Top 5 seam-bowling all-rounders of all time

#2 Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev

The 1980s belonged to some of the best seam-bowling all-rounders that ever played the game and former India great Kapil Dev was one of the leaders of that pack. Kapil was India's first genuine fast bowler and throughout his sixteen-year long career, he excelled in both forms of the game. His return of 434 wickets in 131 Tests remained a world record for several years before Courtney Walsh upstaged him and in one-dayers, he was equally prolific, having picked up 253 wickets in 225 games.

However, his skills as a batsman was quite extraordinary and his ability to attack in both forms of the game made him a game-changing player for India for many years. For instance, his 175 in the 1983 World Cup against Zimbabwe is regarded as one of the best counterattacking innings ever played in one day cricket and remains a highlight of India's triumph in the tournament under Kapil's captaincy.

In those days, he had a strike rate of 95.07 in one day cricket. In Test cricket, he scored eight centuries and 27 half-centuries at an average of 31.05. In one-dayers, he scored only one century but 14 half-centuries, many of them leading to stunning victories.