Cricket's Greatest Allrounders: Ranking History's Best

Cricket's greatest allrounders are players who would have been selected for their batting alone or their bowling alone — players who dominate in both disciplines simultaneously at the highest level. This is cricket's rarest talent.

The Definition of a True Allrounder

A true Test allrounder must average at least 25 with both bat and ball in Tests — ideally 30+ in both. Many players are described as allrounders but are either batting allrounders (bat at 6, bowl as third or fourth option) or bowling allrounders (reliable lower-order bat, primary wicket-taker). True dual-threat allrounders are rare. Garry Sobers averaged 57.78 with the bat and 34.03 with the ball; Ian Botham averaged 33.54 batting and 28.40 bowling — both comfortably meet the dual-threat standard.

All-Time Greatest Allrounders

Garry Sobers: The Undisputed Greatest

Garry Sobers is almost universally considered the greatest cricketer of all time. As a batter, he scored 8,032 runs at 57.78 — an average that would place him among the top 10 Test batters ever, if he only batted. As a bowler, he was genuinely versatile: he could bowl left-arm orthodox spin, left-arm wrist spin (chinaman), and left-arm medium-fast pace — three completely different bowling styles, each competent at Test level. He held the world record Test score (365*) for 36 years. No other cricketer in history has contributed as much in both disciplines.

Modern Allrounders: Jadeja and Stokes

Ravindra Jadeja and Ben Stokes are considered the two best allrounders in current Test cricket. Jadeja's left-arm spin is among the most economical in the world and he contributes 300+ Test wickets at a low average, combined with a batting average above 35. His fielding adds further value. Stokes's batting — particularly his capacity for match-winning innings under pressure (Headingley 2019, Cape Town 2020) — combined with his 32-average fast-medium bowling makes him England's greatest allrounder since Botham.