Top 10 South African cricketers of all time

South Africa became the third nation to play Test cricket, when they faced off against England in March 1889. Although they lost their first few series, they became a force to reckon with pretty quickly in world cricket.

However, they were forced into exile for a little more than two decades (1970-1991) due to the apartheid rules of their government which led to ICC suspending their Test status. Despite missing out on the action for so long, South Africa came back strongly and till date, have remained one of the strongest teams.

Strong teams are built on the backs of exceptional players and there have been several of those for South Africa.

So, let’s take a look at the top 10 cricketers from South Africa who made their marks in the cricketing world.

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#10 Mark Boucher

Mark Boucher is the most successful wicket-keeper to have played the game, at least in terms of statistics. He has effected a staggering 999 dismissals in international cricket.

As a batsman, Boucher lived for the big moments, and he relished scoring the quick 30 or 40 runs his team needed to win a match and batting out an entire session to salvage a draw. He scored over 10,000 international runs (5515 in 147 Tests, 4686 in 295 ODIs and 268 in 25 T20Is).

His most memorable innings was probably the scintillating unbeaten 50 he scored to complete South Africa's surge to a series-clinching target of 438 in a one-day international against Australia in Johannesburg in March 2006.

Boucher’s 15-year career ended in a rather unfortunate way when he was hit in the eye by a bail during a tour match in 2012 which forced him to draw the curtains on a brilliant career.

#9 AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is a batsman possessing the ability to play the same ball to different parts of the ground. Thus, he has come to be known as Mr. 360.

He is a versatile cricketer, overflowing with talent and can change his game according to the team’s need. He can contribute big-time in the field as well. Be it in Tests, ODIs or T20s, de Villiers has been supremely consistent in all forms of the game. He averages over 50 in Tests and ODIs, having scored 8074 and 9319 runs in the two formats respectively.

He also has numerous records to his name, a few notable ones being the fastest international 50, 100 and 150 in ODIs and the second highest Test score by a South African. De Villiers excelled in other sports as well, including rugby, golf and tennis and is certainly one of South Africa’s greats.

#8 Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith

Tall, well-built, muscular and nicknamed ‘Biff’ for his ability to smash the ball, Graeme Smith was known for his fighting spirit and tough character. This was evident when he walked out to bat at No. 11 with a broken hand in a Test against Australia, in an attempt to save the match for his country.

He captained the Proteas for a decade. Out of the 117 Tests he played in, he led the team in 109 of them. He was made the captain of the side when he was just 22 and quickly matured into a fantastic leader.

Smith was one of the best openers to have represented South Africa, amassing over 17000 runs in the international circuit.

#7 Barry Richards

Barry Richards

No cricketer gave rise to as much speculation as Barry Richards did. Unfortunately for him, his career was cut short when the ICC decided to ban South Africa in 1970.

Richards played only four Tests but made the most of the limited opportunities. He scored 508 runs at an average of 72.57 in seven innings and made a big impact.

He plundered over 28000 first-class runs, and achieved many milestones in the process. He scored a hundred before lunch on nine separate instances and over 1000 runs in a season, 15 times.

#6 Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla

Hashim Amla is one of the finest stroke-makers in the modern era of cricket. His supple wrist-work is a treat to watch especially when he bats in full flow.

Amla, who is the only triple centurion for the Proteas, has a great record in international cricket. He holds the record for the fastest to 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000 and 7000 ODI runs and has scored 51 international tons (26 in Tests and 25 in ODIs).

Amla is one of the most respected cricketers around the world and his classical, yet aggressive approach is a delight for any cricket fan.

#5 Allan Donald

Allan Donald

Famously nicknamed 'white lightning’, Allan Donald was one of the main reasons for South Africa’s success in the post-apartheid era. A fearsome fast-bowler with a classical action and genuine pace, Donald had the habit of making things happen on the cricket field.

Donald has picked up 330 Test and 272 ODI wickets at magnificent strike-rates of 47.0 and 31.4 respectively. He spearheaded the bowling attack for more than a decade and was one of the world's best pacers during the '90s. With his pace and aggression, Donald would have walked into any side in the world.

#4 Dale Steyn

Dale Steyn

Few bowlers garner as much interest as Dale Steyn does when he plays. Aggressive, bold, temperamental and an out-and-out quick, Steyn is one of the most fearsome bowlers to have played for South Africa.

He has the phenomenal ability to deliver 140+ kmph thunderbolts even at the fag end of a Test or ODI. His ability to produce match-winning spells on any kind of surface makes him one of the best fast bowlers of the modern era.

He has taken 417 and 180 wickets in Tests and One-Dayers respectively, and is certainly one of the best South Africa have ever produced.

#3 Shaun Pollock

Shaun Pollock

Hailing from a family of cricketing legends, it was no surprise that Shaun Pollock went on to become one himself. He is one of the finest all-rounders to have played for South Africa.

In a career that lasted over 12 years, the junior Pollock was one of the rare genuine all-rounders in world cricket who could be equally effective with both bat and ball. His stats are a proof of that.

Having scored more than 3500 runs in both formats and taken more than 800 wickets, Pollock is certainly one of the greats to have played the game.

#2 Graeme Pollock

Graeme Pollock

According to Sir Don Bradman, Graeme Pollock was perhaps the finest left-handed batsman the game has ever produced. His batting average of 60.97 is the second highest Test average of all-time.

He scored 2256 runs in 23 Tests which included 7 hundreds and 11 fifties. Like Barry Richards, even his career was cut short due to South Africa’s suspension from international cricket.

He is certainly a South African great and was voted as ‘South Africa’s Player of the 20th Century’ recently.

#1 Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis

Arguably the greatest all-rounder of all time and perhaps the best all-rounder of this century, Jacques Kallis' statistics in all forms of the game are jaw-dropping. He is the only cricketer to have scored more than 10,000 runs and picked up more than 250 wickets in two forms of the game (Tests and ODIs). Add to this the 300+ catches that he took, and that made him a complete and colossal all-rounder.

With the bat, Kallis had a rock-solid technique while with the ball, he could generate swing at pace as well as awkward bounce to trouble the batsmen. He was a classical cricketer who could perform any role assigned to him and thus, goes down as the greatest South African cricketer of all-time.