Cricket being a huge game, with so much history, so many versions and so many categories it would be unfair to name only 5 players, so I have listed 10, a more just option.My best players in the hierarchy of rankings would be:
THE BEST 10
1.Wasim Akram:In my opinion there was no better bowler in the last decade or so.Be it his deadly reverse swingers, yorkers, away swingers or bouncers.Never seen a bowler with more ’’control with flexibility’’ over his bowling.With over 400 wickets in both versions of the game, at an average of 23 odd he was never really dominated in the real sense.
2.Muttiah Muralitharan:His rise from an average to a special bowler was marked by the 96 world cup, after which he steadily rose to be the best offspinner in current cricket.Doesn’t give away much having an economy of less than 3 in tests and less than 4 in odis.A heavy turner off the ball, he’s already got 459 test wickets at the age of 30.Has been almost unplayable in the last 3-4 years.Won’t be surprised if he endsup with more than 600 wickets.
3.Sachin Tendulkar:What is left to say of him?With an average of 45 odd and a net 13000 odd runs in odis, and near 9000 test runs at an average of 57 odd, one can hardly argue he isn’t great.Attributes of this player are his ’batting crafts’, innovations, adaptability, motivation and blasting if need be.Temperament remains his only real weakness even after 14 years of cricket.
4.Adam Gilchrist:You want a metaphor for consistent blasting, it’s Adam Gilchrist.With 9 centuries each in odis and tests.That too at a staggering test average of 60.25.No less efficient behind the stumps, he has 203 dismissals in tests and 293 in odis to his credit, in his quest to be the best behind the gloves.
5.Glenn McGrath:This Aussie quick’s asset is not his variation or speed but accuracy.He delivers into the corridor of uncertainty at an amazing rate, putting batsmen in 2 minds.He’s mastered the art of bowling to left handers, cutting the angle squaring them up.With an average of 22 odd and 700 international wickets, he’s still hungry.
6.Brian Lara:He ruled the cricket world from 1990 -95.Consistency may not be his strongest point now, but on his day he can rip apart any attack, leaving the opposition speechless.With an odi average of 45 odd, and a test average of 50 odd, he can win both versions of the game singly, something very few can claim.
7.Matthew Hayden:Had a bad start to his career, but is back, talking BIG - with his bat.Has been the most consistent batsman in the last 3 years or so.With a test average of 57 or so, he is a very flexible batsman.Having just notched up the highest test individual score , one wonders if he’ll go on to be the batsman of this decade.
8.Andy Flower:If Gatting was the best in sweep, there’s none better than Andy in the reverse art.Averaging 50 in tests, where his teammates struggle to average 40, he’s also a model of concentration behind the stumps, having 330 dismissals to his credit.All this after being part of a very average Zimbabwean team.
9.Shaun Pollock:Similar to McGrath, his strength is line and length but he has variations too.Be it the shorter one with skids on like a rocket, or the well disguised slower one, he is one of the greatest quick bowlers, whom noone prefers to take on.His 600 international wickets with an economy of 2.2 stand out.
10.Jacques Kallis:The only player of the last decade who has done justice to the term ’’ALL ROUNDER’’.A good solid batsman with good temperament he has not only a average of 45 in both tests and odis, but also more than 150 wickets in both versions of cricket.
FOR THOSE WHO DIFFER
One must note that these are particularly based on my observations from 1990 to now, the time for which I observed the game.There may have been people better than the above 10 in your opinion, which was unnoticed by me, or wasn’t good enough to be in the list for me. For example, Bevan is good in ODIs but is found wanting in Tests.Similarly, for other reasons, i’ve left out Jonty, Ambrose , Walsh, Anwar, etc.
Hope you liked my choices and the reasons behind them. Comments are most welcome.