Over the first quarter of this century, cricket has grown as a sport to now look to conquer America and be a part of the Olympic games in 2028. From a sport with just two formats, Tests and ODIs, the game has developed many short-formats, led by T20 cricket, which have created a surge in popularity, interest and superstars of the game.
To assist us in looking back at this period, the expert, Kate Richardson, has dived into the archives and brings you her insights.
Australia began the 2000s as the undisputed kings of world cricket with Steve Waugh captaining a ruthless side who were made even stronger under the leadership of Ricky Ponting. England then enjoyed a brief period as Test supremos and even became the white ball kings from 2017 – 2022, but it is India who have been the most successful since Australia’s period of dominance ended.
The West Indies have been in decline, coupled with security issues and poor governance in Pakistan have meant that those countries have struggled. But in their place have come emerging nations with their own players bidding for the title of god of cricket.
From the likes of Jacques Kallis, widely regarded as the greatest all-rounder, to the legendary spin bowler Shane Warne, and Kumar Sangakkarra, one of the greatest batters, we look at the best cricketers.
Do great teams have the best cricket players of all time?
When we look at any period of cricket history, there have been some fantastic batsman, a few with a batting average north of 60! But often these all-time greats have been joined by other exceptional team-mates, some with the ball, to make some of the best teams ever seen.
Sir Donald Bradman was not just the cricketing don of his generation, but ended his Test career with a fearsome batting average of 99.94! That iconic number is yet to be bettered but some names have even been uttered in the same sentence, such have been their performances.
Top averages and exceptional displays with bat and ball mean that cricket and betting go hand in hand. Often series, tournaments or teams are sponsored by gambling organisations.
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With Test and ODI cricket existing alongside T20s, we have seen different players emerge from Sri Lanka to New Zealand, so let’s see who has made it into our list of the greatest cricketers over the last 25 years.
The top 10 to have played the game from 2000 onwards
Steven Smith
With a technique rarely seen across the history of the game, the Australian began his Test cricket career as someone who bowled some spin and batted a bit down the order. Some 116 Tests and 167 ODIs later, even the most critical cricket fans can not knock his averages of 56.74 and 43.20!
Shane Warne
Across all formats, the leg-spinner possessed an aura which made batsmen fear him whenever they came up against him. According to the great Richie Benaud, Warne was “without doubt the finest leg-spinner the world has ever seen.” Across his international career he was able to amass over 1000 wickets and is included in any discussion of the greatest cricketer of all time.
Jacques Kallis
A player who never craved the limelight and has slipped away from the public consciousness since retiring. But with over 13,200 runs in Test cricket, and nearly 300 wickets, he was a true Test player who influenced nearly every match he took part in.
Pat Cummins
File image: Pat Cummins and Justin Langer.
Not many Australian Test captains have been pace bowlers but then again, not many players average 22.43 in Test cricket! He is so consistent and most pundits regard him as the best pace bowler of his generation. As skipper, he has led his team-mates to 20 Test victories since 2021.
Sachin Tendulkar
The little master is often mentioned alongside the likes of Sir Garfield Sobers, Viv Richards, WG Grace and Jack Hobbs. Perhaps the fact that he had already played top level cricket for a decade at the turn of the century counts against him but make no mistake, he is cricketing royalty.
Virat Kohli
Regarded as the greatest batsman of his generation, the Indian skipper was at his peak from 2016 – 2020. Even not quite dominating attacks in the same way, he still continues to churn out big scores at international level and in the Indian Premier League.
Kumar Sangakkarra
A classy left-handed batter, who “grew up watching and idolising Sir Vivian Richards“. Often mentioned alongside Brian Lara and equally capable of making big score in all conditions across all formats. A contender for the best batsman produced by Sri Lanka.
Glenn McGrath
If it had not been for a now famous stray ball on the Edgbaston outfield in 2005, then most pundits agree that England would have come nowhere near regaining the Ashes. Relentlessly accurate and with a typically Australian will to win, the tall right-arm pacer is regarded as one of the finest quick bowlers in cricketing history.
MS Dhoni
India’s former all-format skipper is another player who continues to perform at a top level decades after his debut. His relaxed leadership style is recognised across the cricket world and he is a master of the shorter formats.
Andrew Flintoff
The ‘Preston Powerhouse’ will never be talked about as the greatest batsman of all time but very few batters or all rounders have carried the hopes of a nation in the way that he did for England in 2005. Injuries meant that his star shone bright but only for four or five years, but he is one name that opposition teams would not want to face when at his peak.
With World Cups coming along almost annually across 50-overs and 20-overs, there are plenty of opportunities to make your name and fortune as a cricket player nowadays. But interestingly, as seen above, the players who are regarded as the greatest are still the ones who perform at the top in Test cricket!