Top 3 ODI batsmen of all-time

[bagapath]

Looking at the Dhoni/Greatest ODI batter thread I want to know who CW forum members rate as the best ODI batters of all-time.

I have pool according to the different roles batsmen play and chosen 20 of them who could be in the running.

Please vote for THREE players of your choice in this poll. If you want to vote for someone else not listed in there, mention him in your post.

Openers:

Tendulkar, Anwar, Jayasurya, Gilchrist, Greenidge, Amla, Haynes, Ganguly

Middle Order:

Richards, Lara, Ponting, Jones, AB de Villiers, Hussey, Miandad, Inzamam

Finishers:

Dhoni, Bevan, Klusener, Symonds

 

[Daemon]

Tendulkar
Richards
Dhoni

 

[morgieb]

Tendulkar
Richards
Bevan

Bevan makes it over Dhoni as Bevan scored his runs in a tougher time for batting than Dhoni did.

 

[centurymaker]

Dhoni, Richards, Tendulkar

 

[watson]

Richards and Tendulkar are the easy and obvious first two choices;

Blogs: The best two ODI batsmen - Richards and Tendulkar | Cricket Blogs | ESPN Cricinfo

But after those 2 batsman it gets difficult because it depends on what sort of batsman you favour;

Top order batsman that sets up the win in the first innings = Ponting
Middle order batsman who 'finishes' in the second innings = Dhoni or Bevan

 

[sledger]

Trescothick.

 

[karan316]

Tendulkar
Richards
Symonds

 

[Ikki]

Tendulkar - best opener
Richards - best middle-order
Bevan - best finisher

 

[Red]

Tendulkar, Richards and Ponting. Dhoni, Jones, Amla and AB DeVil close.

I don't care for "finishers".

 

[Contra]

Tendulkar, Richards and Dhoni

 

[dhillon28]

Kind of shows how amazing tendulkar and viv Richards are because I'm pretty sure most people would include them in their top 3 test batsmen of all time

 

[Dissector]

Kind of shows how amazing tendulkar and viv Richards are because I'm pretty sure most people would include them in their top 3 test batsmen of all time

Not sure about "most" but both of them are up there along with Hobbs, Sobers, Greg Chappell and Lara.

As for ODI's I would go with Richards, Tendulkar and Dhoni. Bevan is close but Dhoni's superior strike rate and ability to hit big shots at will wins out for me.

 

[Esperance]

Tendulkar
Richards
Dhoni

 

[kingkallis]

Richards
Tendulkar
Dhoni

 

[kingkallis]

Its wonderful to see Dhoni right up there. Usually we @ CW dont rate players who have not yet retired so this is great.

 

[ankitj]

Usually we @ CW dont rate players who have not yet retired

CW rates Tendulkar IIRC, also Kallis.

 

[CricAddict]

CW rates Tendulkar IIRC, also Kallis.

Some guys generally ask us to wait for 100 years till the players play in all conditions facing all type of bowlers on all countries before rating them..He is referring to them. Kallis and Sachin do not fall into that category. Usually Steyn and Philander do.

 

[Dan]

Trescothick.

Not even the best English ODI opener of the early 2000s. Nick Knight all the way.

 

[The Sean]

Ah yes, Nick "better than Gilchrist" Knight.

Good times.

 

[bagapath]

Those who didn't get a single vote still make an excellent top order

Anwar
Greenidge
Miandad
Inzy
Hussey