An All Rounder is the most important player in a cricket team because of the contribution he makes with both bat and ball. A quality All Rounder is a luxury to have for any side. An All Rounder is the X factor of the side and has the ability to change the match on its head with his skills. Cricket has seen some legendary All Rounders over the years that has inspired the next generation of cricketers to emulate them and give match-winning performances for their sides. Genuine All-Rounders are like Goldust, as they are difficult to produce but once they get into their grove, are impossible to stop. From Sir Garfield Sobers to Kapil dev here are the greatest All Rounders of all times cricket has ever seen.
1. Jacques Kallis:
Yes, surely the South African Jacques Kallis has to be the greatest All rounder to have ever played Cricket. Kallis made the South African side a formidable unit that won series after on their home soil as well as overseas. Kallis was truly a gift to cricket as he was the perfect All rounder that could have been a part of any side in any era of cricket. Batting at Number 4 for his side, he batted in complete command all over the world and sometimes made international hundreds for fun.
His numbers are staggering and beyond comparison, as he set the benchmark for Cricketers of all sides. Kallis was also a gentleman that played in the spirit of the game and hardly lost his cool in his illustrious career. With the ball in hand, he always gave his side key wickets in the middle overs and was a perfect foil to Donald and Pollock in the 90s and Steyn and Morkel in 2000s. The one thing that also separated him from the rest of the cast was his slip catching. The bucket hands of Kalllis was terrific in the slip cordon to both fast bowlers and spinners. He hardly looked out of form and looked at ease throughout his career. Just because of his share longevity in the game he tops the list, and as far as his numbers are concerned they are absolutely astonishing.
TEST: 166 Matches, 13,289 Runs, Average 55.4, Hundreds 45, 292 Wickets with a Bowling average of 32.6, that included five 5 wicket hauls.
ODI: 328 Matches, 11,579 Runs, Average 44.4, Hundreds 17, 273 Wickets, Bowling Average 31.8 with two 5 Wicket Hauls.
2. Sir Garfield Sobers:
Coming in at Number 2 is the legendary West Indian All Rounder Sir Garfield Sobers. During the 80’s West Indies are untouchable as they produced some of the greatest cricketers of all time such as Sir Vivian Richards, Clive LLyod but before them, there was none bigger than Sobers. He was the ultimate Cricketer of his era and according to several great bowlers, was the hardest player to bowl and toughest batsman they have ever faced. Sobers could do anything on the cricket pitch and was a genuine threat with both bat and ball. Sobers could bowl medium pace as well spin according to the situation of the game, and with the bat in hand, he was destructive, to say the least. Much Like Kallis, he would make it into any side of any era as he would have been a nightmare for any opposition.
TEST: Matches 93, 8,032 Runs, Average 57.78, Hundreds 26, the Fifties 30, with the best score of 365 against Pakistan in 1958.
235 Wickets, Average 34, including six five Wicket Hauls in his career.
3. Richard Hadlee:
Sir Richard John Hadlee had a staggering career playing for New Zealand, and he was several times, the difference between New Zealand being a pushover or World beaters during his playing days. He played in an Era which saw four of the finest All Rounders of All-time which were Kapil Dev, Imran Khan, Ian Botham and himself. He makes the list above the three just because of the fact that everyone as a batsman were neck and neck to each other but when it came to bowling he was far ahead of his contemporaries. The left-hand batsman made handy runs for his side down the order and backed it up by running through sides with the ball.
Also Read | Hadlee’s magic figure
TEST: 86 Matches, Wickets 431, Average 22.3, Including 36 five Wickets hauls.
3124 Runs, Average 27.2, with 2 Hundreds.
ODI:115 Matches, Wickets 158, Average 21.6, five 5 wicket hauls.
1,751 runs, Average 21.6, Strike rate 75.5.
4. Imran Khan:
The Current Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan is at the number 4, in the list of Greatest All Rounders of time. He was the man that made the Pakistani side play with flair and without any fear. Imran was an inspirational leader of his side that developed a never say die attitude in the Pakistan team. Against all odds in the 1992 World Cup, he made his side turn their campaign around after losing the initial matches and made them fight like cornered tigers and helped his country achieve World Cup glory in 1992. He will always be remembered as a champion bowler and a batsman that made runs when his side needed him the most. He was a born leader that contributed to every aspect of the game. At his Peak, he was perhaps the fastest bowler in the world that made life miserable for any batsman around the world. After injuries, his bowling exploits faded away but his batting improved leaps and bounds and he was able to play in the side purely as a batsman. He was a born leader that had an eye for young talent that ultimately became future legends of the World game. The likes of Wasim Akram and Inzaman-ul-haq are prime examples that became all time greats. There will never be another Imran Khan, as he was one of a kind that entertained the fans all over the world throughout his career.
TEST: 88 Matches, 362 Wickets, Average 22.8, 23 five Wicket Hauls.
3,807 runs, Average 37.7, Hundreds 6.
ODI: 175 Matches, 182 Wickets, Average 26.6, 1 Five Wicket Haul
3,709 runs, Average 33.4, Hundreds 1, Strike Rate 73.
5. Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev is the greatest cricketer India has ever produced. India has been blessed with batting talent in every era that has dominated with the bat from Gavaskar to Tendulkar and Now Kohli, but since Kapil Dev’s retirement, India is still searching for his replacement. Kapil Dev was a perfect all rounder and a match winner with both bat and ball and was a luxury to have for team India during his 16 years long international career. The thing that makes Kapil Dev immortal is the fact that he played most of his cricket on flat decks in India that had very little for the fast bowlers like him. But even after that Kapil was able to pick a mind boggling over 400 test wickets. Add to that in his prime, he was a fearless batsman that played lofted shots against both fast bowlers and spinners with the utmost ease. Under his captaincy, India became champions of the World for the very first time in 1983 that changed the face of Indian Cricket forever. A sight that no India will ever forget, as it made India believe that India can compete even with the best on the world stage. He was a game changer with both bat and ball and always thrived under pressure and produced some memorable performances. Who can forget his incredible knock of 175 runs against Zimbabwe in the 1983 World Cup, when it looked as if India will be knocked out early. If he had any other Indian Cricketers that were close to him in his playing time, India would have ended up winning a lot more but such was the level of Kapil Dev that no one came even close to him.
Test: 131 Matches, Wickets 434, Average 29.6, 23 Five Wicket Hauls
5,248 Runs, Average 31.1, Hundreds 8
ODI: 225 Matches, Wickets 253, Average 27.4, Five Wicket Haul 1
3,783 Runs, Average 23.8, Hundred 1, Strike Rate 95.1
