There is no accurate qualification for a player to be considered as an all-rounder and use of the term tends to be influenced by impressionistic views. Even though most of the batsmen in the current generation tend to roll over their arms whenever required but a specialist all-rounder is someone who can equally contribute and win matches for the team both with the bat and ball. Either way, a genuine all-rounder is quite a rare commodity and extremely valuable to any team.
Over the years we have been blessed with some tremendous all-rounders who has been pivotal in their team’s success. From Gary Sobers to Shakib-al-Hasan all-rounders have always been an asset to the team and provided them with the much-needed balance and stability.
With cricket becoming faster with each passing day, the role of an all-rounder is also evolving. Especially in the limited overs format, the role of an all-rounder becomes that much important because you get very little time to adjust and you have to take decisions promptly.
Here we bring you 5 all-rounders from the current crop who has played a vital role in their team’s success in One Day Internationals.
#5 Kieron Pollard (West Indies)
The enormous man from Trinidad is an important member of the West Indies limited overs team. A power hitter in the lower middle order, Pollard can decimate any bowling attack on his day and make bowlers look silly. To go with his batting abilities, he is also an intelligent medium pacer who can contain the batsmen with his dibbly dobbly cutters and is also a partnership breaker.
Making his ODI debut against South Africa in 2007, Pollard has been in and out of the side due to the dispute with the West Indies cricket board. Not only Pollard many of the top West Indies players have backed out from playing international cricket due to unending dispute with their board.
One of his greatest ODI knocks came against the mighty Australians at St. Lucia in 2012. His whirlwind 102 of a mere 70 balls was instrumental in West Indies defeating Australia by 42 runs.
Pollard has been a handy bowler too picking up 49 wickets in his 98 ODIs and his 3/27 against South Africa in 2010 remains his best bowling figures in ODIs.
#4 Corey Anderson (New Zealand)
An asset to the New Zealand limited overs team ever since he made his international debut, Corey Anderson shot to fame by becoming the cricketer to score the fastest century in ODI cricket in just 36 balls, breaking Shahid Afridi’s record of 37 balls against Sri Lanka in 1996.
Anderson finished with 131 in 47 balls. The innings was decorated with 6 fours and 14 gigantic sixes. Along with Jesse Ryder, the duo broke the record for maximum sixes in an ODI innings. The record was broken a year later by AB de Villiers when he scored the fastest ODI century against West Indies in just 31 deliveries.
Making his debut against England in 2013, Anderson has been a hard-hitting middle order batsman and has also opened the bowling for the Black Caps. He has a total of 55 wickets in his short international career at an impressive average of 24.52 per wicket.
#3 Ravindra Jadeja (India)
The left arm spinner hasn’t been in the greatest of forms either with the bat or ball of late but has been an important member of the Indian set up. Though he hasn’t replicated his tremendous batting performance in the domestic circuit in the international arena but there has to be something special about the player who has scored 3 triple centuries in his 1st class career.
Jadeja made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in 2009 and scored a fluent 60 in his first match. In late 2009 he was awarded his first man of the match award for his 4/32 against Sri Lanka at Cuttack.
Jaddu was India’s standout performer in the Champions Trophy played in England in 2013. He was literally unplayable on certain occasions with his immaculate line length and pace variations. He took a total of 12 wickets in just 5 matches at a staggering average of 12.83. His figures of 5/36 against West Indies is still his best figures in ODIs.
Jadeja was the man of the match in the final against England where he scored a vital 33 in a low scoring encounter and took 2 wickets that ensured India won the champions trophy for the 2nd time.
He has scored 1,849 ODI runs in his career so far at an average of 32.43.
#2 Angelo Mathews (Sri Lanka)
The captain of the Sri Lankan team, Angelo Mathews has been a very important member of the Asian side especially after the retirement of stalwarts like Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkara. Mathews has been an inspirational leader when the going was really tough for Sri Lanka in their turbulent times.
Mathews made his ODI debut on the last day of 2008 against Zimbabwe. Though he plays as a specialist batsman in Tests to avoid injuries, he has been a batting all-rounder in the limited overs format to provide the balance in the team.
In the year 2010, Mathews along with Lasith Malinga registered a colossal 132 run partnership for the 9th wicket against Australia which eventually helped Sri Lanka win the match from a hapless situation.
In 2015, Mathews became the fourth Sri Lankan to score 3,000 runs and take 100 ODI wickets after Aravinda de Silva, Sanath Jayasuriya and Tillakaratne Dilshan.
Mathews has scored 4,452 runs in 179 matches at an impressive average of 40.10. To go with his impressive batting record, Mathews has also taken 111 wickets in his ODI career.
#1 Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Arguably the greatest all-rounder among the current crop of international players, Shakib Al Hasan has been one of the biggest reasons behind Bangladesh’s success in the recent past. Beating Pakistan, India and South Africa in back to back series is the biggest achievement for Bangladesh cricket till now and Shakib was an important member of that team.
Shakib has been the most valuable member of the Bangladesh team ever since making his debut against Zimbabwe in 2006. He is a rock solid middle order batsman and knows when to accelerate and can play the big shots really well.
He has been the main reason why Bangladesh has done really well in World Cups recently. Shakib is an intelligent bowler and bowls with immense control and guile and has been a primary wicket taker for Bangladesh.
The Bangladeshi has scored 4,398 runs in 157 matches at an impressive average of 35.18. With the ball in hand, the all-rounder has also picked 206 wickets an average of 27.89 per wicket.
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