We’re constantly looking for the greatest players of all time, but what if we looked for the worst, like the poorest batsman in Test match history?
It would include locating batsmen who have scored very few runs, have a poor top score, have frequently scored ducks and pairs, and are plainly not up to grade with the bat in their hands.
Let’s take a look at some of the worst batters in cricket history and see how they rank up against one another.
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No. 10: Mervyn Dillon
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38 Tests; 549 runs; 8.44 average; 43 highest score, 26 ducks; 4 pairs
Mervyn Dillon, another West Indian fast bowler, makes an appearance on this list at No. 10.
Having 26 ducks to his credit is bad enough, but Dillon also has the joint-second-most pairs in his career, with four.
He is spared from ranking higher on this list by some excellent contributions with the bat at times, particularly the 43 at No. 8 that enabled his side draw with India in 2002.
No. 9: Monty Panesar
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48 Tests; 216 runs; 5.26 average; 26 highest score; 18 ducks; 1 pair
Above Dillon is a man who became a cult figure in England due to his dreadful batting and fielding—Monty Panesar.
Despite some modest glimpses of brilliance with the bat, Panesar is nonetheless usually terrible.
He may have salvaged the first Ashes Test of 2009 at Sophia Gardens with a stunning last-wicket partnership with James Anderson, but his dive against New Zealand in 2013 must be considered.
No. 8: Fidel Edwards
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55 Tests; 394 runs; 6.56 average; 30 highest score; 19 ducks; 2 pairs
Fidel Edwards, a West Indian with explosive pace but no batting skill, is next on our list.
Edwards could hardly be depended on for a long stay at the crease, just exceeding 20 on four occasions.
No. 7: Devon Malcolm
Getty Images40 Tests; 236 runs; 6.05 average; 29 highest score; 16 ducks; 3 pairs
Devon Malcolm, another legendary figure for his awful batting and fielding, was a fast bowler who struggled to make an impression with the willow.
He possessed the potential to bowl England to win, most notably against South Africa in 1994, but he lacked batting talent to match.
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61 Tests; 360 runs; 7.05 average; 29 highest score; 25 ducks; 2 pairs
Danish Kaneria, a former leg-spinner from Pakistan, comes in at No. 6 as another batsman who struggled with the bat .
Batting was definitely not Kaneria’s strong suit, as he never reached 30 and was removed for 0 on 25 occasions.
No. 5: Phil Tufnell
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42 Tests; 153 runs; 5.10 average; 22* highest score; 15 ducks; 2 pairs
Known for his fear of the fast bowling that dominated the 1990s, England spinner Phil Tufnell was a cult hero for his interesting style of batting.
From early in his career, when Shane Warne left him clueless, Tufnell seemed unable to find any improvement with the bat.
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124 Tests; 641 runs; 7.36 average; 61 highest score; 35 ducks; 3 pairs
Glenn McGrath, one of the poorest hitters ever and one of the best fast bowlers of all time, enters at position No. 4.
Every run he scored would be cheered by his teammates, demonstrating both McGrath’s popularity and his lack of skill with the bat.
No. 3: Bhagwath Chandrasekhar
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58 Tests; 167 runs; 4.07 average; 22 highest score; 23 ducks; 4 pairs
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar, an Indian leg-spinner who was the finest bowler in his nation’s early Test cricket, is placed above McGrath.
He was not as successful with the bat, which may have been in part because of the polio, which gave him an unusual bowling style.
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132 Tests; 936 runs; 7.54 average; 30* highest score; 43 ducks; 4 pairs
The West Indian Courtney Walsh, a terrifying fast bowler who appeared afraid while batting himself, falls just short of taking the top slot.
Walsh, who recorded the most ducks in Test cricket history, luckily has more than enough skill with the ball to compensate for his lack of batting ability.
No. 1: Chris Martin
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71 Tests; 123 runs; 2.36 average; 12* highest score; 36 ducks; 7 pairs
In a discussion of the worst Test batsman of all time, there can only be one winner—Chris Martin of New Zealand.
Possibly the last cricketer to only truly specialise in one facet of the game, Martin, who was infamous for his terrible batting and only reached double digits once in his career, against Bangladesh in 2008.
To his credit, Martin kept his sense of humour regarding his inability to connect with the ball with the bat, and he even made a parody video that Pulp Sport promoted as a new DVD called “Learn to Bat Like Chris Martin.”
Every so often, he was able to unleash a nice shot or two, notably from the bowling of Mitchell Johnson and Harbhajan Singh respectively.
However, for the most part, he was absolutely hopeless and was probably only saved from having the most ducks in Test history by playing fewer Tests than Walsh, the only man above him in the all-time list.
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