5 greatest wicketkeeper-batsmen of all time

For many years in Cricket, wicketkeeping was looked at as a specialist position much like a pure batsman or a bowler who can't do the other facet of the game. But with the advent of the game, it is not just a one-dimensional position anymore. A wicketkeeper needs to be as good as a Batsman to be assured of the spot in the team.

Only a handful of cricketers have been successful in this regard, and the upcoming wicketkeepers have already shown they are no mug with the bat and can deliver at crucial junctures of the game.

The men who performed in this department have been a great asset for their respective sides, and since most of them have an attacking mindset, they can change the course of the game in a jiffy.

In this slideshow, we will look at five of the greatest wicketkeeping-batsmen of all times.

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#5 Ian Healy

Probably the greatest gloveman of the modern time.

Ian Healy could have been top of this list, but the fact that he is not that great with the bat compared to the others kept him down in this list of greatest wicketkeepers of all time.

He is, without a doubt, one of the best pure glovemen in the history of Cricket with 628 dismissals behind the stumps. As a batter, he has over 6000 runs across the formats with 4 Test centuries to his name. He was probably the first wicketkeeper who made the teams think that solid wicketkeeping batsmen are a requirement.

He has in fact set the wicketkeeping standards for the rest to follow.

#4 MS Dhoni

Captain Cool

MS Dhoni has his own style of wicketkeeping and has found some unique ways to be successful behind the stumps. He has one of the fastest hands in the business and can take the bail off the stumps in a blink of an eye. Dhoni in his career has taken 616 catches across formats and has effected a record-breaking 184 stumpings as a wicketkeeper.

As a batsman, he is regarded as the best finisher in the history of the gentlemen's game and has several records & accolades. He came in a time when the Indian team was looking at keepers who can bat down the order and Dhoni cemented the place doing that role. He has accumulated over 16500 runs and scored 16 centuries till now in his 14-year long career.

He became just the 12th player in ODI history to have scored 10000 runs.

#3 Mark Boucher

The South African Legend

Mark Boucher would have become the first wicketkeeper in the history of the game to have had 1000 dismissals but an unfortunate eye injury during a practice game in England cut short his career and, was left standard on a heartbreaking 999. Boucher could never recover from that freakish injury and, announced his retirement shortly after that. But he will be remembered as one of the greatest glovemen in the history of the game.

Boucher always came handy with the bat when the team needed him the most. He played the role of the finisher perfectly and used to score at a faster pace. He has won matches single-handedly for the Proteas along with the tail.

To go with the breathtaking records with the gloves, he has scored over 10,000 runs in his illustrious career.

#2 Kumar Sangakkara

One of the greatest sportspersons.

Sangakkara is regarded as one of the most polished and prudent of batsmen in cricket. He has scored 28016 international runs in a career spanning over 15 years. He is currently second in the list of leading run scorers in ODI Cricket. He has scored 63 international centuries which is the third most. He was the ICC Cricketer of the year in the year 2012.

Apart from his prowess with the bat, Sangakkara was one of the greatest when it comes to behind the stumps. Though he was not a regular keeper for Srilanka and played primarily as a batsman in Test cricket, he was simply the best when it comes to the shorter format. He has affected over 500 dismissals in ODI's alone and has the record of most number of dismissals (54) in the World Cups.

#1 Adam Gilchrist

The best keeper-batsmen of all time.

Adam Gilchrist, without an iota of a doubt, is the greatest wicketkeeper-batsman of all-time. He could single-handedly take the attack to the opposition on any day at the top of the order in ODIs and demolish them with his sheer presence down the order in Test Cricket.

With the willow, he has scored over 15000 runs at a very brisk rate and has centuries to his credit. He in many ways can be said as the man who pioneered the way the wicketkeeper-batsmen should play.

He was like a daredevil behind the stumps with 813 catches and 82 stumpings across the formats for Australia. More than the records, the way in which he impacted the future generations has been impeccable with many upcoming keepers idolizing him.