Stats: Comparing four of the greatest all-rounders of yesteryear

#2 Percentage of runs scored and wickets taken

Hadlee scored over 3000 runs in Test cricket

More than the individual performance, what matters the most for any cricketer is his contribution to the team. All these four all-rounders reached several personal milestones, but how crucial was their performances for their teams?

We look at the percentage of runs scored and wickets taken by these players for their respective teams.

	Indivdiual runs	Total team runs	Percentage	Individual wickets	Total team wickets	Percentage
Imran Khan	3807	41827	9.10	362	1173	30
Richard Hadlee	3124	38272	8.16	431	1326	32.5
Kapil Dev	5248	63382	8.27	434	1767	24.5
Ian Botham	5200	48455	10.7	383	1573	24.3

Richard Hadlee was the frontline bowler for his side and it reflects in his percentage of 32.5 which is the highest among the group. His heroics in Brisbane when he ran through Australia’s batting line-up and picked up 15 wickets was the highlight of his career.

Although Kapil Dev too was the primary pace weapon for India, he mostly played on Indian pitches where spinners were considered the best wicket taking option. Imran Khan once again impresses with his percentage of 30 and 9.10.

Kapil Dev was India’s first genuine all-rounder

Ian Botham was the leader of England’s batting line-up and hence was responsible for scoring 107 percent of total team runs.

These stats do not produce a clear winner but it surely highlights the role played by these players for their teams. They scored about 8-10 percent of their team’s runs and also picked up about 25-30 percent wickets which made them an integral component of the team’s success.