Cricket is my favorite bat and ball game, second only to baseball. There is something to be said about watching a ball from the time of its release until it makes contact with your bat, and then smacking the proverbial snot of that ball. Seems easy enough, right?
Not! Any game that requires a cricket batsman, or a hitter, to windup for the perfect shot within a split second takes immense powers of concentration, physical prowess, and sublime hand-eye coordination.
Not only does a cricket batsman have to time the ball to perfection, but they also have to bisect the field, avoid the catchers in the inner ring, and on the boundary. It's also important for a cricket player to play to their strengths. In cricket the ball typically bounces before the batsman plays it, but this is not always the case.
Balls that don't bounce and directed straight at the wickets – towards the popping crease, are known as yorkers. These have nothing to do with New York, or Yorkshire Terriers – but these are fearsome deliveries to face.
Cricket bowlers are the equivalent of pitchers in baseball. Cricket bowlers have a lot more work to do though. For one thing, they typically run up to the wicket opposite the batsman, at a distance of 20.12 m, or 22 yards. The ball is released from the bowler's hand while a portion of his front foot (including the heel) is on, or before, the popping crease.
The ball can be released at any height above the bowler's head, provided it is a legitimate delivery. The batsman is allowed out of his popping crease, but he risks being stumped by the wicket-keeper if the bowler is savvy enough to bowl a wide or confuse the batsman to get him out.
Cricket is an incredibly technical game, since bowlers and batsmen have a veritable arsenal of skills at their disposal. Bowlers can spin the ball, toss the ball, float the ball, bowl at breakneck speed like the Rawalpindi Express a.k.a. Shoaib Akhtar. This legendary fast bowler delivered a record-breaking ball of 100.23 mph, or 161.3 km/h against England in the 2003 Cricket World Cup.
He's not the only one who is masterclass. In this exclusive write-up for 888 Sport NJ, we're going to take you onto the field of play where the best bowlers, batsmen, and fielders have left an indelible impression on hundreds of millions of adoring cricket fans the world over.
* Jacques Kallis – South Africa
* Mark Waugh – Australia
* Steve Waugh – Australia
* Sachin Tendulkar – India
* Brian Lara – West Indies
* AB De Villiers – South Africa
* Chris Cairns – New Zealand
* Sir Garfield Sobers – West Indies
* MS Dhoni – India
* Graham Smith – South Africa
* Donald Bradman – Australia
* Virat Kohli – India
* Adam Gilchrist – Australia
* Mahela Jayawarden – Sri Lanka
* Daniel Vettori – New Zealand
* Rohit Sharma – India
* Michael Hussey – Australia
* Ricky Ponting – Australia
* Clive Lloyd – West Indies
* Chris Gayle – West Indies
* Rahul Dravid – India
* Stephen Fleming – New Zealand
* Hashim Amla – South Africa
* Mohammed Azharuddin – India
* Matthew Hayden – Australia
* Virender Sehwag – India
* Sanath Jayasuriya – Sri Lanka
* Sourav Ganguly – India
* Alan Donald – South Africa
* Shaun Pollock – South Africa
* Shayne Warne – Australia
* Dale Steyn – South Africa
* Glenn McGrath – Australia
* Muttiah Muralitharan – Sri Lanka
* Darren Gough – England
* Sir Richard Hadley – New Zealand
* Waseem Akhram – Pakistan
* Chaminda Vaas – Sri Lanka
* Imran Khan – Pakistan
* Malcolm Marshall – West Indies
* Courtney Walsh – West Indies
* Waqar Younis – Pakistan
* Curtly Ambrose – West Indies
* Michael Holding – West Indies
* Anil Kumble – India
* Harbhajan Singh – India
* Daniel Vettori – New Zealand
* Javagal Srinath – India
* Morne Morkel – South Africa
* Ian ‘Beefy’ Botham – England
* Makhaya Ntini – South Africa
* Stuart Broad – New Zealand
* Shane Bond – New Zealand
* Brett Lee – Australia
* Shoaib Akhtar – Pakistan
* Herschelle H. Gibbs – South Africa
* Jonty Rhodes – South Africa
* Mark Boucher – South Africa
* Jacques Kallis – South Africa
* Hashan Tillakaratne – Sri Lanka
* Muttiah Muralitharan – Sri Lanka
* Ricky Ponting – Australia
* Mark Taylor – Australia
* Lou Vincent – New Zealand
* Aravinda Da Silva – Sri Lanka
* Paul Collingwood – England
* AB Devilliers – South Africa
* Andrew Symonds – Australia
* Andrew Strauss – England
* Brendan McCullum – New Zealand
* Suresh Raina – India
* Rahul Dravid – India
* Mohammed Azharuddin – India
* Mark Waugh – Australia
* Adam Gilchrist – Australia
* Ben Stokes – England
* Kevin Pietersen – England
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Now that we've gone through a listing of some truly incredible cricket superstars, let's turn our attention back to baseball as we explore some of the biggest names and most talented stars of all time. We begin with baseball's greatest hitters.
* Derek Jeter
* Ichiro Suzuki
* Lou Gehrig
* Joe Jackson
* Pete Rose
* Willie Mays
* Tris Speaker
* Hank Aaron
* Babe Ruth
* Manny Ramirez
* Vladimir Guerrero
* Nolan Arenado
* Nelson Cruz
* George Springer
* Alex Bregman
* Barry Bonds
* Rogers Hornsby
* Mickey Mantle
* Joe DiMaggio
* Mike Schmidt
* Eddie Collins
* George Brett
* Albert Pujols
* Ty Cobb
* Richie Ashburn
* Jim Edmonds
* Billy Hamilton
* Charlie Blackmon
* Carlos Beltran
* Duke Snider
* Andruw Jones
* George Springer
* Lorenzo Cain
* Oscar Charleston
* Cool Papa Bell
* Ken Griffey Jr
* Mike Trout
* Tris Speaker
* Joe DiMaggio
* Ty Cobb
* Willie Mays
* Lance Parrish
* Mickey Cochrane
* Yogi Berra
* Ivan Rodriguez
* Gary Carter
* Johnny Bench
* Josh Gibson
* Carlton Fisk
* Johnny Bench
* Roy Campanella
* Mike Piazza
* Ivan Rodriguez
* Bill Dickey
* Gary Carter
* Lefty Grove
* Jim Palmer
* Tom Seaver
* Sandy Koufax
* Randy Johnson
* Cy Young
* Nolan Ryan
* Mordechai Brown
* Walter Johnson
* Greg Maddux
* Warren Spahn
* Eddie Plank
* Roger Clemens
* Clayton Kershaw
* Grover Alexander
* Christy Mathewson
* Pedro Martinez
* Bob Gibson
* Walter Johnson
This is an extremely subjective list, with many popular superstars listed. Naturally, opinions vary about who should be on this list and who should be retired from this list, given the cancel culture that currently exists. Regardless, these guys have proven themselves time and again. They rank among the best ever cricket players and best ever baseball stars of all time. I welcome your feedback, and encourage you to check out our other article on Cricket versus Baseball – it's a showstopper.
Feel free to check out our MLB odds and cricket odds right here at 888 Sport NJ. We've got the best odds on every market all over the world. Don't forget to claim your generous welcome bonus package and team up with the winningest sportsbook in New Jersey.
*Photo Courtesy of KAREL PRINSLOO and AP
Brett is an internationally published sports journalist, political analyst, and medical fiction author. His commentary is seen in The Star, The Citizen, Tampa Bay Times, The Street, The Sowetan, The Sunday Times, The Sunday Independent, and across hundreds of online and print media platforms. He is the author of ‘Cricket Chatz’ and the highly-acclaimed, ‘Serum’.
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