Top twenty cricketers of the 21st century

[Asifnow]

In a time when there is no cricket on during the English summer, when the grass is green and the sun is shining but there is no whack of leather on willow...how about making a list?

The first 20 years have seen some great cricket and cricketers....plus we all get our blood boiling with these lists, so what say you??

Just a couple tidbits - to be eligible the player must have played a min of 20 tests and 50 LOs (can combine ODIs and T20s when possible).

1. Muttiah Muralitharan
2. Ricky Ponting
3. Glenn McGrath
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Shane Warne
7. Virat Kohli
8. Steven Smith
9. Dale Steyn
10. Adam Gilchrist
11. AB de Villiers
12. Hashim Amla
13. Younis Khan
14. Kevin Pietersen
15. Joe Root
16. Graeme Smith
17. Alastair Cook
18. Kumar Sangakkara
19. Kane Williamson
20. Andrew Flintoff

[MenInG]

So these are Top 20 cricketers in all formats of the 21st Century?

[Ab Fan]

Sangakkara must be higher and Rahul Dravid is missing.

Also, a case can be made for Jimmy Anderson, Michael Clarke and Ravi Ashwin

[liam26]

Younis Khan the strokless wonder of Odis rated higher than KP, Sanga, Smith who were decent players in both formats of the game?

Younis Khan should be very low in the list Probably at 20. I would even Consider Flintoff as a better overall Cricketer than YK. You cannot have one format specialists in the list above players who were masters in both formats.

Also, Williamson ahead of YK? Howcome.. KW is a decent ODi player and one of the best captain's in the format.

Ita okay to rank Ponting, Mc Grath above SRT but he should be above Kallis.

I will just swap YK with Rahul Dravid in the list.

[Ab Fan]

My top 20 would be

1. Muttiah Muralitharan
2. Ricky Ponting
3. Glenn McGrath
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Shane Warne
7. Dale Steyn
8. Virat Kohli
9. Steven Smith
10. Adam Gilchrist
11. Kumar Sangakkara
12. Rahul Dravid
13. AB de Villiers
14. James Anderson
15. Kevin Pietersen
16. Michael Clarke
17. Hashim Amla
19. Younis Khan
20. Alastair Cook

Flintoff is overrated. Stokes has surpassed him already IMO.

[Ab Fan]

*18. Graeme Smith.

Missed one.

[jeeteshssaxena]

My top 20 would be

1. Muttiah Muralitharan
2. Ricky Ponting
3. Glenn McGrath
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Shane Warne
7. Dale Steyn
8. Virat Kohli
9. Steven Smith
10. Adam Gilchrist
11. Kumar Sangakkara
12. Rahul Dravid
13. AB de Villiers
14. James Anderson
15. Kevin Pietersen
16. Michael Clarke
17. Hashim Amla
19. Younis Khan
20. Alastair Cook

Flintoff is overrated. Stokes has surpassed him already IMO.

Inzimam?
Sehwag?
Both are all format players, so better than cook and khan

[Pakistanian]

Premature thread, we're only 20 years into the 21st century.

[Ab Fan]

Inzimam?

Misses out because he played more than half of his games in 90s and others who are in this list have their entire career covered up.

Anyways, it's a top 20 list, so many players will be missing. I just felt Dravid certainly should be there, hence included him.

[jeeteshssaxena]

Top 20 cricketers(not in particular order) :
Sachin
Kohli
Lara
Ponting
Sangakkara
Steven Smith
Kallis
Gilchrist
Ab devilliers
Rahul dravid
Hashim Amla
Kevin pietersen
Inzimam
Sehwag
Graeme smith
Glenn Mcgrath
Steyn
Anderson
Warne
Murali

[Ted123]

Top 20 cricketers(not in particular order) :
Sachin
Kohli
Lara
Ponting
Sangakkara
Steven Smith
Kallis
Gilchrist
Ab devilliers
Rahul dravid
Hashim Amla
Kevin pietersen
Inzimam
Sehwag
Graeme smith
Glenn Mcgrath
Steyn
Anderson
Warne
Murali

Matthew Hayden?

[Robert]

Kallis is #1.

I would have Stokes in for Flintoff.

[MMHS]

Interesting list. Even more interesting to notice that guy holding top two ranking positions in Test & ODI all-rounders list for best part of a decade with 10k+ Test/ODI runs at close to 40 and ~500 wickets at ~31 with 14 hundreds and 20 5for, doesn’t make top 20 list in only 20 years of this century ....

[jeeteshssaxena]

Matthew Hayden?

Who will he replace in my list?
All batsman in my list are better players than him.

[Gilly]

Who will he replace in my list?
All batsman in my list are better players than him.

G Smith and Amla

[DRsohail]

Interesting list. Even more interesting to notice that guy holding top two ranking positions in Test & ODI all-rounders list for best part of a decade with 10k+ Test/ODI runs at close to 40 and ~500 wickets at ~31 with 14 hundreds and 20 5for, doesn’t make top 20 list in only 20 years of this century ....

Shakib should degintely make it there.

[Gilly]

Shakib should degintely make it there.

recent events would bar him forever.

Que for attacks on Aussies.

[MMHS]

recent events would bar him forever.

Que for attacks on Aussies.

Won't - not for this recent event for sure, he wasn't convicted for any wrong doing, rather barred for two years (effectively one year), for not disclosing a possible corrupt effort. In that list, I see the name of Shane Warne - first he was banned for a year for doping failure, before that he was secretly fined by CA to leak out team information to bookies.

[Aman]

My top 20 would be

1. Muttiah Muralitharan
2. Ricky Ponting
3. Glenn McGrath
4. Jacques Kallis
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Shane Warne
7. Dale Steyn
8. Virat Kohli
9. Steven Smith
10. Adam Gilchrist
11. Kumar Sangakkara
12. Rahul Dravid
13. AB de Villiers
14. James Anderson
15. Kevin Pietersen
16. Michael Clarke
17. Hashim Amla
19. Younis Khan
20. Alastair Cook

Flintoff is overrated. Stokes has surpassed him already IMO.

This list seems the best.

[Aman]

Younis Khan the strokless wonder of Odis rated higher than KP, Sanga, Smith who were decent players in both formats of the game?

Younis Khan should be very low in the list Probably at 20. I would even Consider Flintoff as a better overall Cricketer than YK. You cannot have one format specialists in the list above players who were masters in both formats.

Also, Williamson ahead of YK? Howcome.. KW is a decent ODi player and one of the best captain's in the format.

Ita okay to rank Ponting, Mc Grath above SRT but he should be above Kallis.

I will just swap YK with Rahul Dravid in the list.

Honestly, I think Kane is a better ODI player than he is a Test. He's world class and a rock for us in ODIs, I have more faith in him in that format than I do Tests.

[Mesozoic]

Sachin Tendulkar
Ricky Ponting
Jacques Kallis
Shane Warne
Muralidharan
Glenn McGrath
Virat Kohli
Mathew Hayden
AB De Villers
Kumar Sangakkara
Rahul Dravid
Inzamam Ul Haq
Adam Gilchrist
Mahela Jayawardane
Kevin Petersen
MS Dhoni
Virender Sehwag
Younis khan
Brendan Mccullum
Dale Steyn

[Mobashir]

Who will he replace in my list?
All batsman in my list are better players than him.

Hayden is a superior batsman than Sehwag.

[Ab Fan]

This list seems the best.

I didn't realise but Hayden and Sehwag both deserve a place in my top 20.

[jeeteshssaxena]

G Smith and Amla

Amla was a better odi player than haddin and an equally good test cricketer.

Graeme smith and hayden were equally good batsmen but smiths captaincy gives him a slight edge.

[jeeteshssaxena]

Hayden is a superior batsman than Sehwag.

Both have similar averages in test cricket with similar weaknesses against seam and swing but sehwag was a better odi cricketer.

Sehwag's test strike rate is higher than haddins odi strike rate which explains how dominant he was, a once in a generation player by all means.

[ishtiaq_ctg]

1. Mcgrath(won everything)
2. Gilchrist(Undisputed goat WK batsman)
3. Kallis(Probably the best ever cricketer)
4. Warne(best ever leggie)
5. Murali(Best ever offie)
6. Ponting(best batsman of 2000's)
7. Kohli(best batsman of 2010's)
8. Steyn(2nd best fast bowler of the century)
9. Tendulkar
10. S. Smith
11. Lara
12. G. Smith
13. Anderson
14. ABD
15. Stokes
16. Sakib
17. Hayden
18. Shewag
19. Dhoni
20. Ashwin

[hafizexpress]

Surprised I haven't seen a lot of Dhoni. He won 2 world cups and a champion trophy in this span and has had years of phenomenal batting under his belt.

Not a lot of Shakib either but all else seems good.

[Mobashir]

Both have similar averages in test cricket with similar weaknesses against seam and swing but sehwag was a better odi cricketer.

Sehwag's test strike rate is higher than haddins odi strike rate which explains how dominant he was, a once in a generation player by all means.

Sehwag was tremendous batsman. At the start of the match he is the first wicket you want. Till he is in you can't relax. Jus think Hayden was better and more complete batsman.

[Asifnow]

So these are Top 20 cricketers in all formats of the 21st Century?

Yes

Sangakkara must be higher and Rahul Dravid is missing.

Also, a case can be made for Jimmy Anderson, Michael Clarke and Ravi Ashwin

Man there's so many names that could be considered...but there's only 20 places.

Surprised I haven't seen a lot of Dhoni. He won 2 world cups and a champion trophy in this span and has had years of phenomenal batting under his belt.

Not a lot of Shakib either but all else seems good.

We remember the glory days of Dhoni the cricketer but it's been roughly 10 years now where he has been anywhere near a truly athletic keeper and maybe half that time where he has been a dangerous batsman in any format. I think he isn't really a truly great cricketer, more of a great icon. Anyway, just my opinion and why he may be overlooked by others.