Oh My God.!
This is the most difficult question on cricket ever asked! There is no correct answer for this. With every answer you give what is certain is a new controversy! Anyways, let me just go ahead & put down my views open for dissection!:)
Please do rate/comment the review. Your comments are welcome. I am sure everyone would want to contribute to this list.
I am sad & sorry that I can’t include several greats like Imran Khan, Akram, Warne, Mcgrath, Muralitharan, Lanc Gibbs, Clive Loyd, Sunil Gavaskar, Greg Chapel, Steve Waugh, Ambrose, Walsh, Ian Botham, Kapil Dev & so on.
Along with on the ground performance I have also considered what these guys have contributed(to cricket) off the field.
(1) Sir Don Bradman
Not seen much of his batting but it amazes me that someone can bat with an average in 90s & make almost 7000 runs while doing that(6996). Scored a bunch of centuries, double & also 2(?) triple centuries. Countless 100 run partnerships & help on to the largest partnership for any wicket with Pansford(spelling not sure). He was a great captain too & a true sportsman. If he had scored 4 runs in the last innings he would have had an average of 100! Got out on 0 in both the innings in the last test. The greatest fact is that he averaged 56.xx in the bodyline series when everybody else was struggling.
After retirement also he held on to several administrative posts & tried to give the game what he got from it. He was always a gentleman & NEVER even uttered a word that created controversy. He spoke not too often but when he spoke everyone listened!
Instead getting into too much talking he said that Sachin plays like him! That was the best compliment Sachin ever got. He also said that there were several great batsman like myself, Richards, Lloyd etc but one man stands way ahead & the future generations would struggle to achieve what this man has.& that person is Gary Sobers. 2nd on my list below.
(2) Sir Gary Sobers
Without doubt the greatest cricket player ever. He was as good a bowler as he was with the bat. Please read my review on this great man here: https://mouthshut.com/readreview/54116-1.html.
(4) Sir Viv Richards
The MASTER-BLASTER. He redefined the batting standards. Never wore a helmet & retired at the moment where he couldn’t dominate the bowling as he would have liked. He could have broken almost every record had he played for the sake of records. With a characteristics arrogance he did everything in style. Always controversial & attacking on the opponent. He along with Clive Loyd gave Australians & British what they used against WI: The fearsome fast bowling attack! They pioneered the idea of 4 fast bowlers & used it to perfection.
His batting record is full of charismatic incidences. He held on to fastest century in test cricket for some time.(The same day when Javed M scored century against Indian in Sharjah). He scored 189 & was on 98 when the last man(Michael Holding) came out for batting. The partnership was of 113 runs with Holding not out on 10+!. Viv was not out on 189! In that inning he played several lofted drives over long off & long on at his will & on bet with Ian Botham. On 98 when Holding walked in Botham bet that Richards won’t be able to complete his 100!:) His 6 off the last ball of the 1979 World cup is also a memorable one, going sideways to off side he lofted the full toss by Hendrick(?) to midwicket square-leg boundary! Every Indian knows about his wicket in 1983 world-cup: Extraordinary catch by Kapil off Madan lal. The wickets of greats are also treasured!:)
(4) Sachin Tendulkar
Much has been spoken about this guy. When he retires he might very well have 100 centuries in ODI+Tests! Most of the records will be broken except for the highest average. The little master has been paid rich complements by the all time greats like Bradman, Richards, Sobers, Waugh brothers, Warne, Dennis Lillee & many more. Always has more time than others to play the ball & that became his strong as well as a weak point, making him error prone as he’saw’ the ball much better than his body would react!
His bowling has also helped win several games to India. 2001 Kolkata test against Aus is one example. His wicket of Share Warne on Googley is what I will never forget! Similarly he got Moin Khan clean bowled on a googley in the Multan test. Amazing stuff by the little master.
Frightening fact: He took 87 ODIs to score first century what if he would have come to opening earlier!
His fielding abilities get clouded by his batting & bowling variety. He is as consistent in fielding as anybody in the game. Always throws to the keeper from the dip, no matter what time of the day & how fatigued he is!
(5) Dennis Lillee(spelling)
Termed as the best fast bowler of all times by Imran Khan, this genius even inspired other genius guys like Richard Hadlee & Imran Khan. His book’The art of fast bowling’(or is it Hadlee’s?) is still the bible for the fast bowlers.
He has contributed by preparing several fast bowlers the likes of McGrath & many Indians like Srinath(MRF pace foundation). Even today he is pretty busy with trng. He survived a serious back injury that almost destroyed his cricket & even on the verge of destroying his active life. He came back & with a disciplined exercise & effort same back & came back big.
I choose him for his performance but more so for his impact on the fast bowling as a whole.