It is also true that it was not very easy to take ten wicketkeepers from a long list of wicketkeepers. There are certainly some other benevolent figures left who are equally deserved to be included in this list. So if anyone of you find someone to have been included in this list, please feel free to put your opinion in the comment section.
Ian Healy
Ian Healy was an outstanding performer behind the wicket in the history of cricket. This Australian wicketkeeper is considered as the best ever wicketkeeper in test cricket and undoubtedly his career record also proves it. Healy still holds the record of highest dismissal in test cricket with his 395 dismissals in test cricket in which 366 were (which is also a record in test cricket) catch and 29 stampings. The benovole4nt figure of test cricket was also a reliable lower order batsman for his team. With an average of 27.39 he got 4356 test runs and made 1764 runs ODI cricket. He made 4 centuries and 22 half centuries in test cricket in which his top score 161 not out. He is very famous for his quick movement and giving inspiration to the bowlers making some words with loud voice in which ‘Bowling Warnie’ to Shane Warne is noteworthy. Regarding this best wicketkeeper Cricinfo says:
“He prided himself on his total involvement, in training, in team meetings, in slashing and hooking vital runs regularly, in keeping expertly to the quicks, but his signature will always be his work standing over the stumps to Shane Warne, which elevated a prosaic business into a breathtaking spectacle.”
He also got 233 dismissals for Australia in ODI and he captained Australia in 8 ODI matches. After his retirement from all kinds of cricket, he is now involved in coaching and commentary. He became the Wisden cricketer of the year in 1994.
Adam Gilchrist
Adam Gilchristis considered as one of the best wicketkeepers in the preset day cricket world in both test and ODI cricket. With his aggressive batting in both test and ODI cricket, he is going to be the best wicketkeeper-batsman in the history of cricket. This left handed batsman has already got more than five thousand runs in test cricket and also got eight thousand plus runs in test cricket. As a wicketkeeper he is jointly leading in test cricket with South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher in terms of dismissals. They both got 364 dismissals in test cricket whereas in ODI cricket he got 406 dismissals which is also a record ODI cricket. With 16 test centuries he has an outstanding average of 48.48 in test cricket which proves his cricketing talent. This talented figure of Australian cricket has an ability of smashing any bowling side of world cricket. Cricinfo says:
“Going in first or seventh, wearing whites or coloureds, Adam Gilchrist has been the symbolic heart of Australia's steamrolling agenda and the most exhilarating cricketer of the modern age. He is simultaneously a cheerful throwback to more innocent times, a flap-eared country boy who has walked when given not out in a World Cup semi-final, and swatted his second ball for six while sitting on a Test pair. "Just hit the ball," is how he once described his philosophy on batting, and he seldom strays from it. Employing a high-on-the-handle grip, he pokes good balls into gaps and throttles most others, invariably with head straight, wrists soft and balance sublime.”
Gilchrist was also a member of the world cup champion Australian team in 2003. He is currently the vice captain of Australian team.
Mark Boucher
Mark Boucher is another legendary wicketkeeper of test cricket from South Africa currently playing in world cricket. He has been an integral part of South Affric cricket team since 1997. This talented figure made some noteworthy record as both wicketkeeper and batsman. Along with Pat Symcox, he set a world record of highest runs in eighth wicket partnership of 195 runs in test cricket. He is currently the second highest dismissal holder with 364 dismissals jointly with Adam Gilchrist in test cricket. Boucher has more than three thousand runs in both test and ODI cricket. He has 4teat and 1 ODI centuries. Boucher is the fastest 100 dismissals taker in test cricket. He is currently playing for South Africa as one of the senior and most important person.
Godfrey Evans
Godfrey Evans was another legend in wicket keeping position in test cricket. He showed his outstanding performance in the mid of the last century. He got 219 dismissals 91 test match in his career. However, his ability in wicket keeping can not be best explained by statistics. This Englishman is the first person to reach landmark of 200 dismissals in test cricket. He scored more than two thousands runs at an average of 20.49 with two centuries.
Rodney Marsh
Rodney William Marsh was another notable wicketkeeper of test cricket. With more than three thousand runs in test cricket he got 355 dismissals in 95 test matches. He also has 3 test centuries and 16 half centuries. He was nicknamed as Iron Gloves. This talented wicketkeeper also 92 ODI matches and got 124 dismissals and scored more than one thousand runs. Marsh became Wisden cricketer of the year in 1982. Rodney Marsh retired from all kinds of cricket in 1984 and since then he played some important role in cricket administration of Australia and also England. He was the head of the Australian Cricket Academy and also worked as director of England and Wales Cricket Board from 2001 to 2005. Now he is a consultant of South Australian Cricket Association.
Alec Stewart
Alec Stewart is the former English captain who also led England in the world cup cricket 1999. He is one of the best wicketkeeper batsmen in the history of test cricket. This talented wicketkeeper and batsman got many successes in his glorious career. He played highest number of test for England. In his 133 test long career he got 8463 runs and made 277 dismissals. Though his ODI record is not as glorious as his test career, he scored more than four thousand runs and got 174 dismissals in ODI cricket. He is the only person in the history of test cricket who got a century in the 100th test match. This legendary English cricketer has15 test centuries and 4 ODI centuries in his career. Alec Stewart became the Wisden cricketer of the year in 1993. He got into his retirement life in 2003.
Alan Knoot
Alan Knoot is the former wicketkeeper and a benevolent batsman of England. He played for England from 1967 to 1981 and got successes equally with his bat and keeping wicket. In his very first innings of Test debut against Pakistan, he got a half-century. Since then he continued showing some spectacular show both as a batsman and wicketkeeper. He played for Kent county cricket club in most of his first class cricket career. He has more than four thousand runs at an average of 32.75 in test cricket with five centuries. As a wicketkeeper, he got 269 dismissals in his notable career. Wisden named him cricketer of the year in 1970.
Jeff Dujon
Jeff Dujon is another talented wicketkeeper from West Indies. He played for the Caribbean side from 1981 to 1991. This Jamaican legend made more than three thousand runs in test cricket and 272 wickets and has 272 dismissals in test cricket. In addition, he showed some of his cricketing talent in ODI cricket as well. He got 294 dismissals and about two thousand runs in ODI cricket in his career. He is the first notable and famous wicketkeeper of West Indies cricket team. In 1989 he became one of the five Wisden cricketers of the year.
Wasim Bari
Wasim Bari is considered as another legend in wicket keeping in the history of test cricket. This talented and skilled wicketkeeper from Pakistan got 218 dismissals in his 81 test match. Bari was not a good batsman and that is the point which indicates his wicket keeping ability. He had to survive in the team only with his wicket keeping skill. Regarding this Pakistani legend cricinfo says:
“For a nation which has produced glovemen of quality but not of the calibre to be tagged as greats, Wasim Bari stands out by a distance. He was not spectacular in the mould of a Rodney Marsh or a Jeffrey Dujon. Acrobatic dives and stunning catches were not his forte. That said, one must acknowledge that Bari was an exceptionally safe `keeper, one very close to the best of his era.”
He got into his retirement in 1984 from all kind of cricket. Bari got the Life Achievement Award by PCB in 1997.
Syed Kirmani
Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani is another legendary wicketkeeper in the history of test cricket. He is considered as the best wicketkeeper ever played for India. He got 198 dismissals and 2759 runs in test cricket at an average of 27.04 with two centuries. He also played ODI cricket and his best performance was seen in the 1983 World Cup cricket and he became the best wicketkeeper of that tournament where India won their first and only world cup championship. Kirmani played his last test and ODI cricket match in 1984 and after retirement he was involved in cricket administration. Earlier 2000s, he was the chairman of the selection committee for India.
To get regular update of this blog, subscribe to feed of this blog:
I think Leslie Ames should be in the list. His record speaks for itself. If it hadn't been for WW2 his statistics would have been even more impressive. Mind you, that applied to every first-class cricketer of the time.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, have Kent supplied more Test wicketkeepers than any other county?
I think its time for Boucher to take Healy's place as the Best Ever Wicket Keeper. He's overtaken him on number of Test dismissals, and holds a number of other records in his own right (e.g. fastest to 100 dismissals). At time of writing (July 2008) he is less than 100 runs short of Healy's total.
ReplyDeleteI think Andy Flower should be included in the list, since he was really a great player for his team when zimb. was nothing. And he i think was equally good with spin and pace, ofcourse behind the wickets. No one mentions him.. I really dont know why. but I feel he is really a good cricketer.
ReplyDeleteMatt Prior is an epic wicketkeeper
ReplyDeleteYou guys are retarded........kumar sangarakara destroys these players
ReplyDeleteYou're kidding me!!!
Deletewhat about jack russell?
ReplyDeletewhere is moin khan
ReplyDeleteYou all forget the famous MS Dhoni....
ReplyDelete