Sir Garfield Sobers is the greatest all-rounder in cricket history. He batted left-handed at an average of 57.78 in Tests, took 235 wickets bowling three different styles, and held the record for the highest Test score for 36 years. Among current players, Ben Stokes (England) is the best all-rounder, combining match-winning batting with genuine pace bowling and exceptional fielding.
A genuine all-rounder is a player who would be selected for either their batting or bowling alone. The threshold most analysts use: a Test batting average above 30 and a bowling average below 35. Only a handful of players in cricket history meet both criteria over a full career. This guide ranks the top 10 all-time and top 5 current all-rounders using career statistics from ESPNCricinfo StatsGuru and ICC rankings. For the broader greatest players debate, see our all-time cricket rankings.
In This Article
Who are the greatest all-rounders in Test cricket history?
Sobers, Kallis, Imran Khan, Botham, and Kapil Dev are the top five. Kallis has the best combined numbers (13,289 runs at 55.37 and 292 wickets at 32.65). Sobers has the highest batting average. Imran Khan has the best bowling average among the group.
| Rank | Player | Country | Tests | Bat Avg | Bowl Avg | Runs | Wickets | Diff (+/-) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Garfield Sobers | West Indies | 93 | 57.78 | 34.03 | 8,032 | 235 | +23.75 |
| 2 | Jacques Kallis | South Africa | 166 | 55.37 | 32.65 | 13,289 | 292 | +22.72 |
| 3 | Imran Khan | Pakistan | 88 | 37.69 | 22.81 | 3,807 | 362 | +14.88 |
| 4 | Ian Botham | England | 102 | 33.54 | 28.40 | 5,200 | 383 | +5.14 |
| 5 | Kapil Dev | India | 131 | 31.05 | 29.64 | 5,248 | 434 | +1.41 |
| 6 | Richard Hadlee | New Zealand | 86 | 27.16 | 22.29 | 3,124 | 431 | +4.87 |
| 7 | Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 67 | 38.42 | 31.12 | 4,500+ | 240+ | +7.30 |
| 8 | Keith Miller | Australia | 55 | 36.97 | 22.97 | 2,958 | 170 | +14.00 |
| 9 | Aubrey Faulkner | South Africa | 25 | 40.79 | 26.58 | 1,754 | 82 | +14.21 |
| 10 | Ravindra Jadeja | India | 72 | 36.64 | 24.15 | 3,200+ | 290+ | +12.49 |
The “Diff” column shows the gap between batting average and bowling average. A positive number means the player’s batting average exceeds their bowling average. The larger the positive gap, the more dominant the all-round record. Sobers leads with +23.75, meaning he was an elite batsman (57.78 average) who also took regular wickets at a respectable bowling average.
Kallis is the statistical giant. His numbers are so consistently excellent across both disciplines that many analysts rank him as the greatest all-rounder by pure output. He scored more runs than any all-rounder in history while maintaining a bowling average competitive with specialist bowlers. He also took 200 catches in the slip cordon, adding a third dimension to his contribution.
Imran Khan’s bowling average of 22.81 is the best among the top all-rounders. He was Pakistan’s best fast bowler for over a decade before developing into a genuine number-six batsman in the second half of his career. His captaincy of Pakistan to the 1992 World Cup is considered one of the greatest leadership achievements in cricket history.
Who are the best all-rounders playing today?
Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, and Shakib Al Hasan are the three best current all-rounders. Stokes combines explosive batting with pace bowling and unmatched match-awareness. Jadeja’s bowling average of 24.15 is the best among active all-rounders.
| Player | Country | Test Bat Avg | Test Bowl Avg | Role Balance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Stokes | England | 35.57 | 31.38 | Bat-leaning with genuine pace |
| Ravindra Jadeja | India | 36.64 | 24.15 | Bowl-leaning with counter-attack batting |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 38.42 | 31.12 | Balanced (equally effective) |
| Cameron Green | Australia | 37.56 | 33.48 | Bat-leaning with swing bowling |
| Marco Jansen | South Africa | 28.65 | 25.82 | Bowl-leaning with lower-order hitting |
Stokes’s match-winning performances define his career. The 2019 World Cup final, the 2019 Ashes at Headingley (135 not out to chase 362), and his revolutionary captaincy of England’s Test team since 2022 make him the most impactful cricketer of his generation. His bowling has been curtailed by knee injuries, but when fit, he bowls at 135 to 140 km/h with genuine reverse swing.
Jadeja’s value is immense but often underappreciated outside India. His left-arm spin bowling average of 24.15 would place him among the best specialist spinners in the world. His batting at number five or six provides India with lower-order insurance. And his fielding is arguably the best in international cricket, saving 15 to 20 runs per match through direct hits and athletic stops.
Why are Test all-rounders becoming rarer?
The rise of T20 leagues, increased specialization, and heavier workload management have reduced the pool of genuine Test all-rounders. Modern cricket economics incentivize players to focus on the format (usually T20) that pays the most, rather than developing dual skills for the five-day game.
In the 1980s, most Test teams had a genuine all-rounder batting at five or six. Botham, Kapil, Imran, and Hadlee played simultaneously. Today, finding a player who averages above 30 with the bat and below 35 with the ball in Tests is rare. The demands of franchise cricket mean that young players often specialize early, choosing to become either a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder rather than developing both skills equally.
Workload management further limits all-rounders. Stokes has had to manage his bowling workload carefully due to chronic knee issues. Cameron Green’s back stress fractures have restricted his bowling output. The physical toll of bowling 15 to 20 overs per Test match while also batting in the top six is simply harder to sustain with the modern schedule of year-round cricket across all formats.
How do ODI and T20I all-rounders compare?
The all-rounder role looks different across formats. In ODIs, genuine dual-skill players like Shakib Al Hasan and Hardik Pandya contribute 10 overs of bowling and bat in the middle order. In T20Is, the definition expands to include part-time bowlers who can clear the boundary, making the all-rounder tag less exclusive.
| Player | Country | ODI Bat Avg | ODI Bowl Avg | T20I Bat SR | T20I Bowl Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardik Pandya | India | 33.41 | 35.87 | 146.25 | 8.92 |
| Shakib Al Hasan | Bangladesh | 37.64 | 32.76 | 122.18 | 7.24 |
| Mitchell Marsh | Australia | 34.28 | 41.56 | 149.82 | 8.45 |
| Liam Livingstone | England | 28.12 | 38.90 | 158.63 | 9.10 |
| Wanindu Hasaranga | Sri Lanka | 22.45 | 26.82 | 135.78 | 7.18 |
Hardik Pandya transformed India’s limited-overs balance. Before Pandya, India struggled to find a pace-bowling all-rounder who could bat at number six or seven and contribute 4 overs of bowling at 130+ km/h. His ability to clear the boundary in the death overs while also providing a seam-bowling option has made him indispensable. According to ESPNCricinfo, Pandya’s strike rate in the last 5 overs of T20 innings exceeds 180.
Wanindu Hasaranga of Sri Lanka represents the spin-bowling all-rounder model that is increasingly valuable in T20 cricket. His leg-spin bowling economy rate below 7.20 in T20Is, combined with lower-order batting ability, makes him one of the most sought-after franchise cricketers in the world. The IPL, Big Bash, and CPL all value this profile highly.
For the best batsmen in the world right now, including several who occasionally bowl, see our best batsman in 2026 rankings.
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The commonly accepted threshold is a batting average above 30 and a bowling average below 35 in Test cricket. Some analysts use a stricter bar of 35+ batting and 30 or below bowling. By either measure, fewer than 20 players in Test history qualify.
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Yes. Shakib’s combined Test batting average (38.42) and bowling average (31.12) make him the best all-rounder from any team outside the traditional Big Three (Australia, England, India). He has been Bangladesh’s most valuable player for over 15 years.
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By pure statistics, Jadeja’s bowling average (24.15) is significantly better than Stokes’s (31.38). However, Stokes’s impact in match-defining situations (Headingley 2019, World Cup 2019) and his role as England’s Test captain give him an edge in the all-rounder debate that goes beyond averages.
