Legendary feat: Five famous cricketers with 10K-plus runs and 1K-plus wickets in FC cricket

Taking more than 1000 wickets in first-class cricket is a mammoth achievement as it is the toughest format of cricket. To come in and bowl with confidence in a situation where batsmen do their best to not lose their wicket is an extremely difficult job. However, there are some extraordinary players who have taken 1000-plus scalps in this format and also gone on to more than score 10,000 runs. Here are such 5 renowned cricketers:

5. Malcolm Marshall

The right-arm pacer from the West Indies had a reputation of creating havoc on opposition batsmen during his time. He created an aura about himself with his lethal fast-bowling. However, what people might not be aware of is that the Barbados-born cricketer has over 10,000 runs in first-class cricket. He ended his career after playing 408 first-class matches, in which he managed 11,004 runs with an average of 24.83. He had seven centuries in that as well. But, his bowling records remain the standout, with him picking 1651 scalps with an astonishing average of 19.10.

4. Ian Botham

Even though Ben Stokes’ entry into cricket might have brought a debate against Ian Botham’s tag of the best England all-rounder ever, he still remains the all-rounder with some incredible numbers in first-class cricket. He played 402 first-class matches, some of which were also in Australia for Queensland. He piled on 19399 runs at a good average of 33.97 with 38 centuries. He also picked up 1172 wickets, out of which 383 were taken at the Test level.

3. Richard Hadlee

Richard Hadlee was among the top four all-rounders in the world during his time alongside Kapil Dev, Ian Botham and Imran Khan. Even though he was looked at as more of a bowler who can bat a bit, Hadlee towards the end of his career had shown massive improvements as a batter. In the 342 first-class matches he played in New Zealand, Australia and England, he managed to take 1490 wickets with the ball at an average of 18.11, which is one of the lowest in history. He also scored 12,052 runs with the bat at an average of 31.71.

2. Imran Khan

He is the only one on this list, who has gone on to become his country’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan, was not just an inspirational leader but also a fantastic all-rounder. His records in first-class cricket are a representation of his high skills. Particularly known for his bowling, Khan racked up 17,771 runs at an average of 36.79. He scored 30 centuries as well, six out of which came at the Test level. He played 382 first-class games and picked up 1287 wickets at an average of 22.32.

1. Garry Sobers

For even a cricket career that spanned over 22 years, Garry Sobers did too much on the field. If we go by purely stats, he is the best all-rounder which Test cricket had seen alongside Jacques Kallis. But, Sobers was incredible at whatever he did. He played first-class cricket in the West Indies, along with England and Australia. He made 28,314 runs with 86 centuries in his 383 first-class games. His first-class batting average was 54.87, while his bowling average was 27.74. He picked up 1043 wickets with the best figures of 9 for 49.