Different eras have seen many talented players in cricket history. Like other sports, cricket fans often consider some players their favorite and label them “GOAT”. No, it’s not an animal name but is an acronym with the meaning Greatest Of All Time. If you’re a cricket fan, you might wonder: Which player is the GOAT of cricket in the world?
Truth be told, it isn’t easy to assign the GOAT status to one specific player. Moreover, it is a very subjective choice as everyone’s preference or opinion varies in the game of cricket. Also, it is unfair to call someone “GOAT” based on just stats. What are the criteria to judge, then?
Well, the factors to consider for this in the cricketing world should be:
- Extraordinary Skills
- Consistently Excellent Performances
- Contribution to the Team’s Win in Crucial Matches
When the discussion for GOAT contenders begins, people often throw names of players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sir Don Bradman, Ricky Ponting, MS Dhoni, etc. Simply put, everyone has the right to consider a cricket player as “the greatest” but it is not as simple as it seems.
The game of cricket has seen different formats, roles, and challenges with time. Every era has talented players who leave a mark in the cricket world with their influential performances.
Therefore, it is fine to choose the GOAT players based on their roles such as batting, bowling, all-round performance, captaincy, and wicketkeeping. Also, one should consider various cricket formats such as T20I, ODI, and tests for this purpose.
Who is the Greatest of All Time in Cricket History?
To answer the question, we have carried out the analysis based on different cricket roles. Let’s begin with the legends in the batting department!
Greatest Batsman
Whether it’s about putting runs on the scoreboard or chasing a whooping target, a cricket team relies on the strength of its batting line-up. There have been many batters in world cricket that have made their respective teams proud and won matches for them.
But who is known as the goat of cricket in terms of batting? Let’s find out!
Earlier, batsmen like Sir Don Bradman would rule the cricket batting charts due to their splendid performances and batting average. Later, batters such as Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards, etc., would show their impressive batting ability.
In the ‘90s, the cricket world saw the rise of talented players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, and Ricky Ponting. Sachin made his mark in the cricketing arena from his early days. Rahul Dravid and Ricky Ponting also maintained top spots in terms of their batting rankings.
Where Rahul got the name “The Wall” for his strong defense against the opponents, Ricky got respect due to his aggressive and dominating batting.
For scoring massive runs in all cricket formats and leading the Australian team successfully, Ponting got his place fixed on the Australian Sports Hall of Fame Members list.
Though many of the batters from this phase showed their classic batting style, no one came close to the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar.
After Sachin’s era, Virat Kohli came into the limelight for his scoring runs consistently. With time, many discussions erupted about who the better batsman is between the two. Considering the stats, Sachin has shown dominance over Virat Kohli in most areas of cricket.
Virat already considers Sachin himself as his cricket idol and feels privileged to get the chance to play with the legend. Let’s analyze the stats of the best batters in all cricket formats!
| Player | Span | Matches | Runs | H. Score | Average | 100s | 50s |
| S. Tendulkar | 1989 – 13 | 664 | 34357 | 248* | 48.52 | 100 | 164 |
| Virat Kohli | 2008 – 24 | 530 | 26884 | 254* | 53.55 | 80 | 140 |
| Ricky Ponting | 1995 – 12 | 560 | 27843 | 257 | 45.95 | 71 | 146 |
| K. Sangakkara | 2000 – 15 | 594 | 28016 | 319 | 46.77 | 63 | 153 |
Though Sachin, Virat, Ponting, and Sangakkara have got the top spots in terms of the most runs scored, the winner among them is Sachin Tendulkar. Reason? The legendary player has scored the most runs in international cricket and has got the most hundreds.
However, it is expected that the King of Cricket “Virat Kohli” who has broken Sachin’s record of most hundreds in ODI will break Sachin’s other records one day.
One could say so after keeping in his mind his fitness level and dedication towards the cricket game. Irrespective of the stats, both Sachin and Virat can be considered the goat of cricket in India as well as the world.
Greatest Bowler
Just as batsmen set or chase the target, bowlers; job is to restrict the opponents from scoring runs. Whether it is fast or spin bowling, it takes an intense effort and robust strategy for bowlers to do their part effectively.
Unlike batsmen, bowlers don’t have much time to get comfortable in the ground, build pressure, and turn the game in their team’s favor by breaking partnerships. In the history of cricket, many bowlers have contributed significantly to their team’s winnings.
Some intimidated the opponent batsmen with their bowling styles others shocked them with their art of bowling.
A few popular players like Zahir Khan, James Anderson, Shane Warne, Muttiah Murlitharan, Glenn McGrath, Wasim Akram, etc, have set records with their extraordinary bowling performances. But, who is the goat of cricket among them?
After glancing through their bowling stats, we picked the names of Muttiah Murlitharan, Shane Warne, and James Anderson. Indeed, these names don’t need an introduction to any cricket fan. Here are the stats for their bowling performances:
| Bowler | Total Wickets | Test Wickets | ODI Wickets | T20 Wickets |
| M. Murlitharan | 1347 | 800 | 534 | 13 |
| Shane Warne | 1058 | 708 | 293 | – |
| James Anderson | 991 | 704 | 269 | 18 |
Considering the most wickets in the international cricket career, the former Sri Lankan spin maestro stands at the top spot. Known for his unique bowling action, he would keep the batsmen puzzled on the cricket pitch and make his team win many crucial matches.
Similarly, legendary Australian spinner Shane Warne enjoys a record of over 1000 wickets. Popular for his impressive leg spin, he is an inspiration for many spinners in the cricketing world. Next is James Anderson, the England bowler aging backward.
The fast bowler set a new standard in the pace of bowling by keeping him active even after the 40s. Recently, he announced his retirement from cricket and ended his 22-year-long career.
It is evident from the above stats that Murlitharan has performed well in different eras and accomplished the maximum number of wickets.
So, it is fair to declare him the GOAT of cricket on this ground. However, other influential bowlers have also achieved recognition due to their noticeable bowling efforts.
Greatest All-Rounder
Cricket is a game of twist and turns. Do you know who change the course of the game most? All rounders! Yes, they are adept at batting, bowling, and fielding. And when the time comes, they do deliver extraordinary performances in all areas of cricket as the situation demands.
The cricketing world has seen many influential all-rounders who rocked everyone with their spectacular performances. Jacques Kallis, Sanath Jayasuriya, Andrew Flintoff, Ravindra Jadeja, Hardik Pandya, Glenn Maxwell, Dwayne Bravo, and Andrew Symonds, are a few of them.
Every cricket match sees a challenging phase that can only be turned in a team’s favor with all-round stints. Whether it’s about scoring some valuable runs, taking major wickets, and grabbing crucial catches.
Many players have done it for their teams and contributed to their winning streaks. They don’t just get highlighted in one area of cricket but also enjoy a good record in other areas.
It seems difficult to choose one specific name for scaling up a cricket team’s performance. But one player has got a fantastic record when it comes to contributing to the team’s win. Any Guess? Yes, you’re right!
Jacques Kallis.
Yes, the South African all-rounder has an impressive record. He played over 500 matches combined in all formats scoring over 25000 runs and sending more than 550 batsmen to the pavilion.
Kallis wasn’t just known for his stunning batting skills but his wicket-taking bowling spells also contributed to his team’s winnings.
He scored over 10000 runs and took over 250 wickets in his career. About his fielding? He has taken over 338 catches in tests, ODIs, and T20s combined. Isn’t that great?
Greatest Captain
A team leader may not perform well in batting, bowling, or fielding. But, he can’t escape from forming and implementing a robust strategy crucial for his team’s win.
Cricket has seen some fierce captains with different leadership approaches. Be it MS Dhoni, Ricky Ponting, or Stephen Fleming, all of them enjoy powerful records as a captain.
Let’s see who is the greatest of all time in terms of captaincy!
| Player | Matches | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | W/L | % Win | % Loss |
| MS Dhoni | 332 | 178 | 120 | 6 | 15 | 1.48 | 53.61 | 36.14 |
| RT Ponting | 324 | 220 | 77 | 2 | 13 | 2.85 | 67.9 | 23.76 |
| SP Fleming | 303 | 128 | 135 | 2 | 25 | 0.94 | 42.24 | 44.55 |
It is evident from the above stats that MS Dhoni has led his team in most matches. However, Ricky Ponting’s winning percentage is better than MS Dhoni’s and Stephen Fleming’s.
But speaking of Dhoni’s ODI and T20I performances, he won 110 matches out of 200 and 41 matches from 72 games respectively. Moreover, the calm he keeps during the game and the way he manages his players in pressure situations speak volumes about his exceptional leadership skills.
Without a doubt, he is the Goat of cricket captain due to his dynamic decision-making and observation skills during the game. Due to this, Dhoni made the Indian team T20I, ODI world champion, and Champions Trophy winner.
Greatest Wicketkeeper
When it comes to listing the best wicketkeepers in cricket, the first names that come to my mind are MS Dhoni, Mark Boucher, Adam Gilchrist, and Kumar Sangakkara.
I have seen them playing and their wicketkeeping is simply phenomenal.
However, there are also many other great names like Brendon McCullum who have entertained the cricket fans with their wicket-keeping skills.
Let’s see who is the greatest wicketkeeper of all time in cricket!
| Player | Matches | Dismissals | Catches | Stumpings |
| MS Dhoni | 538 | 829 | 634 | 195 |
| Mark Boucher | 467 | 998 | 952 | 46 |
| Adam Gilchrist | 396 | 905 | 813 | 92 |
| K.Sangakkara | 594 | 678 | 539 | 139 |
MS Dhoni
MS Dhoni isn’t just known for his unorthodox wicketkeeping techniques but also for his powerful leadership ability.
Behind the stumps, he keeps a keen eye on batsmen’s every movement. And he hardly misses any chance to catch the ball in his gloves or take the bails off with lightning-fast speed.
In his international cricket career, Dhoni has got a total of 829 dismissals in all formats of cricket. His mischievous keeping stints behind the stumps clearly show his creativity and presence of mind.
In fact, he has himself snatched the games from the opponents’ hands many a time with his awe-inspiring wicketkeeping skills.
According to Dhoni, he adopts a different approach to wicketkeeping than others. Instead of waiting for the ball to come into his gloves, he moves his hands forward to collect the ball as soon as it goes past the batsmen.
No wonder, he has got the maximum number of stumpings among all wicketkeepers.
Mark Boucher
The former South African wicketkeeper-batsman enjoys a great record in his cricket career. Not only did he support his team with his batting but he also showed exceptional wicketkeeping skills to dismiss nearly 1000 batsmen behind the stumps.
During his active years of playing, Mark would play a major role in adjusting the field while the game is on. He is the first wicketkeeper to reach the mark of 400 dismissals in the test cricket. What better contribution can a wicketkeeper player make for his team?
Adam Gilchrist
Australian legend, Adam Gilchrist, was popular for his marvelous catches and impossible stumpings. He would dive to the best possible range to grab the ball and send the batsmen to the pavillion.
Glancing at Gilly’s wicketkeeping record, one can judge the level of athleticism he would have. In a total of 396 matches, he got 905 dismissals with 813 catches and 92 stumpings.
Moreover, he also did a fair share of contribution with his aggressive opening batting style.
Kumar Sangakkara
Next name on the list is former Sri Lankan wicketkeeping maestro, Kumar Sangakkara. Sanga wasn’t just a classy opening batsmen but also a methodical wicketkeeper the cricket world has ever seen.
Looking at his record of 678 dismissals, one can’t ignore his competency in cricket. Also, he has the second most number of stumpings to his name after MS Dhoni. Indeed, it is no small feat!
Who are the Greatest of all Wicketkeepers in Cricket?
Seeing the above data, some people may choose Mark Boucher as the goat of wicketkeeping. But given the skills of MS Dhoni and his pioneering as well as unorthodox wicketkeeping techniques, he is the greatest among all wicketkeepers.
Conclusion
We saw the stats of the best cricketers in terms of batting, bowling, captaincy, wicketkeeping, and all-round performances. Assigning the title of goat of cricket to a particular player may stir up the discussion.
It’s obvious that everyone judges a player as per his own understanding or preference. So, cricket fans from different eras would name different players for the GOAT title.
Therefore, it is every person’s own wish whom he chooses to be the greatest of all time in cricket history. So, it would not be wrong to say this debate has no end!
