The importance of all-rounders in any cricket team comes in due to their match-winning balance they bring to the team. They can both bat and bowl, which means they can add runs to the scoreboard or bowl important overs to help defend a total. Teams that have good all-rounders have more depth when batting and more bowling options. Such teams are thus more flexible and stronger. Here's a list of top 10 Best All-rounders of all time in cricket. Top 10 Best All-Rounders of All Time in Cricket Sr. No Name of the All-Rounder Country Span Runs Wickets 1 Sir Garfield Sobers West Indies 1954-1974 8032 236 2 Jacques Kallis South Africa 1995-2014 25534 577 3 Ian Botham England 1976-1992 7313 528 4 Richard Hadlee New Zealand 1973-1990 4875 589 5 Imran Khan Pakistan 1971-1992 7516 544 6 Kapil Dev India 1978-1994 9031 687 7 Andrew Flintoff England 1998-2009 7315 400 8 Shaun Pollock South Africa 1995-2008 7386 829 9 Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh 2006-Present 14721 708 10 Ben Stokes England 2011-Present 10556 303 Sir Garfield Sobers Image Source: Getty Images A phenomenon such as Sir Garfield Sobers was described by Sir Don Bradman, as a "five-in-one cricketer" because he could bat, bowl both spin and pace, field very well, and even keep wickets if required. He was the first player to hit six sixes in an over in competitive cricket, and a West Indies legend. Sobers also won the record of the highest score in Test cricket for a long period of time while unbeaten 365 runs against Pakistan. He was also a great bowler, taking 235 wickets in 93 Test matches. He was knighted in 1974 and one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Century in 2000. Jacques Kallis Image Source: AFP Jacques Kallis is considered one of the finest all-rounders in cricket. Statistics are incredible and cannot categorize him as either a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder. Kallis remains the only player in the history of cricket to have made more than 10,000 runs and taken over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test cricket. This was not all; Kallis was also an excellent fielder, taking 131 catches in ODIs and 200 catches in Test matches. He is also inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in 2020 for his contribution to the game. Also Read | Top 10 Bowlers With Most Wickets in Test Cricket Ian Botham Image Source: Getty Images Sir Ian Botham was the best all-rounder produced by England, turning matches around with bat and ball. He was instrumental in England's cause when they finally defeated the Australians in a Test match since 1930. His performances inspired future English all-rounders like Andrew Flintoff and Ben Stokes. Botham set an indelible mark for cricket, and his name is still remembered for some of the best moments in the game. Sir Richard Hadlee Image Source: Getty Images Sir Richard Hadlee was often considered the best exponent of bowling the new ball. He was a household name in New Zealand during the 1970s and is remembered as one of the finest all-rounders. Even though he was comparatively poor with his batting average against other all-rounders, Kapil Dev and Ian Botham, his bowling was exceptional. He was the first player to attain the milestone of scoring 1000 runs and scalping 100 wickets in ODIs. He also remained the record holder for the best bowling figures in the 20th century, having grabbed 9 wickets for 52 runs against Australia. In Test cricket, he remained on record with 36 five-wicket hauls, which occurred when he retired. He was knighted in 1990 for his services to cricket. Imran Khan Image Source: Getty Images One of the greatest all-rounders for Pakistan, Imran Khan played at a time when the game was simply dominated by great all-rounders like Kapil Dev, Ian Botham, and Richard Hadlee. Imran Khan averaged 37 with the bat and 22 with the ball in facing probably the best bowlers and batsmen of his time. Imran Khan had taken Pakistan to their very first, and to this day only World Cup victory in 1992. He thereafter became the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Kapil Dev Image Source: Associated Press Kapil Dev is one of India's greatest cricketers and the best all-rounder of India. He never skipped a Test match due to injury and never ever bowled a no ball in his entire career. Kapil Dev's most famous innings has been the match-winning, unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the 1983 World Cup which gave India victory for the first time in its history. This victory inspired young cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar to take up the game and aim to represent India. Also Read | Top 10 One Day International Highest Scores by Teams Andrew Flintoff Image Source: Associated Press One of the finest all-rounders England ever produced after Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff was also known as "Freddie." Andy Flintoff was pretty aggressive with the bat and could be equally deadly with his bowling abilities. Several great moments have been seen in his career, but the best was during the Ashes series in 2005. He scored 401 runs and bagged 24 wickets in that particular series. Thus, it is the Player of the Series award for him. He also played a big role in securing the Ashes for England after a long time. Shaun Pollock Image Source: AFP Shaun Pollock is one of South Africa's best all-rounders. He came up with several records during his career by bowling consistently and providing useful contributions with his bat. He is still the record holder for scoring the most tons batting at number 9 or below in Test cricket. Pollock was the first left not out on 99 in a Test match innings while he was a captain. He holds a record for most wickets taken on home soil for South Africa, having done 193. He has bowled the maximum maiden overs in ODI matches, which is 313. Shakib Al Hasan Image Source: Getty Images Shakib Al Hasan has been the backbone of Bangladesh cricket since making his debut in 2006. He has so long been ranked the number one all-rounder in the ICC rankings that one forgets that Bangladesh, at one time, was rated low among the teams. Shakib's career best of course was during the 2019 World Cup where he scored 606 runs off 8 innings, including 2 centuries and 5 half-centuries and 11 wickets with an economy rate of 5.39. Perhaps one of the top all-rounders in cricketing history. Ben Stokes Image Source: Associated Press Ben Stokes is the one who stands currently as one of the finest all-rounders of the world as he represents himself not only by his aggressive batting but also by his knack for bowling in crucial moments of the game. Stokes played a pretty important role for England in all formats of the game. Apart from his successful performances in these matches, Stokes is often called a "clutch player" as he delivers when the team requires him the most. Some of his notable knocks are in the 2019 Cricket World Cup final, the 2019 Headingley Test against Australia, and the 2021 T20 World Cup final. Being the Test captain of England, Stokes has much more years of his career to go. Conclusion These is to be cricket's all-rounders within history as they can influence the game both with bat and ball. All-rounders provide a team with options and thus, balance; hence, important for any side that aspires to play at the highest level. Also Read | Top 10 Richest Cricketers in India