So the countdown begins - and there are already a few shocks. At no 50 in my list of greats is a batsman who never played a test.
50
Jamie Siddons (Victoria)
First-class matches 160
Runs 11,587 at 44.91
Catches 206
As an all-round fielder, with a rocket arm, I rank him second behind Mark Waugh among Australians I have seen. He is recognised as one of our best batsmen not to have played Test cricket. I thought he was especially good against spin and have fond memories as he was in the Victoria team when I made my debut.
49
Darren Berry (Victoria)
First-class matches 153
Runs 4,273 at 21.58
Catches 552
Stumpings 51
Another Victorian to miss out on Test cricket. He is the purest wicketkeeper I have seen. The ball sounded extra-soft in his gloves. His catching was so reliable that first slip could stand wider and the cordon covered more ground. He once stumped David Boon down the leg side standing up to Paul Reiffel – a brilliantly executed plan.
48
Brian McMillan (South Africa)
Test matches 38
Runs 1,968 at 39.36
Wickets 75 at 33.82
For a big fellow, he did not hit the ball as hard as you would expect, but he could be a sharp bowler and a wonderful slip fielder. It helped that his hands were just enormous. He was a very tough guy to play against, especially when you were meeting him for the first time, but he was also an enjoyable opponent.
47
Chris Cairns (New Zealand)
Test matches 62
Runs 3,320 at 33.53
Wickets 218 at 29.40
He played the most incredible shot off my bowling during a game in Hamilton. Placing his left leg into the rough, he swivelled to face square leg and hit the turning ball over that area for a huge six. At one stage, he was probably the best all-rounder in the world, despite struggling with injuries.
46
Dilip Vengsarkar (India)
Test matches 116
Runs 6,868 at 42.13
The India side were starting to change in my early days with Australia, but Vengsarkar remained a very stylish, elegant batsman. In our dressing-room, he was held in the highest regard by those who saw him at his best in the Eighties. I’ve taken into account his record all over the world, including three hundreds at Lord’s.
**
45
Waqar Younis (Pakistan)
Test matches 87
Runs 1,010 at 10.20
Wickets 373 at 23.56
People may be surprised that Waqar doesn’t figure higher. His stats are excellent, but I always thought that he fed off Wasim Akram at the other end. Having said that, he was a fine one-day bowler with a devastating, fast yorker at the death. The pair of them formed a great new-ball partnership through the Nineties.
**
44
Alec Stewart (England)
Test matches 133
Runs 8,483 at 39.54
Catches 263
Stumpings 14
He did not have a great record against Australia, but I always admired Alec for his versatility. Over his career, he had to adjust from being a batsman to a batsman-keeper, then play as an opener, No 3 or in the middle order. From what I can gather, his preparation was always spot on.
**
43
Michael Atherton
Test matches 115
Runs 7,728 at 37.69
In a funny way I enjoyed watching him bat because he was one of the old school who just liked to grind down the opposition. At times, he held England together when they were going through a rough period. His concentration was incredible and I always enjoyed talking cricket with him. He has a good understanding of the game.
**
42
Ravi Shastri (India)
Test matches 80
Runs 3,830 at 35.79
Wickets 151 at 40.96.
Test cricket seemed impossibly hard when Ravi was belting a double hundred on my debut for Australia. By the time I had him caught – at deep cover, which tells its own story – I didn’t know where my second game would come from. He was a very effective player and a handy spin bowler for a captain to have up his sleeve.
41
Justin Langer (Australia)
Test matches 105
Runs 7,696 at 45.27
So many people wrote him off and there were more talented batsmen who did not play as often for Australia. But you need more than talent to succeed and “Alfie” worked his guts out to become the best player he could be. By the end, he had scored 23 Test hundreds and became an inspiration to youngsters everywhere.
Warne must be on dope.