A statistical comparison of great all-rounders from different eras

Tags: All-round player

Published on: Jan 09, 2014

South African Jacques Kallis recently bowed out of Test cricket on a high, with a century at Durban, which led the Proteas to a memorable series win against the Indians.

South African Jacques Kallis recently bowed out of Test cricket on a high, with a century at Durban, which led the Proteas to a memorable series win against the Indians. Here, we compare the figures of great all- rounders in the game from different eras.

Jacques Kallis: The South African was a match-winner in every sense. While overall he played 166 Tests and averaged 55.3 with as many as 45 hundreds, his figures in games that South Africa won are even more impressive – an average of 62.5 in 82 Tests with 22 centuries. The numbers are similar with the ball. Overall, Kallis averages 32 .6 having grabbed 292 wickets with five five-wicket hauls. In winning causes, his average falls to 24.5 with four five-wicket hauls.

Keith Miller: The late Aussie featured in 55 Tests and averaged 37 with the bat with seven hundreds and grabbed 170 wickets at an average of 23 with seven five-wicket hauls. Miller played in 31 Tests that Australia won and averaged 43.3 with the bat scoring four hundreds. With the ball, he picked up 113 wickets in these games averaging 19.6. All his seven five-fors came in winning causes.

Gary Sobers: Sir Garfield Sobers featured in 93 Tests and maintained an average of 57.7 with 26 hundreds. He also grabbed 235 wickets averaging 34 with six-five wicket hauls. Sobers played in 31 Tests that West Indies won and averaged a whopping 77.4 in these matches with 12 tons. With the ball, he picked up 104 wickets averaging 24 with three five-wicket hauls.

Ian Botham: The former England all-rounder featured in 102 Tests and averaged 33.5 with 14 hundreds. With the ball, he grabbed 383 wickets averaging 28.4 with 27 five-wicket hauls. In 33 winning Tests, Botham averaged 43.3 with 8 tons, and he picked up 172 wickets averaging 20 with 15 five-wicket hauls.

Kapil Dev: The Indian legend featured in 131 Tests and averaged 31 with eight hundreds. With the ball, he picked up 434 wickets averaging 29.6 with 23 five-wicket hauls. Dev played in 24 Tests that India won and averaged 33.4 with one hundred. With the ball, he claimed 90 wickets averaging 18.3 with three five-wicket hauls.

Richard Hadlee: New Zealand’s greatest ever cricketer, Hadlee averaged 27 from 86 Tests with two hundreds. With the ball, he famously ended up with 431 wickets averaging 22.2 with 36 five-wicket hauls. In 22 winning Tests, Hadlee averaged 30.3 with the bat with a highest of 99. With the ball, he grabbed 173 wickets averaging only 13 with 17 five-wicket hauls.

Imran Khan: One of Pakistan’s greatest ever players, Khan played 88 Tests and averaged 37.6 with six centuries. With the ball, he picked up 362 wickets averaging 22.8 with 23 five-wicket hauls. Khan featured in 26 Tests that Pakistan won and averaged 36 with one century. With the ball, he picked up 155 wickets while averaging a miserly 14.5 with as many as 11 five-wicket hauls.

--By A Cricket Analyst

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