In the Modern era, cricket is evolving as a fast-paced game, and people mostly watch T20. Even some batter plays ODI and test cricket like T20. There are many leagues for T20 in the world, like IPL, BBL, etc. Batsmen rule the bowlers in this format. However, some great bowlers ruled T20 Cricket. Many think old-generation players would have failed to survive in T20 Cricket. But there are plenty who would have been the superstars of T20 cricket. Here are ten legendary old-era players who could easily fetch millions from IPL and other leagues.
1. Kapil Dev
There is no doubt that Kapil is the “Greatest All-Rounder of all time. He was the one who set the trend of fast bowling in India. Viv Richards was the Captain of India in 1983. Despite his great Test and ODI records, he would have quickly succeeded in today’s T20 Cricket. He scored 5,248 runs in 131 test matches and 3,783 runs in 225 ODI matches with a fantastic strike rate of 95.07, and at that time, a strike of 90 is considered an extraordinary strike rate.
2. Sir Viv Richards
Viv Richards was the player whose impact was more significant than his overall stats. He is the most fearless and destructive batsman, so he is known as “King Richards”. He scored 8,540 in 121 test matches. Apart from his superb stats, his batting average is 47, with a fantastic strike rate of 90.2. Do not undermine the strike rate because a strike of 90 at that time equals today’s 150. If he had been available in the IPL auction, he would have easily got 2 million $.
3. Ian Botham
Ian Botham was England’s finest All–rounder we have ever seen. He was also known as the “Beefy” during his playing days. He had a fantastic record with bat and bowl as well. He scored 5,200 runs in 102 test matches and had a tremendous strike rate of 79.10 in ODI cricket. Again, do not underestimate the strike rate. A strike rate of 90 in ODI cricket is still considered a decent strike rate. He also had taken 145 wickets in ODI cricket with an average of 28.54.
4. Imran Khan
The World Cup-winning Pakistan team captain would have quickly become a “Rockstar of T20”. With a decent strike of 72.65 and 182 wickets in the ODI, he is the all–rounder who could win the match on his own. Apart from his playing skills, he would also have been a great captain in T20 cricket. His captaincy tactics and how he led his team were sensational.
5. Brian Lara
Brian Lara could have easily been a “Flamboyant of T20 cricket”—how he used to hit the ball with his pure elegance and skills. Brian Lara was the batsman who started playing flair shots. Just imagine, if Brian Lara were playing for Mumbai Indians or Royal Challengers Bangalore, he would become the headache for bowlers. Brian Lara had a strike rate of 79.51 in ODI cricket. If he had gotten the chance to play T20, he would have become the rockstar of this format.
6. Gordon Greenidge
Young Generation doesn’t know about this great West Indies opening batsman. He was the one who used to play aggressive cricket. He would ensure he scored big runs whenever he opened for West Indies. Even then, he had an average of 45.03 with a strike rate of 64.92. In today’s Powerplay rule, he would have easily smashed the bowlers.
7. Jonty Rhodes
He was the one who introduced fielding in cricket. We all have remembered the famous run-out of Inzmam ul Haq. In today’s era, fielding plays a massive role in all formats, especially in T20 cricket. A good fielder can save 10-15 runs for their team. Jonty Rhodes is right at the top in terms of fielding standards. Even at 54, he is still flying and taking catches, performing better than young players.
8. Lance Klusener
Lance Klusener used to be the aggressive South African all–rounder. He got the Man of the Tournament award for his extraordinary performance in the 1999 World Cup. In his career of 171 ODI matches, he scored 3,576 runs at a strike rate of 89.91. Apart from his batting records, he has also taken 192 ODI wickets. In today’s era of short-format cricket, he would have been one with excellent economy in bowling, and in batting, he could have scored crucial runs in death overs.
9. Wasim Akram
Till now, we have looked at the batters and all-rounders. But bowlers also play crucial roles in short form. A famous quote says, “Batsmen help teams to win matches, but bowlers help teams to win a tournament. Wasim Akram is the epitome of fast bowling. He is known as the “Sultan of Swing”. In White bowl cricket, he was the first bowler to achieve a milestone of 500 wickets. He can also bat at the lower order and hit the bowl in the last few overs. There is no further explanation needed for Wasim Akram’s spot.
10. Joel Garner
Joel Garner was the bowler at 6 feet 8 inches in height. During his playing time, he was the “Big Bird”. Joel Garner has taken 259 wickets in just 58 games in test matches. In his ODI career, he took 146 wickets in 98 games. With his height, if he had gotten a chance to play T20, he would not have given more than twenty runs in his spell. He is the furious bowler who has everything like speed, swing, and other variations as well.
