Top 5 cricketers who have played the most consecutive ODIs

#3 Hansie Cronje - 162 (1993-2000)

Hansie Cronje's career was cut short by the infamous match-fixing scandal

The image of a teary-eyed Hansie Cronje confessing his guilt in the Kings Commission hearings in Cape Town remains the most moving moment in the history of cricket. Before the vices of match-fixing imparted irreversible damage to his reputation in the game and beyond, he was an astute captain who masterminded South Africa's surge in the 1990s. Cronje's profound tactical acumen as well as unflappable demeanour enabled him to oversee a productive spell at the helm of affairs.

Extra Cover: Hansie Cronje - leader, liar, legend

Between September 1993 and March 2000 wherein his career ended in ignominy, Cronje played 162 successive ODIs. He captained South Africa in 137 of those matches and led them to victory on 99 of those occasions.

During the seven-year phase, the right-hander scored 4988 runs at an average of 39.27 and strike-rate of 76.25 with two centuries and 36 fifties. While his decision to play Pat Symcox in place of Allan Donald cost the Proteas in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final against West Indies, Cronje also could not prevent a harrowing tie in the 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia.