraft@gmail.com .
ankitj
Hall of Fame Member
You could add for Greenidge that he has MoM to matches ratio next only to Vivah Richards.
Always disappoints me to see how low he gets ranked. Second best ODI opener of all time after Tendulkar for me. Think it must be me who gave him his highest rank at #13.
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At least Harvey being there means the most successful ever one-day county side (Gloucestershire 1999-2000) is represented, and he's probably a better pick for the all-time top 50 than Matt Windows or Jeremy Snape.
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
Haha, I meant for players I hadn't done but expect to make the list. I wasn't aware that his ratio was 2nd best all time.
Kalli's has dropped a reasonable amount since 2011. I feel like the test legend that is Kalli's will remain but the ODI will continue to drop.
Starfighter
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Snape
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
40 Saeed Anwar
Total Points: 45
Highest Pick: 16th
2011 Ranking: 35th
A graceful strokemaker, Anwar was known for his timing and placement. He scored 20 ODI centuries, averaging over 39 at a strike rate of 80. In World Cups his average for 53. In the 1999 World Cup he scored two consecutive tons which helped Pakistan reach the final.
Overall Saeed Anwar was a terrific opening bat, he dominated in Asia - his major problem was his poor performances against Australia, averaging just 23.55 in 30 bats.
Main Memory: His 194 the highest individual ODI score which lasted for 12 years.
39 Hashim Amla
Total Points: 47
Highest Pick: 9th
2011 Ranking: New Entry
Classy and calm, Amla makes 100 for fun, having scored 25 in 153 innings so far at an average of 50. In innings played, Amla has been the fastest batsman to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 runs. For Amla to improve up these rankings, I think he needs to make a good score in a World Cup match against a top 8 opponent.
So far his highest score is just 65 against other top 8 opponents.
Main Memory: His awesome 100 ratio and beard.
38 Brett Lee
Total Points: 49
Highest Pick: 13th
2011 Ranking: 30th
Brett Lee excelled an an exponent of extreme speed taking 380 wickets. Lee is a two-time World Cup winner and he took 35 wickets @ 17.97 in the formats biggest stage.
Only one quick bowler has taken more 5 wicket hauls, only 2 bowlers with 100 wickets have a better strike rate and Lee was the quickest bowler to 300 ODI wickets.
Main Memory: The speed gun, his wicket celebration and massive 6's.
Total Points: 45
Highest Pick: 16th
2011 Ranking: 35th
A graceful strokemaker, Anwar was known for his timing and placement. He scored 20 ODI centuries, averaging over 39 at a strike rate of 80. In World Cups his average for 53. In the 1999 World Cup he scored two consecutive tons which helped Pakistan reach the final.
Overall Saeed Anwar was a terrific opening bat, he dominated in Asia - his major problem was his poor performances against Australia, averaging just 23.55 in 30 bats.
Main Memory: His 194 the highest individual ODI score which lasted for 12 years.
39 Hashim Amla
Total Points: 47
Highest Pick: 9th
2011 Ranking: New Entry
Classy and calm, Amla makes 100 for fun, having scored 25 in 153 innings so far at an average of 50. In innings played, Amla has been the fastest batsman to score 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 runs. For Amla to improve up these rankings, I think he needs to make a good score in a World Cup match against a top 8 opponent.
So far his highest score is just 65 against other top 8 opponents.
Main Memory: His awesome 100 ratio and beard.
38 Brett Lee
Total Points: 49
Highest Pick: 13th
2011 Ranking: 30th
Brett Lee excelled an an exponent of extreme speed taking 380 wickets. Lee is a two-time World Cup winner and he took 35 wickets @ 17.97 in the formats biggest stage.
Only one quick bowler has taken more 5 wicket hauls, only 2 bowlers with 100 wickets have a better strike rate and Lee was the quickest bowler to 300 ODI wickets.
Main Memory: The speed gun, his wicket celebration and massive 6's.
You would put Greenidge ahead of Jayasurya, Gilchrist, Anwar and Ganguly?
ankitj
Hall of Fame Member
I would.
NUFAN
Y no Afghanistan flag
37 Kumar Sangakkara
Total Points: 51
Highest Pick: 8th
2011 Ranking: New Entry
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara was a graceful batsman who like a fine wine got better with age. In the last 6 years of his ODI career he average above 43 each time, in contrast he managed the feat only twice in his first 10 years. Sanga played in over 400 ODIs, keeping in 360 of the matches. In 37 World Cup matches, Sangakkara averaged 56.74 which showed his class on the big stage. Regardless of where the match was being played or the form he was in, he was always the big wicket, a responsibility that handled with ease.
Main Memory: Four consecutive World Cup centuries in the 2015 World Cup. I was at the match against Australia and was genuinely scared that SL would chase down Australia's 376 right until Sanga went out.
36 Dennis Lillee
Total Points: 56
Highest Pick: 4th (4 votes)
2011 Ranking: New Entry
Lillee was an outstanding bowler who was extremely fast when he started his career before having to redefine himself after some serious injuries. In 63 matches Lillee took 103 matches at an average of 20.88 and economy rate of just 3.58. When Lillee bowled well, Australia would do well. He averaged a phenomenal 14.64 with the ball in 30 wins.
Main Memory: His beautiful bowling action and his rockstar look.
35 Nathan Bracken
Total Points: 56
Highest Pick: 1st (5 votes)
2011 Ranking: 39th
By OverratedSanity
You'd have to be a boring old man to not enjoy the sight of Nathan Bracken's glorious hair flapping behind him as he ambled in to bowl. But that was hardly the only reason to love him. Australia's ODI juggernaut of the mid 2000s was stacked with great players and Bracken is probably the one who is least appreciated for how important he was to their success. Time and again, he came up with key breakthrough and when necessary could squeeze the momentum out of an opposition's innings by giving absolutely nothing away. 174 wickets @24 is a great enough record, but it's his tournament record which really sets him apart. 26 wickets @17 and an economy rate of just 4.01, he was about as important to Australia's wins in the 2006 CT and 2007 WC as anyone else in that great team.
That hairband just the icing on the cake.
Main Memory: Him singlehandedly keeping Australia in the game by comprehesively owning Gayle when he was smashing Lee and McGrath to all parts in the 2006 CT final is up there, as is his performance against SA in the 2007 WC semifinal when he built so much pressure in his opening spell that Smith,Kallis and Prince basically just gave up playing proper cricket shots...
But his greatest moment was probably in the infamous 438 game. Amidst the carnage on a day where no other frontline bowler went for less than 8 an over, Bracken picked up 5-67 in his 10 in one of the great losing performances of all time, without which the maddest ODI chase ever probably finishes in 40 overs.
Total Points: 51
Highest Pick: 8th
2011 Ranking: New Entry
Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara was a graceful batsman who like a fine wine got better with age. In the last 6 years of his ODI career he average above 43 each time, in contrast he managed the feat only twice in his first 10 years. Sanga played in over 400 ODIs, keeping in 360 of the matches. In 37 World Cup matches, Sangakkara averaged 56.74 which showed his class on the big stage. Regardless of where the match was being played or the form he was in, he was always the big wicket, a responsibility that handled with ease.
Main Memory: Four consecutive World Cup centuries in the 2015 World Cup. I was at the match against Australia and was genuinely scared that SL would chase down Australia's 376 right until Sanga went out.
36 Dennis Lillee
Total Points: 56
Highest Pick: 4th (4 votes)
2011 Ranking: New Entry
Lillee was an outstanding bowler who was extremely fast when he started his career before having to redefine himself after some serious injuries. In 63 matches Lillee took 103 matches at an average of 20.88 and economy rate of just 3.58. When Lillee bowled well, Australia would do well. He averaged a phenomenal 14.64 with the ball in 30 wins.
Main Memory: His beautiful bowling action and his rockstar look.
35 Nathan Bracken
Total Points: 56
Highest Pick: 1st (5 votes)
2011 Ranking: 39th
By OverratedSanity
You'd have to be a boring old man to not enjoy the sight of Nathan Bracken's glorious hair flapping behind him as he ambled in to bowl. But that was hardly the only reason to love him. Australia's ODI juggernaut of the mid 2000s was stacked with great players and Bracken is probably the one who is least appreciated for how important he was to their success. Time and again, he came up with key breakthrough and when necessary could squeeze the momentum out of an opposition's innings by giving absolutely nothing away. 174 wickets @24 is a great enough record, but it's his tournament record which really sets him apart. 26 wickets @17 and an economy rate of just 4.01, he was about as important to Australia's wins in the 2006 CT and 2007 WC as anyone else in that great team.
That hairband just the icing on the cake.
Main Memory: Him singlehandedly keeping Australia in the game by comprehesively owning Gayle when he was smashing Lee and McGrath to all parts in the 2006 CT final is up there, as is his performance against SA in the 2007 WC semifinal when he built so much pressure in his opening spell that Smith,Kallis and Prince basically just gave up playing proper cricket shots...
But his greatest moment was probably in the infamous 438 game. Amidst the carnage on a day where no other frontline bowler went for less than 8 an over, Bracken picked up 5-67 in his 10 in one of the great losing performances of all time, without which the maddest ODI chase ever probably finishes in 40 overs.
OverratedSanity
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Yay, Bracken! I was worried my writeup would be wasted if he missed out on the list entirely.
I didn't vote him at #1 ftr, that was obviously Nate.
I didn't vote him at #1 ftr, that was obviously Nate.
OverratedSanity
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Anwar probably underrated here imo. Best opener of the 90s along with Waugh. Would definitely have him higher than Sanga and Amla.