7 great bowlers who never topped the ICC Test rankings chart
Kagiso Rabada recently became the youngest bowler to achieve the No.1 ranking in Tests. While a bowler of Rabada's caliber being No.1 isn't surprising, the outpouring of emotions was raw and a sight to behold. The symbolism of the moment wasn't lost on anyone.
Being No.1 in the world is a big deal, and rightly so.
James Anderson is the current No.1 bowler in the world. Anderson sits pretty atop with 887 ranking points, the top spot has been a long time coming for Jimmy and he would like to savor the moment for as long as he possibly can.
Sydney Barnes leads the All-Time ratings list with 931 points to his name while Dale Steyn has spent the most days (2300+) at the No.1 position since WWII.
Being the best in the world is a dream all athletes have, but only a select few achieve it.
Rafael Nadal recently said that if it weren't for Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, he would have been No.1 for a longer period. Nadal has spent more than 150 weeks at the top.
There are some 'great' bowlers who have not been able to get the No.1 ranking even once in their careers.
Following is a look at 7 great bowlers who never became world No. 1. One of them still has a chance and if he gets there it would be one of the great stories of our time.
#7 Makhaya Ntini (South Africa)
BEST RANKING: 2 (April 13, 2006)
Makhaya Ntini rarely gets a look-in when we talk about the great bowlers of this generation, but his numbers are as impressive as it gets. Ntini took 390 wickets in 101 Tests at an average of 28. He was even better in South Africa's victories, taking 233 wickets at 22 in 50 victorious Test matches.
Ntini became the No. 2 bowler in April 2006 but was denied the top spot by Muttiah Muralidharan. He achieved his career high rating of 863 later that year after taking 8 wickets in a match against India at Durban, but it wasn't good enough to get him the top spot held by Muralitharan, who lead Ntini by a ridiculous margin of 50 points.
Post the rankings, it was a steady decline for Ntini. He struggled to get in the South African ranks and fell agonizingly short of 400 Test wickets.