Quality all-rounders are the type of player every selector and captain wishes they had.
In Australia’s case, ever since Andy Flintoff impacted so heavily on the 2005 Ashes series, the search and experimentation has been seemingly never ending.
The likes of Shane Watson, Andrew Symonds and Steve Smith were all seen at some point as being the talisman they were looking for.
But, across the board, who are the top-10 Test all-rounders since 1970 and who indeed is the number one?
Before we start the countdown, let’s have a look at some who have failed to make the cut.
Wasim Akram was a man who really failed to do enough with the bat. In 104 Tests he averaged a mere 22.6 in concert with his 414 wickets at 23.6.
Former West Indian captain Carl Hooper averaged 36.5 with bat and compiled 13 centuries, but his 114 wickets came at 49.4.
Early on Steve Waugh was a genuine all-rounder but, given at the end of a 168 Test career he had captured only 92 wickets and very seldom bowled for the back half of his time in the baggy green, he has been left out.
Perhaps the unluckiest is former Indian skipper Ravi Shastri. In 80 Tests he amassed 3830 runs at 35.8 with 11 centuries, the highest of which was 206 against Australia at the SCG in Shane Warne’s maiden Test in 1990-91.
He also claimed 151 wickets at 41.0 with two five-wicket hauls, but that high average has seen him miss the cut.
So let’s start in reverse order en route to the best all-rounder since 1970.
10. Daniel Vettori (New Zealand) – 112 Tests, 4516 runs at 30.1 with six centuries and 23 half-centuries, highest score 140. 360 wickets at 34.4 with 20 5-wicket innings and 3 10-wicket matches, best bowling in an innings 7/87, best bowling in a match 12/149.
Vettori is the only true spinner in the top 10. His batting was extremely moderate early on – he debuted at the age of 18 and batted at number 11 and after 48 Tests his average was just 18.1.
However, in his next match he made an unbeaten 137 against Pakistan, his maiden Test century.
From that point on his batting continued on an upward curve, averaging 36.7 from there on. He has scored more runs at number eight in the order than any other batsman in history.
Aside from his six centuries he also has four scores in the 90s. Three of his centuries have come against Pakistan, where he averages 43.8.
With the ball, he his second only to Sir Richard Hadlee (431) for the most wickets for the Black Caps. He is not a big spinner and thus relies on flight and a deceptive change of pace.
His career-best 7/87 came against Australia in Auckland in 1999-2000.
9. Chris Cairns (NZL) – 62 Tests, 3320 runs at 32.8 with five centuries and 22 half-centuries, HS 158, 218 wickets at 29.4 with 13 5WI and 1 10WM, BBI 7/27, BBM 10/100
Cairns had the reputation of being a big hitter, clubbing 68 sixes at better than one a match, but across his career his strike rate was just 57.
Four of his five centuries came at home, with his best being 158 against South Africa at Auckland in 2003-04. He averaged 37.2 at home and 29.7 away.
With the ball he made the most of his broad shoulders, bowling what is nowadays termed a ‘heavy ball’.
Against the might of the Australian teams during his career his 39 wickets came at 42.0. Conversely, he took 30 wickets against the West Indies at an incredible 9.9.
8. Andrew Flintoff (England) – 79 Tests, 3845 runs at 31.8 with five centuries and 26 half-centuries, HS 167, 226 wickets at 32.8 with 3 5WI
Flintoff was somewhat of an enigma. When he was on-song he could be an absolute match-winner, as witnessed by his 2005 Ashes performance when he led the England bowling attack, capturing 24 wickets at 27.3. But with that he averaged over 50 with the ball in seven of his 25 series.
He could be genuinely quick and hit the pitch hard, extracting steepling bounce. He struggled with injury in the second half of his career.
With the bat, he was like most all-rounders, a lusty hitter who often took the aerial route. He struggled against Sri Lanka, averaging 19.3 from 14 innings.
7. Tony Greig (ENG) – 58 Tests, 3599 runs at 40.4 with eight centuries and 20 half-centuries, HS 148, 141 wickets at 32.2, 6 5WI and 2 10WM, BBI 8/86, BBM 13/156
The late Tony Greig was a cricketer of abundant enthusiasm and a true fighting quality. He was just shy of his 26th birthday when he made his Test debut and his career only lasted five years, cut short in the main by World Series Cricket.
He was one of the early exponents of the horizontal bat at above bail height in the stance. He compiled centuries against varying attacks, from the likes of Andy Roberts and Michael Holding to Bishan Bedi and B.S. Chandrasekhar.
His highest score of 148 was made on a dusty Mumbai track in 1972-73 while his most memorable ton was his 110 at the Gabba against Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. He thrived with the bat away from home, Averaging 46.9 against 34.6 at home.
With the ball he was a whirl of arm and legs, using his height (198cm) to deliver either medium pace or off-spin depending on the conditions.
His best bowling in both an innings and a match were against West Indies in Port-of-Spain in 1973-74.
6. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – 108 Tests, 3781 runs at 32.3 with two centuries and 16 half-centuries, HS 111, 421 wickets at 23.1, 16 5WI, 1 10WM, BBI 7/87, BBM 10/147
Born into a famous South African cricketing family, Pollock was always destined to be a star. A technically correct lower order batsman, it is fair to say that he underperformed slightly in that aspect of his game but, given his workload with the ball (all-time highest wicket-taker for his country), he can be excused.
His centuries came against Sri Lanka and West Indies, while he averaged 42.3 in 12 Tests against Pakistan.
Like Greig, he was better on the road – 36.4 versus 29.1. He averaged 35.8 from his nine Tests in Australia.
With ball in hand he was reminiscent of McGrath and Hadlee with a metronomic line from stump to stump. He was genuinely quick early on but soon pulled back his pace.
His innings career-best came in Adelaide in 1997-98.
Tune in tomorrow for the top five.
Bearfax
Guest
I understand he had a gig with the Beverley Hills Blues but kept getting suspended for breaking the rules of the game. Was great at point and handled most bouncers with aplomb. Mind you he never played with an entirely straight bat.
Jonny Boy Jnr
Guest
Why Axel Foley hasn't been mentioned is beyond sound human judgement. Equally dangerous with both bat and ball in hand...this guy clean bowled Lara!
peeeko
Roar Guru
Just checked, he batted mainly at 8 and 30% time at 7. He was mainly a bowling all rounder and SA normally had a full time batter at 6 as Kallis was the other all rounder. He was NOt out in 39 of 156 innings which means he could have scored more tonnes if batting higher. An average of 32 means he was pretty good with the bat
Bearfax
Guest
Oh so true Jason. Get it back to its basics. I like it. In some quarters they call their language psycho--babble. And that about defines it,
Bearfax
Guest
Interesting point when looking at statistics. Two players we could almost call all rounders in Australia were Richie Benaud and Shane Warne. Richie averages 24.5 with the bat and 27 with the ball in tests Shane averaged 17.3 with the bat and 25.4 with the ball in tests Based on those figures you would almost suggest that Richie was an all round better player and not that much less successful a spin bowler. Some players though like Warne and Flintoff gain an aura about them that often makes them more feared and certainly both had some extraordinary performances. But statistics arent emotive and often gets these things into better perspective
Jason
Guest
It's not that mystifying. If the people that employed the selectors knew how straightforward it all was then they wouldn't be paying the large 6 figure salaries. So the selectors and high performance managers have an incentive to make it all sound harder than it really is. Hence the "informed player management" where apparently only select lucky few "informed" people can do the job properly.
Jason
Guest
It is why it needed the likes of Dennis Lillee and Viv Richards to be the catalyst for WSC. No Lillee, no WSC.
Bearfax
Guest
At test level McMillan averaged in batting 39.4 and bowling 33.8. Cronje averaged in batting 36.4 and in bowling 30. Close! Mcmillan was a better batsman, Cronje a better bowler. Depends on what you think is more important. But its a worthy point.
Justin2
Guest
You are 100% right. It is absolutely mystifying that people being paid large 6 figure salaries cannot figure this out...6 bats, keeper and 4 bowlers please!!
Jason
Guest
If he is batting so much at 8 it's hard to consider him one of the great all rounders then if his own team don't rate his batting any better.
sheek
Roar Guru
Bearfax, In rugby we say, "win with style." Much the same philosophy applies in cricket & all sports. It ought to go without saying that style by itself is meaningless without talent. Wallabies Mark Ella & David Campese had style, but they had the talent to deliver that style also. But if sport is going to give us the same hum-drum mundanity as our normal everyday lives, then we don't need sport. I'm not going to pull my money out of my pocket to watch mundanity. In our old age it's those players who excited us & made our spirits rise, they are the ones who we remember most fondly. I really don't understand the attitude of the vast majority of professional sportsmen across many sports. It's not the marketeers who promote the games, but the athletes. If they want the fans stampeding through the turnstiles, then it will be through the brilliance of their play. Something most of them don't understand or probably don't care about.
Jimmy
Guest
That is interesting. Amazing when you look at the facts and not go with the inaccurate opinion. I never rated Cronje as a batsman because he did not score the big totals on a regular basis, But you have opened my eyes to his overall worth as a cricketer.
Jimmy
Guest
Kallis's bowling strike rate is significantly better than Sobers. Not a fraction - very significantly. Whether they bowled long or short spells is hardly the point. The aim is to get the batsman OUT. Not to keep him in and get him to score fewer runs. I don't want a bowler who is going to bowl long spells for little reward - just the opposite.' I'm not going to bother to analyse the bowling any further but it would be interesting to see the no of overs bowled by Kallis and Sobers in their first 100 innings.So far every time you analyse the stats Kallis's performances are enhanced.For the first few years of his career he was often used in long spells. At a time he batted at 3 he would then have to be first change bowler! But people will tend to go with their opinions irrespective of facts. Many who just parrot on about long ago players have never actually seen them play except for the odd newsreel clip which show the best bits etc.They just keep repeating what they have read. "The older I get the better I was" syndrome. In this case I have seen them play in several countries and at several levels. I repeat and will hold to my opinion that Kallis is the best ever backed by facts not subjective opinion - his biggest drawback is he keeps himself in the background.. The ultimate quiet achiever.
peeeko
Roar Guru
He batted a lot at number 8? Hard to make 50 from there
peeeko
Roar Guru
So all round performance is not as important?
Glenn Mitchell
Expert
I wholeheartedly agree Guy. I think Australia became besotted with finding an all-rounder post-2005 Ashes. At times it was a case of trying to fit a round peg into a square hole. If you have a genuine all-rounder but trying to manufacture one just because you think you need one can be very counterproductive.
pope paul v11
Guest
Thanks Glenn
Guy
Guest
After reviewing the meager list of truly worldclass all-rounders, at best a handful in the last 40 years. It is worth reflecting that the two teams that dominated world cricket for the vast majority of the time since the 1970s, namely the West Indies and then Australia did not have an all-rounder that made anyone's top 5 pick. That clearly shows if you have a truly great allrounder by all means play them but please stop looking for the magic bullet all rounder.. History shows they are rare and also shows the great teams did very well without an all-rounder.
Jason
Guest
Kallis takes less than 2 wickets a test. Take out Bangladesh and Zim it is closer to 1.5 wickets per test at an average of about 35. His bowling isn't much more than useful as a whole but it can be very effective in the right conditions.
Bearfax
Guest
Sheek. Style is nice to watch, but this is about the greatest all rounder, not who looks prettiest. Its like in T20 cricket we've got a couple of players called Finch and Shaun Marsh. They have marvellous style, but get them into heavy duty test cricket to win matches and they're useless. Mind you Sobers had talent as well as style and yes that makes him worthy of accolades. But in the end does that make him the best all rounder. If I chose him as the best, and I I think he's up there with the very best, I wouldnt be choosing him on style. It would be on performance and statistics.