The best of the best all-rounders -I

Vineet Sharma

We have all marvelled at the brilliance of Sir Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Sunil Gavaskar, Allan Border, Brian Lara, Zaheer Abbas, WG Grace and others, who ruled the cricket pitch with their willow of power and by plundering the cherry with grace. Even the bowling greats like Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Wasim Akram, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Jim Laker, Joel Garner have been given due significance in the history books. But, what about the all-rounders? A cricketer can be good with one aspect of the game, creating glory on his day, but the true saviour for any captain has been the all-rounder. This genre of cricketers is the most underrated, but actually, the most vital cog between a good and a great team. They are the cement that holds the structure of a victorious outfit firmly in its place. They have been the men who have more often than not, made the crucial difference when it comes to actually winning the matches for their team, after the batting and bowling stalwarts rubbed their magic on the match (but tying up the loose ends remained). Many a times, a great innings of batting or a fantastic spell of bowling has gone to a losing cause as the final punch could not be delivered that spelled glory for the team. This is where the true heroes of the game step-in. With their never-say-die attitude and an insatiable thirst to make their mark, the all-rounders are indeed the best bet when it comes to choosing the winning combination. Let’s discuss the best of the best all-rounders that have graced the cricket field. I would not name any one all-rounder as the best, for I love my head, lest it’d be chopped off if I arrogantly name my favourite as the best. For starters, let’s start with three. Sir Gary Sobers, Imran Khan and Ian Botham. The trio indeed leads any list about all-rounders that has been made under the sun. Sobers was simply brutal with the bat, his presence at the crease was enough to keep any opposition, at any stage of the match, at tenterhooks. Those foolish enough to perceive him as nothing more than a formidable batsman often had to walk back to the pavilion with their heads drooped down, as they were his latest victims on the bowling front. Not a bad fielder either, though not the best, he did his bit to help West Indies become ‘Mighty’.Imran Khan is another one such guy who was feared for his bowling, tearing the best top-orders with ease, only to flatter with the bat too, all in the same match! A good cricketing temperament, he has a coveted World Cup to his name to drive home the point. Whenever the above said two are mentioned, can we but leave out burly Ian Botham? Murder! That’s what many in England would shout at such a preposterous thought. He was the sports celebrity of UK before the term even existed. Yeah, the Beckhams and the Rooneys came in much much later. He was the wild child of the 80s, swinging the bat with vengeance and taking wickets by the dozen. England cricket got a new lease of life with him on the crease as he was Mike Brearley`s muse, winning three Ashes Tests for his country. The victories were dedicated by fans to his name as his bat showed the way in the first two, and his bowling skills in the last. Although we can’t call him the best of all-time owing to his out-of-form periods interspersed with controversies (he was caught smoking cannabis before Phelps!). His ‘Beefy’ weight also made him a liability on the field, something that is a cardinal crime in the world of all-rounders.Imran Khan is another one such guy who was feared for his bowling, tearing the best top-orders with ease, only to flatter with the bat too, all in the same match! A good cricketing temperament, he has a coveted World Cup to his name to drive home the point. Whenever the above said two are mentioned, can we but leave out burly Ian Botham? Murder! That’s what many in England would shout at such a preposterous thought. He was the sports celebrity of UK before the term even existed. Yeah, the Beckhams and the Rooneys came in much much later. He was the wild child of the 80s, swinging the bat with vengeance and taking wickets by the dozen. England cricket got a new lease of life with him on the crease as he was Mike Brearley`s muse, winning three Ashes Tests for his country. The victories were dedicated by fans to his name as his bat showed the way in the first two, and his bowling skills in the last. Although we can’t call him the best of all-time owing to his out-of-form periods interspersed with controversies (he was caught smoking cannabis before Phelps!). His ‘Beefy’ weight also made him a liability on the field, something that is a cardinal crime in the world of all-rounders.