The following are considered as the Greatest West Indies Cricketers. Early on, the West Indies dominated cricket. They were the most feared squad on the planet from 1970 to the early 1990s. Featuring Viv Richards, Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, and a bevy of other Cricket Legends. In 1975 and 1979, they won the World Championships.
Even when they didn’t have the same dominance, the Windies produced players like Brain Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, and Chris Gayle who changed the dynamics of limited-overs forever. They were proclaimed champions after winning the 2004 Champions Trophy.
The West Indies have lost their test and ODI dominance in the last decade, but they have demonstrated their worth in the T20 format. They are the only side to have won both the 2012 and 2016 T20 World Cups. However, their period of great players appears to be passing them by in the last five years, therefore let us throw a light on their 5 greatest cricketers of all time.
Top 5 greatest West Indies Cricketers of all time:
5. Sir Vivian Richards
Vivian Richards is often regarded as one of the most glamorous cricketers of all time. He was the most explosive batsman at the time. Richards is largely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of the twentieth century, and without a doubt the best during the Windies’ golden period.
With 15,261 runs, Richards is the West Indies’ fifth-highest run-scorer across all formats. Among West Indian batsmen who have played at least 100 tests, he has the highest average.
4. Curtly Ambrose
In terms of high-quality pacers, Pakistan and other countries rank second. Curtly Ambrose is another option, and the Windies are still the best spot to do so. Ambrose, who stood 6 feet 7 inches tall, terrified batsmen with his lightning-fast pace and pinpoint accuracy.
He was the best bowler on paper and on the field during his career. He had 405 test wickets and 225 one-day international wickets to his name. He retired as the second-highest wicket-taker in his country’s history.
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3. Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is a world-class unorthodox batsman. He was known for his odd crab-like stance and the stickers on his face. After Brain Lara, Chanderpaul was regarded as the greatest batsman of his day.
He is the Windies’ second leading Test run-scorer, with 11,867 runs, and third in ODIs, with 8,778 runs. In the 2004 Champions Trophy final, he was the leading scorer for West Indies.
2. Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh is the greatest and most successful fast bowler in West Indies history. In 1984, he made his debut, and he and Curtly Ambrose proved to be a deadly combination for the Windies. He is the Windies’ leading taker in all formats. He has 519 Test wickets and 227 ODI wickets to his name.
He was also the first international cricketer to take 500 wickets. He was named Wisden Cricketer of the Year again in 1987.
Also read: Legendary Cricketers from South Africa: The best South African cricketers
1. Brain Lara
One of the best batsmen the world has ever seen. He was regularly compared to Sachin Tendulkar, with some even rating him higher. Lara is the West Indies’ leading Test and overall scorer. He has approximately 22,000 runs scored in his career. He is also the only West Indian player to have achieved 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs.
He also holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket with his unbeaten 400 against England in Antigua in 2004.
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