Top 10 Greatest All Rounders of All Time

In this post, we will check out the top 10 greatest all rounders of all time.

Cricket, often referred to as the “Gentleman’s game,” is a sport that has produced some of the greatest all-rounders of all time.

All-rounders are those players who excel in both batting and bowling, and their contributions to the team are invaluable.

These players can make a significant impact in both Test cricket and the shorter formats of the game, adding a level of versatility that is highly prized by any team.

Over the years, cricket has produced some of the most iconic all-rounders, and their contributions to the game have been immense. These players have left a lasting legacy on the sport, inspiring future generations to follow in their footsteps.

In this article, we will take a look at the top 10 greatest all-rounders of all time, taking into account their performance, achievements, and impact on the sport.

From Sir Garfield Sobers to Jacques Kallis, these players have etched their names in the history books and continue to inspire cricketers around the world.

Top 10 Greatest All Rounders Of All Time

1.  Sir Garfield Sobers

A former cricketer from Barbados, Sir Garfield Sobers was a batting all-rounder who became one of the best in the history of cricket.

He played for the West Indies during his career and is considered by many to be the greatest batsman ever to play the game.

A highly trained bowler, a fierce batsman, and an outstanding fielder, he is widely believed to be cricket’s greatest ever all-rounder and one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

He started his career mainly as a bowler, he has soon elevated up the batting order. Against Pakistan in 1958, Sobers scored his maiden Test century, advancing to 365 not out and establishing a new record for the highest individual score in an innings.

His record was not broken until Brian Lara scored 375 in 1994. Sobers played a total of 93 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 8032 runs at an average of 57.78, and taking 235 wickets at an average of 34.03.

He has the fifth-highest batting average in Test cricket in the inventory of cricketers with more than 5,000 runs. 

In his 383 first-class matches, he scored over 28,000 runs and took over 1000 wickets, having expended time with South Australia and Nottinghamshire towards the end of his career.

In 2009, Sobers was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. Garfield Sobers tops the list of the top 10 greatest all rounders of all time.

2. Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis is a South African cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and a right-arm medium-fast bowler. Jacques Kallis is regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history.

As of 2022, Kallis is the only cricketer in the history of the game to score more than 10,000 runs and take over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test match cricket.

Kallis was anointed Leading Cricketer in the World in 2008 Wisden for his performances in 2007 in addition to being the “ICC Test Player of the Year” and ICC Player of the Year in 2005.

Jacques Kallis has also been inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame on August 2020. Kallis is number 2 in our list of the top 10 greatest all rounders of all time.

3. Imran Khan

Imran Khan was a very talented player. He was a great bowler and a great batsman, but he was also a very good leader and captain.

Imran’s best performance as a player came in the 1992 Cricket World Cup final when he led Pakistan to victory over England with his batting skill and bowling ability.

Khan scored 3,807 runs and took 362 wickets in Test cricket and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

He ended his Test career with an average of 37.69, including six centuries and 18 half-centuries, becoming one of only eight players in history to reach the ‘all-rounders triple’ of 300 wickets and 3000 runs.

4. Keith Miller

Keith Miller was a great all-rounder. Miller was a great bowler, batsman, and fielder, and also one of the greatest leaders and motivators in cricket history.

He was an inspiration to many cricketers who came after him, and many more players who took cricket as a career option while they were young.

At the time of his retirement from Test cricket in 1956, Miller had the best statistics of any all-rounder in cricket history.

He marked his place in Cricket history as a strong hitter as well. In his career, which traversed over ten years, Miller had scored a total of 2958 runs and scalped 170 wickets.

5. Richard Hadlee

Richard Hadlee is a former New Zealand cricketer. He is considered one of the greatest cricketers of all time.

In December 2002, he was picked by Wisden as the second greatest Test bowler of all time.

On 3 April 2009, Hadlee was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He made the world record of 431 wickets at an average of 22.29.

He was a convenient batsman and one of the top players with both bat and the ball and having a good average of 27.16, which included two centuries and 15 half-centuries.

6. Ian Botham

Ian Botham is a legend in cricket history, and he was one of the best all-rounders to have ever played the game.

He made an impact on the field with his batting and bowling, but it was his powerful hitting that earned him the nickname “Beefy.”

Botham represented England in both Test and One-Day International cricket. He was an aggressive right-handed batsman and, as a right-arm fast-medium bowler, was noted for his swing bowling.

In Test cricket, Botham scored 14 centuries with the highest score of 208, and from 1986 to 1988 held the world record for the most Test wickets until overtaken by fellow all-rounder Sir Richard Hadlee.

He took five wickets in an innings 27 times, and 10 wickets in a match four times. On 8 August 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.

7. Shaun Pollock

Shaun Pollock is a South African cricketer and former captain of the South African cricket team. He was a Right-handed opening bowler and Right-handed batsman.

Pollock is widely regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers and all-rounders of all time. He was selected as the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2003.

In November 2021, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame.  He took 421 test wickets at 23.11. Shaun Pollock is number 7 in our list of the top 10 greatest all rounders of all time.

8. Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev is a former Indian cricketer and former captain of the Indian cricket team. He is regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history.

He was a fast-medium bowler and a hard-hitting middle-order batsman and was anointed by Wisden as the Indian Cricketer of the Century in 2002.

Dev captained the Indian cricket team that won the 1983 Cricket World Cup, and in the procedure became the first Indian captain to win the Cricket World Cup, and is still the youngest captain (at the age of 24) to win the World Cup for any team. 

He retired in 1994, at the time of holding the world record for the highest number of wickets taken in Test cricket, a record which was later broken by Courtney Walsh in 2000.

9. Andrew Flintoff

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff was a right-handed batsman and right-arm fast bowler. He played international cricket for the English national team.

Flintoff played all forms of the game and was one of the sport’s ruling all-rounders, a fast bowler, middle-order batsman, and slip fielder.

He was invariably rated by the ICC as being among the top international all-rounders in both ODI and Test cricket.

As a player, he was known for his aggressive and hard-hitting batting style, earning him the nickname “Freddie”. Andrew Flintoff is number 9 on our list of the top 10 greatest all-rounders of all time.

10. Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya is a former Sri Lankan cricketer and captain. He is credited for having revolutionized one-day international cricket.

He is considered one of the greatest attacking batsmen of all time, Jayasuriya is well known for his strong striking and match-winning all-round performances in all formats of the game. 

Jayasuriya was an all-rounder, who had an international cricket career that extended over two decades. 

He is the only player to score over 10,000 runs and took more than 300 wickets in One Day International cricket and is also considered one of the best all-rounders in the history of limited-overs cricket.