Imran Khan (Pakistan)
Imran Khan, the charismatic captain of the Pakistan team that led to its first World Cup win in 1992, is one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket. Imran was a lethal fast bowler and a top-order batsman. He was the key player in both departments. He was inspired by Dennis Lillee and wanted to become a fast bowler like him. He is the only player in cricket history to transform himself from a medium-fast bowler to a fast bowler with a change in action. He also has a record of not bowling a single wide or no ball in his international career.
Imran Khan’s significant quality in cricket was his ability to motivate and lead his team by example. In the 1992 World Cup, he promoted himself to bat at number three in the final, scored a crucial 72 runs when 2 early wickets were down, and guided Pakistan to a fighting total. He also got the final wicket to secure Pakistan’s World Cup victory.
In his great career, Imran scored 3,807 runs at an average of 37.69 and took 362 wickets at an average of 22.81 in Test cricket. In ODI cricket, he scored 3709 runs at an average of 33.4 and took 182 wickets. His impact on Pakistani cricket was way past his statistics, as he is recognized for nurturing a generation of cricketers who took Pakistan to new heights. Now he is nurturing the Pakistani nation like those cricketers.
Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
Jacques Kallis is said to be the most complete cricketer we have seen. His achievements in both batting and bowling are extraordinary. Kallis was the backbone of South Africa for almost two decades; he was famous for his perfect technique, consistency, and reliability. These are the qualities that make him a complete cricketer.
Kallis scored 10,000+ runs in both Test and ODI cricket, with 45 Test centuries and 1 7 ODI centuries, the second highest centuries in Test history. He took 292 Test wickets and 273 ODI wickets. He was known for his ability to swing the ball both ways. Kallis was good a slip fielder, took over 200 catches in Test cricket.
Kallis had his ability to perform in all conditions, against all opponents, and in all formats of the game. He was the classical all-rounder, contributing to the team’s success in every department.
Kapil Dev (India)
Kapil Dev, the captain who led India to its first World Cup victory in 1983, is one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history. Kapil was a fast bowler with swing of both ways and a hard-hitting batsman who turns the matches with his aggressive hitting.
Kapil’s most memorable and best performance was in the 1983 World Cup vs Zimbabwe when India was 4 down for 9 runs in a do or die match he came to bat and scored an unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe, rescuing India from a shameful defeat and leading them to World Cup victory. This innings is often recognized as the reason for changing the course of Indian cricket history.
Kapil scored 5,248 Test runs and 434 wickets, making him the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket at the time. His leadership and with his all-round abilities, made him a true cricket legend and a national hero in India.
Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh)
Shakib Al Hasan is one of the most successful all-rounders in modern cricket and has been the backbone of Bangladesh cricket for over a decade. Shakib’s left-arm spin and aggressive batting have made him one of the top performers in all formats of the game. He always leads in the ICC All-rounder rankings. Shakib is the only cricketer to have ranked number one as an all-rounder in all three formats of the game simultaneously.
His ability to turn matches with both bat and ball has given him respect worldwide and he plays in all the big leagues as a prime player. So far, he has scored over 4,000 runs and taken more than 200 wickets in Test cricket and similarly has a successful career in ODIs and T20s.
Shakib Al Hassan’s influence on Bangladesh cricket is great, and he has been a role model for young cricketers there. His consistency and all-round abilities have made him one of the best all-rounders.
Andrew Flintoff (England)
Andrew Flintoff also known as Freddie was a larger-than-life character and one of England’s finest all-rounders. Known for his aggressive batting, intense fast bowling, and charismatic presence on the ground, Flintoff was the key player for England in his era.
Flintoff’s most memorable performance was during the 2005 Ashes series, where he played an important role in England’s victory. His contributions with both bat and ball were vital in one of the most closely contested Ashes series in history. His 402 runs and 24 wickets in the series earned him the Man of the Series award. He didn’t have a long career due to injuries, unfortunately, but he had a great career. Scored more than 3000 runs in Tests and ODIs. It took 178 ODI wickets and 219 Test wickets.
Ben Stokes (England)
Ben Stokes is the best All-rounder in the world now and has become a household name in England as he has given legendary performances in cricket. He is a dynamic player, aggressive batsmen, lethal fast bowler and a great fielder. From 2016 World Cup final when he was hit for 4 sixes in the final, he stood again and proved the world that he is the best. 2019 considered as the year of Ben Stokes he made England Champions in World Cup 2019 with his brilliant performance throughout and in the final. Then he played a legendary knock at Headingly to beat Australia single handedly in the Ashes series.
He will be remembered for a long time as one of the greats of cricket in the future. 6508 runs and 203 wickets in Test Cricket and still counting. In ODIs, he scored 3463 runs and took 74 wickets. He is currently the captain of the England Test cricket team.
Source: http://www.icc-cricket.com
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