While some are destined for greatness, others fail to impress at the highest level. These are the worst cricketers of all time.
Cricket is an elite game. If anyone gets to play even just one game and represent his/her nation, they are considered lucky.
However, joining this elite 11 requires a ton of talent, hard work, perseverance, and a bit of luck.
Even if a player makes it to the playing 11, staying in the national side is another battle. Most of the cricketers do not live up to their expectations and succumb to the immense pressure of the game.
Some players don’t simply have what it takes to be in the side and play at the highest level. According to fans, these are termed as the worst cricketers. Let’s have a look at the list of the worst cricketers of all time.
The 20 Worst Cricketers of All Time
Below is our list of the 20 worst cricketers of all time in cricket…
20. Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra got into the Indian Test team in 2003 against New Zealand. He was seen as a classical opener who made his way to the highest level after exceptionally well first-class performances. He made more than 10000 runs in 162 FC matches which is phenomenal.
But his performances at the international level weren’t convincing. Chopra played 10 Tests with an average of 23. His weaknesses were exposed to the bowlers quite early.
His inconsistencies made the selectors look away from him, ending his very short international run.
But now he is a successful cricket analyst and commentator. His ability to read the game and then deliver the review to the viewers is appreciable.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 10/0/0 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 437/0/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 23.0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 162/10839 |
19. Tejashwi Yadav
Tejashwi Yadav is the elder son of the renowned ex-CM of Bihar. He came from a political background. Certainly, he wasn’t made for cricket at all.
Not a single thing in cricket worked for him. He never played an international match. He played just 1 first-class match in which he made 20 runs.
Tejashwi was contracted to play for Delhi Daredevils in 2009 but all he did was just carry the water and sit on the bench. His powerful father expressed his anger over not giving a chance to his son.
Eventually, he left cricket and became a politician. Yadav did better in politics than in cricket.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/0/0 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/0/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/0/0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 1/20 |
Read More: The 15 Most Overrated Cricketers of all Time
18. Ashok Dinda
Ashok Dinda was famous for his jumping stride action while bowling and his short pitch tactics. He was a successful bowler in first-class cricket as he took a total of 420 wickets in 116 FC matches.
Due to his stellar form in domestic cricket, he got the chance to play at the international level.
At the highest level, he succumbed to the pressure and never performed to his potential. He played 13 ODIs and 9 T20Is with averages of 51.0 and 14.4 respectively.
Dinda used to get serious trolls for his over-expensive spells and ineffective short pitch bowling.
He never got the second chance in the Indian team, but the fast bowler got his rhythm back after getting back to the domestic level.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/13/9 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/12/17 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/51.0/14.4 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 116/420 |
17. Stuart Binny
Stuart Binny’s splendid first-class all-around performances led the selectors to bring him into the national team.
He gave the best spell in ODI cricket against Bangladesh when he took 6 wickets by leaking just 4 runs. He made 78 on his debut test against England in the 2014 away tour.
Sadly, he did not follow his initial success and deteriorated rapidly in further matches. He was included in the 2015 World Cup despite his bad performances and got severely trolled by people who blamed his selection as nepotism due to his father’s presence in the selection committee.
Soon, he got sidelined from the national selection. He never made a comeback afterwards. It seems that he has lost his way.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 6/14/3 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 194/230/35 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 21.6/28.8/17.5 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 95/4796 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 3/20/1 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 86.0/21.9/54.0 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 95/148 |
16. Chamara Kapugedera
Chamara Kapugedera was seen as a potential batsman for Sri Lanka. His first-class knocks were enough to show the extent of the talent he carried. He made 3919 runs in 84 matches.
He made his debut for Sri Lanka in 2006. In the same year, he played a match-winning knock of 38 runs in 21 balls against Australia in the final of the VB series.
But soon, he lost his way. He became inconsistent. Sri Lankan management relied on him for a long but no good results could be fetched.
He played 8 Tests, 102 ODIs and 43 T20Is at the averages of 34.8, 21.1 and 22.7 respectively.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 8/102/43 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 418/1624/703 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 34.8/21.1/22.7 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 84/3919 |
15. Rod Marsh
Rod Marsh was a legend of first-class cricket as he made over 11000 runs in 257 FC matches. He also got the chance to play internationally.
He aced his job of Wicket-keeping for Australia in no time. But his batting performances weren’t up to the mark. Australia dragged him too long just because there weren’t other keeping options.
Marsh made his debut for Australia in 1970. He played 96 Tests and 92 ODIs with averages of 26.5 and 20.1 respectively.
Though his batting records aren’t good, his personality in terms of work ethics got him a lot of respect from his teammates and fans. He retired from cricket in 1983.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 96/92/0 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 3633/1225/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 26.5/20.1/0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 257/11067 |
14. Taijul Islam
Taijul Islam is a left-arm orthodox spinner from Bangladesh. He is the one player with a hattrick and 8 wicket haul in international games.
His first-class records are convincing as he has taken a total of 359 wickets in 84 FC matches.
He made his debut in Bangladesh in 2014. He has played 35 Tests, 9 ODIs and 2 T20is in which he has taken 144, 12 and 1 wickets respectively. His bowling averages are over 30 in all three formats.
If we consider the kind of standards bowlers has at the international level, Taijul doesn’t stand anywhere close to them. He has aged by his side and can improve if he works hard.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 35/9/2 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 144/12/1 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 32.6/28.1/58.0 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 84/359 |
13. Rohan Gavaskar
Rohan Gavaskar is the son of the great Indian stalwart Sunil Gavaskar. He came from a cricketing background and did well in the first-class games. Rohan bagged 6938 runs in 117 FC matches.
But his international performances were very far from what was expected of him. Ironically, the son of one of the greatest sportsmen didn’t even have a drop of what the father used to have.
He played only 11 ODIs and made 151 runs at an average of 18.9. It was just a matter of time that he got sidelined from the national side. Later, he took up commentator as his main job and did quite well there.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/11/0 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/151/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 0/18.9/0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 117/6938 |
12. Dipak Patel
Dipak Patel was a decent right-arm off-spinner when he got into the New Zealand national side. He was a handy batsman too, making his international debut in 1987.
He was born in Kenya and then migrated to New Zealand. He made 15188 runs in 357 FC matches which shows he had batting skills.
Though Dipak didn’t perform well at the highest level of the game. He averaged below 20 in ODIs and Tests with the bat.
His bowling averages exceed 40. Certainly, international cricket wasn’t his cup of tea. He retired in 1997. He also coached the Under 19 team of New Zealand.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 37/75/0 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 1200/623/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 20.7/11.8/0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 357/15188 |
11. Anurag Thakur
Anurag Thakur was one of those cricketers who got the tag of a ‘cricketer’ just because he was seen holding a bat.
No other evidence shows that he was a proper cricketer. He played only 1 FC match in which he took 2 wickets. He never aimed to get into the national team.
But God has some better plans for him. He took up politics and became a successful politician of Uttarakhand.
Anurag also became a prominent member of the BCCI. In 2021, he became the cabinet minister of sports which is one the most important posts to hold.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | – |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | – |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | – |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 1/2 |
10. Suruj Ragoonath
Suruj Ragoonath was a West Indian batsman who made his debut for the team in 1999 against Australia. He had decent first-class runs as he made 3261 runs in 66 FC matches.
But he played only 2 Tests in which he made 13 runs. Suraj never played again for the national team. Later he became a successful cricket analyst and reviewer.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 2/0/0 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 13/0/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 4.3/0/0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 66/3261 |
9. Mick lewis
Mick Lewis was an Australian bowler who made his debut for the nation in 2005 against New Zealand in an ODI. He took 277 wickets in 82 FC matches.
His performances at the international level were almost nothing. Lewis played 7 Tests and 2 ODIs in which he took 7 and 4 wickets respectively. He did not get far in his journey of cricket.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 7/2/0 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 7/4/0 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 55.9/12.2/0 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 82/277/0 |
8. Kieran Powell
Kieran Powell was a young talent who made his impact in initial matches after getting into the national team. But with time, he lost his control over his game that made the selectors sideline him.
He played 44 Tests, 46 ODIs and 1 T20I in which he averaged 25.8, 22.8 and 12.0 respectively. Powell has made 6895 runs in 130 FC matches so far.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 44/46/1 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 2113/1005/12 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 25.8/22.8/12.0 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 130/6895 |
7. Tino Best
Tino Best was a fiery pacer rising from the West Indies. He took 330 wickets in 121 FC matches. He played 25 Tests, 26 ODIs and 6 T20is with bowling averages of 40.2, 34.0 and 25.7 respectively.
Apart from his bowling, he was a handy batsman. Tino Best was talked about highly throughout his career but his performances did not match his praise.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 25/26/6 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 57/34/6 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 40.2/34.0/25.7 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 121/330 |
6. Hamish Rutherford
Hamish Rutherford was a New Zealand opening batsman who played only 16 Tests, 4 ODIs and 8 T20Is. He averaged below 25 with the bat in all three formats.
Rutherford has 7461 runs in 119 FC matches which are good but his performance in international cricket isn’t convincing. He is inconsistent too. He is 32 years old and can make a comeback in future.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 16/4/8 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 755/15/151 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 27.0/3.8/21.6 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 119/7461 |
5. Shaminda Eranga
Shaminda Eranga was a potential fast bowler who debuted for Sri Lanka in 2011. He played more than 40 international matches but his averages were above 30 in all 3 formats with the bowl. He also bagged 186 FC wickets in 76 matches.
His inconsistencies and heart problems never let him play regularly. Due to the combination of bad luck and bad performances, Eranga failed to meet his expectations.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 19/19/3 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 57/21/3 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 37.5/32.5/30.0 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 76/186 |
4. James Franklin
James Franklin was a New Zealand bowling allrounder who appeared in more than 150 international matches but averaged less than 20 with the bat in all the formats.
He was a better player at the domestic level as he had 9780 runs in 206 FC matches. He was never able to make his impact at the top level of the game.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 31/110/38 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 808/1270/463 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 20.7/24.0/20.1 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 206/9780 |
3. Nasir Jamshed
There was always a lot of hype around Nasir Jamshed, a Pakistan opening batsman. But his performance stats show a different story. He averages less than 15 in Tests. In ODIs and T20Is, he averages less than 32.
His first-class records are better as he has 5831 runs in 98 FC matches. Nasir was convicted of spot-fixing that also ruined his already inconsistent career.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 2/48/18 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 51/1418/363 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 12.8/31.5/21.4 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 98/5831 |
2. Chamu Chibhabha
Chamu Chibhabha is a Zimbabwe batting allrounder who made his debut for the country in 2005 against New Zealand in an ODI. He has 5117 runs in first-class matches.
But his stats are below par in international cricket. Chamu has played close to 150 international matches but averages below 25 with the bat in all 3 formats.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 3/107/36 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 124/2418/667 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 20.7/23.0/19.1 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 103/5117 |
1. Dasun Shanaka
Dasun Shanaka is a Sri Lankan batting allrounder who loves to smack down bowlers all over the ground. He is a handy bowler too. But his performances in international cricket haven’t been worth praising.
He averages less than 25 with the bat in all 3 formats. His bowling averages are also below par. He has a lot of potential but hasn’t been able to convert them into performances. Shanaka has a lot of work to do on his game.
| Matches: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 6/34/57 |
| Runs: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 140/715/707 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 14.0/24.6/16.8 |
| FC Matches/Runs | 65/3337 |
| Wickets: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 13/12/17 |
| Average: Tests/ODIs/T20Is | 33.1/32.5/21.2 |
| FC Matches/Wickets | 65/64 |
Read More:
Conclusion
So these were the cricketers who weren’t able to perform after getting into the national team. To call them ‘worst’ isn’t fair but their performance made them get the tag at some point.
Which cricketer do you think should have made this list? Do let us know by tweeting us @weknowcricket
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