Best left-handed cricket XI of all-time: Could it beat an all-time right-hander XI?

By Harsh Thakor*

This is my all-time left-handers Test XI. It could arguably give an all-time right-handers XI a strong run for its money, boasting the likes of Garry Sobers, Brian Lara, Wasim Akram, and Adam Gilchrist.

1. Arthur Morris – A great match-winner and a vital component of the nucleus of the team led by Bradman that dispelled the myth of invincibility. He scored at an inexorable rate with immense inventiveness.

2. Kumar Sangakkara – Statistically the finest of all left-handed batsmen, averaging above 57 and aggregating over 12,000 runs. He epitomized style and match-winning flair, producing some of the most scintillating batting on difficult tracks and in high-pressure run chases.

3. Graeme Pollock – With an average of 60.97, he ranks second only to Bradman among those with at least 20 Test innings. Had his Test career not been curtailed, he might well have been rated the second-best batsman ever. His 135 at Trent Bridge in 1965 and his 274 against Australia in 1969–70 rank among cricket’s classic innings. He also played epic innings in unofficial internationals in South Africa. Many select him for a joint all-time Test team, rivaling the likes of Tendulkar and Viv Richards.

4. Brian Lara – Lara took batting craft to surreal, almost mystical heights. At his best, he surpassed anyone in the modern era with his insatiable appetite for massive scores. No one carried the weight of a side’s batting on their shoulders quite like Lara, who bore the mantle of championing a weak lineup. He effectively countered crises to single-handedly turn lost games into victories, never curbing his strike rate even when the chips were down.

5. Allan Border (Captain) – No left-hander equaled Border’s tenacity to "bat for his life." He averaged more overseas than any other left-handed batsman, scoring 11 runs per innings higher away than at home. He was equally effective on the turning wickets of the subcontinent, the seaming green tops of England, and the bouncy strips of the West Indies. His leadership gave Australian cricket a new face in the late 1980s. He was the most successful left-hander ever against the Caribbean pace battery and was the first to overhaul Sunil Gavaskar’s Test aggregate of 10,122 runs.

6. Garry Sobers – The greatest all-rounder to ever step onto a cricket field, escalating all-round skill to transcendental realms. No cricketer could so spontaneously change the complexion of a match. In 1966 in England, and playing for the Rest of the World in 1970, he literally redefined all-round achievement. He has a strong case for being rated second only to Bradman as a batsman, possessing an unbelievable array of strokes and perhaps the widest repertoire of any bowler in history.

7. Frank Woolley – Woolley carved a permanent niche among cricket’s greatest all-rounders. His timing transcended perfection, and he mastered all types of bowling. In a first-class career extending from 1906 to 1938, he scored 58,969 runs—a total exceeded only by Sir Jack Hobbs—including 145 centuries. He also took 2,066 wickets and held 1,018 catches. In Test cricket, he averaged 36.07 with the bat and captured 83 wickets.

8. Adam Gilchrist (Wicket-keeper) – Arguably the greatest match-winner of his era, his strokes generated the effect of an aerial bombardment. "Gilly" could shake opponents like no one else, giving "scientific slogging" a new definition. Batting at number seven, he averaged over 60 at one stage, pushing strike rates to previously unimaginable levels.

9. Wasim Akram – He took the artistic skill of fast bowling to transcendental heights, resonating with the experimental overtones of a scientist or a musical composer. No one possessed such a wide repertoire or equaled his ability to generate reverse swing. At his best with the bat, he was the equal of the most powerful strikers.

10. Alan Davidson – Statistically the best-ever left-arm fast bowler and, arguably after Garry Sobers, the best-ever left-handed all-rounder. He averaged a remarkable 20.53 with the ball and, while he averaged around 23 with the bat, he played some of the most game-changing innings in history.

11. Bishan Bedi – Bedi took spin bowling artistry and grace to regions of divinity, playing a pivotal role in India’s famous Test victories. He hypnotized batsmen like a snake charmer does a cobra. The epitome of versatility, he conquered surfaces in India, England, and Australia with equal prowess and was a major figure in shaping India’s golden era from 1971 to 1973.

Allan Border would captain this side, and Adam Gilchrist would take the gloves. This left-handed team would arguably possess more creativity than an all-time right-handers XI, fueled by the genius of Lara, Wasim, and Sobers, alongside the destructiveness of Gilchrist. While it boasts incredible batting depth with Pollock, Lara, and Border, it might only be slightly edged out by the overall fast-bowling depth and opening combinations of a right-handed XI. Legends like Neil Harvey, Clive Lloyd, David Gower, Saeed Anwar, Mitchell Starc, and Matthew Hayden just missed the cut.

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*Freelance journalist

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