Best Spinners of All Time

The great art of spin was lost and dying with the ouster of Abdul Qadir. Gone were the days of Tiger O'Reilly and the great Indian spin attacks. Then, gloriously, out of nowhere, the modern brigade came with a bang. With the advent of Shane Warne, spin got it's mojo back, and then Muttiah Muralitharan completed the renaissance. We were gifted by a second wave of two great spinners, and we have been very fortunate indeed as they have turned out to be the two best of all time. 

I won't be making a list here. It seems rather futile in the sense that spinners are the most difficult to rank in my opinion. Perhaps I am mistaken, but that might only be because I do not have the knowledge set required to make all the essential arguments here. 

If asked for a rough opinion, I would rate 

- Bill O'Reilly

- Clarrie Grimmett

- Hedley Verity

- Subhash Gupte

- Erapalli Prasanna

- Anil Kumble

- Abdul Qadir

- Bishan Singh Bedi

- Wilfred Rhodes

- Jim Laker

- Derek Underwood as the great spin bowlers from all ages. 

Grimmett was the base on which the great Australian side functioned. Verity was outstanding as a left arm bowler. Gupte is regarded by Sobers as the best leggie ever. O'Reilly has similar claims with a brilliant record. Prasanna was a classical off spinner, with plenty of flight and guile. Kumble was quicker through the air, relying on bounce and pace for wickets. He is the third highest wicket taker in history, clearly putting him up there. Qadir again was a class act for Pakistan. Bedi was, some say, the most aesthetically pleasing, using a beautiful action and lots of flight to deceive the batsmen. Rhodes' first class record is impossibly good, with 4200 wickets at 16 apiece. Wow! Laker, too, had a fantastic record, and of course that 19 wicket extravaganza to his name. Ritchie Benaud, Chandrashekhar, and Saqlain Mushtaq miss out.    

So what I will do here is talk about Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan, the greatest leg spinner and off spinner of all time. Hope you forgive me and enjoy it. 

Shane Warne

Golden Boy

That Shane Warne, along with Tendulkar and Lara, was the most beautiful thing about the 90s is plain fact. That Warne is in the top 10 players of all time is to state the obvious. That he bowled the most marvelous spells of wide, soaring, brilliant leg breaks is the reason we cherish him so much. From his first Ashes delivery, Warne announced to the world that he would be taking over the mantle from the great Windies 'Pace Quartet'. And he has passed them all perhaps. 

To watch as Warne carefully plans each ball of each spell in an attempt to fox the batsman is as joyful as watching Barcelona play every small pass one after the other before netting the ball past the keeper. Warne against England was extraordinary, and did much to enhance the stature of the Ashes in the years that they lacked great superstars. Not until the arrival of Glen McGrath and Ricky Ponting did anyone look to be anywhere near the class of Warne in the great rivalry. 

From 1993-97, Warne produced the most spellbinding bowling saga of spin history. The plump boy with the grinning face took much of the world's heart away. The only slight blemish on his record has been his performance against India. A real match-winner. A man of all seasons. The zenith of classical leg spin bowling. For in spite of his unique deliveries, Warne really just perfected the art of classical leg spin more than anything else. Yes, the flippers, zooters, googlies were all used well and honed with time, but his greatest strength really was the stock leg break which was exceedingly accurate. 

To return from the drug ban and to perform at the level he did in the 2004-05 and 2005-06 was indeed remarkable. He held the world record for most wickets until Murali caught up. He took 96 wickets in a calendar year in 2006, still a record. The wonder-boy from Australia has been included in every great XI team made by most experts, and is considered by many to be the best spinner in history. Suffice to say, were it not for Murali and O'Reilly, there would be little doubt. 

Muttiah Muralitharan

Smiling Assassin

As good as Warne was, Murali's bowling as well as his numbers are extraordinary. He and Wasim Akram are easily the best ODI bowlers of all time. In tests, Murali began his incredible ascent from 1996-97, it could be said. It was no small thing for a boy from Kandy to attract the attention of selectors hitherto convinced that Colombo was their country's cricketing stronghold. It's no small thing for a skinny kid determined to bowl fast to switch to spin and to triumph. It is no small thing for a Tamil to prosper in a time of turmoil and torment and trouble. Nor is it a small thing to become the first great cricketer that your country has produced, to help it to lift a World Cup, to win a series in England, and to remain humble through it all.

At his best, Murali has often been unplayable, and always spiffing dangerous. An extraordinary turner of the ball, he extracts a lot of juice from the cricket surface. His wild swingers have entered the bat-pad gap of many unwitting willow wielders. The bulk of Murali's magic was to be found in his exceptional fingers, wrist and arm, and his naturally different shoulder. His performances against every team all over the world have been quite superlative for these years. The only exception being his record in Australia. 

Over the years, Murali has provided some bamboozling spells to run through many a batting line up. In total, Murali has 67 five-wicket hauls. Yes, 67!! Warne's second with 37. An issue is that Sri Lanka got very few test appearances compared to India, Australia and England and that is a huge shame. To illustrate my point, Murali played a total of just 56 tests between his debut in Aug 1992 and Dec 2000 and not too many more in the next decade. We should have seen a lot more of the bowling virtuoso. 

It was in 21st century that Murali rose as the most dangerous bowler in the world as Sri Lanka became more prominent on the test scene. He took 568 test wickets @ 20.92 in the decade. Playing his best cricket when his side needed him became such a habit with this diminutive genius that it was not considered something out of the ordinary. Hats off! 

Some Conversation on Both

Murali has taken 800 wickets in 230 innings @ 22.72 at a strike rate of 55, while Warne took 708 wickets in 273 innings @ 25.41 at a strike rate of 57.4. 

Some say that Australia had better bowlers alongside Warne to take wickets, so he had lesser opportunities. On the other hand, it has been shown that having a good supporting cast can also make it much easier for bowlers to take wickets. It also means that Murali had to take more top order wickets than Warne did.

The thing is that before Murali's emergence as a great bowler, Warne had been placed on a pedestal so high by the cricketing fraternity, it was difficult to undo it. It was not without reason, of course. Then came the controversy with Murali's action. It took a few years to clear the matter up. For the record, his action is clean, and he does not chuck. He just has a naturally different shoulder which moves incredibly fast to give him what he requires. He even modified his doosra on the advice of ICC. He was still as effective.

Another myth is that Murali's wickets came majorly from the minnows. But even if you remove those wickets, he has a better record than Warne in terms of averages and strike rate. At the same time, Warne took a lot of wickets against England, who are poor players of spin, while Murali did not get to play a lot of matches against England, and anyway his average against them is better than Warne's. Murali's record against India too is much better than Warne's. 

I would also take this moment to say that Warne's drug test failure at the 2003 WC does not lessen his stature, nor does it constitute as a real black mark against his character. But I really do wonder what would have happened had Murali been involved in something like that. Would the cricketing world have been as benevolent towards him? Maybe. Maybe not.

Warne is beautiful to watch and the master of leg spin. Many feel that leg spin is more enjoyable to watch than off spin; I am not one of them. In fact, sometimes I think that Murali's magic balls are not taken notice of as such. His turner to get Butcher bowled out was similar to Warne's ball of the century in many ways. 

To rank them is, to say the least, a challenge. Warne is a wonderful performer on the field, always gives his best and uses every trick in the book. Murali is slightly more modest, and reserved in his showmanship, though no lesser a competitor, not even by an inch. In terms of quality of bowling, too, there is little to separate the two greats. In the end though, the result must appear in the form of  wickets on the field. In that respect, Murali outdoes Warne. 

For me, Murali is the best of all time. Ahead of Warne and everybody else.

Best All Rounders of All Time

I value those all-rounders the most who are capable of winning the game both with the bat and the ball at the same time. What this means is, someone like a Shaun Pollock is not ranked too highly by me as he could not win you matches with his batting. Being a good supporting role is not enough when talking about the greatest ever list. Similarly, someone who at one point in his career was great at bowling, but mediocre at batting, and at another time later, great at batting but mediocre at bowling, is not considered at the highest level either. I hope that seems reasonable because I can't pick 1951 you and 1957 you at the same time now, can I? I can only have one, not both. At last, there is the unenviable task of comparing batting all-rounders with their bowling counterparts, which seems nigh impossible. But.. what must be done, must be done. 

Taking the above into account, I am sorry to say the following gentlemen didn't make the cut for the discussion: Shaun Pollock, Andrew Flintoff, Trevor Bailey, Alan Davidson, Richie Benaud, Wasim Akram, Chris Cairns, Lance Klusener, Mushtaq Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, Edgar John "Eddie" Barlow, Ravi Shastri and Warwick Armstrong. Flintoff primarily because just two and a half years of awesomeness in not enough. One has to be more consistent. Bailey because he was not exceptional in either field, especially with the bat, managing just one century - almost like a Collingwood of his day. Wasim, Davidson and Benaud, although brilliant bowlers, were not good enough with the bat. Cairns because he was not really a match-winner with the bat, in tests that is. Klusener again because of the test record. Mushtaq's bowling record is too much of a lag for this list (although he has an overall decent record), and the same goes, much more strongly, for Asif Iqbal and Eddie Barlow. Barlow, by the way, has a fantastic batting record as a stonewalling opening bat. Ravi Shastri could be included here, as he played a variety of roles during his time in the Indian side, but one gets a strong feeling that he would not have been used as a bowler in any other side as much as he was used by India, and his record is not great, with a strike rate of 104, and average of 40 as a spinner. Armstrong, too, bows out because of his quite inferior bowling record during a time when his peers had much better figures, but he was a fantastic bat. 

Now, coming to the contenders. 

Wilfred Rhodes is a special case. He is quite easily in the top league of all-rounders. The anomaly is that when he opened the batting with Hobbs, he primarily gave up on his bowling, and when he was bowling well, he wasn't batting well enough.

Michael John "Mike" Procter might have finished in the top 5 here had his international career not been cut off. Destroyed Australia in 1970, and finished with a test bowling average of 15. Wonderful, fast, swinging bowler, and a batsman with 48 first class centuries to his name, including a best of 254. He made Gloucestershire his own personal fiefdom, and when called on for the ROW and WSC teams, performed admirably as expected. Procter was the wasted all-rounder of the wasted dream team. 

Then there is the pair of Trevor Leslie Goddard and Mulvantrai Himmatmal "Vinoo" Mankad. They are both quite eligible to be on the list. Both of them were opening bats (although Mankad sometimes played down the order, especially against the Windies, for some reason). Goddard's batting record is quite decent with 2516 runs scored at 34.46. As a bowler, he was a proven match winner with his left arm medium pace, picking up 5 five wicket hauls in the course of 123 wickets @ 26, but a very low strike rate of 95. Vinoo, on the other hand, is the spin version of Goddard, it would seem. Very similar records. More hundreds than Trevor, but less scores of above fifty. Almost identical bowling record when taken into account that spinners usually have a higher average that medium pacers. He also has a better strike rate en route to his 162 wickets in 44 tests. I have no idea how to separate them, and thankfully, I don't have to. They are both on the cusp to making the list, but not quite.

Frank Woolley and Charlie Macartney are the two people who are also hard done by not getting their names on their list. Woolley was as elegant a left hander as came by during his time, and was a caressing murderer of the ball. His bowling record, however, falls short of the superlatives heaped upon him as an all-rounder, perhaps for sentimental reasons. He, did, however get 4 five wicket hauls in his test career, no mean feat, and is therefore a serious contender here as well. Macartney was one of the best batsmen of his era, an attacking, unorthodox and hard hitting technician, who would have been proud of modern batsmen such as Tendulkar, Hayden and Sehwag. His bowling (45 wickets of 35 tests) I have doubts over, although his FC record is quite smashing.  

Enjoy the list. 

The Masters of both disciplines

10. Anthony William "Tony" Greig (England)
This was the toughest choice to make. Greig wins it over the above contenders by whiskers. He is the man who, after foolishly talking the talk to the Windies, had the temperament and courage to walk the walk against their fearsome bowling. His teammates, however, failed to display the same, and England were comprehensively beaten. But Greig had made his mark. In 58 tests, he made 3599 runs @ 40, with eight centuries. As a bowler, he picked up 141 wickets with 6 5-fers and 4-fers each. He was a very strong batsman down the order, and his pairing with Botham would have made a daunting prospect for oppositions in the late 70s had he not joined hands with Packer in another display of professional acumen and a vision which would be glorified in later years.  

9. Richard John Hadlee (New Zealand)
The best bowler on this list, without a shadow of doubt. Through the late 70s and 80s, the finest bowler in the world along with the likes of Marshall, Holding, Garner, and Lillee. With an extraordinary average of 21, he surpassed many of them throughout the decade. Led a mediocre side to new heights along with Martin Crowe, Chatfield and others.  The only reason Hadlee is not higher up is that he was not really special with the bat, but the left hander could play some flashy innings down the order, and managed to average 32 with the bat during the second half of his career.

8. Montague Alfred "Monty" Noble (Australia) 

Monty Noble first captured Australia's imagination with a 116 in his first match on his first English tour in 1899. Thereafter, he went on to become its greatest all-rounder bar one. Noble's bowling exploits were famous, especially when pitted against A.C. MacLaren's English side. With his off breaks, and medium pace, Noble managed 121 wickets in a career spanning 42 games, at the same time pounding 1997 runs @ 30. To top it all off, he was one of the better captains Australia has had, his field placements specifically being ahead of his time. A true cricketer, he gave up him banking career and took up dentistry to keep up with the game.

7.  Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj (India)

The Haryana Hurricane

Extremely good bowler, and a match winning, albeit careless, batsman to boot with 8 test centuries playing in the lower middle order. The tenacity he showed in leading an otherwise mediocre bowling attack was praiseworthy. The fact that he took most of his wickets on the placid Indian pitches which were prepped for his spin mates makes it even more special. Held the world record for most number of wickets till Courtney Walsh came along. He should have probably hung up his boots at the end of 1990. The 175 against Zimbabwe in the '83 WC is still one of the greatest one day innings of all time.

6. George Aubrey Faulkner (South Africa) 
Humbleness and effeminacy are not things that a great cricketer can afford to have, said Faulkner, and the saddest thing was that it so singularly applied to his life, culminating in a suicide at the age of 40. Faulkner was a pivotal part of the early 20th century South African team. A very capable batsman, averaging 40 in an era when Victor Trumper's average of 39 was celebrated as being very good. He was one of the most reliable batsmen in the world. At the same time, a more than handy bowler, his brand of legbreaks gave him 82 wickets in 25 tests at 26.58. A man of many seasons.

5. Ian Terence Botham (England)

From Ashes to Ashes

On his day, could turn the match around easily with either the bat or the ball. A powerful, technically gifted batsman and a tearaway bowler. "Botham's Ashes" is still remembered fondly by the English - a single handed effort to bring back the little black trophy. Looking at just the first half of his career (an incredible run of 8 centuries, and 12 five wicket hauls), I am sorely tempted to rank him in the top 3. Sadly, he suffered a considerable decline after 1984, and even before that as well. The fact that he was rather poor against the great West Indies tilts the balance against Botham slightly. Also, a large portion of his incredible run was achieved during the phase when Packer had visibly reduced the standard of test cricket around the globe.  

I am of the opinion that given the proper motivation (and fitness level), there could scarce be a better match-winner than Ian Botham.

4. Jacques Henry Kallis (South Africa)

Atlas Who Never Shrugged

What a batsman. The fourth highest run getter in the history of tests, the second highest century maker (44), and an average of 56.05, with still some time to go. In his younger days, he was a bowler who would knock out line-ups after Donald-Pollock had finished their spell, and is still quite a handful as a bowler, especially as a partnership breaker, a role he performs quite admirably. The only issue with Kallis is that his bowling peaks and batting peaks have come in slightly different periods of his life, although in the early-to-mid 2000s, he was remarkably good in both the disciplines. A precious player to have at your disposal, a man who provides so much flexibility to the Saffers in every game that his absence becomes a stuffy third person in the room during a test match.

3. Imran Khan Niazi (Pakistan)

The Rockstar

The best bowler on this list after Hadlee, and a considerably better batsman, especially during the later part of his career, when he averaged 50 with the bat in his last 52 tests, while at the same time averaging 20 with the ball. This happened after his bowling peak, where he averaged 15.92 with the ball and 31 with the bat during 1980-85. Now that is called being an all-rounder. An inspirational leader, and a man with huge amounts of will and determination. One of the first proponents of reverse swing, he fashioned a revolution in his home country which produced the likes of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, and gave Pakistan their first true cricketing heritage. A hero. A rockstar. Simply amazing. A must in any all time team.

2. Garfield St Aubrun "Garry" Sobers (West Indies)

The Man Who Could Do Everything

The best batsman on this list with an average of 57, and a bowler of extreme variety. Although his bowling record is not special, on his day, he could wreck some havoc with both spin and medium pace. Sobers the batsman is the best left hander after Brian Lara ever, having a marvelous technique and attacking instincts. He could bowl both orthodox and chinaman spin on the dusty subcontinent pitches, as well as some lethal medium pace on more lively pitches. He even opened the bowling for West Indies sometimes, and regularly bowled 30+ overs in an innings. His strike rate of 92 and average of 34 with the ball may seem slightly mediocre, but not if you factor in his versatility with the ball, and the fact that initially he was chosen as a bowler in the Windies team. If you look at his peak years in the early 1960s, he averaged 27 with the ball. That is quite good. 

The reason Sobers is at number 2 here is that, except for the odd match, he could not really win tests with the ball, and that's why loses out to my #1. That said, it is extremely close. Most people would rank Sobers at #1. Certainly almost all the experts do. Perhaps me too in another year. For now, though, this remains. Yes, I know, bring on the screws and nail me to the cross.

1. Keith Ross Miller (Australia)

The Enigma

The antithesis of Faulkner, Miller, along with Lindwall terrorized many a batsmen during their prime opening the bowling. When asked about Miller's bowling, one English batsman just shook his head in wonder. An average of 23 with 170 wickets , and a batting average of 37 with 7 centuries makes it ridiculous to suggest that Miller didn't care enough about reaching statistical milestones. But Sid Barnes, his Australian team-mate, accurately summarised Miller's sheer talent and his attitude to cricket, "If Keith had had the same outlook as Bradman or Ponsford, he would have made colossal scores. He could, if he desired, have become the statistician's greatest customer." Miller perhaps fell short of becoming the statisticians' greatest customer, but nevertheless he visited them often enough, achieved significant numbers, and did it all with a flamboyance that was thrilling to watch.

What is most awesome about Miller was his maverick nature. Having been in the war, he never took cricket too seriously, and found officialdom to be petty. He was never made Australian captain on account of official wrath (esp Bradman's). All his life, he managed to rise to a challenge. In his first Test against England - Brisbane 1946-47 - he followed his 79 with a first innings 7 for 60. What we know for sure is that he loved a good night out on the town, and once as captain of New South Wales, came in late to the ground for a match, and ordered one of his teammates out of the ground. Sometimes, just for fun, he bowled googlies and off spinners of a full run up. Sometimes, he even outpaced the more illustrious pacer Lindwall. He produced much of the most exciting first-class cricket of his generation - batting to beat the bowler; bowling to defeat the best of batsmen on good wickets; and plucking unbelievable catches out of the air.

Miller's bowling is inferior only to Hadlee and Imran on this list, and he is a better batsman than everybody apart from Sobers, Kallis and Faulkner. Not only that, he really did manage to excel in both at the same time on a consistent basis for Australia, even more consistently than Sobers and Imran. A natural leader of men, and his era's finest athlete. If only he hadn't lost 6 fine years due to the world war.. With his immense self belief and indomitable spirit, Miller is the greatest all rounder Australia ever had, and for me, the best all-rounder of them all.

P.S. WG Grace has not been considered for any of the lists, because I have not much idea as to the manner in which I should judge his achievements, which were as great, if not greater, than those of Bradman and Sobers. 

Best Middle Order Batsmen of All Time

In making a comprehensive list of the best middle order batsmen, it's incredibly tough to compare across different generations, and the varied styles. I found the best factor to focus on primarily is the level of dominance a batsman was able to achieve through a sustained period of international cricket (sustained means both in terms of number of years and number of tests). After that, the style of playing and their statistics come next. Let's hope that I am able to do justice to the great batsmen over the ages.

What I decided to do was make 5 brackets. So, I would not be actually ranking batsmen from 20 to 1, but putting them together in different brackets with 5th being the lowest. This is necessary because it is ridiculously difficult to decide who out of Viv, Hammond and Lara should be ahead, or to distinguish between Waugh, Dravid and Border. It is a task that is best accomplished by putting them under the same bracket. I am not going into details here. We all know what these players have achieved, and it would be a waste of space to just list their accomplishments. I will just be giving some personal opinions (which are based on facts).

Timeless Greats

5th Bracket

Stanley Joseph "Stan" McCabe (Australia)

The maverick of the great Australian side under Bradman. A maestro who could pay such extraordinary innings as to make the Don himself sigh with envy. Perhaps there had never been a finer innings played in test history than the run-a-ball 232 he scored against England in the first test in 1938 as the wickets tumbled about him on a dreary pitch. Len Hutton said that he possessed qualities than even the Don didn't and was the batsman to watch. Somehow, he couldn't manage to be as prolific as his talent foretold, but the very essence of the man was that he didn't much care about the stats, but more about enjoying batting and rising to the occasion. This was at its best display in the Bodyline series when he hooked and pulled Larwood and Voce on his way to a 278-ball 187 in the first test, thus giving a befitting reply to Jardine's tactics. McCabe is in the pantheon of the greatest Aussie batsmen, and will not bow before any of them.  

Mohammad Javed Miandad Khan (Pakistan)

A touch of genius in the Pakistani line-up of the 80s, Miandad, along with Border, was the world's leading batsman after Viv's and Gavaskar's peaks had withered away. His away record was slightly worse than he would have liked, but an overall record of 8832 runs @ 52.57 does justice to a talent whose angular glances, square cuts and reverse sweeps (surprise!) were a joy to watch.. His exploits in the 1987-88 series against the Windies finally put paid to years of doubt over his mettle in difficult conditions, although extensive home umpiring in his favor will probably stick in a lot longer. His performances against India were as successful as might be expected, and when asked to hit four off the last ball of the Australasia Cup Final, he walloped Chetan Sharma for a six. For Miandad was a man to watch out for, especially when you least expected it.   

Clyde Leopold Walcott (West Indies)

In terms of panache, perhaps the best of the 3Ws. With Weekes and Worrell, the Windies line-up averaged 47 during his reign, much more than any of their contemporaries in world cricket. He was a prolific run getter with an average of above 56. That he was a big occasion man is evident in the fact that he scored an awesome 168 in Windies' first test win on English soil at Lord's. At his peak, like Viv Richards later, he was one of those rare power-packed batsmen to whom bowlers preferred not to bowl on a long afternoon. Walcott gave up his keeping after having a torrid first tour against Australia against Lindwall and Miller. After that, though, he managed to have some extraordinary outings, especially against the returning Aussies as he scored 5 centuries and averaged 82 in the Caribbean. His love of laughter was well known, not to say that he wasn't menacing on the field. After finishing his career after 44 test matches, he worked for his native Barbados and Antigua. An unforgettable mix of silk and gently rolling thunder was one Sir Clyde Walcott.

Rohan Bholalall Kanhai (West Indies)

Perhaps the most underrated Caribbean batsman of all time. Kanhai was the driving force in the Windies' middle order in the 60s, and a pivotal member of the 1975 World Cup winning team. It would be difficult to imagine a more entertaining batsman from his era. Kanhai played with Sobers, Weekes and Worrell in his first test, and Lloyd and Kallicharran in his last. His first century was a smashing 256 at the Eden Gardens, and he never looked back. He was somewhat daring and quite sublime in stroke-play. Another player who believed in using a good defense in positive, run-getting ways. Some very formidable people rate him as high as Brian Lara, and Sunil Gavaskar claims to have learnt a lot about his technique from watching Kanhai.

Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell (West Indies) 

The Classiest Captain Ever

The ease with which this man took the immense pressure on his shoulders as the first black captain of the Windies was remarkable. Frank Worrell batted with an elegance so superb as to set an example for his fine side. Ever the gentleman, he never let any controversy upset either his side, or his crafty batting. His partnership on the field with Sobers was fantastic @ 76.93, and their relationship off field helped Sobers become a future leader for the Windies. In their first series down under, he was the only of the batsmen to stand tall against a rampaging Lindwall-Miller, thus paving the way for future invasions. Worrell could bat anywhere, and sometimes opened the innings to great effect as well. A truly world class batsman. The man to unite Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad; the man respected and loved by everyone. 

4th Bracket

Kumar Chokshanada Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)

When it comes to Sangakkara, perhaps the most unfortunate fact is that he is automatically ranked below some of his contemporaries like Kallis and Dravid. This despite the fact that he has a better specialist batting record than both of them, indeed better than anybody including Ponting, Tendulkar and Lara during his reign as the pivotal block of the Sri Lankan team. After giving up the gloves, as a specialist bat, Sangakkara has averaged 69 in 63 tests. That is a remarkable feat. The only blemish, by no fault of his own, against his stellar record is the fact the Sri Lanka have played very little cricket with Australia, South Africa and England and hence he hasn't really got a chance to prove himself against them. The other most obvious reason for underrating him is that as a keeper, Kumar was not as successful with the bat and hence may have gotten pigeon-holed early. Also, he is not as aesthetically pleasing to look at as good left handers usually are (Border excluded), but his cover drive can be a thing of beauty. It is high time to acknowledge that he happens to be a major cricketing colossus, and the best batsman Sri Lanka has ever produced by far and away.

Stephen Rodger "Steve" Waugh (Australia)

The lower middle order giant of the 90s where he went toe-to-toe with the likes of Ambrose-Walsh, Wasim-Waqar and Donald-Pollock. Not a hint of backing down in him, especially when the going got tough, which it did quite a number of times in the early to mid 90s.

In Fine Flow

Waugh rose up the ranks by shedding his attacking outlook for a constrained approach. Mark might have been the poorer brother had Steve's initial devilry produced consistent results at the highest level. There came a point when dislodging Steve Waugh's wickets was the toughest job in test cricket; this during the rise of Tendulkar and Lara.

After taking over the captaincy, Waugh became more intensely associated with grooming the side to become the champions that they would eventually go on to. His tenacity with the bat was a major factor. I always admired the way he would milk runs through singles and twos, especially through the off-side. The mid-wicket was another favorite region of his, and the sweep a glorious stroke.

He scored runs by the bountiful, almost 11000 @ 51. At last count, you would always find Waugh battling at his end for the Aussies. 

Allan Robert Border (Australia)

The Atlas in a line-up which was ordinary for too long. Border is the undisputed king of the modern fight back. Too often, his crusade ended before reaching the century mark, but the crusades never stopped. Even after the blossoming of Boon, the Waughs and Deano, he continued to puddle runs away. If Border ever seemed too strict, it probably had something to do with how the Australians went from being kings of the hill in the 70s to down in the mud-pie by the early 80s. It was a tough era, with Imran-Miandad's Pakistan, Hadlee's New Zealand, and Gavaskar-Kapil's India presenting unique challenges at the world stage, let alone the Windies. With a lack of majestic match-winners, I always felt Border felt himself unable to instill the charges with the required amount of pep talk.

What is most telling of the man is that he averaged 56.57 in overseas tests, almost 11 points higher than his home record. Runs made during Ashes in England came at 65. Incredible stuff. Barrington is perhaps the only bat who can hold sway over Border in this respect. As an artist, he possessed a brilliant hook shot, and one of the punchiest cuts in the world. In the mid 80s, the best bat in the world along with Miandad.

Kenneth Frank "Ken" Barrington (England)

A colossus in the middle, Ken Barrington is surpassed in English middle order history only by Wally Hammond. He was a stonewaller of Boycottian standards. He started out as an attacking batsman, who then completely changed his playing style to suit the requirement of the team (seems to happen a lot, doesn't it?). The revised method cost him his place once, by way of punishment for taking 435 minutes to score 137 against a humdrum New Zealand attack at Edgbaston in 1965, but overall it served him brilliantly. When the chips were down, he was the one who could be relied upon to give his best, his uttermost. He was much loved by everyone in England, and served English cricket brilliantly for 82 tests, averaging 58.67 and scoring 20 centuries. The man's greatest feat was perhaps, that he averaged around 69 with the bat in overseas tests, a feat of titanic proportions. 

Everton DeCourcy Weekes (West Indies)

The third of the Ws is Everton Weekes. Weekes' career was a fine one, coinciding with those of Worrell, Walcott and Sobers. He was quick-footed and possessed an admirable variety of strokes, almost all of them attacking. In England in 1950 his rich form amassed him 2310 runs at 79.65 on the trip, including a triple hundred against Cambridge, although in the Tests he made 338 at 56.33. With an average of 58..61 after 48 tests and 15 centuries, he once scored five hundreds in consecutive tests in India, following a debut in which he scored 141 while being booed by the home fans in the Caribbean who wanted to see John Holt play instead of him. Nobody ever made that mistake again. Very fine indeed.  

Rahul Sharad Dravid (India)

Rahul Dravid is difficult to place on this list, to be very honest. I could have him lower and not many would complain. I , though, remain firm in my opinion that Dravid is as classy, as technically perfect, as proud and ambitious as any other batsman you will ever meet. With the integrity of a Supreme Court Justice, Dravid made the number 3 position all his own for India in their finest ever team. So bright did his star shine in the 2000s that he even eclipsed the great Tendulkar through the decade. His overseas performances against England, Windies and Australia were the base on which India built its finest victories. 

Nobody valued his wicket more than Dravid, whose reservoirs of concentration and determination seemed limitless. He was a team man through and through, opening when they needed him to, keeping when he was asked, and what not. Probably one of the last classical test batsmen, Dravid ended his career with more than 13000 test runs at an average of 52.31 with 36 centuries. More than the numbers, he was a man who would not submit to defeat, most notably showcased in his defiant partnership with VVS Laxman in Eden Gardens in 2001. With him gone, cricket has lost something special, something from a bygone era, something which is worth preserving.

3rd Bracket

Jacques Henry Kallis (South Africa)

That Kallis is a great batsman is widely acknowledged. That Kallis is the bedrock of the most solid South African team since 1970 (or perhaps ever) will never be denied. That Kallis is the most dependable man in world cricket will also scant be questioned. Then there is the fact that he is the fourth highest run getter in test history, also the second highest centurion with 44 test centuries to his name, with a batting average of 56.10 after 162 tests having scored 13,128 runs. Still, Kallis is routinely and regularly kept away from discussions regarding the best batsman of modern times. He is held behind Tendulkar, Ponting, Lara, as a matter of course. As much as I hate saying it, it may be somewhat justified.

Although Kallis is an imperious batsman, he is pretty much the Ken Barrington of the modern generation. He scores at a strike rate of just a little over 45, and can seem to be more of a defensive player. Add to that, he plays great shots too infrequently to draw an adoring admiration from the cricketing fans. Having said that, Kallis' upright booming cover drive is a thing of beauty from the shadows of the past generation, just like him, and I make room for him at the upper echelons of batting greats.

Ricky Thomas Ponting (Australia)

The batsman of the 2000s with an awe-inspiring record during his peak. A very attacking batsman with the most brilliant pull shot I have ever witnessed. Perhaps Australia’s greatest in the modern era. Slightly suspect early shuffle tended to get the better of him sometimes, but aside that, not much. Quintessentially modern, and an uncompromising plunderer of runs, Ponting has hit 41 test centuries, bringing him third on the all time list. Between 2002-06, he was in phenomenal form, averaging 70.93 in 2002, 100.20 in 2003, 67.13 in 2005 and 88.86 in 2006. The only issue is that outside of this purple patch, his numbers ob both sides are quite less daunting. He is the most successful test captain in history, a three time world cup winner, and one of only four batsmen to have scored 13000 test runs. At his best, he was like a thunderstorm, gathering everything in his wake. At his worst, not too bad either.

Robert Graeme Pollock (South Africa)

Even a career cut short could not diminish the greatness of this man. A master craftsman, an artist in the super league of left-handers. His profound command and aura at the crease were unmistakable. Bradman certainly thought him to be the best left hander he had ever seen along with Sobers. He destroyed Australia in 1970 along with Barry Richards. In 23 tests, he scored 2256 runs @ 60.97 with 7 centuries. Pollock was an extremely powerful batsman, very positive in his outlook, although his timing was perhaps his most obvious natural asset. He would probably have been regarded much higher on this list had he played more.

In Port Elizabeth, where he played the finest years of his first-class career, you can still almost picture people dashing off to see him play at “the Pollock position” at the Old Grey. If you need any confirmation of his greatness, look at the freaking gene pool, Peter Pollock and Shaun Pollock.

Gregory Stephen "Greg" Chappell (Australia)

The Silky Aussie

Beautiful to watch, very elegant with a great technique. His record is very, very good (average 53.86 and 24 100s), but more than anything else, Chappell was, aesthetically, the best batsman to watch in the 70s. He dominated Australia's batting for more than a decade in a show of supreme batsmanship. Never played ugly shots, never will. As time went by, he became better defensively, and imposed more self discipline upon himself. He influenced the side in other positive ways too. Ian, his brother, seemed twice the batsman with Greg in the team than without him. A master of the leg side, with his wristy upward flicks and a wonderful driver of the ball. Laxman would come close as a modern equivalent, but not close enough.

George Alphonso Headley (West Indies)

The Black Bradman. For some, he is the greatest West Indies Batsman of all time. Playing at number 3 in a modest Caribbean side, George Headley shone like a bright diamond. George Headley was unstoppable at every level of the game, making runs with a style and brilliance few have ever matched, and setting the standards for generations of West Indian players to follow. Headley's average at the outbreak of war was 66.7; among team-mates who played as many as five Tests, the next highest average was Clifford Roach's 30.7. Headley scored 10 centuries with a high score of 270. The unassuming genius comes across when he asked questions like, "Why doesn't he want to bat?", referring to a fellow batsman who got out playing a foolish shot. The first black superstar.

2nd Bracket

Walter Reginald 'Wally' Hammond (England)

The Man Who Liked a Shag

But for Jack Hobbs and Len Hutton, Hammond would have an automatic claim to be England's best batsman ever. He could still lay claim to be its best cricketer ever. A great slip catcher, and a useful medium pacer, and a colossus with the bat. He had established himself as the best batsman of his era, when suddenly the title was taken away by the boy from Bowral. He lived his entire career in the shadow of the Don, but was instrumental in English triumphs in that era. It is a truly unfortunate that Hammond never truly got the adulation he would have definitely received in any other era.

Supremely skilled on sticky wickets, and a marvelous exponent of the off side, Hammond scored runs in heavy showers, finishing with a staggering 36 first class double centuries and the highest test score of 336, then a world record beating Bradman's 334. His 7249 test runs came at 58.45 with 22 hundreds in 85 matches. Till his 77th test, though, he averaged 61, again quite incredible.

Brian Charles Lara (West Indies)

The Michael Jordan of Cricket

On his best days, the most watchable batsman in history. It is as simple as that. If I was told to pick between him and Tendulkar if both were going to be at their best, I would probably know who to pick on an outright basis. He was absolutely marvelous to watch. Extremely attacking. He knew the art of scoring huge centuries while keeping his wicket safe, as showcased in his innings of 277, 375, 501 and 400 and the awesome 153 in 1999. But then came some days when he was uncharacteristic, especially during 1998-01, and looked extremely unmotivated. His constant squabbles with the Windies Board didn't help his cause either. His final 3-4 years were quite glorious as he averaged nearly 57 with 14 centuries in that period. 

He was an entertainer par excellence. Eloquently graceful, divine in stroke-play and a god against spin bowling. The fastest bat to reach 11000 test runs. Once called the "Michael Jordan of Cricket" by the most powerful man in the world. Lara was rated as the best batsman they saw by his great contemporary bowlers : McGrath, Murali, and Waqar. The best player of spin bowling in history. Wonderful, wonderful cricketer, and a very proud man.

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander "Viv" Richards (West Indies)

Smokin' Hot!

Viv was a cross between Mohammad Ali and Barry Richards. What swagger, what a will to dominate, and what a player to watch. His hooking and pulling are up there as perhaps the best of all time. He feared no one, and was at his most fierce when antagonized. Oppositions quickly learned not to do that. Between 1976 and 1981, Viv was in a universe of his own, the way he dismantled attacks. It was always awe inspiring, and frequently he made the bowler want to hit the showers early. 

He could deflate oppositions like no other batsman in history. His overpowering theatrical displays of domination would really take over the entire game as long as he was there. He transformed West Indies from a good team to a world dominating side with his attitude and ambition, completing his career in 1991, though he was past his great days by '87. An overall test average of 50 falls woefully short of his real achievements. He walked the walked better than anyone else in the history of the game. A fighter to boot, with a huge will to succeed and win and dominate. When you have him in the batting line-up, you know the other side has a little bit of fear in their heart. That. Is. Dominance.

Sir Garfield St Aubrun "Garry" Sobers (West Indies)

Sir Garry Off-Drives!

A cricketing genius, Sobers was first and foremost a great batsman more than anything else. His exceptional Test batting average of over 57 tells little about the manner in which he made the runs, his elegant yet powerful style marked by all the shots, and most memorably his off-side play. Barry Richards once observed that Sobers was “the only 360-degree player in the game”; that is, his follow-through ended where his pick-up began, swinging “right through every degree on the compass”.

Sobers kick-started his batting career in 1957-58 against Pakistan with three fifties in a row, then made his first Test hundred at Kingston - the little matter of a world-record 365 not out. Two more hundreds followed at Georgetown, and he ended the series with 824 runs at 137.33. He was a very fine captain for the Windies side in an era where they found their first great team. Sobers could bat anywhere, and he did just that, alternating with the 3 Ws, even opening in a test once. Perhaps his best innings was the 254 in a WSC test against the Australians armed with a young, fiery Dennis Lillee.

Almost all his contemporaries rank him as the greatest batsman they ever saw after Bradman. Same goes for most people who played with or against the likes of Viv, Pollock and Chappell in the 70s and 80s. 

Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar (India)

I will let BBC Sports summarize for me:

Beneath the helmet, under that unruly curly hair, inside the cranium, there is something we don't know, something beyond scientific measure. Something that allows him to soar, to roam a territory of sport that, ...forget us, even those who are gifted enough to play alongside him cannot even fathom. When he goes out to bat, people switch on their television sets and switch off their lives.

The Glorious Master

First came the Prodigy. In 1988, when he was 15, Sunil Gavaskar was quoted as saying in a Sportsweek interview, "The two best batsmen in Bombay today are Dilip Vengsarkar and Sachin Tendulkar." Full stop. Everyone knew he was going to be one of the greatest, including, in a strange way, he himself. In 1992, at 19, he played those innings in Perth and Sydney.

Next came the Master Blaster. Partly because of the one day game, he became an unstoppable force. He changed the face of Indian cricket single handedly. I will always say, like Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Bradman, Viv and countless others, that the best batsmen attack the bowling even if it is not there to be attacked. Enter Sachin. From 1996 to 2002, he was in imperious form. The Sharjah whirl-storms, the Chennai masterstroke, the dismantling of Warne all came in that era.

Last came the cerebral genius. Sachin Tendulkar has donned many personas in his awe-striking career. He has reinvented himself again and again. He is almost as good a player now as he was when he started, but in a radically different way. If longevity were the most important criteria here, Tendulkar would have a real shot at the first bracket. In fact, with overall judgement in terms of technique, success, temperament and dominance as well, Tendulkar is the one, along with Sobers, who really knocks strongly at the first bracket's door. 

The best aspect of Tendulkar is that he is a purist's delight. He possesses all the best features of batting: compact technique, minimal footwork, aggression, instinct. He is a joy to watch, and he possesses the knack of finding joy in every outing on the field. Where he ranks above Lara and Richards is as a technician. 

His record is, well, you know. 51 Test Centuries, 15470 test runs, average 55. 44, 49 ODI centuries, 18426 ODI runs, average 44.83. In one area, though, Tendulkar suffers when compared with other greats is his inability to make really big scores. He has never made a triple century, and "only" made 6 double centuries. Tendulkar played in a weaker side for the first half of his career, often being the knight in shining armor. His excellence in ODI cricket is better than any other batsman in the format's history bar Sir Viv, and it only adds to his legend. To the man who loves scoring runs, and winning matches, it's cruel that he has played many a great innings in losing causes, although some find it a flaw in him rather than his team. But he has never complained. He has never even given a hint. He marches on.

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1st Bracket

Sir Donald George 'Don' Bradman (Australia)

The Invincible

99.94. The single most mind boggling number of cricket history. Home free. Bradman, the inexplicable phenomenon, had a technique which he himself has likened to being close to that of Tendulkar's. To be honest, I think he was flattering Sachin. Bradman mastered the art of scoring runs on uncovered and sticky pitches. He was the central point of the first  "Invincibles" side cricket has ever produced. He was hero worshiped during his entire career, as people flocked to the cricket ground to watch him score one of his great knocks, and he was made the brand ambassador of almost everything. The gold standard. The platinum standard. The einstenium standard. 

An attempt to bring forth some achievements of his: He once averaged 201 in a 5 match test series against South Africa. Another series against India, he averaged 178. He scored 29 centuries in 80 innings, 12 double hundreds, 2 triple hundreds and one 299*. His lowest point was averaging 56 in bodyline. Once scored 270 batting at number 7. Once scored 309 runs in a single day (a record). Bradman is (still) the fastest player to reach 2K, 3K, 4K, 5K, and 6K runs. He once made centuries in 6 consecutive tests. Averaged over 100 in seven different calendar years.

It is not just the dominance with the bat either. It is the context of those runs too. His Australian side destroyed England in all except the 'Bodyline' series, and he completely overshadowed one of history's great batsmen in Wally Hammond. His hunger for runs and victories led him to a point of intense rivalry with Hammond, who fought tooth and nail to best him. His incredible knowledge of cricket is admirably summarized in his book 'The Art of Cricket'. Read that properly and you can score a fifty in any Sunday league in any country. As a batsman, his technique can only be likened to Tendulkar by his own admission. 

No other athlete has dominated an international sport to the extent that Bradman did cricket, perhaps Michael Phelps and Jahangir Khan are the closest. That is why he is the only one in the 1st Bracket. If not for him, the 2nd bracket would have been the 1st Bracket. Want more? To end this, I will just write those few words again as I shake my head in wonder: ninety nine point nine four. Fetch that!

Batsmen who just missed out: Martin Crowe (New Zealand) - Dennis Compton (England) - Inzamam ul-Haq (Pakistan) - Neil Harvey (Australia)

Best Opening Batsmen of All Time

Here we go! My very first one. Opening batsmen are first in the line of fire. Great openers require a fantastic temperament, and an excellent technique, with the exception, perhaps, of Virender Sehwag.

Through the ages, the great openers have often come in pairs, be it Hobbs-Sutcliffe, Lawry-Simpson, Greenidge-Haynes or Hayden-Langer. To assess an opening batsman's might, I look at their personal record, the strength of the opposition, how much better they were than their peers, the significance of their contributions, and most importantly, how awesome they were as batsmen.

Pitch Perfect

Well then, here she goes:

10. Arthur Robert Morris (Australia)

With an average of 46.48, Morris scored 3533 runs in 46 Matches with 12 centuries. He was a member of the great 'Invincibles' side of 1948. His Ashes record is excellent, so is his opening record with Sid Barnes. He had a very elegant and positive game, though he did suffer a decline after Bradman and Barnes left the squad.

9. Matthew Lawrence Hayden (Australia)

With an average of 50.73, Hayden scored 8625 runs in 103 matches, with 30 centuries. His partnership with Justin Langer produced 5655 runs @ 51.88, including 14 century partnerships. His century-to-innings conversion ratio is one of the best of all time, way ahead of his contemporaries.

Forte: Power, Consistency, Great Mental Strength, Dominating.

8. Virender Sehwag (India)

Scoring 8178 runs at an average of 50.79, and a strike rate of 81.99! in 96 matches with 22 hundreds (not to mention some triple hundreds), Virender Sehwag did to opening in tests what Adam Gilchrist did to wicket-keeping.

An excellent hand-eye co-ordination, and a penchant for scoring boundaries has led him to dominate bowling attacks all around the world, including New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. His technique may be suspect, but he makes up for it with excellent temperament and ambition. With Gautam Gambhir, he has perhaps the mightiest opening pairing India has ever had.

7. Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge (West Indies)

Greenidge scored 7558 runs in 108 matches at an average of 44.72, with 19 hundreds. His partnership in the 1980s with Desmond Haynes produced 6482 runs (a world record) @ 47.31 with 16 century partnerships. In an era when pace bowling was at its peak, Greenidge's aggressive style and excellent stroke-play made him a force to be reckoned with. 

6. Victor Thomas Trumper (Australia)

With an average of 39.04, Trumper scored 3163 runs in 48 matches, with 8 centuries. Don't let the low average fool you, he was way ahead of his contemporaries. Confused? Two words - Uncovered Pitches. Playing at the turn of the century, he was the master of the uncovered pitches and unorthodox batting, with a  beautiful technique to boot. The first real great Aussie opener. He is a legend remembered with great fondness down under, and is still considered by some as being the next to Don himself.

5. Herbert Sutcliffe (England)

With an average of 60.73, Sutcliffe scored 4555 Runs in 54 Matches, with 16 centuries. He was one half of the greatest opening pair ever with Jack Hobbs. They produced 3249 runs together @ 87.81 (wow!) with 15 century partnerships.

Sutcliffe himself was a very fine batsman, with an immense reservoir of concentration and determination. He is remembered as one of the game's finest "bad wicket batsmen". According to Fred Trueman, "he was a terrible man to get out".

4. Barry Anderson Richards (South Africa)

Ah! Barry Richards. One of my all time favorites. Not just for the legend of the unfulfilled genius, but for his attitude towards batting. With a wonderfully positive attitude, he played just four tests against Australia in the summer of 1970, scoring 508 runs at an average of 72.57, making 2 centuries and 2 half centuries. His other international exploits were in Kerry Packer's World Series cricket, where he scored 554 runs @ 79.14 in 5 'supertests'. The fact that a county player was included in the World XI is, in itself, a great feat.

His county record is fantastic too. Go here for more details. The stories about how he would read the bowlers (an instance where he demystified Johnny Gleesen's spin in one over for all his teammates is famed), and the way he approached batting are the real gems which tell the true story. Barry scored 9 first class centuries before lunch. In that sense, he was like Sehwag with a great technique! He even managed to outscore the great Viv Richards in the World Series when they were batting together. Bradman said he was as good as Hobbs and Hutton. Never again has there been an opener with such a perfect technique who scored at such a brisk pace, and was so positive in his outlook for the game.

3. Sunil Manohar 'Sunny' Gavaskar (India)

You have to acknowledge the greatness of this diminutive Indian opener who had a beautiful, unbreachable technique. Compact, Precise, Flawless. And when he did hit them, they were beautiful to watch. The only complaint you might have of him is that he didn't hit enough of them. That said, his hooking and pulling was of the highest caliber and was on proper display when he was feeling a slight animosity towards the bowler. He played with equal felicity off both front and back feet, had excellent judgement of length and line, and was beautifully balanced. He had virtually every stroke in the book but traded flair for the solidity his side needed more.

Sunil Gavaskar is indisputably the greatest international opener since 1970. As has been said by many, his mastery over the brilliant pacemen of the Caribbean was quite an achievement, although that feat is slightly exaggerated as it is not widely known that his actual performance against the full might of the 'Pace Quartet' was much less impressive than his overall record against the Windies. The way he played the fantastic pacemen of his era like Imran, Hadlee, Lillee, Thompson, Botham and Willis was the epitome of fine batsmanship.  He averaged 65.40 against the Windies, making some great match winning hundreds and double hundreds. He was the first man to reach 10000 test runs and held the record for most centuries with 34, until a certain Sachin Tendulkar came along. Overall his average was 51.12 and he formed a great opening salvo with Chetan Chauhan having 10 century partnerships in a record of 3010 runs @ 53.75.

You had to understand India to truly understand why Gavaskar played the way he played. He didn't have the luxury of a good middle order. It was him or nothing. How could a man be expected to take chances with his wicket in flashy stroke-play in such circumstances? If you need some proof of how prolific he could be, check out the 94-ball hundred he scored against Marshall and Co in 1983. Had he played for a better side, he might have been more prolific. This, after his record is still one of the best ever.

2. Leonard 'Len' Hutton (England)

The King of Defence

A fantastic record of 6971 runs at an astounding average of 56.67 in 79 matches places Len Hutton here at the top of the list. He scored 19 centuries in a stellar career as a superstar opener. His greatest opening pairing was with Cyril Washbrook with whom he produced 2880 runsa @ 60. To add to all this, as a captain, he led England through a difficult time. He broke Hammond's world record by scoring 364 runs in an innings until Garfield Sobers took over with 365.

Had the War not interrupted his career, he was destined to go to even greater heights. As it is, he finished as England's second best ever. His golden career coincided with England having a modest batting lineup and he played a somewhat similar role to Sunil Gavaskar as he became slightly defensive in his approach to preserve his wicket, although he was capable of a some fine hitting, as he showed time and time again. Many consider him to have had the best defensive technique in the game. He was certainly a star, and is right up there with Hobbs and Hammond as England's best ever.

1. John Berry 'Jack' Hobbs (England) 

Hobbs and Sutcliffe - The Immortal Openers

In short, Hobbs made 61237 first class runs with 199 centuries. He was one half of two of the greatest opening salvos in test cricket history: one with Wilfred Rhodes - 2146 runs made @ 61.31, and one with Herbert Sutcliffe - 3249 runs made @ 87.81. Hobbs scored 5410 test runs at an average of 56.94 with 15 hundreds. 

A brilliant, spontaneous and original player. He broke many social boundaries, becoming the first professional batsman who batted like an amateur (meaning he would play in an unorthodox manner). A man who taught his peers as much as he excelled on the pitch. His partner Sutcliffe went as far as to give him a share of praise for his own runs. Hobbs scored more than 100 of his 199 centuries  after his 40th birthday. He was still good enough to pass 1000 runs in 1933, aged 51, at an average of 61.38!!

The Master. The legend. The Greatest Englishman to ever play the game. Jack Hobbs. Who else to open but him?