Viv Richards
Ricky Ponting
Stat by stat
Bars are scaled to the leader in this list.
The verdict
Ricky Ponting leads 3 of 3 categories. Our all-time ranking places Viv Richards at #6 and Ricky Ponting at #9.
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The case for Viv Richards
Vivian Richards was the most intimidating batsman of his generation, a swaggering strokemaker who never wore a helmet even against the fastest bowling. He scored 8,540 Test runs at 50.23 and 6,721 in ODIs, and in 1976 alone he plundered 1,710 Test runs, a calendar-year record that stood for decades. His 56-ball century against England in 1986, still among the fastest in Tests, captured his disdain for bowlers. As the batting heart of the West Indies side that went fifteen years unbeaten in Test series, Richards blended Caribbean flair with ruthless dominance, walking to the crease chewing gum with an air of total authority. He later captained the team without losing a series. More than his numbers, it was the psychological ascendancy he held over every attack that marks him among the greatest and most feared batsmen ever.
The case for Ricky Ponting
Ricky Ponting was the driving force of the most dominant team of the modern era and one of Test cricket's heaviest scorers. He amassed 13,378 Test runs with 41 centuries and 13,704 ODI runs, second only to Tendulkar in both. A brilliant puller and cutter with fast hands, he anchored Australia's batting for over a decade. As captain he won 48 of his 77 Tests and lifted two of his three World Cup titles, in 2003 and 2007, leading a side that went undefeated across those tournaments. His unbeaten 140 in the 2003 World Cup final against India was a masterclass in one-day batting. Ponting's fierce competitiveness and outstanding fielding at silly point and in the covers made him the embodiment of Australian cricket's golden generation, and his combined run tally across formats ranks among the very highest ever.