Deadliest Players

Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist, left-handed Australian wicket-keeper/batsman was one of the most feared batsmen in world cricket. Pakistani legend fast bowler Wasim Akram has said it on numerous occasions that Adam Gilchrist was the only batsman who he did not want to ball at for the wide variety of strokes that Gilchrist had.
Gilchrist scored 9,619 runs at an average of 35.89 and strike rate of 96.94 in the 287 matches that he played. He scored 16 centuries and 55 half-centuries and was one of the best No. 6 batsmen of his time. He was part of the world cup winning Australian squads of 1999, 2003 and 2007 and scored 1085 runs in 31 world cup matches that he played.
He was also a brilliant wicket-keeper and took 417 catches and stumped 55 batsmen behind the wickets.

Arvinda de Silva

Arvinda de Silva, right-handed Sri Lankan batsman, was a brilliant batsman and an extraordinarily cool cricketer who played a massive role in getting Sri Lanka its only cricket world cup till date. His innings in the 1996 World Cup final at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, against Australia, was one of the most calculated innings under pressure in a game as big as that.
De Silva played 308 ODI matches and scored 9284 runs with the help of 11 centuries and 64 half centuries. His average was 34.90 and took 95 catches in the field.
Arvinda de Silva was more than a handy bowler at the same time. He took 106 wickets in 156 innings during which he bowled. In world cups, from 1987 to 2003, de Silva played 35 matches and scored 1064 runs at an average of 36.68 with the help of 2 centuries and 6 half-centuries. One of these two centuries came against Australia in the 1996 World Cup final, of which he was Man of the Match as well.

Brian Charles Lara

Brian Charles Lara, left-handed West Indian batsman, was one of the most stylish batsmen in the game’s history. His famous off-the-hip pull shots and cover drives have remained an exciting feature of cricket for around two decades. Brian Lara played 299 ODIs and scored 10,405 runs at an average of 40.48 and strike rate of 79.51. Brian Lara scored 19 centuries and 63 half-centuries during his career. He is the only player to have scored 400 runs in an innings of a Test match and holds the record of scoring most runs in a Test innings till date.
Brian Lara featured in 34 World Cup matches from 1992 to 2007 and scored 1225 runs in 33 innings at an average of 42.24.

Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa’s flamboyant right-handed batsman, was a spectacular batsman to watch who could cut any of the fastest bowlers of the world for a six and remained a deadly threat for them all for years.
Gibbs played 248 ODIs and scored 8094 runs at an average of 36.13 while his highest score in an innings was 175 against Australia. He scored 21 centuries and 37 half-centuries for his side while taking 108 catches as an exceptional point, cover and gully fielder. He was quicker than most of the finest fielders in the field and took some of the most unthinkable catches during his career. However, he dropped one in 1999 World Cup super-6’s match against Australia. Steve Waugh, the lucky survivor, told him on the occasion that he had ‘not dropped the catch, but the world cup’. Eventually, Australia defeated Proteas, the famous chokers in that match, tied one again against them in the semi-final and went on to defeat Pakistan in the final to win the world cup.
Gibbs played 25 world cup matches and scored 1067 runs with the help of 2 centuries and 8 half-centuries. His highest score was 143.

Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis, one of the finest all-rounders the game has produced, played 5 world cups for South Africa from 1996 to 2011. Kallis scored 11,579 runs at an average of 44.36 and strike rate of 72.89 in 314 innings. The right-handed batsman scored 17 centuries and 86 half-centuries during his career.
Kallis played 36 world cup matches from 1996 to 2011 and scored 1148 runs at an average of 45.92 and scored 1 century and 9 half-centuries. Very few cricketers are equally blessed in both batting and bowling and Kallis was certainly one of those very few. He took 273 wickets in 283 innings at an average of 31.79 and proved to be certainly the best all-rounder to have played for South Africa.

Javed Miandad

Javed Miandad, arguably the best batsman to have played for Pakistan, was a right-handed middle order genius whose brain worked like a calculator when he was at the crease. He is also the only batsman to have played all the six world cups from 1975 to 1996 and scored 7,381 runs during his career in just 218 innings at an average of 41.70 with the help of 8 centuries and 50 half-centuries. He was not only a brilliant batsman but also lightning-quick when it came to running between the wickets and fielding. Javed Miandad took 71 catches and stumped two behind the wickets as he also kept the wickets for Pakistan on occasions when the regular wicket-keeper was unfit or out of the match for some reason.
His batting won Pakistan several matches during 80’s including the famous last-ball six that he had hit off Chetan Sharma’s bowling that won Pakistan not only the match but also gave the side a psychological advantage over India that it enjoyed for several years to come. Miandad played 33 world cup matches and scored 1075 runs at an average of 43.32 with the help of 1 century and 8 half-centuries.

Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting, former Australian right-handed batsman and only the second captain in cricket history to have won two world cups, has been one of the deadliest players of modern day cricket. Ricky Ponting scored 13,704 runs in ODI cricket at an average of 42.03 and strike rate of 80.39. Ricky scored 30 centuries and 62 half-centuries during his career.
Ricky Ponting is also credited to have captained Australia’s winning sides in 2003 and 2007. He was also a member of the world cup winning squad of 1999 under Steve Waugh’s captaincy.
Ricky Ponting played 46 world cup matches during his career from 1996 to 2011 and scored 1743 runs at an average of 45.86.

Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar, one of the most celebrated cricketers world has ever produced, is an Indian maestro who has scores of records under his belt as a batsman. The right-handed batsman has scored most number of runs in Test cricket as well as One-Day Internationals (ODI). Sachin scored a total of 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs at an average of 44.83 runs and strike rate of 86.23 with the help of 49 centuries and 96 half-centuries.
Sachin has scored most number of centuries in ODIs. He also holds the record of being the first batsman in the world to have scored a double-century in an ODI innings. Sachin Tendulkar played 45 matches in World Cups from 1992 to 2011 and scored 2278 runs, highest by any batsman, at an average of 56.95.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lankan opener, was a nightmare for the bowlers and held the record of scoring the fastest ODI century at a time. He scored that century in just 48 balls against Pakistan. Jayasuriya changed the dynamics of cricket during 90’s by scoring quick runs during the first 15 overs. He scored 13,403 runs in 445 ODI matches at an average of 32.36 and strike rate of 91.20. His highest score in an innings was 189 against India which is only the 10th highest score by an individual till date. Sanath scored 28 centuries and 68 half-centuries during his lustrous career.
Sanath was not just an outstanding batsman but an extremely handy bowler as well. The left-arm spinner got 323 wickets in ODIs and one of his finest bowling performances came against India in 1996 semi-final when he got 3 quick wickets for just 12 runs and took his side through to the final that eventually went on to win and become world champions.

Stephen Fleming

Stephen Fleming, left-handed stylish Kiwi batsman, was one of the most elegant batsmen to have played for New Zealand. He played 280 matches for New Zealand and scored 8037 runs at an average of 32.40 and strike rate of 71.49 with the help of 8 centuries and 49 half-centuries.
The graceful New Zealand opener played 4 world cups for his side and scored 1075 runs with the help of 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries. His cool and calm nature allowed him to bat according to the pace of the game and captaining New Zealand in 218 ODIs, second highest worldwide after Ricky Ponting, Fleming was the most successful Kiwi captain.