Guardian Ranks 100 Greatest Men's Ashes Cricketers with Shane Warne as Favourite
The Guardian has published an interactive ranking of the 100 greatest men's Ashes cricketers of all time, marking a historic look at the rivalry that began in 1877 and has featured 853 players in Australia v England Tests. Published initially on 11 November 2025 and updated on 14 November 2025, the ranking is the result of votes from 51 judges who selected their top 50 players based solely on performances in Ashes cricket. Scoring was weighted from 50 points for the No. 1 player down to 1 point for No. 50, with stipulations for representation, including a minimum of 15 players from each country and at least five players from five defined eras.
Leading the votes with 2,503 points was Shane Warne, who is also the Guardian's favourite Ashes cricketer, followed by Donald Bradman and Ian Botham. Warne's appeal is attributed not only to his record 195 wickets in Ashes history but also to his style, humor, and charisma. Bradman leads the run-scoring with 5,028, and Botham is noted for his sixes and wickets. Other highly cited players included Ricky Ponting for centuries and Andrew Flintoff for sledging and sportsmanship.
The Guardian invited readers to vote for their own favourite Ashes cricketer, enriching the historical context of this list. Australia dominates the upper ranks with seven of the top 10 and 14 of the top 25, despite the overall top 100 being equally split between Australia and England. Most top players debuted before 2000, with only four 21st-century debuts in the top 25—Steve Smith, Stuart Broad, Adam Gilchrist, and Andrew Flintoff. Notably, 58 of the 100 players are deceased.
There is a strong showing of all-rounders, with 15 in the top 100—nine of them English—while wicketkeeper-batters are less represented, with Gilchrist ranked No. 21 and England’s highest keeper Les Ames at No. 53. Six players expected to participate in the Ashes series this winter are already ranked in the top 100: Steve Smith, Ben Stokes, Pat Cummins, Joe Root, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Starc. Conversely, notable omissions include Compton/Miller medal winners Travis Head (2021-22) and Chris Woakes (2023), who did not feature in the list.
The Guardian's feature includes detailed commentary from Barney Ronay on the No. 1 player, a video reviewing the top 10, judges' vote breakdowns, and an explanation of the methodology used to determine the rankings, providing comprehensive insight into the history and legacy of men's Ashes cricket.
