Finally! Top 10 most overrated cricketers of all time ranked

Finally! Top 10 most overrated cricketers of all time ranked

Lenah Ann
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:20 PM

Certain players are rated too high, and often, it is not a true reflection of their capabilities but just opinions from their diehard fans. Cricket is no exception, as there are various overrated cricketers as of December 2022.

Which famous cricket players are overrated?
Finally! Top 10 most overrated cricketers of all time ranked. Photo: Peter Dazeley (Modified by author)
Source: Getty Images

Cricket has seen countless great players who have uplifted its aura. However, there is no denying that some players are appraised for the wrong reasons. Not because they are not super players but because some other cricketers have surpassed milestones as far as the sport is concerned.

Which famous cricket players are overrated?

Keep in mind that all cricketers listed below are great players; only some have been overly appraised at the expense of other legendary players. According to various online sources, here are some of the most overrated cricketers as of December 2022.

10. Matthew Wade

Most overrated cricketers
Matthew Wade poses during the Hobart Hurricanes Big Bash League head shots session at Blundstone Arena on 12 December 2022 in Hobart, Australia. Photo: Steve Bell
Source: Getty Images

Matthew Wade is a thriving domestic player who debuted internationally in 2011 in a match against South Africa. He often did a fantastic job as an up-and-coming batsman, which landed him a permanent position as a wicketkeeper for the Australia cricket team. He is among the most overrated batsman in 2022, as he failed to maintain consistent performances after some time.

Full name

Matthew Scott Wade

Date of birth

26 December 1987

Place of birth

Hobart, Australia

Age

34 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

Australian

Current team

Australian national team and Tasmanian cricket team

9. Chris Cairns

Most overrated player in cricket
Former New Zealand cricketer Chris Cairns arrives at Southwark Crown Court on 24 November 2015 in London, England. Photo: Carl Court
Source: Getty Images

After breaking Viv Richards' record for the most sixes hit in the format, Cairns was known for his excellent all-rounder skills. However, later in his career, allegations surfaced following the player's match-fixing issues. After an ICC investigation was opened, the famed cricketer lost the petition, and that was when his career worsened.

Full name

Christopher Lance Cairns

Date of birth

13 June 1970

Place of birth

Picton, New Zealand

Age

52 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

New Zealand

Current team

New Zealand cricket team

8. Yusuf Pathan

Most overrated batsmen
Yusuf Pathan Walks the ramp for designer Vikram Phadnis at the Blender Pride fashion tour on 5 September 2010 in Mumbai, India Photo: Prodip Guha
Source: Getty Images

At the eighth position sits Yusuf Pathan, another yet overrated cricketer of all time. He debuted on the cricket scene in 2001. However, he only spent part of his career nurturing his skills well, as he did not get a chance to prove how great a cricketer he was. Even though he showed outstanding performance in the IPL, he failed to maintain the performance after some time.

Full name

Yusuf Pathan

Date of birth

17 November 1980

Place of birth

Vadodara, India

Nationality

Indian

Age

42 years of age as of December 2022

Current team

Retired

7. Denesh Ramdin

Most overrated players in cricket
Denesh Ramdin of Trinbago Knight Riders during the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League Play-Off match against Saint Lucia Kings on 14 September 2021 in Basseterre, Saint Kitts. Photo: Randy Brooks
Source: Getty Images

Even though Ramdin had earned his reputation among the sport's fans as an outstanding wicketkeeper, he was far from the cricketer that took West Indies forward with his overall batting performance. He could not manage to be a multi-talented cricketer who could help the West Indies finish in glory as the team management no longer found him suitable for the team.

Full name

Denesh Ramdin

Date of birth

13 March 1985

Place of birth

Couva, Trinidad and Tobago

Age

37 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

Trinidadian

Current team

Retired

6. Albie Morkel

Most overrated players in cricket
Albie Morkel of South Africa at the head shot session at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Dhaka in the lead up to the ICC World Twenty 20 Bangladesh on 16 March 2014 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Photo: Graham Crouch
Source: Getty Images

Johannes Albertus Morkel, famously called Albie Morkel, is a former international cricketer from South Africa. Morkel managed to get selectors' attention with his excellent first-class cricket bowling. However, after selecting the primary team members, the legendary cricketer needed consistency in his performances.

Full name

Johannes Albertus Morkel

Date of birth

10 June 1981

Place of birth

Vereeniging, South Africa

Age

41 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

South African

Current team

Retired

5. S Sreesanth

Which famous cricket players are overrated?
Sreesanth walks the runway for designer Vikram Phadnis's show at Lakme Fashion Week Spring-summer collection on 23 October 2008 in Mumbai, India. Photo: Prodip Guha
Source: Getty Images

Nair Sreesanth is a former cricketer who was based in India. Even though his career was to make him rise to fame, his many issues with other cricketers did that for him. In fact, today, the famed cricketer is renowned for his mischief rather than his career. Besides, he quit the sport to join the film industry. Perhaps that was really where his passion was.

Full name

Shanthakumaran Nair Sreesanth

Date of birth

6 February 1983

Place of birth

Kothamangalam, India

Age

39 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

Indian

Current team

Retired playing for the Rajasthan Royals

4. Ravi Bopara

Most overrated cricketers
Ravi Bopara hits out during the Hundred match between London Spirit Men and Birmingham Phoenix Men at Lord's Cricket Ground on 30 August 2022 in London, England. Photo: Alex Davidson
Source: Getty Images

Following his debut in international cricket for England in 2007 in a match against Australia, Ravi was hoped to be a legendary talented all-rounder player. However, he got too much praise before proving his worth.

Full name

Ravinder Singh Bopara

Date of birth

4 May 1985

Place of birth

Forest Gate, London, United Kingdom

Age

37 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

British

Current team

Sussex County Cricket

3. Angelo Mathews

Most overrated batsmen
Angelo Mathews of Sri Lanka poses for a portrait in Long Bay, St Phillip, Willikies, Antigua and Barbuda, on 8 March 2021. Photo: Randy Brooks
Source: Getty Images

Angelo Davis Mathews is a renowned cricketer and former captain of the Sri Lanka team. He debuted on the sport's scene as an incredible all-rounder who showed everyone his arguably impressive skills. However, after the player got a higher rank in the national team, he failed to maintain his previous performances. Consequently, he began to face criticism from his fans.

Full name

Angelo Davis Mathews

Date of birth

2 June 1987

Place of birth

Colombo, Sri Lanka

Age

35 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

Sri Lankan

Current team

Sri Lanka national team

2. Umar Akmal

Most overrated players in cricket
Umar Akmal of Pakistan leaves the field after being dismissed during the first one-day international (ODI) cricket match against Australia in Sharjah on 22 March 2019. Photo: Karim Sahib
Source: Getty Images

There was no doubt whatsoever that Umar Akmal had the potential to be one of the greatest cricket players of all time in Pakistani. Unfortunately, he failed to be in a respective place due to unacceptable mischief and controversies.

The player claims he has yet to get the support he needs from his team. But even though that is the case, most of his fans still consider Umar Akmal one of the most popular cricketers of all time.

Full name

Umar Akmal

Date of birth

26 May 1990

Place of birth

Lahore, Pakistan

Age

32 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

Pakistani

Current team

Pakistan national team

1. Ishant Sharma

Who is the most overrated cricketer
Ishant Sharma of India during the Indian national team training session at Six Gun Grill Newlands on 9 January 2022 in Cape Town, South Africa. Photo: Ashley Vlotman
Source: Getty Images

Ishant Sharma is known for representing India in all three formats of the sport. With incredible debut records, his fans were more than optimistic that he would be ranked among the most successful cricketers of all time. Even though he registers excellent performances, his ODIs and T20s stats make him unfit for the national team, especially in the eyes of his fans.

Full name

Ishant Sharma

Date of birth

2 September 1988

Place of birth

Delhi, India

Age

34 years of age as of December 2022

Nationality

Indian

Current team

Delhi team

While most people would presume that most overrated cricket players are not great, that is not the case. All these cricket gurus are arguably incredible. However, they are overly given credit at the expense of other talented players.

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Authors
Lenah Ann photo
Lenah Ann
Lenah Ann is a Kenyan-based content creator with 2 years of experience. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Mass Media and Communication from Dedan Kimathi, Kenya in 2021.