Top 10 unsung heroes of all time in International cricket

The game of cricket came across a lot of individual stories who grown from strength to strength and the players who faded away for not sinking with the conditions. There have been many great players who fought hard for their respective teams and achieved the things successfully for the country.

Amidst all the great warriors, we missed noticing the greatness of few cricketers who have been exceptional in their ranks. Here are the top 10 cricketers who have been the unsung heroes in International cricket

Here are the 10 unsung heroes:

10. Shivnarine Chanderpaul:

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Leave about the records, Shivnarine Chanderpaul from Windies will always be remembered for his unique batting stands. Despite being a consistent run-scorer for Windies, he was never given enough honour.

Most part of Chanderpaul’s career came under the legendary Brian Lara which pretty much explains why he never gets the credit he deserves. He stood tall for Windies against many international teams and used to be the tough nut for the bowlers to crack down.

Shivnarine tallied a colossal tally of 11867 runs in Test cricket. Yet, he was an unknown customer to many spectators. Probably, he would have beaten Brian Lara’s record as well but he fell out of favour with his cricket board in the twilight of his career.

Although known for his doggedness, Chanderpaul has the record for the 4th fastest Test century. He smashed a ton in just 67 balls against the visiting Australians in 2002 which has been a huge recognition for him during those times.

All in all, Shivnarine Chanderpaul could have ended on the legendary list but was unfortunate to miss out. Concluding on an interesting note, in 1999, he shot a policeman with a gun after he mistook him for a thief. However, he was not charged due to the mistake.

9. Stephen Fleming:

One of the best skippers in World cricket, Stephen Fleming also finds a place in the list. New Zealand cricket always referred the names of Martin Crowe, Brendon McCullum, Vettori and Shane Bond but Fleming also stays right next to them.

Fleming is the most capped Test player in New Zealand history with as many as 111 Tests under his belt. He is the only Kiwi player to have scored more than 7000 runs in Test cricket yet unknown to many young generations.

Stephen Fleming’s best came when he scored 262 at Cape Town against South Africa. He also led Kiwis successfully in England and Australia who were being led by the legendary Nasser Hussain and Steve Waugh respectively.

Later, he got a contract with Chennai Super Kings where he delivered the goods as a player and then the head coach. Fleming got a great exposure to the world cricket after being worked as the coach for various franchises across the world.

All in all, he is a sound strategist with tactical nous and a leader par excellence. However, he is also widely regarded as one of the best skippers in world cricket.

8. Michael Bevan:

The master of finishing; Michael Bevan has always been termed as the greatest finisher of the game. But unfortunately, his name is rarely taken whenever the legendary players are discussed.

Bevan’s style of play was all about calculation, especially in run chases. His brain worked like a calculator as he broke down chases under immense pressure. Eventually, he was best remembered for taking his side home. But, he was more than a finisher.

More than one-third of his innings, he remained undefeated and ensured that he did his job efficiently. After Bevan, India’s MS Dhoni has been lauded as his successor in finishing matches. Ironically, Bevan’s fare-well and Dhoni’s debut happened to be in the same year.

However, Michael Bevan was never quite reliable in Test matches owing to his short-ball weakness. Despite failing to deliver in Tests, Australia’s greatest victories have seen Bevan scoring the finishing run.

After Bevan, only Michael Hussey showed a character related to Bevan in finishing for Australia. However, it’s unlikely that Australian cricket will ever see another Michael Bevan.

7. VVS Laxman:

The most artistic batsman of his era. VVS Laxman has been the greatest middle-order batsman whom every team would like to include. His many glorious knocks have gone unnoticed because of his team’s poor performance.

He also brought great laurels to his state Hyderabad after Mohammed Azharuddin. He has often batted with the lower-middle order and the lower order, thereby being deprived of the chance to build longer innings, but whenever he has been given an opportunity, Laxman delivered it.

His silken smooth 281 to revive India from a dead state to a victory against Steve Waugh-led side is the finest inning ever witnesses in Test cricket. Since then, he has always been a pivotal player for India.

With a star-studded Indian middle order, and a host of talent waiting in the wings, Laxman has often found his place under question after merely one or two failures, but each time he has responded with an innings of the class under pressure

Currently, he is working as the TV commentator for Star Sports. He also opened his academy in Hyderabad with best accessories.

6. Rahul Dravid:

The finest batsman cricket has ever seen. His legacy has been outshined by Sachin Tendulkar in India. He belongs to a rare kind of breed who mixed the calmness with aggression.

Though the headlines never let his name over Sachin Tendulkar, the numbers showed his worth and the spectators who witnessed his defence in the stadiums will never forget him.

In a team with a master like Sachin, swashbucklers like Sehwag and Dhoni, and the great Sourav Ganguly, India needed a stabilizer who was found in the form of Dravid.

Rahul Dravid did every thankless job for the team, such as protecting the middle-order from the new ball, in addition to scoring runs. Though Dravid knocked crucial tallies, his greatness has been overshadowed by the Iconic Sachin.

However, his greatness is unmatched by none. He is still serving the country in the form of head coach for the junior cricketers.

5. Tamim Iqbal:

The classy left-hander Tamim Iqbal has been the most under-rated openers in world cricket. He had the terms like aggression, defence and those big hits in his kitt. Still, he was never named in the big frame of things.

The nephew of former Bangladesh skipper Akram Khan, Tamim has shown that he has the potential to achieve greatness. He is one of the few Bangladeshi players to be played in English county as well.

Initially, he has been a little inconsistent in ODIs, but his Test form has been remarkable. He started off his Test debut in style by scoring a pair of the fifties against New Zealand in Dunedin in 2008.

Though he started his career on a slow note, he is the leading century scorer for Bangladesh in all formats of the game. Iqbal is also one of few players to score a century in all formats of the game.

All in all, Tamim Iqbal has been the gem for Bangladesh cricket. His remarkable form in 2016-17 also helped Bangladesh to lift their cricketing records to the next level.

4. Rangana Herath:

The left-arm spinner who is still serving his country has been the unluckiest cricketer. Though he has been very consistent with his performances, the presence of Muralitharan saw him benched most of the times.

Herath made his debut in 1999 against Australia, but was back in the desert after three Tests, following a wicket-less Test against Pakistan in 2000 when they scored in excess of 600.

Since then, Herath was always on the bench with team management opted only one spinner in the team. He played occasionally one or two when Muralitharan is injured or the pitch demanded two spinners.

In 2011, Herath got the right limelight after his heroics in South Africa. He carried his glorious form against England by rattling them single-handedly. After that, Muralitharan hanged his boots and the Herath’s career blossomed in many ways.

He was also asked to lead the team when Angelo Mathews and Dinesh Chandimal were out of the team for various reasons. However, he is nearing his retirement and confirmed that 2018 is going to be his finishing year.

3. Ajit Agarkar:

In those days when Team India is struggling to find a right-handed fast bowler, Ajit Agarkar rose to the occasion. It was the time when the team was completely filled with the likes of Zaheer Khan, RP Singh, Irfan and Nehra.

Meanwhile, Ajit Agarkar stepped in at the right time to deliver the goods for India. He supported the southpaws quite efficiently with his unique piece of bowling display. However, he never got the legend status despite picking 288 ODI wickets in 191 matches.

With his ability to swing the ball both ways with the new and the old balls and also the capability to tonk the balls with his blazing willow, Ajit Agarkar was considered to be India’s answer for a fast-bowling all-rounder.

Ajit Agarkar was a part of many heroic achievements by India. He was the member of the team when India won inaugural T20I World Cup under MS Dhoni. He also scored a century at lords and 6-fer against Australia is his noteworthy performance in Tests.

2. Grant Flower:

Flower brothers have been the backbone of Zimbabwe Cricket. Grant Flower brought Zimbabwe a new shine and shape with his exceptional knocks for the team. His heroics as an opener is unmatched to none of the associate teams.

His finest moment came in 1995 when Pakistan toured Zimbabwe. Grant Flower registered his first Test ton and also converted it into a double thus joining an elite list of batsmen to have achieved that feat. The knock became delicious as it helped Zimbabwe register there first ever Test win.

However, he announced his retirement in 2004 along with a lot of other players in protest against the Zimbabwe Cricket Union. Grant Flower was also named as the spokesperson for the rebel group of players.

Concluding on a staggering note, Grant Flower missed a Test game against Australia in 2003. It was the first time after 15 years when Zimbabweans missed the services of Grant Flower.

1. Stuart MacGill:

None could be as unlucky as Stuart MacGill. The star leg-spinner could be enjoying all the legendary services if he would have born in a different era. The only mistake in his career is to be on the same era where Shane Warne was born.

If not Australia, any other team would easily welcome Stuart MacGill with both hands. He was an aggressive leg-spinner who could turn the ball sharply in both ways. However, he was ignored with Shane Warne in the side.

MacGill made his Test debut in 1998 and instantly impressed with his approach to bowling. His biggest achievement came when Shane Warne was injured while touring West Indies.

Finally, MacGill got the longest streak of playing during 2003-04 when Shane Warne was handed a ban for consumption of Drugs. However, Stuart MacGill was never disappointed as he was always a careless attitude personality.

However, MacGill finished with a glorious career in the domestic circuit. He was the wrecker-in-chief for his county and surprisingly, returned to cricket at the age of 40 signing a deal with Sydney Sixers in Big Bash League in 2011.