The Guardian Ranks the 100 Greatest Men's Ashes Cricketers of All Time
The Guardian has published a comprehensive interactive ranking of the 100 greatest men's Ashes cricketers of all time, marking the historic rivalry that began in 1877 and has featured 853 players in Australia vs England Tests.
The ranking involved a panel of 51 judges who submitted their top 50 players, scoring each from 50 points for No.1 down to 1 point for No.50. Voting was strictly based on Ashes performances, requiring at least 15 players from each country and a minimum of five players from five eras (pre-World War I; interwar; 1946–1974; 1975–1999; 2000 onward).
Shane Warne topped the list with 2,503 points, 121 ahead of Don Bradman, who leads Ashes runs with 5,028. Ian Botham and Glenn McGrath also scored above 2,000 points. Warne was noted not only for his leading Ashes wicket tally of 195 but also for his style, humor, and charisma beyond statistics.
No judge placed the final top five players in the exact order, with only one getting the top five entirely correct. Douglas Jardine notably entered the top six at No. 3. Australia dominated the upper ranks with seven of the top ten and fourteen of the top twenty-five, though the overall country split was about 50:50 with England.
Most of the top players come from the 1946–1975 era, while only four of the top 25 hail from the 21st century: Steve Smith, Stuart Broad, Adam Gilchrist, and Andrew Flintoff. Of the 100, 58 are deceased. The list includes 15 all-rounders, nine of whom are English. No wicket-keeper-batter appeared in the top 20; Adam Gilchrist ranked highest at No. 21, with England's Alan Knott at No. 53.
Ashes XIs were created for combined, England, and Australia teams. Stuart Broad is notably listed at No. 15 as an all-rounder, ranked ahead of Keith Miller due to role categorization. Six players named who will participate in the 2025-26 winter Ashes series include Smith, Stokes, Pat Cummins, Joe Root, Nathan Lyon, and Mitchell Starc.
The Guardian's feature also invited readers to vote for their own favourite Ashes cricketers and share memories, situating the rankings within the excitement of the ongoing 2025-26 Ashes series. Other often cited legends include Ian Botham known for sixes and wickets, Ricky Ponting for centuries, and Andrew Flintoff for sledging and sportsmanship.
The interactive ranking includes a detailed methodology section and publishes all judges' votes. The feature was first published on 11 November 2025 and updated on 14 November 2025.
