Few sports are as popular on an international scale as cricket. It is, in fact, one of the world’s most widely consumed sports.
From Australia to England to Pakistan to India and beyond, cricket lovers and enthusiasts aren’t hard to find. That’s why you’ll see so many online sports betting reviews mentioning which sportsbooks carry the most in-depth cricket odds and coverage. They know that’s important to a lot of fans and prospective bettors.
Of course, with cricket so widely played, it is also among the sports with the most recognizable faces. There is seemingly an infinite number of stars and household names competing in all the biggest competitions. Just look at some of the highest paid cricket players in the Indian Premier League specifically, and you’ll be able to tell this isn’t a sport that wants for superstardom.
And with so much talent, comes absurd competition; and with absurd competition comes broken records. Every few weeks or so, it feels like a Virat Kohli or Chris Morris is making history.
Still, not all cricket records were made to be broken. Some of them are just too wild for players from the present or future to take down.
We pored over the history books to find these feats and have identified the cricket records we deem most likely to stand—forever.
Highest Career Batting Average
Sir Don Bradman’s batting average is actual cricket lore. Following an illustrious career, he needed to score just four runs to finish with an unbelievable test average of over 100.
Ultimately, he checked out with a test average of 99.94. While that’s slightly disappointing relative to how close he was to surpassing the century mark, it still ranks as the best batting average of all time by a kabillion miles.
To wit: AC Voges, a fellow Australian, checks in with the second highest test average…at 61.87.
Like we said, Bradman’s record isn’t going anywhere. Ever.
Most Career Runs
Let’s take a look at the top 10 run-scorers of all time in reverse order.
- Graham Gooch – 44,846
- Tom Graveney – 47, 793
- Geoff Boycott – 48,426
- Wally Hammond – 50,551
- Herbert Sutcliffe – 50, 670
- W.G. Grace – 50,551
- Phil Mead – 55,061
- Patsy Hendren – 57,661
- Frank Woolley – 58,959
- Jack Hobbs – 61,760
Um, wow.
Jack Hobbs’ closest competitor, Frank Woolley, trails him by more than 2,800 runs. That’s a huuuge chasm.
Longevity fueled Hobbs’ rise to the No. 1 spot. His career began in 1905 and spanned all the way to 1934. His 60,000-plus runs also happened to come on 199 centuries—another pro record.
With fewer games being played in cricket leagues around the world each season, it’s hard to envision anyone ever sniffing Hobbs’ all-time runs mark.
Oldest Cricket Player
Wilfred Rhodes is not a friend to Father Time.
The Yorkshireman famously appeared in a cricket match at the age of 52—52 years and 165 days to be more exact. Given how much more talent there is around the world these days, it’s impossible to imagine anyone else doing the same.
Sure, seasons might be shorter, which is theoretically good for the body. But teams are less likely to carry non-factors on the roster when there are so many alternatives. And make no mistake, while Rhodes’ feat is impressive—something we’ve deemed unbeatable—he wasn’t out there racking up centuries. He was at the bottom of England’s batting lineup when he set this record.
Most International Wickets
Brace yourself, because Muttiah Muralitharan’s career number of wickets reads like a typo.
With 800 in test matches and 574 in white-ball tilts, he totaled 1,347 wickets—an unfathomably high number that will bend your brain if you think about it for too long.
Muralitharan bagged this haul of wickets over a career that lasted for two full decades. That type of longevity is rare, and it has ensured him a ridiculous lead over second place. Shane Warne is his closest competitor, and he still trails Muralitharan by nearly 350 wickets.
Don’t bank on this record being reset anytime soon. Or, for that matter, ever.
