Who is looking forward to the upcoming Men’s Ashes starting this November at the Optus Stadium, Perth?!… With that in mind here’s your mate Joe Fortune taking a look at the most famous Aussie cricketers. Some of whom feature having worn the Baggy Green Cap, others for their ODI and t20 skills and the odd player who made quite an impression as much off the pitch as on it!
Joe’s Top 10 Australian Cricketers
No 10. David Boon
I couldn’t leave this legendary Aussie cricketer off my list now could I… After all, anyone who can sink over 50 beers on a flight over to the UK just has to appear in my top 10! He may have been short, but he was a towering legend of the game. Boony, who was born in Tasmania, became a moustached run-machine who took on many of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of the sport. He was known as much for his gritty batting in the 1980s and early 1990s as he was his heroic beer consumption. An absolute ripper of a national treasure albeit half cricketer and half James Boags-fuelled hero!
No 9. Glenn McGrath
Known as Pigeon, he was the fast-bowling star of the all-conquering Australian team of the 1990s and 2000s. He was simply relentless, precise, and bloody ruthless. With his ripper line and length, he destroyed batters all over the world, proving you didn’t need out and out raw pace to be deadly. He took over 560 Test wickets, and with some great sledging, such as always predicting a 5-0 win over the Poms he cemented himself as part of cricket folklore. Now in retirement, he is known for creating the Pink Test in Sydney which drives awareness of the McGrath Foundation, supporting breast cancer care.
No 8. Steve Waugh
This list wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t include Australia’s greatest captain.
Steve Waugh was the ultimate Aussie leader with true grit and tough as nails. He was famously impossible to intimidate and remained ice-cool in the heat of battle. As a batter, he turned stubborn resilience into an art form like no other. As captain, he led one of the most dominant Test teams in history, instilling a ruthless, win-at-all-costs mentality. He is best known for coming up with the expression mental disintegration, when referring to sledging. I’ll level with you, his autobiography is apparently over 250,000 words long and I’ve not yet managed to finish it…
No 7. Allan Border
He wasn’t flashy, but he was the fiercest competitor, known for his intense concentration, steely innings, and on occasion deadpan one-liners. With 27 test match hundreds and 11,174 Test runs, he retired as the game’s leading scorer at the time. He also is one of only two cricketers who played in the epic 1981 Ashes series as well as being in the same Aussie Test team as Shane Warne. AB brought an unmatched determination, and a simple ‘win, don’t whinge’ mindset which turned Australia into the best side in the world.
No 6. Ellyse Perry
Some of you might be surprised to find a woman in the list but… how can you not include an Australian who currently has a batting average over 58 in Tests, over 48 in ODIs and about 31 in t2OIs, you’d rate them high. If this player also averaged just over 21 in Tests, 25 in ODIS and 19 in t2OIs as a bowler, you simply would have to pick them, and that is why Ellyse Perry must be included. She also smashed the Poms around the park in 2017 and scored an unbeaten 213 to help us win the Ashes and her ground-breaking career doesn’t appear to be over just yet either.
No 5. Adam Gilchrist
Known as Gilly, he transformed and revolutionised the role of the wicketkeeper in both Test and ODI cricket. Before he came along, keepers were expected to catch and if they contributed with the bat it was a bonus. Gilchrist flipped that on its head, he was a brutal left-handed batter who could turn a match in an hour and then would get behind the stumps a world-class keeper. Batting at No. 7, he brought chaos to the fielding team, often rescuing Australia from trouble or hammering the final nails into the opposition’s coffin. It is fair to say that Gilchrist was not just a cricketer, he was a complete game-changer.
No 4. Glenn Maxwell
His nickname is The Big Show, and he is Australia’s cricketing genius of mayhem! Known for his outrageous stroke play, reverse sweeps, switch-hits, and fearless innovation, Maxwell is a one in a generation player who turns cricket into entertainment and puts bums on seats. He doesn’t just play shots, he invented them too and has pulled off many miracles, like his 201 run epic innings against Afghanistan in the 2023 ICC World Cup. Some might argue with me but many more will agree, it is the greatest ODI innings ever played. Unpredictable, audacious, and never boring, Maxy is cricket’s wildcard and the greatest Aussie white-ball player of all time.
No 3. Richie Benaud
Richie for many of us was, and still is, the voice, the face, and some might also say the heart and soul of cricket. A superb leg-spinning all-rounder who became an iconic commentator, Benaud also captained Australia in the 1950s and ‘60s to multiple wins in the Ashes which included an impressive 4-0 victory. He also became the first player to reach 200 wickets and 2,000 runs in Test cricket. His influence over the sport is huge, as after hanging up his bat, he picked up the microphone, put on his beige jacket, and became the sound of the summer. His legacy continues to this day as his fans, the Ritchies, dress up like he used to and sit together supporting the Aussie cricket team whilst impersonating him… Marvellous!
No 2. Don Bradman
Sir Donald Bradman wasn’t just one of the best cricketers Australia ever produced, he remains one of the best the world has ever seen also. With a mind-blowing Test average of 99.94, The Don turned batting into an art form during and after the Great Depression. Bradman, born in NSW, gave Aussies something to cheer about at a time when they needed it. He didn’t become a great batter with fancy gear or big muscles, all he needed was a stump, a ball, and incredible hand-eye coordination. He racked up 29 Test centuries in just 52 matches, not many bowlers had an answer, not even England’s dodgy Bodyline tactics impacted him too badly! And yet, for all the records, he stayed humble, never chasing the spotlight and will forever be simply known as The Don.
No 1. Shane Warne
Shane Warne was box office, cricket’s ultimate rockstar in a baggy green. With his bleach-blonde hair, swagger, and naughty sense of humour, he singlehandedly brought leg spin back from the dead and made it cool. His ball didn’t just turn it, he ripped it, dipped it, drifted it, and embarrassed batters no matter what surface they were playing on. His Ball of the Century to Mike Gatting with his first delivery in Ashes cricket remains one of the most iconic moments in sport. He took 708 Test wickets, was a showman, tactician, and a born match-winner. Off the field, he was larger than life… cheeky, flirty, charismatic and never boring. He loved a dart, loved a punt, loved the ladies and loved a lasagne sanga but above all, he loved the game of cricket, and we all loved him.
Who is Australia’s Most Famous Cricketer?
It is safe to say that not too many cricketers get remembered and mentioned as much as ‘The Don’ and ‘Warnie’. Which one of them is more famous… let’s call it a draw and say Shane Warne is the most famous Australian bowler whilst Don Bradman is the most famous Australian batter.