One of the most popular sports, especially in the Asian sub-continent, cricket has managed to reach the far ends of countries in this region. Be it a small unheard-of village or a major city, the sport is closely followed by millions of fans. With the advent of T20 cricket and leagues like the IPL, CPL, and BBL boosting the sport’s growth. However, with so many international and cricket domestic leagues, one questions, who is the real GOAT of cricket? For those unaware, GOAT is an abbreviation of “greatest of all time.”
Who is the GOAT of cricket?
The question of who is the GOAT of cricket has been debated for a long time. While it would be unfair to name one single player as the GOAT in cricket, there is a list of both batters and bowlers that can be handed that tag. Over the decades, many countries have produced wonderful cricketers that shone during their era, leaving a mark in the history books.
Old timers would likely name someone from their era as the GOAT in cricket. Meanwhile, the younger generation will likely name players like Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers as their greatest batsman of all time. Whichever way, we look at the greatest cricket player of all time, along with others whom we feel deserve to be handed the tag of the GOAT of cricket.
But first, we will look at the greatest batsman of all time before coming to whom we feel is the best cricketer. Here are some of the best batsmen of all time.
Sir Don Bradman
Sir Don Bradman is widely considered the GOAT in cricket for his extraordinary records that still remain unbeaten to this day. Bradman scored 29 Test centuries and while that was a record that was unbroken for a long time, what stands out the most is his astonishing average of nearly 100.
Sir Vivian Richards
From the West Indies, former cricket great Sir Vivian Richards is considered one of the greatest cricket player of all time. In fact, he is still revered as the greatest batsman of all time, having scored 24 Test centuries during his career.
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar has been labelled one of the greatest batsman of all time when one talks about modern day cricket. Tendulkar scored 100 centuries combined in both Tests (51) and ODIs (49). Besides being a great batter, he was also a handy bowler who was capable of taking wickets during crucial junctures in a match.
Virat Kohli
While the names above resonate with greatness, one name that truly stands out with regard to modern day cricket is India’s Virat Kohli. He is widely regarded as the GOAT of cricket. In fact, he recently surpassed Sachin Tendulkar as the player with the most ODI centuries, scoring fifty of them at an incredible average of 58.67. Kohli also has 29 Test centuries to his name, which is no wonder why Virat Kohli is called GOAT.
Ab de Villiers
Former South African batting maestro AB de Villiers was another explosive player with the bat. He averages of over 50 in both formats of the game and was also a dangerous T20 player. AB de Villiers scored 22 Test centuries and 25 ODI tons during his illustrious career.
Meg Lanning
Former Australian women cricketer Meg Lanning is sometimes called the greatest player of all time in cricket for women. She still holds the record for scoring the most Women’s ODI centuries. She is also the first Australian to score 2,000 T20I runs.
GOAT full form in cricket
The GOAT full form in cricket is “greatest of all time.” The tag is given to players who have excelled with either the bat, ball during their career. Being called the GOAT is something to be proud of. Not many players are considered worthy of being called such. The GOAT full form in cricket is the same as it is with other sports as well.
GOAT meaning in cricket
The GOAT meaning in cricket is a player considered the greatest of all time with bat or ball. While this discussion is typically subjective, we list a few names for their contributions to the sport. Some of the GOATs of cricket include the players mentioned above, along with many others that are unlisted here.
Greatest Batsman of all time
Some of the greatest batsman of all time include Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Vivian Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, and Virat Kohli. Aside from these four, there are numerous other batters considered in the list of the greatest batsman of all time.
Greatest Bowler of all time
When it comes to the greatest bowler of all time, the list goes on and on. Before the introduction of T20I cricket, many bowlers were fierce in their approach, whether they were spinners of fast bowlers. However, after the shortest format of cricket gained popularity, it became more of a batters game.
Some of the greatest bowler of all time include Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Waqar Younis, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Curtly Ambrose, Anil Kumble, Dennis Lillee, Malcolm Marshall, Dale Steyn, and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Greatest Fielder of all time
Former South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes is widely regarded as the greatest fielder of all time. He was known for throwing himself at almost any ball that came his way, sometimes flying metres in the air and successfully stopping boundaries.
However, there are many other greatest fielder of all time over the years, especially in modern day cricket. Some of these names include Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, the late Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, AB de Villiers, and Suresh Raina.
Greatest Wicket Keeper of all time
Back in the day, not many wicket keepers really made a mark in cricket history. While former legends were good behind the stumps, it wasn’t until the late 90s’ and early 2000s that wicket keepers stepped up their game. Aside from their prowess with the webbed gloves, many wicket keepers were also dangerous with the bat.
Adam Gilchrist is considered by cricket fans as the greatest wicket keeper of all time. He more or less pioneered a modern approach to the role. Other greatest wicket keepers of all time include Jeff Dujon, Ian Healy, MS Dhoni, and Mark Boucher.
GOAT of Cricket Conclusion
On that note, determining who is the GOAT of cricket or the greatest cricket player of all time is difficult. This is because so many players have proven themselves across many roles in their respective teams over the decades. Whichever way, these players are all the greatest of all time in cricket in their own way.