Shane Warne's greatest cricketers: Nos 50-41 | Nos 40-31 | Nos 20-11

Sorry if I’ve thrown a few of you off track, but I forgot to mention on Monday when I introduced the series that I have three tied positions. Playing to my own rules, I can do that. But I will also guarantee that, from tomorrow, there will be no more curve balls. Twenty –– and only 20 –– names remain. So keep going with those guesses . . . and prepare for a few more surprises.

30
Kevin Pietersen (England)
Test matches 30
Runs 2,898 at 52.69
If I do this in a couple of years, he will be higher, but it is hard to push him above players who have performed over longer periods. Even before his England debut, I said that he had that X-factor. His hits to unusual areas and his 158 at the Oval in 2005 underlines his confidence.

29
Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistan)
Test matches 43
Wickets 169 at 25.30 and
Craig McDermott (Australia)
Test matches 71
Wickets 291 at 28.63
Different bowlers, but not a pair I could separate. Shoaib has had controversy on and off the field but, on his day, he is the fastest bowler in the world and his action makes him hard to pick up. He is great to watch and brings people to the game. McDermott was excellent when conditions were right, but probably needed those things to be in his favour more than some others.

28
Saeed Anwar (Pakistan)
Test matches 55
Runs 4,052 at 45.52 and
Mohammad Yousuf (Pakistan)
Test matches 75
Runs 6,553 at 56.00
Saeed could adapt to any conditions and was equally good against all bowling. He was not one of those who began to struggle if the spinner came on early and looked to be positive as his Plan A against all attacks. Yousuf is up there with him because of his form over the past two years. He is a top-class off-side player with great placement and an ideal temperament for any situation.

27
Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
Test matches 107
Runs 8,430 at 55.09
Wickets 213 at 31.71 and
Shaun Pollock (South Africa)
Test matches 107
Wickets 416 at 23.19
Runs 3,781 at 32.31
Kallis has an impeccable technique and is an excellent all-round player but, of late, his batting seems to have become slower and he wants to let people bat around him. Pollock has been the South African Glenn McGrath, just not quite as successful, but he is a destructive lower-order batsman who has been really effective in both formats.

26
Steve Waugh (Australia)
Test matches 168
Runs 10,927 at 51.06
Catches 112
This may raise a few eyebrows. Yes, he scored a lot of runs, but to me he was a match-saver rather than a match-winner. That is why he is not higher. There were also times when he struggled against the short ball. But he had good all-round capabilities and was always reliable in the gully. Mark Taylor handed him a wonderful team.

25
Darren Lehmann (Australia)
Test matches 27
Runs 1,798 at 44.95
“Boof” was one of the hardest batsmen for spinners because he was unorthodox and had a wonderfully light touch. He had the same qualities as Brian Lara in his pomp, hitting brilliantly square of the wicket, and improvised brilliantly in one-day cricket. It was a shame that he did not play more Tests. Also a handy left-arm pie-thrower.

24
Brett Lee (Australia)
Test matches 59
Wickets 231 at 31.60
One of those bowlers we always want in our side because he offers something extra. He can blast away lower orders with his pace. After bursting on to the scene he had a couple of setbacks, but he has been around long enough now to know his own game, his line and length is more consistent and he has developed a really good outswinger.

23
Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)
Test matches 104
Runs 6,620 at 39.64
Catches 159
Definitely the best captain I have played against, which is why he is in the 20s rather than the 40s. His understanding of tactics and plans are second to none, and he has the temperament to stay calm when things are going against him. Also a classy left-handed batsman and excellent slip fielder.

22
Martin Crowe (New Zealand)
Test matches 77
Runs 5,444 at 45.36
“Flem” will bristle at ranking below Crowe –– but 23 is my favourite number so he can’t take it the wrong way. I played against Crowe early in my career and did not bowl to many more elegant batsmen in the years after he retired. He picked up length early and seemed to have all the shots, allowing him to score quickly.

21
David Boon (Australia)
Test matches 107
Runs 7,422 at 43.65
Catches 99
The “keg on legs” was a wonderful player, a rock-solid citizen and outstanding fielder at bat-pad. Batting at No 3 against some of those bowling attacks in the Eighties was perhaps the toughest job in the game and nobody ever questioned his bravery. They would have received very short shrift from anyone in our dressing-room.