If you play it with zeal, cricket may occasionally turn into a challenging game. There will always be players who are somewhat better than you since it is a team sport, and they will ultimately take all the credit and attention. Some of the best cricketers in history have experienced similar circumstances that have been overshadowed by the well-known and honoured ones. Even if each cricket player is outstanding in their own right, specific teams and players don't always give them the credit they deserve. So let's evaluate the top 10 cricketers in the world according to this ranking.
1. Rahul Dravid
Many believe that Rahul Dravid's fame would have been much larger if his career had not coincided with that of Sachin Tendulkar. Perhaps since Dravid acknowledged that Sachin terrified him, the batter made it a point to try to outdo the master blaster each time he batted. Fortunately for India, this pair set a record for the most games played together and were the only two batters to amass more than 10,000 runs for their country in Test and ODI history.
2. Shikhar Dhawan
There is no doubting that in ODIs, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, and captain Virat Kohli have been the Indian batting order's most potent pillars. However, if we selected the trio as India's all-time ODI XI, Rohit and Virat would essentially walk into the starting lineup. At the same time, Shikhar Dhawan would not even be considered in the reserves. Unfortunately, despite Dhawan's team being India's best skipper in ICC events, the world's top two hitters have surpassed the southpaw.
3. Stuart MacGill
Unfortunately, MacGill had to support himself while playing for Australia because his career overlapped with that of the illustrious Shane Warne. Despite his skill and ability to bowl the classic leg-break and the wrong turn, Australia never seemed to support the two-spinner strategy, unlike when Clarrie Grimmett and Bill O'Reilly were around. In the 11 Test matches that MacGill played between the suspensions of Shane Warne in 2003 and 2004, he had claimed 53 wickets. The leg-spinner destroyed nine victims, including a fifer, in a Test match against the ICC World XI, maybe putting on his most outstanding performance.
4. Ross Taylor
Since 2010, Ross Taylor and New Zealand's captain Kane Williamson have solidified their roles as the batting core of the country. Both have amassed around 7000 runs in Tests and likely have about the same number of hundreds overall. The seasoned Taylor made his debut in 2006, but since Williamson's arrival, he has been overshadowed. The rate at which the Kiwi captain has scored runs has unquestionably diminished Taylor's prominence.
5. Hashim Amla
Beginning in 2004–05, South Africa had a fantastic squad that created some true legends. The captain, Graeme Smith, could persuasively argue for any Test XI of that time, and there were probably many more players like him who could meritoriously dwell themselves without difficulty. Someone like Hashim Amla is cruelly overlooked and goes unrecognised, whereas Steyn, Kallis, and ABD may also be included in an all-time XI.
6. Morne Morkel
As the top-rated bowler for the South African cricket squad, Steyn undoubtedly eclipsed his tall, lean partner Morne Morkel. The pacemaker was ranked among the top 10 bowlers in the world by the ICC in all formats at some time in his career, which sums up Morkel's success alongside Steyn. In 2011, Morkel was the best ODI bowler, especially considering Steyn was the best Test bowler. Morkel may have even helped South Africa defend its Test Mace in that year's match against Australia.
7. Damien Martyn
Long before Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden, and Adam Gilchrist were scheduled to make their debuts, Damien Martyn had already joined the Australian team. The right-handed hitter initially replaced Dean Jones on the field, although his role wasn't official until 1997–98. While Martyn's career didn't take off until the 1998–99 season, Ponting, Hayden, and Gilchrist were able to establish themselves very soon.
8. Mohammad Yousuf
The 2000s were the better decade for Pakistani fans in bowling and batting. Mohammad Yousuf, Inzamam-ul-Haq, and Younis Khan collectively revolutionised Pakistan's middle-order batting, albeit the team had previously seen some legendary batting talents come and go. Perhaps the trio are Pakistan's top run scorers across all formats, but Mohammad Yousuf seems to have received little attention.
9. Dilip Vengsarkar
Indian fans are likely to mention CK Nayudu, Vijay Merchant, Sunil Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid, and even Kohli when asked to name their favourite or finest batsman. When asked to name a cricketer who played before Tendulkar, they will begin with Nayudu and conclude with Gavaskar or Mohinder Amarnath. Although he was only second to Gavaskar after the game, Dilip Vengsarkar is little acknowledged between them.
10. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
When Chanderpaul made his debut in 1994, the glitz of young Brain Lara was all over the place, and nothing else seemed more alluring. Both greats had firmly cemented their positions as the focal points of WI batting, but Chanderpaul's crab-like style would never triumph over Lara's superb stroke play. Perhaps compared to Lara, who would come out and soar, Chanderpaul's unusual batting technique made him seem like a workhorse carrying a load.
