The best cricketers of all time

Introduction

Cricket has become very popular with nearly 2 billion people. Some great cricketers have appeared surpassing the finest abilities and performing exceptionally well compared to the others. Cricket is a game of skill and wits needing strength, intelligence, skills and fast reaction time.

1.Sir Donald Bradman (Australia)
Sir Donald Bradman is known to be the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman`s Test career batting average was 99.94 spanning over 52 matches.He also know as "The Don", he has scored the highest test innings in his performance in the third Test of the 1930 Ashes series at Headingley. He scored a century on the first morning and added another between lunch and tea, finishing the day on 309. He was then dismissed for 334.

2.Sachin Tendulkar (India)
Sachin Tendulkar is the second-best batsmen of all time. Scoring 12,027 runs, he surpassed Brian Lara`s runs as the highest run scorer in Test matches. The "Little Master" has played 153 Tests gaining 39 centuries and 51 fifties, with an average of 54.28.The top score being 248 against Bangladesh during 2004.

3. Sir Vivian Richards (West Indies)
Sir Vivian Richards was aggressive batsman and off-spin bowler. He played 121 Tests between 1974 and 1991 gaining 24 centuries and 45 fifties, with a batting average of 50.23. His highest Test score was 291 against England in The Oval during 1976. The West-Indian legendary scored 36000 first class runs with 114 centuries. Players rate him the best ever player of genuine quick bowling. Took 32 Test wickets, at an average of 61.37.  He was very popular for not wearing a helmet

4.Brian Lara (West Indies)
Lara played 131 Test between 1990 and 2007 in which he scored 34 centuries and 48 fifties. His career runs of11,953. Lara recorded the highest individual Test score, 400 not out against England in 2004.

5.Alan Border(Australia)

Border was the former captain of Australia and is the first batsman in the test cricket to score 11000. He scored 11174 runs with an average of 50.56. Regarded as one of the best captain for Australia. He led Australia in 93 matches and Australia could win their first world cup championship in 1987 under his captaincy. .The award for Australian player of the year has been named after Alan border. He is now a member of Australian cricket hall of Fame.

6.Shane Warne(Australia)
One of the best-ever leg spinners, He played 145 Tests between 1992 and 2007. He took 708 wickets which is one of the highest wickets at an average of 25.41, including 37 5-wicket hauls in an innings and 10 ten-wicket matches. His best Test figures were 8-71 against England in 1994.

7.Sunil Gavaskar (India)

Gavaskar is  legendary  in test cricket. One of the best batsmen as he has over 10000 runs in test cricket at an average of 51.12. He dominated his era of cricket getting many successes.  He could stand againist the fastest west indian bowlers. He was also a wicketkeepers taking over 100 catches. He has over 3000 runs in one day cricket with an average of 35.13. Due to hes excellent run scoring ability he was called “Run Machine”.

8. Steve Waugh (Australia)

Steve Waugh is a great cricketer. He was a great batsman and even a greater captain. Under his captaincy, Australia had the best time in cricket history. He could also bowl well and got a decent number of wickets. What is so great about Steve Waugh was that he could perform well both in Test and One day cricket. For more than five years, he was the captain of Australian team (1999-2004). In 168 Test matches he scored 10927 runs (Average: 51.06) and in 325 one day matches (ODIs) he scored 7569 (Average: 32.90). He is among the few batsmen in the world to score more than 30 (32) centuries in Test Cricket. He had literally the nerve of steel and under his captaincy; Australia won World Cup twice and defeated all the other countrie

9.Sir Garfield StAuburn Sobers (West Indies)

Gary Sobers was said to be most influential cricketers of his time. This legendary cricketer is regarded as the best all-rounder of all time. Sobers scored over 8000 with an average of 57.78. His career runs in test cricket was the record for that time. He scored 26 centuries and with such a record in batting he also served his team taking 235 wickets in his career. In 2000 he was named as one of the five “Wisden Crickets of the Century”. In 1975 he was awarded the Knight by Queen Elizabeth.

10. Sir Ian Botham (England)
Botham was the best English cricketer during the 1980s and one of the best all-rounders. His  102-Test career (1977-92) saw him score 5200 runs and take 383 wickets. Although his top score of 208 came against India in 1982, his most memorable innings was 149 not out at Headingley in 1981. Coupled with Bob Willis` remarkable 8-43, Botham`s innings helped England to a victory over Australia..