Top 10 all-rounders in ODI cricket

An all-rounder today is an invincible embodiment of a successful ODI team. Over time, we have been privileged to have the likes of Sir Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Wally Hammond amongst many others who dominated the first era of ODI cricket with the bat and the ball alike. They were amongst the very best to have ever played on a cricket field.

Then came the era of Chris Cairns, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusner, Sanath Jayasuriya, Andrew Flintoff and Abdul Razzaq. Jonty Rhodes, too can be said to have made it to the list by virtue of his sheer elegance with the bat and his breath-taking mastery in the field.

Present day ODI cricket has somewhat redefined the job of an all-rounder, giving rise to terms such as “bowling all-rounders” and “batting all-rounders”.

Here’s presenting the list of the Top 10 all-rounders in present era of ODI Cricket:

Note: This list focuses more recent performances as well performances in crunch situations over the past decade

10) Daniel Vettori:

The former Kiwi captain was the highest ranked bowler in ODIs for a considerable period of time and not too long ago (i.e. before his retirement) Add to that, 2000 runs at an average of 17.24 which is quite acceptable for a bowling all-rounder coming in to bat at number 6 or 7. He also had to captain the side for most part of the post-Fleming era till date, which all combined, makes him the perfect number 10 for me.

9) Paul Collingwood:

At No. 9, I place Paul Collingwood. But in his prime, he was one of the best in the business. His batting needs no introduction and for those who doubt his bowling, his figures of 6/31 against Bangladesh in 2005 are the best by any English bowler in ODIs. He also scored an unbeaten 112 in the same match, making it the best all-round performance ever in an ODI. All this, coupled with his breathtaking fielding at backward point or in the slips over the past decade, would earn him a spot in any list featuring the top ODI all-rounders.

8) Tillakaratne Dilshan:

The former Sri Lankan captain and now aggressive opener, Dilshan was and is capable of taking every attack to the cleaners! His off-breaks are very handy especially in the ODI format. He has taken 62 wickets at an average of 43.82 and scored over 5000 runs at an average of 36. Moreover, his fielding provides an added advantage; he has run-out or taken a catch in almost every single match since his arrival.

7) Ryan ten Doeschate:

This young Dutch gets such few matches to showcase his talent that he often goes unnoticed. But whenever given an opportunity, he has not failed to impress. ten Doeschate has a ODI batting average of 67.00 which is presently the highest batting average in ODI cricket by a batsman with more than 20 innings. His team seldom plays against top teams but his average against Test playing nations is still good at 42.57. Also, he has scalped 55 wickets from 33 matches at an average of 24.12.

6) Chris Gayle:

Christopher Henry Gayle, arguably the most explosive batsman of all time, is a reflection of raw muscle power being wielded from the arms into the willow. He is one of the most successful One Day International all-rounders having scored nearly 8000 runs and taken 156 wickets in over 200 appearances for the West Indies.

5) Shahid Afridi:

While many people might call No.5 a bit low for Afridi but his dip in batting form can be asserted to be the lone reason for this. None the less, 313 wickets at an average of 33 and over 6000 runs at 23 keep him at No.4.

4) Shakib Al Hassan:

The most underrated player one can recall, Shakib is undoubtedly one of the finest cricketers in world cricket at present. Leading a side which is accustomed to losing is a tough job but he did that well, and with finesse. Although, on personal performances, he has been consistent – 3635 runs at an average of 35.63 and 160 wickets at 28.85 speak a lot about his class.

3) Yuvraj Singh:

One might wonder why Shakib has been placed below Yuvraj, and the answer is that this list is based on recent performances. Though he hasn’t donned the India T-shirt ever since the CWC 2011, Yuvi deserves to make it to this list. He has transformed from a pie-chucker to a world class wicket-taking left arm orthodox spinner. His batting has been the key to India’s success over the past decade. He has 109 wickets & best figures of 5/30 and over 8000 runs at 37.62. Player of the WC 2011, Yuvraj played an incomparable role in the tournament. Often regarded as the ‘Jonty Rhodes of India’, Yuvraj has sharp reflexes and has taken some dazzling catches over the years. He is now considered by many as a genuine all-rounder for India.

2) Shane Watson:

I wonder where to begin. Starting off as a bowling all-rounder, he has now become a batting all-rounder! An aggressive batsman with clean striking abilities, Watson bowls quality medium pace. His stats: 133 wickets at 29 and 3937 runs at 43.57. Being a natural stroke player, Watson holds the record for the maximum number of sixes in an ODI innings at 15 which he struck while scoring a devastating 185 runs off 96 balls against Bangladesh in early 2011.

1) Jacques Kallis:

The Numero Uno, the undoubted king – is one of the greatest cricketers of all time, being the only cricketer in the history of the game to hold more than 10,000 runs and 250 wickets in both one day and Test match cricket. He has been described by Kevin Pietersen and Daryll Cullinan as the greatest cricketer ever to play the game. One of the most consistent players over the past decade, he has scalped 259 wickets at 31.90 and scored over 11,000 runs at 45.84. He is a formidable right-handed batsman and a wicket-taking medium pacer.