Cricket is a popular sport in numerous countries, including South Africa. Over the years, many cricket legends have come to the fore, representing their country and their love for the game. Here are some cricket greats from around the world that deserve to be acknowledged.

Sir Donald Bradman:

Affectionately known as ‘The Don’, Sir Donald Bradman was an Australian cricketer who was widely regarded as the greatest batsman of all time. Bradman had an illustrious career in cricket, and boasted a test batting average of 99.94, a score which has been claimed to be statistically the greatest achievement in any major sport.

During his prolific 20 year career, Bradman scored at such an impressive level that former Australian captain Bill Woodfull described him as ‘worth three batsmen to Australia’. Bradman was so good at batting that the English team had to specially devise a set of tactics known as the Bodyline, in an effort to curb his scoring.

Dennis Keith Lillee:

This former Australian cricket player was rated as the ‘outstanding fast bowler of his generation’. He held the world record for the most Test wickets when he retired in 1984. Lillee was widely recognised in the cricket arena due to his quick temper, hard working attitude and popularity amongst fans.

Lillee started out as a talented fast bowler, but a number of fractures in his back put an end to that. However, after taking on a full and strict fitness regime, he returned to international cricket in fine form. By the time he retired, he had become the then world record holder for the most Test wickets. This placed him on the list of most recognisable and renowned Australian sportsmen of all time.

Andrew Flintoff:

A valued English cricket player, Flintoff was a known fast bowler, aggressive batsman, fine fielder, and, according to ICC rankings, one of the top international all rounders in the ODI and test cricket. He made his debut in 1998, and has since then grown from strength to strength. His is an integral part of the English team, captaining and vice-captaining the team.

Sanath Jayasuriya:

This Sri Lankan cricketer is an excellent all rounder and has been a member of the Sri Lankan cricket team since 1989. He has retired numerous times, only to return to the squad a few months later. This definitely shows his love and commitment to the game and his country. He is known as the only player in the world to score over 12,000 runs and catch over 300 wickets in ODIs. He is also regarded as one of the best ODI players.

Wasim Akram:

Akram was once a Pakistani left arm fast bowler and left handed batsman. He represented the Pakistani cricket team in Tests and One Day Internationals. He is regarded as one of the finest fast bowlers ever, and holds the record for the most wickets taken in both ODIs and List A cricket. He is also one of the pioneers of reverse swing bowling. Akram has been somewhat of a controversial player, whose reverse swing initially drew accusations of ball tampering. Today, however, reverse swing is regarded as a legitimate feature of the game.

Hansie Cronje:

Another controversial, but brilliant and highly loved character in international cricket. In a poll conducted in 2004, he was voted as the 11th greatest South African, despite his involvement in the match fixing scandal that tarnished his name just over a year before he died. Hansie is often described as one of the best cricket captains, and had led the South African team to 27 test match wins. Also, of the 138 one day matches South Africa has played under his captaincy, 99 were won. Hansie is a hero to many South Africans, mainly because of his cricket prowess, but also because he was not scared to take the blame for the wrong that he had done. Even if it meant ruining his reputation and facing a life ban on professional cricket. Tragically, just as the match fixing scandal was settling down, Hansie died in a plane crash in the Western Cape on June 1st 2002.

Sachin Tendulkar:

Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer and often regarded as one of the greatest batsman of all time. In 2002 he was ranked as the second greatest test batsman of all time, right after the legendary Sir Donald Bradman. He was also ranked the second greatest one-day international (ODI) batsman in history next to Sir Viv Richards. Shane Warne, a renowned Australian cricketer, described Tendulkar as the greatest player he has ever player with or against. Sachin was also included in Bradman’s Eleven, a dream team chosen by Sir Donald Bradman and included in his biography. He is the only player of the current generation to be included in this list.

Sir Vivian Richards:

Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is a former West Indian cricketer, who is better known by his second name, Vivian, or simply Viv. In 2000, Richards was voted as one of he five Cricketers of the Century. The panel included cricket experts and former players, including Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Jack Hobbs and Shane Warne. In 2002 he was judged to have played the best One Day International (ODI) innings of all time. In 2002, he was also chosen as the greatest ODI batsman of all time, as well as the third greatest Test batsman of all time.