Cricket has always been one of the most loving and competitive games to be played ever. The Britishers introduced the game in the late 16th century. Often referred to as the “gentleman game,” Cricket has seen its fair share of extraordinary talent throughout its history. While the game may be known for its grace and sportsmanship, it has also witnessed players who could single-handedly change the course of the game with their exceptional skills, performances, and match awareness. In this blog, we will talk about some of the most dangerous batsmen and bowlers in the world.
Well, the question “Who is the most dangerous cricket player in the world?” carries its own views and debates over the years. One can truly not name a single bloke, and this is why we will cover all aspects of the game. We will name 5 extraordinary batsmen and 5 legendary bowlers to keep the tempo high. So, without wasting any time, let’s get into it.
Top 5 World’s Most Dangerous Batsmen
Batting is considered one of the most challenging aspects of the game because batters have been facing some fierce bowlers since the game evolved from under-arm to round-arm bowling.
While facing a pace bowler, batsmen get very less of reaction time, and in those milliseconds, they are required to judge the length of the ball, get into the position, and hit the ball in the gap in order to score runs. There have been many greats to bat in the game, but given are the 5 most dangerous batsmen in the world.
Sir Donald Bradman
To begin our journey into the world of dangerous cricketers, we must start with the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. The Australian batsman, often hailed as the greatest cricketer of all time, boasted an astonishing career batting average of 99.94.
His remarkable consistency and ability to score centuries will make him the most dangerous batsman in the sport’s history. Bradman’s career-defining moment was his incredible innings of 334 runs against England in 1930, which set a world record at the time.
Sir Donald Bradman scored 29 centuries in just 52 Tests, accumulating 6,996 runs. The numbers are just mindboggling when we speak of his first-class career. Here, he scored 28,067 in 234 games with 117 centuries. 117 centuries, woahhhh. No wonder he’s regarded as the “Don” of the game.
Sir Vivian Richards
Next up is Sir Vivian Richards, the West Indian batting maestro who struck fear into the hearts of bowlers during his prime. Richards was known for his swagger and aggressive style of play.
His career-defining moment came during the 1979 Cricket World Cup final when he played a match-winning innings of 138 not out against England, helping the West Indies lift the trophy.
The West Indian greatest scored 11 ODI centuries and 24 centuries in Test Cricket, making him one of the most dangerous cricket players in the world.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar, often referred to as the “Little Master,” is considered one of the greatest batsmen in cricket history.
Also known as the “God of Cricket”, his impeccable technique, extraordinary ability to adapt to different formats, and unmatched records make him one of the most dangerous players ever.
Tendulkar’s career-defining moment was when he became the first player to score a double century in One Day Internationals (ODIs) in 2010. He then went on to smash his 100th International century, playing against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2012.
AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers, the South African cricketer, is often regarded as one of the most versatile and destructive batsmen in modern cricket.
His career-defining moment came in 2015 when he scored the fastest ODI century in just 31 balls against the West Indies, showcasing his extraordinary ability to innovate and score quickly.
AB de Villiers is also one of the World’s most dangerous batsmen to play the game. His ability to hit ball around the park got him the name of “Mr. 360 and Superman of Cricket”.
Virat Kohli
Is there any need to say anything about Virat’s heroics? We don’t think so, and we think that you, being a Cricket fan, would feel the same too. The former Skipper of the Indian Cricket Team has done a remarkable job during his tenure.
It was in his captaincy that India won so many games on foreign soil. India remained the number 1 test side until under his leadership. There are so many career-defining moments of Virat Kohli that this blog wouldn’t be enough.
He recently equalled the record of the great Sachin Tendulkar of smashing 49 ODI tons. He’s just 1 century away from becoming the emperor in the white-ball format.
So, these are the top 5 most dangerous batsmen in the world of cricket. Moving further, we will talk about the 5 greatest and most dangerous bowlers to play the game of cricket.
5 Most Dangerous Bowlers in the World
Just like batting, bowling doesn’t come easy. Being a bowler means you need to grind hours and hours to get a reward finally. Even the most dangerous batsmen in the world have been troubled often by some of the fastest, smartest, and fiercest bowlers. Below are the top 5 most menacing bowlers in the world.
Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall was a West Indian fast bowler who was renowned for his pace, accuracy, and ability to move the ball both ways. His career-defining moment came during the 1984-85 series against England when he produced a devastating spell of 7/53 at Old Trafford, leaving England in shambles. There’s no doubt that Marshall was considered one of the most dangerous cricket players in the world.
Michael Holding
Michael Holding, another West Indian fast bowler, was known for his smooth, rhythmic bowling action and the nickname “Whispering Death” due to the silence of his approach to the crease.
His defining moment was his incredible performance against England in 1976, where he took 14 wickets in a single Test match. Michael Holding, for his sheer pace and great control, troubled even the world’s most dangerous batsmen, who were at their peak at that time.
Shoaib Akhtar
Shoaib Akhtar is a legendary and one of the most dangerous bowlers that cricket has ever witnessed. The Pakistani speed star is also known as the “Rawalpindi Express” for his lightning and blistering pace.
His career-defining moment came against England in 2003, where he bowled the fastest recorded delivery in the history of cricket, clocking 161.3 km/h (100.23 mph).
In his 46 Test matches, Akhtar took 178 wickets with 12 fifers. His ODI career was a more satisfying tale as he played 163 matches and took 247 wickets with an exceptional economy of 4.76. He also played 15 T20I and took 19 wickets in the shortest format of the game.
Brett Lee
Brett Lee, also known as Binga, is a former Australian quick bowler who ruled the game for years and years with his sheer pace and pinpoint accuracy. Known for his express pace and aggression, he bowled the spell of his life in the ICC Cricket World Cup 1999 against Pakistan, helping Australia clinch the trophy.
Brett Lee played as many as 76 Test matches and took 310 wickets in the longest format of the game. He was also a prominent asset for Australian cricket in white-ball cricket, taking 380 wickets in ODIs and 28 wickets in T20Is in 221 and 25 matches, respectively.
Dale Steyn
Dale Williem Steyn is a former South African professional cricketer who represented South Africa on numerous occasions. He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. His pace, courage, and aggression make him one of the most dangerous cricket players in the world.
Like every other bowler in the list, Steyn Gun also played all three formats of the game, and his remarkable performances led him to the number 1 ICC Cricket ranking for bowlers. In his 93 red-ball games, Steyn took 439 wickets and bowled 660 maidens. Flabbergasting, isn’t it?
Dale Steyn also played 125 One-Day Internationals and took 196 wickets with an average and economy of 25.9 and 4.87. No wonder he is considered one of the most dangerous bowlers to play the game of Cricket.
His T20I records are again nothing short of sheer brilliance as he took 64 wickets in as many as 47 games with a staggering economy of 6.94.
It is true that Cricket has evolved since its inception, and the competition has got tougher and tougher for the young blokes to represent their Countries. In the world of Cricket, we have also had many great all-rounders like Jacques Kallis, Andrew Flintoff, Yuvraj Singh, Shahid Afridi, Shane Watson, Daniel Vettori, and many others.
These all-rounders can easily be picked as some of the most dangerous batsmen or bowlers in the world because they were just too good at their business. Fielders like Jonty Rhoades, Suresh Raina, Brendon McCullum, Rahul Dravid, and others set a standardized benchmark for players.
Hence, there have been many greats of the game, and the debate will keep going on. For now, we have left this decision to you. Who is the most dangerous cricket player in the world? Comment down!
