Top 5 International teams with best wicket keepers in ODI history

In cricket’s modern era, wicket keeping is just not confined to the art of glovesmanship behind the stumps but also involves contributing with the willow for winning matches for your team.

In the fast-changing dynamics of ODI cricket, every cricketer has become a multi-utility weapon for their team. Wicket-keepers have been relabelled as 'wicket-keeper batsman' as they don the dual role of an effective keeper and a dependable batsman who chips in with valuable knocks as part of his team’s batting efforts.

So let us look into the top 5 teams who have been blessed with quality wicket-keeper batsmen in one day cricket over the years.

For picking up my top five teams, I took into account certain parameters to fine tune the selection. Consistency in run scoring and longevity in career were two of the major criteria for making the cut as a wicketkeeper-batsman. Only those batsmen who scored at least 1000 runs in min 50 ODIs with a 20 plus average were considered as frontline wicketkeepers for their sides.

---

#5 England

Jos Buttler

England’s Jos Buttler is the most destructive wicket-keeper batsman in ODIs at present. Buttler has proven to be an impact player with his blitzkrieg cameos down the order. Blessed with good hand-eye coordination and sublime timing, Jos can annihilate the best of bowling attacks with sheer disdain. Buttler is quite acrobatic behind the stumps with his tidy glovework.

England also have the luxury of another wicketkeeper-batsman in Jonny Bairstow who has been a surprise package for many as he shed his tag of a Test specialist and became an attacking stroke maker in ODIs.

English cricket was well served by Alec Stewart who was their frontline wicketkeeper-batsman all through the 90s. Besides his safe glovework behind the stumps, Stewart was a dependable batsman who could bat anywhere in the order producing runs consistently for his side.

Over the years, England had the services of Matt Prior and Craig Kieswetter who all served their team well as wicketkeeper batsmen

Jos Buttler: Matches - 109, Runs - 2816, Avg - 38.05

Alec Stewart: Matches - 160, Runs - 4677, Avg - 33.48

Craig Kieswetter: Matches - 46, Runs - 1054, Avg - 30.11

#4 Sri Lanka

Kumar Sangakkara

The massive turn in Sri Lanka’s fortune in ODIs was largely credited to their aggressive intent by their free-flowing stroke-makers. The pinch-hitting adopted by Sanath Jayasuriya and Romesh Kaluwitharana redefend how ODI cricket was played.

The short-statured keeper batsman Kaluwitharana was a pocket dynamite with the bat, getting the Lankans to some flying starts. 'Little Kalu' could decimate bowling attacks to all corners of the park with his quick hands and. A gloveman par excellence, the diminutive batsman was electrifying behind the stumps with his natural agility.

Kumar Sangakkara would go down as perhaps the most complete wicket-keeper batsman of all time. A well-organised batsman with a solid defence, Sanga became a prolific run-getter for the Islanders across all conditions. He was adept at playing both fast and spin bowling and became the lynchpin of the Sri Lankan middle order.

The Lankans have been served well by Dinesh Chandimal who has a responsible head on his shoulders. Meanwhile, aggressive stroke-makers like Niroshan Dickwella and Kusal Perera give the Lankans a lot of options with regards to their choice of fielding a wicketkeeping batsman.

Kumar Sangakkara: Matches - 404, Runs - 14234, Avg - 41.99

Romesh Kaluwitharana: Matches - 189, Runs - 3711, Avg - 22.22

#3 Australia

Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist is credited for revolutionizing the role of a wicket-keeper batsman in ODIs. The hard-hitting left-hander was an outright match winner for the Aussies providing them with some explosive starts opening the innings. Gilchrist added value to his wicket-keeping skills with his electrifying batting. ‘Gilly’ won some major games for the Aussies in the World Cups with his power-packed hitting

After Gilchrist departed, Brad Haddin did more than a decent job for the Aussies as a wicket-keeper batsman. An attacking batsman, Haddin could step up the scoring rate batting at any position. He was pretty good behind the stumps too. In recent years, Tim Paine and Matthew Wade have chipped in with the bat besides donning the gloves for the Kangaroos.

The Australians had Ian Healy as their wicketkeeper all through the 90s. Hailed as one of the best ever keepers of the game, Healy was a free-flowing batsman who chipped in with runs down the order.

Adam Gilchrist: Matches - 287, Runs - 9619, Avg - 35.89

Brad Haddin: Matches - 115, Runs - 3121, Avg - 31.53

Matthew Wade: Matches - 94, Runs - 1777, Avg - 25.75

Ian Healy: Matches - 168, Runs - 1764, Avg - 21.00

#2 India

MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has etched his mark as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen in ODIs. Apart from his razor sharp reflexes behind the stumps, Dhoni has been a finisher par excellence, winning some close games with his calculated hitting.

'Mahi' takes the game deep and unveils some breathtaking shots to clinch games by the whisker. A brilliant reader of the match situation, Dhoni has been a master at pacing his innings and stepping up the acceleration button when required. Meanwhile, Dinesh Karthik has shown flashes of brilliance with the bat while donning the gloves for India.

The nation cannot forget the selfless sacrifice made by their ever dependable Rahul Dravid who donned the gloves whenever required by the team. Dravid who became the rock of the Indian middle order did not disappoint with his part-time duties as a wicketkeeper.

Over the years the Indians had Syed Kirmani, Kiran More and Nayan Mongia who chipped in with good knocks for the 'Men in Blue' in the limited overs arena.

The future of wicketkeeping looks in safe hands as Rishabh Pant has shown enormous promise with his belligerent strokeplay at the First class level and the IPL. India also have the option of the classy KL Rahul whose batting exhibits refined aggression.

MS Dhoni: Matches - 318, Runs - 9967, Avg - 51.38

Rahul Dravid: Matches - 318, Runs - 10889, Avg - 39.17

Nayan Mongia: Matches - 140, Runs - 1272, Avg - 20.19

#1 South Africa

Mark Boucher

Talk about South African cricket and Mark Boucher’s name stands tall among their legends of the sport. Boucher, who was rated very highly for his wicket-keeping skills, produced some whirlwind knocks to win games for South Africa all through the late 90s and first decade of the new millennium.

South Africa had the luxury of playing their batting genius AB de Villiers as a wicketkeeper. The multi-talented De Villiers produces some magical knocks for the Green and Gold Brigade while donning the keeping gloves.

Quinton de Kock has filled into the big shoes of Mark Boucher. An aggressive opener, the southpaw gives South Africans the opening salvo by flaying bowling attacks with his wide range of shots. He is acrobatic behind the stumps and pulls off some spectacular catches. The Proteas also have Heinrich Klaasen in their ranks who has shown glimpses of being an attacking wicketkeeper-batsman for the future.

One cannot forget the contributions made by Dave Richardson who certainly was South Africa’s first choice gloveman for most of the 90s post their readmission to international cricket.

Mark Boucher: Matches - 295, Runs - 4686, Avg - 28.57

Quinton de Kock: Matches - 90, Runs - 3860, Avg - 45.41

AB de Villiers: Matches - 228, Runs - 9577, Avg - 53.50

---

Who is your favourite wicketkeeper-batsman of all time? Tell us in the comments below!