10 Old Generation Cricketers Who Would've Owned T20 Cricket

The introduction of T20 cricket has been a revolution for the game. It has changed how everyone looked at the game in the earlier days. Meanwhile, how things would have panned out if the old generation cricketers played in the shortest format of the game? More so, which cricketers would have starred in T20 cricket with equal conviction?

The game of cricket has become challenging for both batters and bowlers with each passing day. The introduction of T20 cricket has changed the mindset of the batsmen. Nowadays, no target is considered to be safe. How the players who looked at the game from a different viewpoint adapted to these changes?

Not every cricketer who has been a legend in Test or in ODI have left a good impression in the shortest format. India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara, who is pivotal for India’s success in Tests has struggled to make his way into the white-ball squads.

Similarly, it would have required special talents for earlier generation cricketers to succeed in the T20 format of the game.

We at Cricket Addictor will take a look at ten cricketers from old generations who would have made it big in T20 cricket:

Read More: Best Combined XI Of Current Players Who Can Play Across The Formats

Viv Richards

Sir Viv Richards is the architect of aggressive batting as his ability to hit the ball was unparallel to others. He belonged to that great West Indies team which dominated the world cricket for almost over a decade.

The West Indies legend was a bit vulnerable early in his innings, but once he set his eyes in, Richards had the ability to murder any bowling unit. His strike-rate of over 90 is a testimony to his aggressive batting.

If there was a T20 team with the players of earlier generations, Viv Richards is one cricketer who would walk into the side with eyes closed.

Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev is arguably the best all-rounder India have ever produced. A very strong attacking batsman, a genuine fast bowler, Kapil was a versatile all-rounder who could play in all formats.

With an economy less than four and a strike-rate over 95 with the bat in the ODIs, India’s first World Cup-winning captain would have been more than handy as a T20 cricketer.

The cricketer from Haryana had a unique quality of playing under pressure, more needed in the shorter formats. Besides, his leadership qualities would also have come in handy for whichever side he played.

Wasim Akram

Wasim Akram is rated by many as the best left-arm fast bowler of all time, and his career record certainly bears that out. His technical acumen took him miles ahead of his contemporaries.

Akram had complete mastery over swing and seam, and sometimes moves the ball both ways in one delivery. All of these he did at an express pace which made the life of a batsman tough.

The left-arm pacer was economical throughout his career and also had a good average. More than that, Akram could also chip in with the bat and scored a good rate batting in the lower-order. All of these would have made Akram an ideal T20 cricketer.

Michael Bevan

Michael Bevan was an essential part of Australia’s one-day outfit for a decade. Especially when orchestrating calm chases in crises that often ended in last-over or last-ball heroics.

Picking the gaps, running hard and knowing the right moment – and place – to hit a boundary were the hallmarks of his success. Bevan had all the ingredients to be successful in T20 cricket. He had a strike-rate of almost 75 in the ODIs as one of the best finishers.

Besides, the former Aussie cricketer was handy with his left-arm spin. He had the happy knack of providing breakthroughs which would have been useful in the shorter formats.

Chris Cairns

Chris Cairns was one of New Zealand’s finest all-rounders. He became only the sixth man to achieve an allrounder’s double of 200 wickets and 3000 runs in March 2004.

His destructive batting has scripted many memorable wins for the Black Caps. Beside his ability to hit sixes at will, Cairns was also very useful with his medium-fast bowling. All in all, he was very handy and has served his country’s cricket with full might.

The former cricketer boasted a strike-rate of over 80 in the ODIs which would have been useful in the T20 cricket. Cairns is also very economical with the ball and will be a captain’s delight.

Lance Klusener

Lance Klusener was one hell of a player and only of its kind the cricketing world has witnessed. While the game has seen many finishers, Klusener brought a different flavour to it.

Most of his runs came with the tailenders and Klusener had specialisation in winning matches from impossible situations. Beside his finishing skills, Klusener was more than a handy blower with his unique action.

With the strike-rate touching almost 90, Klusener would have useful for South Africa if he played T20s. Moreover, he also had variations in his nursery, which would have made him a rare commodity in the circuit.

Curtly Ambrose

The tall, lanky fast bowler from West Indies, Curtley Ambrose was menacing, was fast and did not like having runs scored off him. He was a part of the glorious fast bowling unit the Caribbeans had in the 1980-90s.

Ambrose also didn’t concede many, as an economy rate of 3.38 during the 90s shows – which is the lowest for all bowlers in that decade. Besides, he was intimidating for the fast bowlers.

Someone who bowls as quick and fast and as successful as Ambrose did, he would have walked into any T20 sides of the world.

Kris Srikkanth

Kris Srikkanth was one of the explosive Indian batsmen in the earlier days. The Chennai-born cricketer could destroy the strongest and most fearsome attacks in the world by fearless pulling, hooking and driving.

At a time, when scoring at a strike-rate of 50 was considered an excellent job, Srikkanth boasted a rate of over 70. His ability to take the on the bowlers from the word go would come in handy in the T20s. Although he struggled a bit due to inconsistency, but the former India cricketer would make a great T20 batsman.

Jonty Rhodes

Very few will disagree that Jonty Rhodes is the best fielder of all time. He had the ability to stop at least 20-25 runs with his fielding, which is considered a fair score in T20 cricket. Thus, Jonty had the capability to make it to the team solely on his fielding.

Besides, the former South African cricketer was also an able batsman. He possesses a strike rate of over 80 in the ODIs, which shows his ability to score quick runs. Jonty would have been a very handy cricketer in a time when every run matter.

Imran Khan

Former Pakistan skipper Imran Khan will find an entry to a top ten all-rounders of all time with eyes closed. He grew better and better with each passing and was at his personal best during the last ten years of his career.

In the days of T20 cricket, Imran would have been a rare commodity of his ability to contribute to all departments. He averaged almost 35 with the bat and 26 with the ball and also had a strike-rate of over 70 which would have made him a perfect T20 player.