Ducks' 5 Greatest Cricketers of All-Time
Cricket has had many legends over the years. They have frustrated bowlers, or devastated batsman. In this blog, I will select the 5 greatest of all-time, from my perspective.
5) Wasim Akram - Pakistan
The King of Swing, Wasim Akram. Akram started playing for Pakistan, when he was 19. It was an ODI match against New Zealand where he started his career. He bowled 4.0 overs, and went for 31 runs, and picked up no wickets. The following match, Wasim didn't pick up any wickets. The next ODI he played, he bowled 8.0 overs, and picked up a 5-fa. Akram continued to bowl consistently, and was rewarded with wickets pretty much every game. Wasim could never really go on to make big scores with the bat. After 18 innings's (not including matches when he didn't bat) his highest score was 24.
Test cricket probably suited him more batting wise.
He got his first test century against Australia in the early 90's. 6 years before retiring from test cricket, Wasim scored a superb 257* against the Zimbabweans'. But it's his bowling that really won him himself a spot in the Pakistani side. He scored two 5-fa's in a row, in only his second test. Akram frightened many opponents with the scary reverse swing, still bowling up to 140kph. I know I would get bowled the first ball against that if it was on target.
Akram was accused of ball tampering, so he could get reverse swing, and match fixing, although both of them were false.
4) Brian Lara - West Indies
Brian Lara started his majestic career in the early 90's, as a middle-order batsman. He made his first appearance against the Pakistani's scoring a reasonable knock of 44. In only his ninth test, Brian Lara scored a mammoth innings of 277 against the Australians' in Sydney. Brian held the world record of 'most runs scored by an individual in test cricket'. He had a score of 375*, but then Matthew Hayden broke the record with a score of 380 against the Zimbabweans'. Lara came back 1 year later and again; and broke the record with an un-beaten knock of 400. The score still remains.
Lara had scored 34 centuries in test cricket, and an average of 52.88.
Even though Lara averages 40 in ODI cricket, it's no secret that he was more of a talent in the un-limited form of the game. It took him 40 innings's before he reached his first limited-overs century.
Brian is now a West Indian selector. He found Adrian Barath, the young star opener for the current West Indian squad. I hope to see more of Lara in the future.
3) Shane Warne - Australia
Shane Warne started his career in the early 90's. Warne's first real standout performance was against the West Indies' in the Boxing Day test match, where he took 7 wickets. After that test match, he kept on pushing himself, and he got more and more wickets in every match. Then along game the...
...ball of the century in England. The ball turned a country mile, and Mike Gatting didn't play, and he didn't have a clue, getting bowled. Even Dickie Bird, the umpire couldn't believe his eyes!
Shane Warne's is also a respectable tail-end batsman. He looked set for his maiden test century against the Kiwis. He was on 99*. Warney then went for the hook shot, and got caught on 99. That remains his highest score.
Shane has played 194 ODI matches in his life. He has picked up 293 ODI wickets, and a highest score of 55. He has played in a few World Cups, and was lucky to win one or two.
Shane Warne is my greatest bowler of all-time, with 708 test wickets, and 293 ODI wickets. That comes to a total of 1,001 international wickets.
2) Garfield Sobers - West Indies
Sobers could possibly be the greatest all-rounder of all-time. Over 27 innings's, Sobers highest score was 80. But the following test match, Gary scored a world record 'most runs by an individual in test match cricket', with a score of 365*. Then two consecutive centuries, a 198, and a double century 11 months later. Sobers was the first person in history to ever hit 6x6's in one over. He did it when he was playing for Nottingham against Glamorgan.
Garry only ever played one ODI, and it was pretty much a fail, scoring a sixth ball duck, and 1 wicket.
Even though Garfield Sobers was born with two extra fingers (one on each hand); Sobers would probably have to be the greatest all-rounder there has ever been. Notching an average of 57 off the bat, and 34 with the ball.
1) Don Bradman - Australia
Aha, Don Bradman, my greatest cricketer of all-time. 'The Don', started his career in the late 20's, at the number 7 spot. Australia got creamed in his debut match, losing by 676 runs to the Poms. Bradman got a total of 19 runs from the test. But of course, he backed it up with a 79 and a century the following match. In total, Bradman has scored 2 triple centuries, and was sooooo close to scoring 3, with a score of 299*! Don has 8 double centuries, and 17 centuries to his name.
Donald has the highest average in all cricket. Every cricketing fan would know off by heart that it is 99.94. Although; it could have been 100, but a rare second ball duck in his last match prevented that milestone from being a reality.
No bowler could ever find a way of ever getting him out. They tried every ball in the books, but they could never get results. Bradman is my greatest cricketer of all-time.
5) Wasim Akram - Pakistan
The King of Swing, Wasim Akram. Akram started playing for Pakistan, when he was 19. It was an ODI match against New Zealand where he started his career. He bowled 4.0 overs, and went for 31 runs, and picked up no wickets. The following match, Wasim didn't pick up any wickets. The next ODI he played, he bowled 8.0 overs, and picked up a 5-fa. Akram continued to bowl consistently, and was rewarded with wickets pretty much every game. Wasim could never really go on to make big scores with the bat. After 18 innings's (not including matches when he didn't bat) his highest score was 24.
Test cricket probably suited him more batting wise.
He got his first test century against Australia in the early 90's. 6 years before retiring from test cricket, Wasim scored a superb 257* against the Zimbabweans'. But it's his bowling that really won him himself a spot in the Pakistani side. He scored two 5-fa's in a row, in only his second test. Akram frightened many opponents with the scary reverse swing, still bowling up to 140kph. I know I would get bowled the first ball against that if it was on target.
Akram was accused of ball tampering, so he could get reverse swing, and match fixing, although both of them were false.
4) Brian Lara - West Indies
Brian Lara started his majestic career in the early 90's, as a middle-order batsman. He made his first appearance against the Pakistani's scoring a reasonable knock of 44. In only his ninth test, Brian Lara scored a mammoth innings of 277 against the Australians' in Sydney. Brian held the world record of 'most runs scored by an individual in test cricket'. He had a score of 375*, but then Matthew Hayden broke the record with a score of 380 against the Zimbabweans'. Lara came back 1 year later and again; and broke the record with an un-beaten knock of 400. The score still remains.
Lara had scored 34 centuries in test cricket, and an average of 52.88.
Even though Lara averages 40 in ODI cricket, it's no secret that he was more of a talent in the un-limited form of the game. It took him 40 innings's before he reached his first limited-overs century.
Brian is now a West Indian selector. He found Adrian Barath, the young star opener for the current West Indian squad. I hope to see more of Lara in the future.
3) Shane Warne - Australia
Shane Warne started his career in the early 90's. Warne's first real standout performance was against the West Indies' in the Boxing Day test match, where he took 7 wickets. After that test match, he kept on pushing himself, and he got more and more wickets in every match. Then along game the...
...ball of the century in England. The ball turned a country mile, and Mike Gatting didn't play, and he didn't have a clue, getting bowled. Even Dickie Bird, the umpire couldn't believe his eyes!
Shane Warne's is also a respectable tail-end batsman. He looked set for his maiden test century against the Kiwis. He was on 99*. Warney then went for the hook shot, and got caught on 99. That remains his highest score.
Shane has played 194 ODI matches in his life. He has picked up 293 ODI wickets, and a highest score of 55. He has played in a few World Cups, and was lucky to win one or two.
Shane Warne is my greatest bowler of all-time, with 708 test wickets, and 293 ODI wickets. That comes to a total of 1,001 international wickets.
2) Garfield Sobers - West Indies
Sobers could possibly be the greatest all-rounder of all-time. Over 27 innings's, Sobers highest score was 80. But the following test match, Gary scored a world record 'most runs by an individual in test match cricket', with a score of 365*. Then two consecutive centuries, a 198, and a double century 11 months later. Sobers was the first person in history to ever hit 6x6's in one over. He did it when he was playing for Nottingham against Glamorgan.
Garry only ever played one ODI, and it was pretty much a fail, scoring a sixth ball duck, and 1 wicket.
Even though Garfield Sobers was born with two extra fingers (one on each hand); Sobers would probably have to be the greatest all-rounder there has ever been. Notching an average of 57 off the bat, and 34 with the ball.
1) Don Bradman - Australia
Aha, Don Bradman, my greatest cricketer of all-time. 'The Don', started his career in the late 20's, at the number 7 spot. Australia got creamed in his debut match, losing by 676 runs to the Poms. Bradman got a total of 19 runs from the test. But of course, he backed it up with a 79 and a century the following match. In total, Bradman has scored 2 triple centuries, and was sooooo close to scoring 3, with a score of 299*! Don has 8 double centuries, and 17 centuries to his name.
Donald has the highest average in all cricket. Every cricketing fan would know off by heart that it is 99.94. Although; it could have been 100, but a rare second ball duck in his last match prevented that milestone from being a reality.
No bowler could ever find a way of ever getting him out. They tried every ball in the books, but they could never get results. Bradman is my greatest cricketer of all-time.
where is sachin?
