There have been cricketers from each generation who have made such an impression on fans and cricket experts that they feel that they have become irreplaceable. A handful of players have qualities that the majority of others do not have. Something that makes them special and is often referred to as ‘once in a generation cricketers’.

They will often be missed after they call time on their career and will leave or have left a big hole for players coming in after them to fill. A good all-rounder, bowlers may be replaced later like Dennis Lillie was replaced as perhaps the greatest Australian pacer by Glenn McGrath or a legendary spinner like Erapalli Prasanna has been replaced by Ravi Ashwin in the Indian team.

In the article, we take a look at one player from each original Test-playing team which has produced that one cricketer so far: –

1. Australia- Shane Warne

<img class="size-full wp-image-320284" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/02/Shane-Warne-1999.jpg" alt="Shane Warne 1999" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-320284" class="wp-caption-text">Shane Warne 1999 World Cup jersey. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Australia has always been the land of fast bowlers right from the time of Fred Spofforth in the 19th century to the time of Alan Davidson, Ray Lindwall, Dennis Lillie, Jeff Thomson to Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and Mitchell Starc. However, they have had a handful of good spinners, especially leg-spinners.

Two of the best of all-time leggies from Australia are Richie Benaud and Shane Warne. Benaud was an excellent batsman and captain as well, while Warne revived the art of leg-spin in the 1990s when off-spinners and fast bowlers had taken over.

Warne debuted in 1992 against India and went on to have a legendary career with 708 Test wickets in 145 Tests and 293 ODI wickets in 194 matches. Warne also had an astute cricketing brain as well and often seen as the best captain Australia never had. If not for his on-field and off-field controversies, he would have succeeded Mark Taylor as Australia captain in 1999.

Warne turned the ball more than any other leg-spinner ever did and played mind-games with the batsmen so brutally (you can ask Daryll Cullinan if you want), that often his wickets were a combination of his amazing skill with the ball and the psychology behind it. This was the reason why he was picked as one of the five cricketers of the 20th century by Wisden.

2. Sri Lanka – Kumar Sangakkara

<img class="size-full wp-image-319101" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/02/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg" alt="Kumar Sangakkara" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Kumar Sangakkara has become a synonym with Sri Lanka’s spirit of cricket, thanks to his amazing achievements mostly for his batting, but many forget that he was an amazing wicket-keeper as well. Sangakkara hails from Matale, a town near Kandy.

He made his debut in 2000 at the age of 22 and immediately impressed with his keeping skills to Muttiah Muralitharan and scenic batting style. He was as glorious and visibly attractive as left-handers can get and once he decided to drop the gloves in Test matches, he moved a grade above with the bat.

Sangakkara made 12,400 runs in 134 Tests and 14,234 runs in 404 ODIs, along with 1382 runs in 56 T20Is for Sri Lanka. He also led them to the finals of the 2011 World Cup and played a huge part in the team winning the 2014 World T20, beating India in the final. Given his batting prowess, and the assurance he brought, he had an appetite for big runs as he made 63 total centuries in international cricket and made 11 double-centuries to boot.

He is the perfect combo of elegance and brutality with the bat, a great cricketing brain and a brilliant wicketkeeper, something Sri Lanka is still searching for five years after he hung up his boots.

3. West Indies- Brian Lara

<img class="size-full wp-image-349686" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_365238.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption-text">Brian Lara of the West Indies. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Probably the best batsman in the world of the modern era along with a certain Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies great Brian Lara made batting sexy. The huge backlift, the hop while hitting his shots and those penetrating off and cover drives are something no fan of that era has forgotten.

The Trinidadian made his debut in 1990 against Pakistan, but made an immediate impact with a scintillating 277 against Australia in Sydney in 1991. He went on to make batting records that no one has even touched so far. He is the only batsman to make scores in multiples of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 in first-class cricket.

He holds the record for the highest Test score of 400* and highest FC score of 501*, both of which remain world record even today and he is the first man to reach those milestones. Since his retirement, West Indies are still searching for a batsman who is so impressive and impactful and can win his team matches single-handedly, as he famously did against Australia in 1998-99.

Lara retired in 2007 with 11953 runs in 131 Tests and 10405 runs in 299 ODIs, cementing his status as one of the best batsmen of all-time.

4. New Zealand- Kane Williamson

<img class="size-full wp-image-394272" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2020/01/Kane-Williamson.jpg" alt="Kane Williamson" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-394272" class="wp-caption-text">Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

New Zealand made their Test debut way back in 1930, and have had a handful of batsmen who can lay claim to be one of the best batsmen in the world, if not the best. Among them are Bert Sutcliffe, Jeff Crowe, Martin Crowe, Stephen Fleming and the current crop of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.

Martin Crowe made the world sit and take notice of Kiwi batting prowess, but Kane Williamson had taken it to the next level. Williamson had molded his batting style to suit any format and has made tons of runs even in the various T20 leagues around the world in changing times.

Williamson is regarded as one of the four best batsmen of current generation which comprises of Australia’s Steve Smith, India’s Virat Kohli and England’s Joe Root, with Pakistan’s Babar Azam not far behind. Williamson showed his prowess nicely in the 2019 World Cup as he hit two centuries en route to taking the team to the final of the tournament, which they technically didn’t lose.

Williamson’s record is amazing with 6476 runs in 80 Tests, 6173 runs in 151 ODIs and 1665 runs in 60 T20I matches. He has also led New Zealand with great spirit and zeal, which makes him irreplaceable, when he calls time on his career.

<img class="size-full wp-image-378867" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/12/MS-Dhoni-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-378867" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

There have been captains who have done very well to win games for India and even motivated players to do well. From Tiger Pataudi to Sunil Gavaskar to Kapil Dev, all of them brought glory to the country in one way or another. But two captains stand out in making India what it is today- <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/happy-to-sit-in-the-lounge-at-5pm-sourav-ganguly-enjoys-his-time-free-from-work-amid-coronavirus-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sourav Ganguly</a> and MS Dhoni.

While, Ganguly taught the Indian team to fight overseas and stand toe-to-toe against the likes of Australia and England, it is MS Dhoni, who really brought success to India in form of ICC event trophies and unprecedented glory. Dhoni was made captain of India’s T20 team in its infancy in 2007 and won them the very first T20 World Cup that year. He then went on to form his own team which won the ICC World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013.

However, the reason why Dhoni is an irreplaceable cricketer is that he is the best wicketkeeper-batsman in Indian cricket’s history. India has had likes of Syed Kirmani, Kiran More and Nayan Mongia, but none of them had the batting talent to take the game away from the opposition as Dhoni had and this ability gave them the chance to compete with Australia, England, and South Africa.

6. England- Sir Ian Botham

<img class="size-full wp-image-409151" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2020/03/Ian-Botham.jpg" alt="Ian Botham" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-409151" class="wp-caption-text">Ian Botham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

England has a rich cricket history and has always had some brilliant all-rounders serving them from the days of WG Grace and Wilfred Rhodes to Sir Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff. However, Sir Ian Botham has carved a niche out for himself, given how big of a match-winner he was during his time.

Hailing from Cheshire, Ian Botham made his England debut in 1976 and went on to have a legendary career. He had a failed captaincy stint, which ended in him resigning before the now-famous Botham’s Test against Australia at Headingly in 1981. There he smoked a belligerent hundred and a stunned Australian team lost the match in which they had an odds of 500:1.

Botham continued to have amazing success for England, taking 12 wickets and scoring a hundred against India and ended his career in 1992 with 5200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests. He also picked 145 wickets and made 2113 runs in 116 ODI matches. England are yet to find an all-round cricketer with the charisma of Botham and his longevity yet, making him irreplaceable.

<img class="size-full wp-image-343162" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/05/Imran-Khan-1.jpg" alt="Imran Khan" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-343162" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>

Imran Khan is probably the greatest cricketer produced by Pakistan since its separation from India in 1947. Currently the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khan was considered to be one of the fastest bowlers of his time and was credited with inventing the reverse swing, which gave Pakistanis an edge over others until mid-90s.

Born in Lahore in 1952, Imran possessed charisma and ability to inspire. He was a playboy by nature and his Oxford university education made him an instant attraction which was helped with his good looks. He made his Pakistan debut in 1971 and went onto have a storied 21-year career in which he played 88 Tests and 175 ODI matches.

He picked 362 Test and 182 ODI wickets along with scoring over 3500 runs in both formats with a total of seven centuries. His biggest achievement was leading Pakistan to the 1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup in Australia-New Zealand, coming back from a precarious position. He remains irreplaceable as Pakistan have never found another leader like him and probably will never find one.

8. South Africa- AB de Villiers

<img class="size-full wp-image-355586" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_350909.jpg" alt="" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-355586" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers of South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>

South Africa returned to international cricket in 1992 after more than 20 years of isolation. They had an entire generation of players missing the glory of playing cricket against the best in the world. However, soon after readmission, the Proteas established themselves as one of the top teams in the world, something that carries to the current date as well.

They have had some world-beating batsmen in Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis to name a few, but no one has made an impact like AB de Villiers made when he debuted in 2004. De Villiers immediately managed to shine with his terrific overall skills. He could bat, keep wickets and was a gun fielder anywhere on the field.

He could bat to save the game and then demolish bowling attacks when needed to win a match in less time. He holds the record for the second-highest Test score by a South African-278*, the fastest fifty and hundred in ODIs- in 16 balls and 31 balls respectively, in the same innings. De Villiers is known for his amazing array of shots all around the ground, earning him the moniker of Mr. 360.

He abruptly called time on his career in 2018 and though he is making strides for a comeback, South Africa has not found out another cricketer like him who could do anything necessary for the team.

9. Bangladesh- Shakib-Al-Hasan

<img class="size-full wp-image-290422" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/10/Shakib-Al-Hasan-2.jpg" alt="Shakib Al Hasan" width="640" loading="lazy"><figcaption id="caption-attachment-290422" class="wp-caption-text">Shakib Al Hasan (Photo Source: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>

Bangladesh is a relatively young Test side, making its debut in 2000. It took them time to get settled, but had made their ODI debut in 1986 and their first superstar was Mohammad Ashraful. But none of the cricketers made an impact and impression on their cricket as all-rounder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/photos/pb.600228316674560.-2207520000../3381770988520265/?type=3&amp;theater" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shakib Al Hasan</a> has made in his career.

The 33-year-old made his Tigers’ debut in 2006 and since then has established himself as perhaps the premier all-rounder across all three formats of the game. Both of his skills are equally impressive and it shows in his numbers. He has made 3862 runs in 56 Tests, 6323 runs in 206 ODIs and 1567 runs in 76 T20I matches. This rivals the numbers of some of the best pure batsmen in the world.

He also has 210 Test, 260 ODI, and 92 T20I wickets, making him the most successful all-round cricketer in the world today. He has a total of 14 centuries in international cricket and also has a double ton to his name in Tests. Moreover, he made two centuries in the 2019 World Cup, putting spotlights on him, as the world watched.

He is still 4-5 years away from calling time on his career, but Bangladesh has no one ready to take his place, given that he has made himself irreplaceable with his record and achievements.

<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>

There have been cricketers from each generation who have made such an impression on fans and cricket experts that they feel that they have become irreplaceable. A handful of players have qualities that the majority of others do not have. Something that makes them special and is often referred to as ‘once in a generation cricketers’.
They will often be missed after they call time on their career and will leave or have left a big hole for players coming in after them to fill. A good all-rounder, bowlers may be replaced later like Dennis Lillie was replaced as perhaps the greatest Australian pacer by Glenn McGrath or a legendary spinner like Erapalli Prasanna has been replaced by Ravi Ashwin in the Indian team.
<h3>In the article, we take a look at one player from each original Test-playing team which has produced that one cricketer so far: –</h3>
<h3>1. Australia- Shane Warne</h3>
<figure id="attachment_320284" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-320284" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-320284" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/02/Shane-Warne-1999.jpg" alt="Shane Warne 1999" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-320284" class="wp-caption-text">Shane Warne 1999 World Cup jersey. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Australia has always been the land of fast bowlers right from the time of Fred Spofforth in the 19th century to the time of Alan Davidson, Ray Lindwall, Dennis Lillie, Jeff Thomson to Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and Mitchell Starc. However, they have had a handful of good spinners, especially leg-spinners.
Two of the best of all-time leggies from Australia are Richie Benaud and Shane Warne. Benaud was an excellent batsman and captain as well, while Warne revived the art of leg-spin in the 1990s when off-spinners and fast bowlers had taken over.
Warne debuted in 1992 against India and went on to have a legendary career with 708 Test wickets in 145 Tests and 293 ODI wickets in 194 matches. Warne also had an astute cricketing brain as well and often seen as the best captain Australia never had. If not for his on-field and off-field controversies, he would have succeeded Mark Taylor as Australia captain in 1999.
Warne turned the ball more than any other leg-spinner ever did and played mind-games with the batsmen so brutally (you can ask Daryll Cullinan if you want), that often his wickets were a combination of his amazing skill with the ball and the psychology behind it. This was the reason why he was picked as one of the five cricketers of the 20th century by Wisden.

<h3>2. Sri Lanka – Kumar Sangakkara</h3>
<figure id="attachment_319101" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-319101" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/02/Kumar-Sangakkara.jpg" alt="Kumar Sangakkara" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Kumar Sangakkara has become a synonym with Sri Lanka’s spirit of cricket, thanks to his amazing achievements mostly for his batting, but many forget that he was an amazing wicket-keeper as well. Sangakkara hails from Matale, a town near Kandy.
He made his debut in 2000 at the age of 22 and immediately impressed with his keeping skills to Muttiah Muralitharan and scenic batting style. He was as glorious and visibly attractive as left-handers can get and once he decided to drop the gloves in Test matches, he moved a grade above with the bat.
Sangakkara made 12,400 runs in 134 Tests and 14,234 runs in 404 ODIs, along with 1382 runs in 56 T20Is for Sri Lanka. He also led them to the finals of the 2011 World Cup and played a huge part in the team winning the 2014 World T20, beating India in the final. Given his batting prowess, and the assurance he brought, he had an appetite for big runs as he made 63 total centuries in international cricket and made 11 double-centuries to boot.
He is the perfect combo of elegance and brutality with the bat, a great cricketing brain and a brilliant wicketkeeper, something Sri Lanka is still searching for five years after he hung up his boots.

<h3>3. West Indies- Brian Lara</h3>
<figure id="attachment_349686" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-349686" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_365238.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption-text">Brian Lara of the West Indies. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Probably the best batsman in the world of the modern era along with a certain Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies great Brian Lara made batting sexy. The huge backlift, the hop while hitting his shots and those penetrating off and cover drives are something no fan of that era has forgotten.
The Trinidadian made his debut in 1990 against Pakistan, but made an immediate impact with a scintillating 277 against Australia in Sydney in 1991. He went on to make batting records that no one has even touched so far. He is the only batsman to make scores in multiples of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 in first-class cricket.
He holds the record for the highest Test score of 400* and highest FC score of 501*, both of which remain world record even today and he is the first man to reach those milestones. Since his retirement, West Indies are still searching for a batsman who is so impressive and impactful and can win his team matches single-handedly, as he famously did against Australia in 1998-99.
Lara retired in 2007 with 11953 runs in 131 Tests and 10405 runs in 299 ODIs, cementing his status as one of the best batsmen of all-time.

<h3>4. New Zealand- Kane Williamson</h3>
<figure id="attachment_394272" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-394272" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-394272" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2020/01/Kane-Williamson.jpg" alt="Kane Williamson" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-394272" class="wp-caption-text">Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
New Zealand made their Test debut way back in 1930, and have had a handful of batsmen who can lay claim to be one of the best batsmen in the world, if not the best. Among them are Bert Sutcliffe, Jeff Crowe, Martin Crowe, Stephen Fleming and the current crop of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.
Martin Crowe made the world sit and take notice of Kiwi batting prowess, but Kane Williamson had taken it to the next level. Williamson had molded his batting style to suit any format and has made tons of runs even in the various T20 leagues around the world in changing times.
Williamson is regarded as one of the four best batsmen of current generation which comprises of Australia’s Steve Smith, India’s Virat Kohli and England’s Joe Root, with Pakistan’s Babar Azam not far behind. Williamson showed his prowess nicely in the 2019 World Cup as he hit two centuries en route to taking the team to the final of the tournament, which they technically didn’t lose.
Williamson’s record is amazing with 6476 runs in 80 Tests, 6173 runs in 151 ODIs and 1665 runs in 60 T20I matches. He has also led New Zealand with great spirit and zeal, which makes him irreplaceable, when he calls time on his career.

<h3>5. India- MS Dhoni</h3>
<figure id="attachment_378867" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-378867" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-378867" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/12/MS-Dhoni-1.jpg" alt="MS Dhoni" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-378867" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
There have been captains who have done very well to win games for India and even motivated players to do well. From Tiger Pataudi to Sunil Gavaskar to Kapil Dev, all of them brought glory to the country in one way or another. But two captains stand out in making India what it is today- <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/happy-to-sit-in-the-lounge-at-5pm-sourav-ganguly-enjoys-his-time-free-from-work-amid-coronavirus-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sourav Ganguly</a> and MS Dhoni.
While, Ganguly taught the Indian team to fight overseas and stand toe-to-toe against the likes of Australia and England, it is MS Dhoni, who really brought success to India in form of ICC event trophies and unprecedented glory. Dhoni was made captain of India’s T20 team in its infancy in 2007 and won them the very first T20 World Cup that year. He then went on to form his own team which won the ICC World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
However, the reason why Dhoni is an irreplaceable cricketer is that he is the best wicketkeeper-batsman in Indian cricket’s history. India has had likes of Syed Kirmani, Kiran More and Nayan Mongia, but none of them had the batting talent to take the game away from the opposition as Dhoni had and this ability gave them the chance to compete with Australia, England, and South Africa.

<h3>6. England- Sir Ian Botham</h3>
<figure id="attachment_409151" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-409151" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-409151" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2020/03/Ian-Botham.jpg" alt="Ian Botham" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-409151" class="wp-caption-text">Ian Botham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
England has a rich cricket history and has always had some brilliant all-rounders serving them from the days of WG Grace and Wilfred Rhodes to Sir Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff. However, Sir Ian Botham has carved a niche out for himself, given how big of a match-winner he was during his time.
Hailing from Cheshire, Ian Botham made his England debut in 1976 and went on to have a legendary career. He had a failed captaincy stint, which ended in him resigning before the now-famous Botham’s Test against Australia at Headingly in 1981. There he smoked a belligerent hundred and a stunned Australian team lost the match in which they had an odds of 500:1.
Botham continued to have amazing success for England, taking 12 wickets and scoring a hundred against India and ended his career in 1992 with 5200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests. He also picked 145 wickets and made 2113 runs in 116 ODI matches. England are yet to find an all-round cricketer with the charisma of Botham and his longevity yet, making him irreplaceable.

<h3>7. Pakistan- Imran Khan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_343162" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-343162" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-343162" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/05/Imran-Khan-1.jpg" alt="Imran Khan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-343162" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
</figure>
Imran Khan is probably the greatest cricketer produced by Pakistan since its separation from India in 1947. Currently the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khan was considered to be one of the fastest bowlers of his time and was credited with inventing the reverse swing, which gave Pakistanis an edge over others until mid-90s.
Born in Lahore in 1952, Imran possessed charisma and ability to inspire. He was a playboy by nature and his Oxford university education made him an instant attraction which was helped with his good looks. He made his Pakistan debut in 1971 and went onto have a storied 21-year career in which he played 88 Tests and 175 ODI matches.
He picked 362 Test and 182 ODI wickets along with scoring over 3500 runs in both formats with a total of seven centuries. His biggest achievement was leading Pakistan to the 1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup in Australia-New Zealand, coming back from a precarious position. He remains irreplaceable as Pakistan have never found another leader like him and probably will never find one.

<h3>8. South Africa- AB de Villiers</h3>
<figure id="attachment_355586" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-355586" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-355586" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2019/09/CT_350909.jpg" alt width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-355586" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers of South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
South Africa returned to international cricket in 1992 after more than 20 years of isolation. They had an entire generation of players missing the glory of playing cricket against the best in the world. However, soon after readmission, the Proteas established themselves as one of the top teams in the world, something that carries to the current date as well.
They have had some world-beating batsmen in Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis to name a few, but no one has made an impact like AB de Villiers made when he debuted in 2004. De Villiers immediately managed to shine with his terrific overall skills. He could bat, keep wickets and was a gun fielder anywhere on the field.
He could bat to save the game and then demolish bowling attacks when needed to win a match in less time. He holds the record for the second-highest Test score by a South African-278*, the fastest fifty and hundred in ODIs- in 16 balls and 31 balls respectively, in the same innings. De Villiers is known for his amazing array of shots all around the ground, earning him the moniker of Mr. 360.
He abruptly called time on his career in 2018 and though he is making strides for a comeback, South Africa has not found out another cricketer like him who could do anything necessary for the team.

<h3>9. Bangladesh- Shakib-Al-Hasan</h3>
<figure id="attachment_290422" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-290422" class="wp-caption aligncenter" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"><amp-img class="size-full wp-image-290422" src="https://media.crictracker.com/media/attachments/2018/10/Shakib-Al-Hasan-2.jpg" alt="Shakib Al Hasan" width="640" height="400" layout="responsive" style="max-width: 100%; margin: 0;"></amp-img>
<figcaption id="caption-attachment-290422" class="wp-caption-text">Shakib Al Hasan (Photo Source: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>
</figure>
Bangladesh is a relatively young Test side, making its debut in 2000. It took them time to get settled, but had made their ODI debut in 1986 and their first superstar was Mohammad Ashraful. But none of the cricketers made an impact and impression on their cricket as all-rounder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/photos/pb.600228316674560.-2207520000../3381770988520265/?type=3&amp;theater" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shakib Al Hasan</a> has made in his career.
The 33-year-old made his Tigers’ debut in 2006 and since then has established himself as perhaps the premier all-rounder across all three formats of the game. Both of his skills are equally impressive and it shows in his numbers. He has made 3862 runs in 56 Tests, 6323 runs in 206 ODIs and 1567 runs in 76 T20I matches. This rivals the numbers of some of the best pure batsmen in the world.
He also has 210 Test, 260 ODI, and 92 T20I wickets, making him the most successful all-round cricketer in the world today. He has a total of 14 centuries in international cricket and also has a double ton to his name in Tests. Moreover, he made two centuries in the 2019 World Cup, putting spotlights on him, as the world watched.
He is still 4-5 years away from calling time on his career, but Bangladesh has no one ready to take his place, given that he has made himself irreplaceable with his record and achievements.

There have been cricketers from each generation who have made such an impression on fans and cricket experts that they feel that they have become irreplaceable. A handful of players have qualities that the majority of others do not have. Something that makes them special and is often referred to as ‘once in a generation cricketers’.
They will often be missed after they call time on their career and will leave or have left a big hole for players coming in after them to fill. A good all-rounder, bowlers may be replaced later like Dennis Lillie was replaced as perhaps the greatest Australian pacer by Glenn McGrath or a legendary spinner like Erapalli Prasanna has been replaced by Ravi Ashwin in the Indian team.
<h3>In the article, we take a look at one player from each original Test-playing team which has produced that one cricketer so far: –</h3>
<h3>1. Australia- Shane Warne</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-320284" class="wp-caption-text">Shane Warne 1999 World Cup jersey. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
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Australia has always been the land of fast bowlers right from the time of Fred Spofforth in the 19th century to the time of Alan Davidson, Ray Lindwall, Dennis Lillie, Jeff Thomson to Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, and Mitchell Starc. However, they have had a handful of good spinners, especially leg-spinners.
Two of the best of all-time leggies from Australia are Richie Benaud and Shane Warne. Benaud was an excellent batsman and captain as well, while Warne revived the art of leg-spin in the 1990s when off-spinners and fast bowlers had taken over.
Warne debuted in 1992 against India and went on to have a legendary career with 708 Test wickets in 145 Tests and 293 ODI wickets in 194 matches. Warne also had an astute cricketing brain as well and often seen as the best captain Australia never had. If not for his on-field and off-field controversies, he would have succeeded Mark Taylor as Australia captain in 1999.
Warne turned the ball more than any other leg-spinner ever did and played mind-games with the batsmen so brutally (you can ask Daryll Cullinan if you want), that often his wickets were a combination of his amazing skill with the ball and the psychology behind it. This was the reason why he was picked as one of the five cricketers of the 20th century by Wisden.

<h3>2. Sri Lanka – Kumar Sangakkara</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-319101" class="wp-caption-text">Kumar Sangakkara. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)</figcaption>
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Kumar Sangakkara has become a synonym with Sri Lanka’s spirit of cricket, thanks to his amazing achievements mostly for his batting, but many forget that he was an amazing wicket-keeper as well. Sangakkara hails from Matale, a town near Kandy.
He made his debut in 2000 at the age of 22 and immediately impressed with his keeping skills to Muttiah Muralitharan and scenic batting style. He was as glorious and visibly attractive as left-handers can get and once he decided to drop the gloves in Test matches, he moved a grade above with the bat.
Sangakkara made 12,400 runs in 134 Tests and 14,234 runs in 404 ODIs, along with 1382 runs in 56 T20Is for Sri Lanka. He also led them to the finals of the 2011 World Cup and played a huge part in the team winning the 2014 World T20, beating India in the final. Given his batting prowess, and the assurance he brought, he had an appetite for big runs as he made 63 total centuries in international cricket and made 11 double-centuries to boot.
He is the perfect combo of elegance and brutality with the bat, a great cricketing brain and a brilliant wicketkeeper, something Sri Lanka is still searching for five years after he hung up his boots.

<h3>3. West Indies- Brian Lara</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-349686" class="wp-caption-text">Brian Lara of the West Indies. (Photo by Tom Shaw/Getty Images)</figcaption>
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Probably the best batsman in the world of the modern era along with a certain Sachin Tendulkar, West Indies great Brian Lara made batting sexy. The huge backlift, the hop while hitting his shots and those penetrating off and cover drives are something no fan of that era has forgotten.
The Trinidadian made his debut in 1990 against Pakistan, but made an immediate impact with a scintillating 277 against Australia in Sydney in 1991. He went on to make batting records that no one has even touched so far. He is the only batsman to make scores in multiples of 100, 200, 300, 400 and 500 in first-class cricket.
He holds the record for the highest Test score of 400* and highest FC score of 501*, both of which remain world record even today and he is the first man to reach those milestones. Since his retirement, West Indies are still searching for a batsman who is so impressive and impactful and can win his team matches single-handedly, as he famously did against Australia in 1998-99.
Lara retired in 2007 with 11953 runs in 131 Tests and 10405 runs in 299 ODIs, cementing his status as one of the best batsmen of all-time.

<h3>4. New Zealand- Kane Williamson</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-394272" class="wp-caption-text">Kane Williamson. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
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New Zealand made their Test debut way back in 1930, and have had a handful of batsmen who can lay claim to be one of the best batsmen in the world, if not the best. Among them are Bert Sutcliffe, Jeff Crowe, Martin Crowe, Stephen Fleming and the current crop of Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson.
Martin Crowe made the world sit and take notice of Kiwi batting prowess, but Kane Williamson had taken it to the next level. Williamson had molded his batting style to suit any format and has made tons of runs even in the various T20 leagues around the world in changing times.
Williamson is regarded as one of the four best batsmen of current generation which comprises of Australia’s Steve Smith, India’s Virat Kohli and England’s Joe Root, with Pakistan’s Babar Azam not far behind. Williamson showed his prowess nicely in the 2019 World Cup as he hit two centuries en route to taking the team to the final of the tournament, which they technically didn’t lose.
Williamson’s record is amazing with 6476 runs in 80 Tests, 6173 runs in 151 ODIs and 1665 runs in 60 T20I matches. He has also led New Zealand with great spirit and zeal, which makes him irreplaceable, when he calls time on his career.

<h3>5. India- MS Dhoni</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-378867" class="wp-caption-text">MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
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There have been captains who have done very well to win games for India and even motivated players to do well. From Tiger Pataudi to Sunil Gavaskar to Kapil Dev, all of them brought glory to the country in one way or another. But two captains stand out in making India what it is today- <a href="https://www.crictracker.com/happy-to-sit-in-the-lounge-at-5pm-sourav-ganguly-enjoys-his-time-free-from-work-amid-coronavirus-threat/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sourav Ganguly</a> and MS Dhoni.
While, Ganguly taught the Indian team to fight overseas and stand toe-to-toe against the likes of Australia and England, it is MS Dhoni, who really brought success to India in form of ICC event trophies and unprecedented glory. Dhoni was made captain of India’s T20 team in its infancy in 2007 and won them the very first T20 World Cup that year. He then went on to form his own team which won the ICC World Cup 2011 and ICC Champions Trophy 2013.
However, the reason why Dhoni is an irreplaceable cricketer is that he is the best wicketkeeper-batsman in Indian cricket’s history. India has had likes of Syed Kirmani, Kiran More and Nayan Mongia, but none of them had the batting talent to take the game away from the opposition as Dhoni had and this ability gave them the chance to compete with Australia, England, and South Africa.

<h3>6. England- Sir Ian Botham</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-409151" class="wp-caption-text">Ian Botham. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
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England has a rich cricket history and has always had some brilliant all-rounders serving them from the days of WG Grace and Wilfred Rhodes to Sir Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff. However, Sir Ian Botham has carved a niche out for himself, given how big of a match-winner he was during his time.
Hailing from Cheshire, Ian Botham made his England debut in 1976 and went on to have a legendary career. He had a failed captaincy stint, which ended in him resigning before the now-famous Botham’s Test against Australia at Headingly in 1981. There he smoked a belligerent hundred and a stunned Australian team lost the match in which they had an odds of 500:1.
Botham continued to have amazing success for England, taking 12 wickets and scoring a hundred against India and ended his career in 1992 with 5200 runs and 383 wickets in 102 Tests. He also picked 145 wickets and made 2113 runs in 116 ODI matches. England are yet to find an all-round cricketer with the charisma of Botham and his longevity yet, making him irreplaceable.

<h3>7. Pakistan- Imran Khan</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-343162" class="wp-caption-text">Imran Khan. (Photo Source: Twitter)</figcaption>
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Imran Khan is probably the greatest cricketer produced by Pakistan since its separation from India in 1947. Currently the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khan was considered to be one of the fastest bowlers of his time and was credited with inventing the reverse swing, which gave Pakistanis an edge over others until mid-90s.
Born in Lahore in 1952, Imran possessed charisma and ability to inspire. He was a playboy by nature and his Oxford university education made him an instant attraction which was helped with his good looks. He made his Pakistan debut in 1971 and went onto have a storied 21-year career in which he played 88 Tests and 175 ODI matches.
He picked 362 Test and 182 ODI wickets along with scoring over 3500 runs in both formats with a total of seven centuries. His biggest achievement was leading Pakistan to the 1992 Benson and Hedges World Cup in Australia-New Zealand, coming back from a precarious position. He remains irreplaceable as Pakistan have never found another leader like him and probably will never find one.

<h3>8. South Africa- AB de Villiers</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-355586" class="wp-caption-text">AB de Villiers of South Africa. (Photo by Carl Fourie/Gallo Images/Getty Images)</figcaption>
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South Africa returned to international cricket in 1992 after more than 20 years of isolation. They had an entire generation of players missing the glory of playing cricket against the best in the world. However, soon after readmission, the Proteas established themselves as one of the top teams in the world, something that carries to the current date as well.
They have had some world-beating batsmen in Gary Kirsten, Kepler Wessels, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis to name a few, but no one has made an impact like AB de Villiers made when he debuted in 2004. De Villiers immediately managed to shine with his terrific overall skills. He could bat, keep wickets and was a gun fielder anywhere on the field.
He could bat to save the game and then demolish bowling attacks when needed to win a match in less time. He holds the record for the second-highest Test score by a South African-278*, the fastest fifty and hundred in ODIs- in 16 balls and 31 balls respectively, in the same innings. De Villiers is known for his amazing array of shots all around the ground, earning him the moniker of Mr. 360.
He abruptly called time on his career in 2018 and though he is making strides for a comeback, South Africa has not found out another cricketer like him who could do anything necessary for the team.

<h3>9. Bangladesh- Shakib-Al-Hasan</h3>
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<figcaption id="caption-attachment-290422" class="wp-caption-text">Shakib Al Hasan (Photo Source: GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)</figcaption>
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Bangladesh is a relatively young Test side, making its debut in 2000. It took them time to get settled, but had made their ODI debut in 1986 and their first superstar was Mohammad Ashraful. But none of the cricketers made an impact and impression on their cricket as all-rounder <a href="https://www.facebook.com/crictracker/photos/pb.600228316674560.-2207520000../3381770988520265/?type=3&amp;theater" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Shakib Al Hasan</a> has made in his career.
The 33-year-old made his Tigers’ debut in 2006 and since then has established himself as perhaps the premier all-rounder across all three formats of the game. Both of his skills are equally impressive and it shows in his numbers. He has made 3862 runs in 56 Tests, 6323 runs in 206 ODIs and 1567 runs in 76 T20I matches. This rivals the numbers of some of the best pure batsmen in the world.
He also has 210 Test, 260 ODI, and 92 T20I wickets, making him the most successful all-round cricketer in the world today. He has a total of 14 centuries in international cricket and also has a double ton to his name in Tests. Moreover, he made two centuries in the 2019 World Cup, putting spotlights on him, as the world watched.
He is still 4-5 years away from calling time on his career, but Bangladesh has no one ready to take his place, given that he has made himself irreplaceable with his record and achievements.
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