The five best Test allrounders in history according to the ICC Rankings

Any discussion over who the best player is in any given category can quickly turn into an argument and make that double when it comes to allrounders.

Thankfully the ICC maintains all-time rankings which spare us from taking the blame for omitting somebody’s favourite.

Here we look at the five men ranked highest in the ICC’s all-time Test allrounder rankings.

5 Richie Benaud (Australia) – 532 rating points

With little to show for his first six years of Test cricket, Richie Benaud blossomed as an allrounder in South Africa in 1957-58.

With his legspin, he set traps and baits, and he batted and fielded with zest.

Jason Holder believes that the West Indies have turned the corner

4 Keith Miller (Australia) – 572 rating points

The post-war years were enlivened by Keith Miller’s brilliant all-round play.

He was able to turn a match with attacking innings or a ferocious spell of bowling.

Internal politics denied Miller more Test matches for Australia and robbed the world of more world-class displays in the ultimate format.

3 Jacques Kallis (South Africa) – 615 rating points

There are few players in the modern era who are more aligned with the concept of the classical cricketer than Jacques Kallis.

Kallis had a rock-solid technique and an impervious mind to distraction which made him a fine, forceful batsman. He was metronomic in his Test runscoring despite spending much of his career pursuing an elusive double ton.

As a bowler he will be remembered as a purveyor of sometimes surprising pace and swing, and awkward bounce.

2 Ian Botham (England) – 645 rating points

In addition to being the top English cricketer of the 1980s, Ian Botham may have been Britain’s top sports personality of the decade.

Botham reserved some of his best performances, which were almost mythical in their impact, for the Ashes.

His career almost appeared to be scripted with his dizzying highs offset by some tremendous lows.

1 Garry Sobers (West Indies) – 669 rating points

Garry Sobers was a cricketing genius who excelled at all aspects of the game. Few would sincerely dispute that he is the best all-rounder in post-war cricket.

As good as his batting was, he was good enough to play international cricket as a bowler alone.

Rightly revered not only in the West Indies but all over the world, the ICC rankings agree that Sir Garfield Sobers is the greatest Test allrounder of all time.