Selectors have always looked for ways to squeeze 12 players into an 11-man side. Australia was able to do this, at least statistically, during Don Bradman’s career. There has, however, only been one Bradman so selectors have spent 150 years searching for a unicorn – the true all-rounder.
Occasionally this policy unearths a true gold nugget. A player who can win matches with either bat or ball.
This then is my all-time Test XI made up of only all-rounders. The only real stipulation was that a player’s batting average exceeded their bowling average.
1. Wilfred Rhodes, England, 1899-1930
RHB, LH orthodox. 58 Tests, 2325 runs at 30.19, 127 wickets at 26.97
In his first Ashes Test in Australia in the 1903-04 series batting at No.11, he shared a 130-run last-wicket stand. Eight years later in the Melbourne Test he shared a 323-run opening stand with Jack Hobbs.
Never a great spinner of the ball, Rhodes relied on variation of flight and length and a flawless accuracy. Such was his accuracy that in 1903 when Australia had scored 485, his return of 48 overs, 5-94 moved Victor Trumper to say, “For God’s sake Wilfred, give me a minute’s rest.”
2. Trevor Goddard, South Africa 1955-1970, (vc)
LHB, LH fast/medium, 41 Tests, 2516 runs at 34.46, 123 wickets at 26.22
Regarded as an outstanding leader, analyst and student of the game. A classical left-handed player with either bat or ball in hand he was renowned for also being able to pick opponents strengths and weaknesses with uncanny speed.
3. Jacques Kallis, South Africa, 1995-2013
RHB, RH medium, 166 Tests, 13289 runs at 55.37, 292 wickets at 32.65
Like Allan Border he may have been a different batsman in a different side if he was not so often required to be the glue that held the innings together. Whilst acknowledged as a batting all-rounder his great control over movement and surprising bounce made him a difficult prospect for even the best of players.
4. Garfield Sobers, West Indies, 1954-1974
LHB, LH fast, medium, orthodox and leg spin, 93 Tests, 8032 runs at 57.78, 235 wickets at 34.03
Arguably the finest all-round cricketer to have played the game, Sobers was one of Wisden’s five cricketers of the 20th century. While viewed as a batting all-rounder, Sobers would probably have made the West Indies side on his bowling alone. He was a magnificent fielder in any position and a highly aggressive captain.
5. Keith Miller, Australia, 1946-1956
RHB, RH fast, 55 Tests, 2958 runs at 36.97, 170 wickets at 22.97
One of only three players along with Sobers and Vinoo Mankad to be on both the Lords Batting and Bowling Visitors Boards, Keith Miller probably comes closest to being a true all-rounder. There is still a healthy debate as to whether he was in fact a batting or a bowling all-rounder. West Indies captain John Goddard said of him “give us Keith Miller and we would beat the world.”
6. Imran Khan, Pakistan, 1971-1992 (c)
RHB, RH fast
A bustling, athletic fast bowler with an exaggerated leap in his delivery stride and an energetic, hard-hitting batsman, he was the sort of player to draw spectators through the turnstiles wherever he played. While many players are negatively impacted by the pressures of captaincy, Imran was the opposite and averaged 52 with the bat and 20 with the ball when captain.
7. Adam Gilchrist, Australia, 1996-2008
RHB 96 Tests, 5570 runs at 47.6
“Just hit the ball,” was how Adam Gilchrist described his batting philosophy when interviewed. In his first Test he scored a very brisk 81, took five catches and a stumping and seemed to maintain that level until his retirement.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
8. Ian Botham, England, 1976-1992
RHB, RH fast-medium, 102 Tests, 5200 runs at 33.54, 383 wickets at 28.4
Always a walking headline, Botham made his Test debut in 1977, within a year of his first match for Somerset. Within three years he was captain and within four years he had resigned – reportedly only minutes before he was sacked and with his form at an all-time low.
Within weeks he had almost single-handedly wrested the Ashes series from Australia. Then, having been banned for drug use, he was recalled in 1986 and with his first and 12th deliveries equalled and then surpassed Dennis Lillee’s all-time Test wickets record, moving teammate Graham Gooch to ask “who writes your scripts?”
9. Sean Pollock, South Africa, 1995-2008
RHB, RH fast-medium 108 Tests, 3781 runs at 32.31, 421 wickets at 23.11
Possessing immaculate line and length, Pollock built an impressive reputation for never giving the batsman a moment’s rest. Quick and aggressive early in his career, he, like many great fast bowlers, curbed this aspect of his play to become a more effective wicket-taker. He was also a very capable hard-hitting batsman.
10. Richard Hadlee, New Zealand, 1973-1990
LHB, RH fast-medium, 86 Tests, 3124 runs at 27.16, 431 wickets at 22.29
Few players have carried the fortunes of a side like Richard Hadlee and none have done it so well. His lithe action and superb accuracy combined with immaculate control of swing and cut made him unplayable on some wickets and on those that he was playable on – often not for long.
A hard-hitting batsman, he also scored two Test centuries and 15 half-centuries.
11. Ravichandran Ashwin, India, 2010-2024
RHB, RH orthodox 102 Tests, 3422 runs at 26.94, 523 wickets at 23.69
When your first foray into Test cricket is nine wickets in a man of the match performance you are maybe on the brink of a special career. When you take nine five-fors in your first 16 Tests you are well on the way to achieving it. When you are then the fastest bowler to take 300 test wickets you are in the “great” category.
When you began your career as an opening batsman and have a very correct technique and range of shots that enable you to add five Test centuries, you really are something special.
So there you have it, my all-time Test XI of all-rounders.
Those who can consider themselves unfortunate to have missed out include, Kapil Dev, Vinoo Mankad, Chris Cairns, Andrew Flintoff, Tony Greig, Shakib Al Hasan, Wasim Akram, Ravindra Jadeja and Richie Benaud.
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