My top 50 greatest cricketers - 50 - 41
Shane Warne


So the countdown begins - and there are already a few shocks. At no 50 in my list of greats is a batsman who never played a test.

50
Jamie Siddons (Victoria)
First-class matches 160
Runs 11,587 at 44.91
Catches 206
As an all-round fielder, with a rocket arm, I rank him second behind Mark Waugh among Australians I have seen. He is recognised as one of our best batsmen not to have played Test cricket. I thought he was especially good against spin and have fond memories as he was in the Victoria team when I made my debut.

49
Darren Berry (Victoria)
First-class matches 153
Runs 4,273 at 21.58
Catches 552
Stumpings 51
Another Victorian to miss out on Test cricket. He is the purest wicketkeeper I have seen. The ball sounded extra-soft in his gloves. His catching was so reliable that first slip could stand wider and the cordon covered more ground. He once stumped David Boon down the leg side standing up to Paul Reiffel – a brilliantly executed plan.

48
Brian McMillan (South Africa)
Test matches 38
Runs 1,968 at 39.36
Wickets 75 at 33.82
For a big fellow, he did not hit the ball as hard as you would expect, but he could be a sharp bowler and a wonderful slip fielder. It helped that his hands were just enormous. He was a very tough guy to play against, especially when you were meeting him for the first time, but he was also an enjoyable opponent.

47
Chris Cairns (New Zealand)
Test matches 62
Runs 3,320 at 33.53
Wickets 218 at 29.40
He played the most incredible shot off my bowling during a game in Hamilton. Placing his left leg into the rough, he swivelled to face square leg and hit the turning ball over that area for a huge six. At one stage, he was probably the best all-rounder in the world, despite struggling with injuries.

46
Dilip Vengsarkar (India)
Test matches 116
Runs 6,868 at 42.13
The India side were starting to change in my early days with Australia, but Vengsarkar remained a very stylish, elegant batsman. In our dressing-room, he was held in the highest regard by those who saw him at his best in the Eighties. I’ve taken into account his record all over the world, including three hundreds at Lord’s.

45
Waqar Younis (Pakistan)
Test matches 87
Runs 1,010 at 10.20
Wickets 373 at 23.56
People may be surprised that Waqar doesn’t figure higher. His stats are excellent, but I always thought that he fed off Wasim Akram at the other end. Having said that, he was a fine one-day bowler with a devastating, fast yorker at the death. The pair of them formed a great new-ball partnership through the Nineties.

44
Alec Stewart (England)
Test matches 133
Runs 8,483 at 39.54
Catches 263
Stumpings 14
He did not have a great record against Australia, but I always admired Alec for his versatility. Over his career, he had to adjust from being a batsman to a batsman-keeper, then play as an opener, No 3 or in the middle order. From what I can gather, his preparation was always spot on.

43
Michael Atherton
Test matches 115
Runs 7,728 at 37.69
In a funny way I enjoyed watching him bat because he was one of the old school who just liked to grind down the opposition. At times, he held England together when they were going through a rough period. His concentration was incredible and I always enjoyed talking cricket with him. He has a good understanding of the game.

42
Ravi Shastri (India)
Test matches 80
Runs 3,830 at 35.79
Wickets 151 at 40.96.
Test cricket seemed impossibly hard when Ravi was belting a double hundred on my debut for Australia. By the time I had him caught – at deep cover, which tells its own story – I didn’t know where my second game would come from. He was a very effective player and a handy spin bowler for a captain to have up his sleeve.

41
Justin Langer (Australia)
Test matches 105
Runs 7,696 at 45.27
So many people wrote him off and there were more talented batsmen who did not play as often for Australia. But you need more than talent to succeed and “Alfie” worked his guts out to become the best player he could be. By the end, he had scored 23 Test hundreds and became an inspiration to youngsters everywhere.

psswrdrmndr and oho
I would post if i had it ..i think they have not published it yet

i would love to see the rest of the rankings.
i understand that the ranking was strictly based on his personal experience and his views about other players and while i don't have much dissatisfaction or objection about waqar being placed at no. 45, i am quite perplexed to see his fellow australian players tim may and bruce reid, who did not leave any remarkable impression to the cricketing world, placed well ahead of waqar -- a devastating bowler who had one heck of a career.

i would love to know, if i would ever be able to, where would waqar figure had he been an australian....

Haha Loots bro,
If Waqar were to be an Australian, he would have certainly been in Warne's list of top 15, if not top10.

Have patience Dudes !! British TIMES is probably paying him BIG Money. And Looks like they want him to write this as a series of articles.. 10 at a time .. Great Strategy though.. I hear they are getting hits to their website everyday in BIG numbers since. And Pretty sure will sell the printed ones too..
The Big Blonde is currently not playing any county cricket because of his Broken Ribs.

But Man ...I tell ya.... Many Readers might ask for his Head examined ....
The King of INSWINGING YORKERS is at 45 ???
Its Not the place Where he is at(he might well be) but its Who other Bowlers are listed above him that surprises me ..

Anyway, as I said before ... its his List ..we don't have to agree with it :-)

Here Goes the Other 10..

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.

Steve Waugh may may have been lucky to have great individual players when he captained the Australian side. But that does not mean that Stephen Flemming was a better captain than Stevie. Besides Steve Waugh was a superior and a tougher batsman than Flemming. Maybe Shane Warne has some personal grudges against his former captain.

Steve Waugh is one of the finest allrounders of all time. He should be in top 10 in anybody's list. This only tells us that Mr. Warne didn't have a good relationship with Steve Waugh.

steve waugh was more of a match saver than a match winner? what about david boon? how many matches did he win for australia?

warne has gone nuts..seriously, this is close to being R-I-D-I-C-L-O-U-S!

Article from Cricinfo.com


Shane Warne has ranked Steve Waugh at No. 26 on his list of 50 greatest cricketers because he was a "match-saver rather than a match-winner". Darren Lehmann, David Boon, Brett Lee and Stephen Fleming were higher than Waugh as Warne revealed players 21 to 30 in his column in the Times.

Waugh was named Australia's captain ahead of Warne in 1999 and one of the legspinner's major disappointments in a record-breaking career was not leading his country in Tests. However, Waugh's 168 matches and 10,927 runs - the fourth highest of all-time - didn't convince Warne to place him higher.

"This may raise a few eyebrows," Warne wrote. "Yes, he [Waugh] 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."

Waugh won a record 41 Tests as captain but Warne downplayed the achievement. "Mark Taylor handed him a wonderful team," he wrote.

Lehmann averaged 44.95 in 27 Tests and his work against the slow bowlers impressed Warne. "'Boof' was one of the hardest batsmen for spinners because he was unorthodox and had a wonderfully light touch," Warne wrote. "He had the same qualities as Brian Lara in his pomp, hitting brilliantly square of the wicket ... It was a shame that he did not play more Tests."

Looks like this Warne's Foolish pickings is getting attention after some Australians are getting affected. Even Cricinfo seems to have been surprised.
But placing Steve Waugh WELL below the likes of Lehmann, Flintoff, Mark W,Gooch, or even say Gilchrist .... Do you still believe this list has any Credibility ? Na ....

This looks like list of 50 Cricketers he LOVES

Here you go again:

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
20 Adam Gilchrist
19 Aravinda de Silva
18 Merv Hughes
17 Matthew Hayden
16 Andrew Flintoff
15 Graham Gooch
14 Rahul Dravid
13 Anil Kumble
12 Mark Waugh
11 Courtney Walsh

Its a JOKE man ......

Any update in the list? Who are the top 10? Dravid I think is the best test batsman of the last 6 years at number 14? U kidding me MR. Warne? The list is getting more weirder. Adam Gilchrist should be in top 10, considering he was not only a batsman. Get Gooch out of top 20. Mark and Steve Waugh should shuffle their rankings. Also, put Walsh in top 10. I agree with others in 20-11.

Shane Warne's 10 greatest cricketers

1. Sachin Tendulkar (IND), 2. Brian Lara (WIS), 3. Curtly Ambrose (WIS), 4. Allan Border (AUS), 5. Glenn McGrath (AUS), 6. Wasim Akram (PAK), 7. Muttiah Muralitharan (SRI), 8. Ricky Ponting (AUS), 9. Mark Taylor (AUS), 10. Ian Healy (AUS)

Source: ESPNSTAR

Not surprising considering the fact that Warne and Sachin are close friends. Plus to have mark taylor at 9 is a joke nothing else. Steve waugh was better batsman and also he has better record as a captain.

Its surprisng Warne didnt chose Brian Lara as the best. Infact it was lara because of whom shane warne was CONTEMPLATING RETIREMENT during 1999 because he was so demorlised and destroyed by brian lara's batting.

LOL Mark Taylor ahead of Steve Waugh
and
Ian Healy ahead of Adam Gilchrist' just sums everything up

10

Ian Healy (Australia)

Test matches 119 Runs 4,356 at 27.39 Catches 366 Stumpings 29

He was the best wicketkeeper I saw. I can’t remember him making a mistake during the 1993 Ashes series either standing up to the spinners or back to the quicks. What people did not see was the practice he put in to reach that level. He was a dangerous lower-order batsman, but these days the requirement seems to be for keeper-batsmen, not batsmen-keepers.

9

Mark Taylor (Australia) Test matches 104 Runs 7,525 at 43.49

I played under four Australia captains but “Tubby” was the pick. He seemed to have an instinct for what was right and was never afraid to break conventions if he thought it was right. His sharp brain has now made him a good commentator. I owe him for holding some incredible slip catches, but his first role was as a very, very solid player.

8

Ricky Ponting (Australia) Test matches 110 Runs 9,368 at 59.29

By the time he finishes I think Ricky will have smashed all Test batting records. He can play for at least another two Ashes series. People say that he was gifted with natural talent, which is true, but he has built on that and has improved beyond recognition against the short ball and spin. He is a really athletic fielder and the 2005 experience helped to turn him into an excellent captain.

7

Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) Test matches 113 Wickets 700 at 21.33

No matter what anybody thinks about his action, he is wonderful to bat against for the experience of facing a ball that turns so much. He has helped to turn Sri Lanka into a formidable side at home. It is also worth remembering the work he did in the aftermath of the tsunami when he gave so much hope to people in despair. And we all love that smile.

6

Wasim Akram (Pakistan) Test matches 104 Wickets 414 at 23.62 Runs 2,898 at 22.64

Being a left-armer gave an advantage but the ability to swing the ball from over or round the wicket, reverse or conventional, puts him among the great bowlers of my time. His whippy action made him harder to face and there was a spell at Rawalpindi in 1994 that was as fast as anything I have seen. Good enough with the bat to score a Test double-hundred.

5

Glenn McGrath (Australia) Test matches 124 Wickets 563 at 21.64

He kept everything simple but effective. Although batsmen knew exactly what McGrath was about, he still beat them almost every time. He had that ability to take the big wicket and his longevity was incredible. By keeping things so tight he helped me to get a lot of wickets at the other end. Don’t let him fool you over his batting: it really was terrible.

4

Allan Border (Australia) Test matches 156 Runs 11,174 at 50.56

AB is the top Australian in my list. I probably learnt more from him than anybody bar Ian Chappell. The toughest cricketer I have played with, he was also an outstanding batsman and had been for more than a decade by the time I came into the side. People remember his determination but he also had plenty of shots. He led from the front and remains a great example to youngsters.

3

Curtly Ambrose (West Indies) Test matches 98 Wickets 405 at 20.99

It was very difficult to split Curtly and Glenn McGrath, but I think Curtly had that extra half-gear as well as being just as accurate and clinical. He could take your head off if he wanted, and he did have that nasty streak. I don’t remember him ever giving me a half-volley – or anybody else for that matter. He turned a game – and the series – in Perth in 1992-93 with a spell of seven wickets for one run. Early in my career, I watched in amazement at his brilliance.

2

Brian Lara (West Indies) Test matches 131 Runs 11,953 at 52.88

Whether you played with him or against him, you were in awe of Brian Charles Lara. I loved his strut, his swagger and his ability to hit four after four with his high backlift and incredible placement. He had an amazing knack of playing match-winning innings all through his career and has constructed two of the three highest scores in Test history. He reserved some of his best batting for Australia. At times I felt as though we could bowl 100mph or spin it 14 feet and he still would not get out.

1

Sachin Tendulkar (India) Test matches 140 Runs 11,150 at 54.92

You have to watch India in India truly to appreciate the pressure that Sachin Tendulkar is under every time he bats. Outside grounds, people wait until he goes in before paying to enter. They seem to want a wicket to fall even though it is their own side that will suffer. This is cricket as Sachin has known it since the age of 16. He grew up under incredible weight of expectation and never buckled once – not under poor umpiring decisions or anything else. I place him very slightly ahead of Lara because I found him slightly tougher mentally. It is such a close call, but here is an example of what I mean: in Australia in 2003-04 he was worried about getting out cover driving so he decided to cut out the shot. I saw the wagon wheel for his next innings: he scored 248 without a single cover drive. Like Lara, he has scored runs all over the world. I have seen him run down the pitch and hit Glenn McGrath over the top for six, and I have seen him hit me for six against the spin going around the wicket. I have been lucky to get to know him off the field as well. He is quiet and humble. A great player and a great man.

The list in full

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
20 Adam Gilchrist
19 Aravinda de Silva
18 Merv Hughes
17 Matthew Hayden
16 Andrew Flintoff
15 Graham Gooch
14 Rahul Dravid
13 Anil Kumble
12 Mark Waugh
11 Courtney Walsh
10 Ian Healy
9 Mark Taylor
8 Ricky Ponting
7 Muttiah Muralitharan
6 Wasim Akram
5 Glenn McGrath
4 Allan Border
3 Curtly Ambrose
2 Brian Lara
1 Sachin Tendulkar


Winning numbers

20 Australians in Warne’s favourite 50 (53 as it turned out). There are eight Englishmen, six Indians, five Pakistanis, four South Africans, three New Zealanders, three Sri Lankans, three West Indians and a Zimbabwean.

4,615 Test caps won by Warne’s elite, making an average of 87 each

18 Ashes winners for Australia

5 Ashes winners for England (Harmison, Vaughan, Pietersen, Flintoff and Gooch)

20 Members of a World Cup-winning squad. Three for India in 1983 (Vengsarkar, Shastri, Dev); six for Australia in 1987 (Reid, May, McDermott, S Waugh, Boon, Border); one for Pakistan in 1992 (Wasim Akram); three for Sri Lanka in 1996 (Jayasuriya, De Silva, Muralitharan) and seven for Australia in 1999, 2003 and/or 2007 (Lehmann, Lee, Gilchrist, McGrath, Hayden, Ponting and M Waugh).

I think Ganguly should have been in the list.
Not having Inzamam is okay as I think Inzy was well below average when he played against Warne and the Aussies.

THE REASON WARNE SAID SACHIN IS BETTER I FIND LITTLE LUDICROUS. I AM GIVING ONE EXPAMPLE JUST FOR THE SAHKE OF ANOLOGY NOT FOR THE SHAKE OF ARGUMENT.

Warne said " I place sachin very slightly ahead of Lara because I found him slightly tougher mentally. It is such a close call, but here is an example of what I mean: in Australia in 2003-04 he was worried about getting out cover driving so he decided to cut out the shot."

I am sorry to say. That 241 was one of the most sorry, painful and slow double hundred i have ever seen. Sachin failed all the series and then made a double hundred scoring almost all the run on the leg side .

TAKE THIS ANOLOGY.

SIMILAR to Sachin, lara failed initail tests against australia in 2005-2006 ( needless to say 3 out of four times previously he was given out wrongly by his nemesis Rudi Koertzen of South Africa) . SIMILAR TO SACHIN, even he makes doulbe hundred in last test. Only difference is Lara, completely dominated the australian bowling bringing his double hundred in a one day style with the run rate of almost 5 runs an over with breathtaking array of strokeplay. he also broke record of Alan border on the process and also become second highest scorer of double hundred after Don Bradman.


FROM THIS ANALOGY IT IS CLEAR THAT UNDER SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES LARA CLEARLY OUTDID SACHIN. I JUST WISHED WARNE HAD A BETTER EXPLANATION THEN WHAT HE GAVE. ANYWAY IT IS HIS OWN RATING.

ALSO SEEING 5 AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS IN TOP 10 IS HARD TO COMPREHEND.

No_quiero,
good analogy ..the double hundred that Tendulkar made in that series was resilient no doubt but certainly NOT an example to put him ahead of Lara..........

Tendulkar tops Warne's greatest cricketers list (http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/current/story/309178.html)

September 1, 2007

Sachin Tendulkar topped Shane Warne's countdown of greatest cricketers edging out Brian Lara, who was placed second. Curtly Ambrose, Allan Border and Glenn McGrath rounded out the top five in Warne's Times column.

Warne rated Tendulkar ahead of Lara on account of his mental toughness and hailed him as a "great player and a great man". He wrote, "Outside grounds [in India], people wait until he [Tendulkar] goes in before paying to enter. They seem to want a wicket to fall even though it is their own side that will suffer ... He [Tendulkar] grew up under incredible weight of expectation and never buckled once - not under poor umpiring decisions or anything else."

Warne and Tendulkar clashed several times on the field, but their most most famous battles were on Australia's tour to India in 1997-98. Warne struck the first salvo, dismissing Tendulkar for 4 in the first Test, but was then taken apart in the second, going for 122 runs in 30 overs as Tendulkar smashed a matchwinning unbeaten 155. Tendulkar finished the series with an average of 111, while Warne's ten wickets cost him 54 apiece.

Five Australians were placed in the top ten, including three of Warne's captains - Border, Ricky Ponting and Mark Taylor. Ian Healy, tenth on the list, was described as the best wicketkeeper he'd ever seen.

Muttiah Muralitharan, who needs nine more wickets to go past Warne's record haul of Test victims, was the highest rated spinner - at seven.

"He has helped to turn Sri Lanka into a formidable side at home. It is also worth remembering the work he did in the aftermath of the tsunami when he gave so much hope to people in despair."

Wasim Akram, who was sixth, was Pakistan's only representative in the top ten. Warne's complete list (of 53 cricketers) was dominated by Australia, with 20 players, though none were named among the top three.

Comments

Shane Warne was a great cricketer but he simply doesn't know how to judge greatness. First and foremost Tendulkar is not even close to Brian Lara in terms of greatness. Lara is the greatest batsman ever. Yes even with Bradman around. Secondly Murli is the best spinner I have ever seen and no Tendulkar could tame him, only Lara. And as for Warne he would not call Lara the greatest because Lara has battered him so many times. Tendulkar is 23 on my list. And in my top twenty only Mgrath and Ware features. Ricky Ponting is yet to play a test macth against a really decent bowling attack. He will not be on my list untill I see him against a great attack.
Posted by analyst on September 01 2007, 20:41 PM GMT

It is generally great to see how great cricketers rate other great cricketers. If I'm not mistaken there have been a few such lists for various countries by Toni Cozier, Greg Chappell and Toney Greg who do not have organic brain pathology. No doubt that Sir Garry Sobers was the greatest and the most gifted to ever to play the game even after a bottle of Rum. He would list in my top 10 even if he batted right handed. How about Late Malcom M (gretest fast bowler), Viv R, Joel G, Sir Don, Michel H, Dennis L. Perhaps Shane Warne plans to go down to minus ten.
Posted by Narli on September 01 2007, 20:08 PM GMT

Even though Warney's ranking has created a lot of controversies, one should understant that it is based on the impact made by the players on him. But it would be intersting to know where he would rank himself in that tall order because it is obvious that warne's name will be present in the list of great cricketers not only of the last two decades, but also of all time.
Posted by danarkii on September 01 2007, 18:46 PM GMT

justifying tenulkar position as 1 comapard to lara- Tendulkar also bowls well and took about 150 ODI wickets and 42 test wickets. Again the test average and ODI averages are far better than Lara. (54 and 44 tenulkar a, 50 and 40 for lara repectively) Shane warne must be knowing that tendulkar turns balls sometimes more than him and Muralidharan. Lara is unique and is no doubt a genious.
Posted by cricketfan on September 01 2007, 18:28 PM GMT

Has whoever posted the comment from Cricket4life deliberately spelt grammar wrongly in a feeble attempt to make a point or does he not know any better?
Posted by owdmon on September 01 2007, 17:41 PM GMT

That is the most rubbish I have ever graced upon. Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes(I reckon he played against them), nor Shivnarine Chanderpaul made this list. Brian Lara is not number 1. Ian Healy is at number 10. Total nonsense in my opinion, but again it is Warne's choice.
Posted by GQSilk on September 01 2007, 17:14 PM GMT

People, this is a list of people that Warne things are not only great great cricketers but are also great human beings, and that is from his first hand experience. They are not based on your individual experiences, or stat books, so let it be and appreciate the fact that a great cricketer has noticed the other great ones. As for the names I read above: Inzi is good but is surely not to the level of Sachin, Lara, & Ponting; Javed M. is infact related to an underworld Don, and finally Bradman, well, his name does not need to be mentioned, he is by default the greatest. Oh and not more things, before being a critic of Warne's list, PLEASE be one for your grammer and spellings.
Posted by cricket4life on September 01 2007, 16:51 PM GMT

i think so there are many problems in his ranking becoz he has forgotten many other great players who is more deserved in the rankings one of them are javed miandad, inzaman,imran khan,and many other players and is looking like shuffled from the deserving ranking
Posted by mohammed_ameen on September 01 2007, 15:46 PM GMT

There is no doubt about shane warnes cricket.He was a great cricketer. But to be a great critic he has to watch a lot of matches.It is better not to publish such poor openions which can be hurted great cricketers
Posted by Vinodudma on September 01 2007, 15:45 PM GMT

Naren: Of course it shows his bias. Wouldn't your top 50 cricketer list show *your* bias? Interesting read, to see how Warnie rates people. But people are taking it entirely too seriously.
Posted by Justin on September 01 2007, 15:44 PM GMT

rahul dravid should be rated higher