Cricket.com.au top cricketers of the 21st century

[Scarves]

Note: What they did in the 21st century Note: List is subjective and is of an opinion. Note: I'm the messenger. Don't bash me. 100. Denesh Ramdin (WI) - Trinidad-born Ramdin’s career has blossomed since his 2010 axing proved a wake-up call for the gritty wicketkeeper-batsman. Best Performance - 107 at Edgbaston v. England 99. Ravi Ashwin (IND) - His output with the ball has been complemented by useful contributions with the bat, scoring two centuries against the West Indies that could see him finish his career as a genuine allrounder. Best Performance - 12/85 v. NZ at Hyderabad 98. Heath Streak (ZIM) - Consistently wholehearted and stoic, Heath Streak raged against a struggling side, a problematic cricket board and a nation in political turmoil to bring pride to a nation in its formative years of international cricket. Best Perfomance - 6/73 v. India @ Harare 97. Kemar Roach (WI) - Unlike his gigantic ancestors, Roach delivers lightning like a low hanging thunderstorm – close to the ground and immensely dangerous. Best Performance - v. Australia @ Trinidad 96. Stuart Clark (AUS) - Having bided his time for a crack at international cricket, Clark debuted as a 30-year-old in March 2006 as a replacement for Glenn McGrath (the man he was constantly compared to due to his similarly metronomic ways) and immediately made an impact with his nagging length and seam movement Best Performance - 20 wickets in debut series @ South Africa 95. Kamran Akmal (PAK) - A brilliant century against neighbouring rivals India in Karachi in 2006 dragged Pakistan from the depths of despair at 6-39 in the first innings to record a remarkable 341-run comeback victory. While his batting prowess was never questioned, Akmal’s glovework slowly diminished over his career Best Performance - 9 dismissals v. West Indies 94. Trent Boult (NZ) - Given his ability to swing the ball both ways, the 25-year-old tends to maintain a fuller line, and it’s the inswinger to the right-hander that has proven particularly destructive Best Performance - 6-68 v. England in Auckland 93. Shane Bond (NZ) - Blessed with express pace and an unbridled aggression to match, New Zealand had their next Richard Hadlee when a 26-year-old Bond debuted against the mighty Australians in 2001. Best Performance - v. India in Wellington 92. Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) - Confident, classy and occasionally controversial, Shaib Al Hasan has become his nation’s most revered cricketer, and is idolised by millions Best Performance - 3rd player to score a century and take 10 wickets in a match. 91. Mohammad Asif (PAK) - A lanky, lissom right-arm fast bowler, Asif’s loose wrist generated venomous movement through the air and off the pitch to great effect in a truncated career Best Performance - 11 wickets v. Sri Lanka in Kandy 90. Gautam Gambhir (IND) - For a 15-month period between October 2008 and January 2010, Gautam Gambhir was almost certainly the best batsman on the planet Best Performance - 137 v. New Zealand in Napier 89. Chris Cairns (NZ) - Even so, on his day Cairns was a match-winner with bat or ball. As an opening bowler he could swing the ball away from the right-hander with genuine velocity, and as a lower-order pinch-hitter no boundary was safe if his eye was in. Best Performance - 109 v. Australia in Wellington 88. Shane Watson (AUS) - For more than a decade now, Shane Watson has managed to survive the ravages of various injuries to forge a meaningful and ultimately successful Test career. Not without his share of critics, who point to his formidable ODI record and label him an underachiever in the five-day game Best Performance - 126 v. India in Mohali & 5/7 v. South Africa in Cape Town 87. Peter Siddle (AUS) - The 30-year-old’s transformation from a hit-the-deck fast bowler to the crafty line and length merchant he is today coincided with a shift in diet and lifestyle. Best Performance - 9 wickets v. Sri Lanka in Hobart 86. Angelo Mathews (SL) - such is the respect Angelo Mathews commands, and the 28-year-old allrounder has delivered on the faith shown in him with six superb years of Test cricket. In that time, the right-hander has grown in confidence at No.6 and more recently No.5, shoring up Sri Lanka’s order with a solid technique that regularly garners him runs. Best Performance - 160 v. England at Headingley 85. Marvan Atupattu (SL) - His thirst for batting was only quenched by scoring big hundreds, and since the turn of the century the elegant right-hander posted five double centuries to satisfy his cravings. Best Performance - 185 v. England at Lord's 84. Chris Martin (NZ) - Chris Martin was a model of consistency through much of the first 13 years of this century. Never too quick, never too much swing movement, the right-armer relied on a nagging line and length and occasional seam movement to claim his victims. Best Performance - 11 wickets v. South Africa in Auckland 83. Misbah ul-Haq (PAK) - It’s hard to imagine a time when Misbah wasn’t Pakistan’s calm, calculated and courageous Test captain. Six of his eight Test tons have come since he took over the reins following the spot-fixing scandal in 2010 that rubbed out former skipper Salman Butt. Best Performance - Equal fastest century v. Australia in Dubai 82. Joe Root (ENG) - A batting average of 54.11 sneaks him into the top 20 all-time, but it’s Root’s combination of serious class at the crease and a seemingly unshakeable faith in his own ability that stamps him as one to watch among generation next. Best Performance - 180 v. Australia at Lord's 81. Vernon Philander (SA) - Philander's modus operandi is pretty simple: stand the seam up, hit that awkward length just outside off-stump and do a little bit both ways. That basic strategy has been super effective for the 29-year-old since November 2011, screaming to 50 Test wickets in only seven matches – the joint second-fastest in history Best Performance - 10/102 v. Sri Lanka in Centurion. 80. Simon Katich (AUS) - Equally adept against spin and pace, the left-hander made an unorthodox technique that involved an exaggerated shuffle from leg to off work wonders for him Best Performance - 118 v. NZ (08) & 106 v. NZ (10) 79. Sanath Jayasuriya (SL) - Armed with a deadly eye, forearms of steel and a cheeky grin, the left-hander scored at rate beyond his years and was a more than useful bowler if his slow-left arms darts were needed. Best Performance - 253 v. Pakistan in Faisalabad 78. Ross Taylor (NZ) - In the years since, he has only enhanced his standing, leading his side to a rare Test win in Australia in 2010 and reining in his natural attacking instincts to become perhaps the most reliable Black Caps batsman of his generation. Best Performance - 142 & 74 v. Sri Lanka in Colombo 77. Saeed Ajmal (PAK) - The best exponent of the doosra since the retirement of Muthiah Muralidaran Best Performance - 10 wickets v. England in Dubai 76. Marcus Trescothick (ENG) - An aggressive left-hander who took the game to the opposition from the top of the order, Marcus Trescothick broke the mould of the traditional English opener Best Performance - 180 v. South Africa in South Africa 75. Courtney Walsh (WI) - The last of the great towering West Indian fast bowlers Best Performance - 10 wickets v. England @ Lord's 74. Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI) - Sarwan walked his own path, emerging as a gifted performer capable of making big runs against the world’s best, as his 15 centuries attest. Best Performance - 105 v. Australia in Antigua 73. Tillakaratne Dilshan (SL) - Loose-wristed and laid back, Dilshan was another product of Sri Lanka’s batting factory that’s produced some of the classiest and most prolific run-scorers of the past 20 years. Best Performance - 193 v. England @ Lord's 72. Sourav Ganguly (IND) - As a batsman, he was at his best piercing the off-side field, and while his dealings in off-field politics occasionally detracted from his on-field feats, many Indian fans remember him as one of their country’s finest batsmen. Best Performance - 239 v. Pakistan in Bangalore 71. Steve Smith (AUS) - Smith’s last two years have reaped nine centuries, the Test captaincy and an Allan Border Medal. Technically unorthodox, it’s staggering just how good the 26-year-old is and could be. Best Performance - 100 v. South Africa at Centurion 70. Steve Waugh (AUS) - despite his position coming under threat late in 2002, Waugh’s output hardly wavered, and there were memorable hundreds in London, Sydney, Kolkata, Sharjah and Wellington. Best Performance - Century v. England at the SCG 69. Herschelle Gibbs (SA) - Charismatic and controversial, Gibbs was a top-order dasher of the highest calibre. Attack was at times his only form of defence; running down the wicket to the world’s fast bowlers, cutting wayward quicks to ribbons and pulling off the front foot with imperious ease. Best Performance - 161 & 98 v. England at the Wanderers 68. Stuart MacGill (AUS) - His trademark was a ripping leg break, and while he lacked the unerring accuracy of Warne, his wrong’un was better than the King of Spin’s and he had the same insatiable hunger for wickets. Best Performance - 7/104 v. West Indies at the SCG 67. Stephen Fleming (NZ) - Erudite captain, elegant batsman, Fleming was the heart, soul and brains of an overachieving Black Caps outfit that entered the new millennium unafraid of expressing themselves. Best Performance - 262 v. South Africa at Newlands 66. Jonathon Trott (ENG) - Trott was a rock for five years at No.3 and played a key role in his side’s rise to No.1 in the Test rankings Best Performance - Century on debut v. Australia at the Oval 65. Danish Kaneria (PAK) - While Warne was a master of control, Kaneria controlled a puzzling googly that only the best batsmen in the world could decipher. Best Performance - 10 wickets v. Sri Lanka in Karachi after 60 overs of bowling 64. Gary Kirsten (SA) - Focused, driven and uncomplicated at the crease, the left-hander was a key to the Proteas’ ongoing success and his experience and cool head neatly complemented the arrival and ascension of opening partner and long-term captain Graeme Smith Best Performance - 153 v. Australia in Sydney & 130 v. England at Headingley 63. Steve Harmison (ENG) - His elongated frame (193cm) and gangly action produced extreme bounce with damaging effect, never more evident than when he cut Australia captain Ricky Ponting with a vicious bouncer in the first Test of the magical 2005 Ashes. Best Performance - 7-12 v. West Indies at Sabina Park 62. Rangana Herath (SL) - His consistency in line and length ensured he did it well, but since his legendary teammate’s retirement the unassuming tweaker has shown repeatedly he can lead an attack in his own right. Best Performance - 9 wickets v. South Africa in Durban 61. MS Dhoni (IND) - Along the journey Dhoni blasted whirlwind centuries, invented jaw-dropping shots (helicopter anyone?), and inspired a nation that had relied on one-day cricket and one man for too long. Best Performance - 224 v. Australia in Chennai 60. Graham Thorpe (ENG) - His reputation as a tough, counterattacking middle-order batsman was too much for the selectors to resist Best Performance - 124 v. South Africa at the Oval 59. Matthew Hoggard (ENG) - Hoggard’s skidding seamers yielded a bucket load of wickets. The right-armer’s toothless grin will remain imprinted in the minds of Australia’s players during the unsuccessful Ashes campaign in 2005. Best Performance - 12 wickets v. South Africa in Jo'burg 58. Kane Williamson (NZ) - Accomplished off the front and back foot, Williamson’s prolific form has gone global, scoring hundreds in India, Zimbabwe, England, the Caribbean and UAE and on home soil. Not bad for a 24-year-old. Best Performance - 242 v. Sri Lanka at Wellington 57. Thilan Samaraweera (SL) - while he lacked the presence of Ranatunga, the right-handed Samaraweera filled the middle-order role brilliantly, quietly accumulating more Test runs than the legendary skipper and at a better rate. Best Performance - 102 v. South Africa in Durban 56. Ryan Harris (AUS) - The transformation produced one of the world’s best fast men, whose deadly accuracy, rapid pace and lion heart has made him Australia’s top ranked Test bowler. Best Performance - v. South Africa in Cape Town (2014) 55. Brad Haddin (AUS) - Consistently outstanding behind the stumps, Haddin built a reputation as one of the Australian team’s hardest workers, and his commitment to improvement was rewarded when, at age 36, he enjoyed the series of his life during Australia’s 5-0 Ashes whitewash of England, breaking various keeper-batsman records along the way. Best Performance - 29 dismissals v. England in 2013 & 94 v. England in Brisbane 54. Morne Morkal (SA) - Partnering Dale Steyn to form one of the most potent new ball attacks the 21st century has seen, Morkel’s 196cm frame generates extreme pace, extreme bounce and extreme problems for batsmen. Best Performance - 5-20 v. India at Centurion 53. Brendon McCullum (NZ) - After a decade spent offering the occasional glimpse of his ruthless batting brilliance, Brendon McCullum transformed himself – and with him, New Zealand – into a genuine force to be reckoned with Best Performance - 302 v. India 52. Andrew Strauss (ENG) - Hard-nosed and authoritative, Strauss captained like he batted: always up for a fight and never backing down. Best Performance - 3 tons v. West Indies 51. Michael Vaughan (ENG) - His quality as a cricketer however, extended far beyond his man management as a leader; as an opening batsman, he was one of England’s finest and most free-flowing Best Performance - 166 v. Australia at Old Trafford 50. Andy Flower (ZIM) - He was one of the world’s most fluent batsman, a more-than-capable wicketkeeper and his country’s finest-ever Test player. Best Performance - 142 & 199 v. South Africa in Harare 49. Virat Kohli (IND) - Rock solid in defence, rubber-wristed in attack, Kohli’s 360 degree game has improved as the young man has matured. Best Performance - 141 v. Australia in Adelaide 48. Stuart Broad (ENG) - Capable of hostile pace and bounce and able to swing both new ball and old, Broad is this century’s 12th-highest wicket-taker. Best Performance - 11 wickets v. Australia at Chester-le-Street (2013) & 6/26 v. Australia at the Oval (2009) 47. Chris Gayle (WI) - Imposing, imperious and at times incredulous, Gayle’s giant frame has produced some of the most jaw dropping innings this century. Gayle’s not just a slogger – two triple-centuries signify his patience and concentration – but when the left-hander does go the long handle fielders no longer matter Best Performance - 70 ball ton v. Australia at the WACA 46. Jason Gillespie (AUS) - Gillespie could swing the ball but his real weapon was the movement he generated off the pitch at high speeds. Like his long-time new-ball partner, he was also unerringly accurate Best Performance - 9 wickets v. India in Nagpur 45. David Warner (AUS) - Wielding a bat the size of a tree trunk, Warner punches, pull and pulverises opposition bowling like he’s been personally offended by their search for his wicket Best Performance - Twin tons v. South Africa in Cape Town 44. Ian Bell (ENG) - Yet despite the critics, one of this century’s most transformed batsmen has proven his mettle against all comers over a sustained period of time. Best Performance - 140 v. South Africa in Durban 43. Matt Prior (ENG) - Tidy behind the stumps and tenacious in front of them, the recently-retired Prior was an integral part of the England side that ascended to the top of the Test team rankings Best Performance - Century v. New Zealand in Auckland 42. Damian Martyn (AUS) - Graceful and with an economy of movement at the crease that made the difficult look easy, Martyn was also prepared to hang tough when it was required. Best Performance - 104, 114 & 97 v. India in India 41. Chaminda Vaas (SL) - Compact and low to the ground, Vaas was a master of extracting every skerrick of swing available and harnessing it to damaging effect. When he wasn’t bending the ball back into the right-hander, Vaas used the crease and a cleverly disguised off-cutter to provide ample service to Murali and his country Best Performance - 14 wicket haul v. West Indies - 7 wickets per innings, 4 in 9 balls. 40. Graeme Swann (ENG) - Cocksure, crafty and ultra-competitive, Graeme Swann emerged late in the first decade of the 2000s as the best finger spinner England had produced in generations. With flight and considerable turn his chief weapons, Swann had the happy knack of taking wickets in the first over of spells. Best Performance - 10 for 68 v. Sri Lanka in Colombo 39. Shoaib Akhtar (PAK) - The Rawalpindi Express in every sense, Akhtar was the fastest bowler on the planet. With a run-up that started closer to the boundary fence than it did the popping crease, Akhtar was like an Olympic javelin thrower, steaming in and spearing down a red projectile with blinding pace. Add in late outswing to the right-hander and the Pakistani pace ace was near impossible to play when on song. Best Performance - 11 wickets v. New Zealand in Wellington 38. Zaheer Khan (IND) - the thinking-man's fast bowler; swing with new ball and old, subtle changes of pace, a variety of cutters from over and around the wicket and a lethal yorker all became part of his armoury as he matured into one of India's finest-ever fast bowlers. Best Performance - 9 wickets v. England at Trent Bridge 37. Inzamam-ul-Haq (PAK) - With an array of shots – with a particular liking for anything on his legs – that made up for his shortfall between the wickets, the heavyset right-hander was a colossus for Pakistan through the first chapter of the 21st century, making a habit of scoring match-winning hundreds and growing into an inspirational leader. Best Performance - 329 v. New Zealand in Lahore 36. Justin Langer (AUS) - In 2004, he amassed 1,481 runs with five tons, proving lethal on anything close to his pads or wide of off-stump. The Perth-born left-hander was often too brave for his own good as he wore a number of deliveries on the body either batting or at short leg throughout his career. Best Performance - 250 v. England at the MCG 35. Makhaya Ntini (SA) - Only four bowlers have taken more wickets this century than Ntini, a bowler who never possessed the outrageous gifts of a Wasim Akram nor the intimidation of Curtly Ambrose, but instead specialised in persistence, endurance, longevity and – most critically – taking wickets. Best Performance - 13 wickets v. West Indies in Trinidad 34. Mike Hussey (AUS) - Proficient all around the wicket, Hussey handled speed and spin with aplomb, and by 20 Tests the Western Australian had seven centuries. Best Performance - 61 off 66 balls v. England in Adelaide 33. Andrew Flintoff (ENG) - A man who on his day was a devastating lower-order counter-attacking batsman, capable of clearing the pickets with a flick of his bat. Broad shouldered and standing at 192cm, he was an intimidating presence with bat or ball, but his strength was his ability to swing the new and old ball at high pace, which at times made even the world's very best batsman look average Best Performance - 402 runs & 24 wickets v. Australia in 2005 32. Brett Lee (AUS) - Raw and explosive, Lee's early career was as a pure shock-and-awe bowler supporting the lethal duo of Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, but as he matured so did his consistency and control. Best Performance - 8 wickets v. Sri Lanka in Brisbane 31. VVS Laxman (IND) - The tall right-hander used his subcontinental wrists to whip deliveries well outside off-stump to the often vacant leg-side, and when the bowler went wider he'd use his sublime timing to caress the ball through the field and collect four more Best Performance - 281 v. Australia in Eden Gardens

[G_B_]

I want to bash the messenger...

[FischerTal]

Zak over shoaib?

[Kalia_Test]

So - out of 70 so far , We have Aus - 15 Eng - 13 NZ - 8 IND - 7 SL - 7 Pak - 7 WI - 5 SA - 5 - Aus might end up with 20 which is OK ( Ponting,Clarke, Johnson,etc yet to come ) - Ind is also OK as Tendu, Dravid, Kumble, Sehwag and even Bhajji(?) yet to come ) Eng already at 13 is pathetic. They were nowhere a really great team in 2000s to get 13 already ( unless they stay at 13 :--D ) . IMO, the sets ( in order ) where most players should come for ( considering 2000s ) is as below :- 1 - Aus,SA 2 - Ind,Eng 3 - SL,Pak,NZ 4 - WI 5 - Zim,Ban Relative positions are always fun to debate. Top 20 would be interesting.

[G_B_]

No no lets blame Scaves. Also the posted Brendon as he is also an aussie. I am baying for blood :P

[Scarves]

Zak over shoaib?

Stats and Zaheer hasn't hit his teammates, gotten genital warts and liposuction.

[Malcolm Merlyn]

Brad Haddin at 52?

[SLICKR392]

90. Gautam Gambhir (IND) - For a 15-month period between October 2008 and January 2010, Gautam Gambhir was almost certainly the best batsman on the planet Best Performance - 137 v. New Zealand in Napier

:((

[adi B]

Waugh,ganguly in the 70s,hoggard,strauss,baz in the 50s lol.kaneria 65

[India-KXIP fan]

Zak over shoaib?

Bigger impact in prime. Zak prime, he's spearhead, one of the best in the world India test number 1 and WC champions where he also happened to lead wickets tally...that's what having a good fast bowler does when batting is already good. So yeah Test No.1 WC champions when Zak was in prime.

[adi B]

Or maybe they are just counting the performances in the 21st century,not before that.who knows but a dumb list

[HippoSucks]

Absolutely ridiculous list. The idea of making a list of the 100 top cricketers for a period of 15 years is stupid. That's around 50% of all the decent cricketers. Top 5 should be Ponting, Gilchrist, McGrath. Sachin and Kallis.

[Raghav_12]

Was surprised to see Walsh in the list at 70. Thought he hardly did anything in 21st Century. But guess his numbers 93 @ 19.73 in 20 tests he played just within 16 months were good enough to get him a place here. Wonder why did he retire if he was doing that well.

[brendan07]

Twatson...fair dinky that is a gee up! Useless hack!

[Raghav_12]

Absolutely ridiculous list. The idea of making a list of the 100 top cricketers for a period of 15 years is stupid. That's around 50% of all the decent cricketers. Top 5 should be Ponting, Gilchrist, Steyn, McGrath. Sachin and Kallis.

Corrected. Impossible not to have Steyn in this list.

[Scarves]

Corrected. Impossible not to have Steyn in this list.

Warne? Warne will be up there. The guy itself took 40 wickets in an Ashes series.

[Scarves]

Waugh' date='ganguly in the 70s,hoggard,strauss,baz in the 50s lol.kaneria 65 [/quote'] 1. Waugh only scored tons against weak teams and was okay. They have an article just on Waugh 2. Hoggard was a great wicket taker in the mid 2000's for England 3. Strauss scored runs but it wasn't as strong as others 4. McCullum was average until recently in test cricket 5. Kaneria took a lot of wickets, like a lot. 264 in 61 matches 6. Ganguly averaged less than 40 from 2000-2008

[Scarves]

Absolutely ridiculous list. The idea of making a list of the 100 top cricketers for a period of 15 years is stupid. That's around 50% of all the decent cricketers.

It's just for fun. Geez.

[Gollum]

Surprised to see Aussies rating Inzi and Akmal.

[Scarves]

30. Harbhajan Singh (IND) - Utterly bewitching and seemingly ageless, Harbhajan Singh has spent the past decade-and-a-half making insomniacs out of some of the world's best batsmen. One of the century's more combative cricketers, Harbhajan seemed to raise his game for his greatest opponents, particularly the Australians, whom he has perplexed and infuriated in equal measure. Best Performance - 32 wickets v. Australia in 2001 29. Alastair Cook (ENG) - An efficient, thoughtful stroke-maker, Cook punishes any bowler who strays too close to his pads, and became a thorn in Australia's side early in his career with a double-century for county side Essex against the Ashes tourists in 2005. Cook's 2010-11 Ashes campaign is the stuff of legend, scoring three centuries and 766 runs to help England win the Ashes for the first time on Australian soil in 24 years. Best Performance - 116 v. Australia in Perth (2006/07) 28. Graeme Smith (SA) - His 109 Tests as captain broke Allan Border's record (93), while his 53 wins passed Ricky Ponting's mark (48), and included a career-defining series success in Australia – South Africa's first in the post-Apartheid era. As a batsman, Smith was a powerful and prolific left-handed opener who flayed consecutive double centuries in England to announce himself on the international stage, and added another 25 hundreds over the next decade. Best Performance - 108 v. Australia at the WACA 27. Mahela Jayawardene (SL) - The pint-sized pocket rocket from Colombo was a goliath at the crease and a mountain when batting on home soil. Jayawardene's pendulum-like bat-swing found the boundary on 1,273 occasions in all manner of match scenarios, conditions and against all opponents. Best Performance - 374 v. South Africa in Colombo 26. Daniel Vettori (NZ) - Over the years he refined his game to one of immaculate control with the ball and increasing class with the bat, to the point that he has six hundreds beside his name and has scored more runs than anyone from No.8. Best Performance - 12 wickets v. Australia in 2000 at Auckland 25. Hashim Amla (SA) - Armed with pistol precision and a lasso backswing, Amla's extensive armoury has seen the graceful right-hander become one of South Africa's batting giants. Best Performance - 196 v. Australia at the WACA 24. Kevin Pietersen (ENG) - Regularly punctuating the headline-grabbing drama and self-destruction were innings of breathtaking quality, as Pietersen launched England's revival as a world force. A one-man batting blitzkrieg, the South Africa-born right-hander took it upon himself to dictate opposition bowling attacks, and regularly did exactly that via a repertoire of shots the equal of anyone. Regardless of the conditions, against spin or pace, Best Performance - 158 v. Australia at The Oval & 186 v. India at Mumbai 23. Mohammad Yousuf (PAK) - Pakistan’s run juggernaut of the 21st century, Yousuf will be remembered for his quiet demeanour, water-tight technique and outrageous 2006. That year the belligerent batsman scored the most runs ever in a calendar year, tallying 1,788 in 11 Tests with nine centuries. Best Performance - 223 v. England in Lahore 22. Mitchell Johnson (AUS) - Such is the enigma of Johnson, the most successful left-arm quick in his country's rich history and the most feared since Wasim Akram stalked batsmen the world over Best Performance - 37 wickets @ 13.47 v. England in 5 matches 21. Mark Boucher (SA) - More than just a good wicketkeeper who could bat a bit, Boucher was a gloveman of the highest order and a lower-order hitter capable of tearing attacks apart on his day. His numbers behind the stumps speak for themselves, keeping to some of the finest and ferocious fast bowlers the game has witnessed. Built low to the ground, Boucher overcame a shaky start to pounce on any opportunity that entered his proximity. Best Performance - 9 dismissals and 34 v. England at Headingley.