Shane Warne's greatest cricketers: Nos 50-41 | Nos 40-31 | Nos 30-21

20

Adam Gilchrist (Australia)

Test matches 90 Runs 5,353 at 48.66 Catches 344 Stumpings 37

That every country is trying to find an Adam Gilchrist shows his impact. Wicketkeepers now have to bat as well. If we were ever under the pump he could turn around the situation by counter-attacking and he has settled one-day games in the first hour. He is still a batsman-keeper rather than the other way round, but his keeping is improving.

19

Aravinda de Silva (Sri Lanka)

Test matches 93 Runs 6,361 at 42.97

At team meetings we would spend more time talking about Aravinda than the rest of the Sri Lanka batsmen — but our plans rarely came off. He was sheer class, a lovely strokemaker and his hundred in the 1996 World Cup final ranks among the best one-day innings. His off spin was also underrated, especially in his home country.

18

Merv Hughes (Australia)

Test matches 53 Wickets 212 at 28.38

Nobody in our dressing-room will be surprised that Merv is so high. For all the clowning, the moustache and his physique, he was a thoughtful bowler with incredible mental strength. However flat the pitch or well-set the batsmen, you could always throw him the ball. His resilience to play through injuries set him apart.

17

Matthew Hayden (Australia)

Test matches 89 Runs 7,739 at 53.00

There is something individually special about most of the top 20.

In Hayden’s case it is his refusal to give up after struggling in his first go at Test cricket. He kept fighting for his spot, scored heavily in domestic cricket and the tour to India in 2001 was a breakthrough. Since then he has been a phenomenal run-scorer and is now recognised as one of the best openers Australia have had.

16

Andrew Flintoff (England)

Test matches 67 Runs 3,381 at 32.50 Wickets 197 at 32.02

I don’t mean this in a disrespectful way to Michael Vaughan, but it was “Fred” who carried England through the 2005 Ashes with his batting, bowling and sheer presence. He was great for the game in Australia as well as England; our crowds were desperate to see him play in the series last winter.

He is still the best all-rounder in the world and I really hope he can now put his injuries behind him and enjoy a clear run.

15

Graham Gooch (England)

Test matches 118 Runs 8,900 at 42.58

Professional in every sense of the word, Gooch was the toughest opponent from England I faced, which is remarkable given that he had been playing Test cricket for 18 years by the time my first Ashes series came around in 1993. Even then he was the wicket we most wanted. When I called him “Mr Gooch” he thought I was taking the mickey. I wasn’t; it was out of respect.

14

Rahul Dravid (India)

Test matches 112 Runs 9,492 at 56.50

Dravid grew in my estimation the longer I played Test cricket. He will not destroy you like a few batsmen lower in my list, but he can grind you down. As a bowler you know that once he is in, you need to produce a very good ball. That sounds obvious, but he is so strong technically that he makes fewer mistakes than other batsmen. And he should have captained India far earlier than he did.

13

Anil Kumble (India)

Test matches 118 Wickets 566 at 28.73

I can empathise with Kumble as a wrist-spin bowler. He is a real fighter, a bloke who will give you nothing on the field but has always been a true gentleman off it. With his height and bounce he comes into his own when the pitch is up and down, but he adapts well to most conditions. To score a maiden Test hundred in his 118th game was amazing; I wish that I’d matched that.

12

Mark Waugh (Australia)

Test matches 128 Runs 8,029 at 41.81

Whether he was batting, standing at slip or in the outfield, everything about this guy was graceful. Of all our great batsmen, he was my favourite to watch. The key was his timing and rhythm. He and Darren Lehmann have been the best Australian players of spin in my time. “Junior” had so much talent; he could bowl fast or really spin an off break. A good team man.

11

Courtney Walsh (West Indies)

Test matches 132 Wickets 519 at 24.44

He began his career at a time when West Indies could pick from seven or eight genuinely world-class fast bowlers and ended as their stock and strike man in one. For a paceman to pass 500 Test wickets is an incredible achievement given the rigours of the game. He gave you very little to hit and also had a very quick ball when he decided to use it.

The story so far

50 Jamie Siddons
49 Darren Berry
48 Brian McMillan
47 Chris Cairns
46 Dilip Vengsarkar
45 Waqar Younis
44 Alec Stewart
43 Michael Atherton
42 Ravi Shastri
41 Justin Langer
40 Kapil Dev
39 Stuart MacGill
38 Sanath Jayasuriya
37 Stephen Harmison
36 Andy Flower
35 Michael Vaughan
34 Bruce Reid
33 Allan Donald
32 Robin Smith
31 Tim May
30 Kevin Pietersen
29 Shoaib Akhtar / Craig McDermott
28 Saeed Anwar / Mohammad Yousuf
27 Jacques Kallis / Shaun Pollock
26 Steve Waugh
25 Darren Lehmann
24 Brett Lee
23 Stephen Fleming
22 Martin Crowe
21 David Boon