Being out in cricket is part of the game. However, some players have been able to not get out and thus be part of the game in a different way and even sometimes save it, or just be very stubborn.
According to the statistics, these players have the most not-outs in the combined history of international cricket (Tests, ODIs, and T20Is). Without further ado let us take a look at the top 5 players who made it their business not to leave the crease unless as a last resort.
Most Not Outs in International Cricket
5. Chaminda Vaas (Sri Lanka) – 108 Not-Outs
In the fifth position we have Sri Lanka’s Chaminda Vaas, a fast-bowling legend who was always on the crease. He accumulated 108 not-outs in 384 innings to prove that bowlers could be as gritty as batsmen when it came to scoring runs. Most of the time he was the last man standing; supporting the first-order batsmen with his solid technique and protecting his wicket at the end of the innings. In total, Vaas scored 5147 runs with one century and one half-century.
4. Shaun Pollock (South Africa) – 113 Not-Outs
The fourth place belongs to South Africa’s Shaun Pollock, an outstanding all-rounder, who had 113 not-outs in 370 innings. Pollock was a technically sound and very dependable lower-order batsman. His not-outs were mostly match-saving or momentum-shifting, especially in closely contested finishes.
During his remarkable international career, Pollock amassed 7386 runs with 3 centuries, 30 half-centuries, and an average of 28.73. Whether he played anchoring, closing the game, or just keeping one end up, Pollock was a calm presence for the Proteas.
3. Muthiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka) – 119 Not-Outs
Coming third in the list is the Sri Lankan spin wizard Muthiah Muralitharan, who went not out 119 times during his 328 innings, which was part of 495 matches he played. However, mainly by being a bowler, Muralitharan became a rock in the tail, often outliving the more skilled batters by pure will power.
His determination and stubbornness at the wicket not only spent the bowlers’ time but also gave the team runs when most needed. Muralitharan’s overall tally consisted of 1936 runs, one of which was a fifty during his international career.
2. MS Dhoni (India) – 142 Not-Outs
MS Dhoni, India’s ace proper finisher and one of cricket’s most brilliant minds, take the second spot in the ranking. Dhoni’s career was an international one where he had 142 not-outs in 526 innings across 538 matches. He was so cool under pressure that he hardly, ever, left the task incomplete.
His unparalleled skill in scheduling run-chases and taking off-pressure made him one of the most feared and esteemed finishers of the world. Dhoni has had a prosperous career, registering 17266 runs with 16 hundreds, 108 fifties and a 44.96 average over all three formats combined.
1. James Anderson (England) – 160 Not-Outs
Holding the number one place in the list is the great England pace bowler James Anderson, who had a phenomenal record of not-outs in 348 innings over 401 games. Even though Anderson is a bowler, he is also a wicket-attempt at the crease who has charged the art of surviving up to the highest level.
Most times, batting at the number 10 or 11, Anderson has won England games by simple means of not getting out, blocking balls for sometimes hours and in tight situations tiring the opposing bowlers. Although he scored only 1627 runs in his illustrious career, Anderson’s determination won him a record.
