The ‘never topped the ICC rankings’ all-time ODI XI

It’s similar to the hypothetical XIs of the past, consisting of the four top-ranked bowlers (in this case, five, with the last one acting as an all-rounder), an all-rounder, a wicketkeeper, and four bowlers. There’s a mention of their place in the all-time rankings, along with their career-best ranking in the format.

Rohit Sharma

ICC all-time batting ranking: 16 (06/07/2019), career-best ranking: 2

227 ODIs, 9,205 runs @ 48.96, 29 100s, HS: 264

The only active player on this list, Rohit Sharma might be the only batsman with multiple ODI double tons, but he’s never reached the summit of the ICC batting rankings. Whether he betters his current record of No.2 in the future or not, there’s no denying that he has among the world’s finest white-ball openers, with an unmatched ability to convert slow starts into mammoth scores.

Kepler Wessels (captain)

ICC all-time batting ranking: 19 (23/01/1985), career-best ranking: 3

109 ODIs, 3,367 runs @ 34.35, 1 100, HS: 107

Wessels famously played for two nations, enjoying a marginally better run with Australia than South Africa, especially in the year 1985 that took him to No.3 in the rankings. Wessels scored a fifty against every country he played and hit three fifties during a fine run at the 1992 World Cup. A left-right opening pair that’s as unusual as it gets.

Kumar Sangakkara (wicketkeeper)

ICC all-time batting ranking: 24 (11/03/2015), career-best ranking: 2

404 ODIs, 14,234 runs @ 41.98, 25 100s, HS: 169

It’s a surprise that Sangakkara never topped the charts, despite ending as the second-highest run-getter in the format. A dream run in the final leg of his career – which included four successive World Cup tons – put him on the No.2 spot, a position he retired on. Few sights in cricket are as pristine as Sangakkara’s cover drive, and he employed that, and a lot more strokes, on his way to a marvellous one-day career.

David Gower

ICC all-time batting ranking: 4 (15/06/1983), career-best ranking: 2

114 ODIs, 3,170 runs @ 30.77, 7 100s, HS: 158

Talking of another elegant left-hander, David Gower is fourth in ICC’s all-time charts but had to always settle for silver, reaching his career-best ranking during a prolific 1983, a year in which he scored four of his seven ODI centuries.

George Bailey

ICC all-time batting ranking: 20 (27/08/2014), career-best ranking: 3

90 ODIs, 3,044 runs @ 40.58, 3 100s, HS: 156

The ever-genial Bailey played just four years of one-day cricket, but left quite an impression, and was especially belligerent during the 2013/14 season, averaging 73 and striking the ball at 107. A sweet striker of the ball, Bailey reached No.3 towards the end of 2013, but only played three more years of the format.

Aravinda de Silva

ICC all-time batting ranking: 23 (11/04/1997), career-best ranking: 2

308 ODIs, 9,284 runs @ 34.90, 11 100s, HS: 145; 106 wickets @ 39.40, BBI: 4-30

A World Cup winner whose charisma spread over two decades, de Silva was a pugnacious batsman and a crafty bowler, but never reached the top spot in the rankings in either facet. De Silva played everywhere from 1 to 7, using his naturally aggressive strokeplay to get on top of opposition and deliver the knockout punch. With the ball, his off-spin was more than handy, and in terms of an all-round match-winning package, few could match the grandeur of an on-song de Silva.

Ravi Shastri

ICC all-time all-rounder ranking: 11 (05/10/198), career-best ranking: 2

Titled the ‘Champion of Champions’ in 1985, Shastri was a proficient spin-bowling all-rounder who didn’t run through sides or tear open attacks, but did his job with diligence. Shastri scored all his four centuries in India, batting everywhere from No.10 to No.10, barring two-down. As a spinner, his nagging left-arm spin fetched him 75 wickets across three years (1985-1987), and he retired as the most successful Indian spinner in the format.

Michael Holding

ICC all-time bowling ranking: 10 (02/12/1985), career-best ranking: 2

102 ODIs, 142 wickets @ 21.36, BBI: 5-26

He was as fast as they come. Holding played an instrumental role in West Indies’ success at two World Cup campaigns (1979 and 1983), picking up a combined 65 wickets in the years 1984 and 1985 alone. Barring India, he recorded an average of under 30 in every country he bowled, and never conceded over 60 runs in a single innings.

Geoff Lawson

ICC all-time bowling ranking: 18 (14/03/1984), career-best ranking: 4

79 ODIs, 88 wickets @ 29.45, BBI: 4-26

Another speed merchant, Lawson’s ODI career was limited to 79 ODIs due to injury, but he still had spells of brilliance along the way. 1985 turned out to be a bumper year – he picked up 23 wickets @ 27.26. Along with inducing fear in batsmen, he would keep them silent too, ending with an economy of 3.65 in ODIs.

Bob Willis

ICC all-time bowling ranking: 11 (20/06/1983), career-best ranking: 2

64 ODIs, 80 wickets @ 24.60, BBI: 4-11

One of England’s greatest Test quicks, Willis operated in the nascent stages of one-day cricket, and enjoyed a fine run without being spectacular. Willis is ranked 11th on the all-time charts, the highest-ranked among all English bowlers, and reached the second spot in the ICC rankings in 1979. The year 1983 was his most successful though – 28 wickets @ 22.50 drove him to his career-best rating.

Ewen Chatfield

ICC all-time bowling ranking: 6 (04/11/1984), career-best ranking: 2

114 ODIs, 140 wickets @ 25.84, BBI: 5-34

Forming an effective pairing with Richard Hadlee, Chatfield served New Zealand cricket for a decade in ODIs, consistently hitting the right lengths to chip away with wickets. In this team, Chatfield’s medium pace complements the other tearaway quicks well. The year 1983 was especially fruitful – Chatfield picked up 36 wickets @ 24.19, the most by any bowler that year.