The Greatest Player of Every Decade

The 1980s:

Imran Khan was unstoppable in the mid 1980s

Imran Khan (PAK)

The 1980s was the decade of great allrounders. Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee and Imran Khan all played over 50 games in this decade, and all have remarkable figures to show for it.

Richard Hadlee was an immensely skilled bowler who went from a genuine pace bowler to a skilled swing-bowler as the decade progressed. He was at his best in the 1980s, averaging 19.28 with the ball and 30.90 with the bat.

At his peak, Ian Botham was arguably the best of these four, but he was also the most inconsistent. In the 1980s, he averaged 33.75 with the bat, and 32.39 with the ball, fine figures, but that would have been much better if he'd maintained his early Test form.

Kapil Dev was deadly in conditions where pace-bowlers so rarely thrive. He took more wickets than any spinner in the 1980s managed, and did so at an average of 29.54, while also averaging 30.76 with the bat.

All three were the leading Test wicket-takers of all-time at some stage of their careers.

Imran Khan was not, but he was indeed the best of the four during the 1980s. His batting average throughout the decade surpassed his three all-round rivals, standing at 44.18, while his bowling average narrowly bettered Hadlee's, at 19.12.

Khan had superior averages to his peers with both bat and ball.

It is therefore somewhat surprising that Khan's Test career had a somewhat stunted start. Debuting at just 18 in 1971, the pressure was on Khan to lead the next generation of Pakistani cricketers. Yet Khan underwhelmed on debut, and wasn't picked until 1974, where he was once again ineffective.

After three Tests, Khan was dropped once more, not returning until 1976. From there he began slowly to show his worth, although, by the end of the 1970s, Khan had 25 Tests to his name and just one fifty.

However, 1980 was a landmark year for Khan. He made his first century and averaged 31.91 with the bat, while also averaging just 21.47 with the ball. Things would only get better from there, as by the middle of the decade Khan was in one of the greatest patches of form a cricketer has been in.

Khan averaged under 20 with the ball for six consecutive years from 1981 to 1986. Over these six extraordinary years, he took 154 wickets at just 14.85. While his batting was less consistent, he still made some telling contributions, scoring five of his six Test centuries in this decade.

Khan also captained Pakistan for most of the decade, and is still considered by many to be the best captain Pakistan have had. He had strong competition in the 1980s, but that he rose above this competition only highlights his brilliance.