Top 5 All-rounders in the history of Cricket

What differentiates a world-class all-rounder from the rest? His ability to shift the balance of the game single-handedly with his diverse skill-set. There have been situations in cricket where the specialists have failed to deliver and in such situations, all-rounders stole the show.

The cricketing world has seen the rise of multiple great all-rounders who have played a key role in the success of their teams but a very few deserve the right to be called, the all-time best in the history of the game as they have managed to engrave their names with golden letters in the cricketing books.

In this article we shall talk about five great all-rounders who have served their nation over time and have carried the hopes of millions of people watching them from their motherland.

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#5 Lance Klusener

Lance Klusener, one of the greatest South African all-rounder of all time

Lance Klusener, the South African batting all-rounder makes it at the number five spot among the top five all-rounders of all time. Klusener played a very important role in taking South African cricket to new heights, he was one of the crucial elements in 1999 world cup squad for the South African national team.

Klusener made his Test debut for South Africa against India in Calcutta during the second Test in 1996/97. He was a middle-order batsman know for his aggressive approach and a medium fast bowler.

Klusener played 49 Tests in which he scored 1906 runs at an average of 32.86 and took 80 wickets at an average of 37.91. He scored four centuries and eight half-centuries.

When it comes to ODI, Klusener's stats get a major boost, in his 171 matches scored 3576 runs, averaging 41.10 and took 192 wickets at an average of 29.95. He managed six five-wicket hauls.

Klusener's career reached the pinnacle in the 1999 world cup as his performance for the South African team had earned him the Man of the Tournament award. Klusener is one of the greatest South African allrounders who is remembered for his excellence with both bat and ball.

#4 Shane Watson

The sensational Shane Watson was a core member of the Australian team for nearly a decade

Shane Robert Watson, a former Aussie captain who played all formats of the game. A top order batsman and a right arm medium swing bowler.

He was a crucial part of the Australian side that lifted the 2015 ICC world cup, as he helped Australia in reaching the finals, scoring handy runs against the likes of Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Watson played 59 Tests in which he scored 3,731 runs at an average of 35.19 and took 75 wickets at an average of 33.68. He managed four centuries with a top score of 176 and twenty-four half-centuries during his illustrious career. He also managed three five-wicket hauls.

When it comes to ODI Watson was one of the best as he contributed with both bat and ball, in 190 matches he scored 5,757 runs, averaging 40.54 and took 168 wickets with an average of 31.79. He scored nine centuries with a top score was 185* and thirty-three fifty's along with it.

#3 Shakib Al Hasan

The Sher-e-Bangladesh as some of his fans call him makes number three on the list

Shakib is regarded as the best ever cricketer to have played for Bangladesh. He is the current captain of the Test squad of Bangladesh. He is a left-arm spinner and a great middle order batsman for the Bengal Tigers. Shakib has proved his metal all around the world, he has topped the ICC charts as the no one ranked all-rounder in all three formats during the course of his career.

Shakib has played 55 Tests in which he has scored 3,807 runs at an average of 39.65 and has taken 205 wickets at an average of 31.29. He has scored 5 centuries and 24 half-centuries, with a top score of 217. He has managed eighteen five-wicket hauls in an innings while he has also shattered the batting order of a team twice taking ten-wicket hauls.

In ODI's Shakib has played 195 matches in which he has scored 5,577 runs, with an average of 35.07 and has taken 247 wickets at an average of 29.69. He has managed a five-wicket haul and has smashed seven centuries along with forty fifty's to his name.

On 13 January 2017, he smashed the highest individual score (217) by a Bangladeshi batsman in Tests. In November 2018, he became the first bowler for Bangladesh to take 200 wickets in Tests.

#2 Imran Khan

The cricketer turned politician had dominated world cricket during his playing days.

The current Prime Minister of Pakistan was a former all-rounder for his nation. Khan made his debut for the Pakistan national cricket team at the age of 18, during the 1971 series against England. Imran without any doubt is the best ever all-rounder and captain, Pakistan has ever produced.

Khan played 88 Tests in which he scored 3,807 runs at an average of 37.69 and took 362 wickets at an average of 22.81. He scored six centuries and eighteen half-centuries. He managed twenty-three five-wicket hauls and six ten-wicket hauls.

When it comes to ODI Imran in his 175 matches scored 3709 runs, averaging 33.41 and took 182 wickets at an average of 26.61. He managed a five-wicket haul and scored a hundred and nineteen fifty's.

In India in 1987, Khan led Pakistan in its first-ever Test series win and this was followed by Pakistan's first series victory in England during the same year. Khan's career-high as a captain and cricketer came when he led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 Cricket World Cup.

#1 Jacques Kallis

One of the biggest star in South African cricket

A former South African Test and ODI captain, Kallis is regarded as one of the greatest players to play the game. When it comes to allrounders he is the greatest of them all. No other all-rounder has come close to his tally of over 10,000 runs. He is as good as Sachin and Ponting when it comes to Batting and while he had the ball in his hands, his ability to swing the ball both sides was quite effective to get rid of any of the world-class batsmen.

Kallis played 166 Tests in which he scored a massive total of 13,289 runs at a magnificent average of 55.37 and he took 292 wickets at an average of 32.65. He has forty-five tons to his name, only second to the great Tendulkar. He also has fifty-eight half-centuries to his name.

When it comes to ODI, Kallis was equally effective. In his 328 matches, he scored 11,579 runs, averaging 44.36 runs per match and took 273 wickets at an average of 31.79. He managed two five-wicket hauls and scored seventeen tons and eighty-six fifty's.

Kallis is regarded as one of the greatest to have ever played the game and him leading the chart as the greatest all-rounder in ODI and Test cricket is not at all a surprise.