Who will be the top five greatest international cricketers of the century?

After the countdown from No. 25 to No. 6, we get set to announce the best of the best

ESPNcricinfo staff

Published: May 30, 2026, 2:11 AM (7 hrs ago)

For the past two weeks ESPNcricinfo has been counting down the 25 greatest international cricketers the 21st century has produced, and the top five will be revealed at an event in Mumbai this evening.

The list of 25 was picked via voting by a jury of eminent cricket names, among them Ravi Shastri, Matthew Hayden, Andy Flower, Greg Chappell, Eoin Morgan and Wasim Akram.

Individual awards for the greatest women's cricketer, greatest T20 batter and greatest T20 bowler will also be presented on the night.

The list so far has covered positions 25 (R Ashwin) through six (AB de Villiers), a roster that spans generations, formats and continents. Some of the most dominant and destructive batters of the age have featured- Adam Gilchrist, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle; the leading Test wicket-taker of them all, James Anderson, and his new-ball partner Stuart Broad, who between them claimed 1838 international wickets; two members of the formidable current Australian pace attack; and a couple of generational talents from South Africa, de Villiers and Dale Steyn.

India and England lead the way so far, with five representatives each on the list between Nos. 6 and 25, ahead of Australia (four).

Batters dominate the list, as they have the 21st century: 12 of the 20 names revealed so far are primarily batters, against seven frontline bowlers.

Three wicketkeeper-batters feature on the list, Gilchrist, MS Dhoni and Kumar Sangakkara, all prolific behind the stumps and in front of them.

Six players in the bottom 20 are currently active: Joe Root, the second-highest Test run-scorer of all time; Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins and Steven Smith from the current ODI world champion Australian side; Kane Williamson; and Jasprit Bumrah, perhaps the most complete all-format bowler of the modern era.

The jury's top five international cricketers of the 21st century, best batter, best bowler, and best all-round cricketer, will be announced at the Cricinfo Honours ceremony, and on ESPNcricinfo, on the evening of May 30, India time.

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