The Guardian has unveiled its ranking of the 100 greatest players in men's Ashes history, compiled by a panel of 51 judges including former players, coaches, journalists, and historians. The list, published over four days leading up to the first Test on 21 November, aims to settle debates about the finest cricketers from 143 years of England-Australia rivalry.
Judges were sent a long list of 150 names but could choose freely, ranking their top 50 in order. Points were awarded from 50 for first place down to one for 50th, with tie-breakers based on number of votes and highest individual ranking. Each judge had to include at least 15 players from each country and five from each of five eras: pre-1914, interwar, 1945-1974, 1975-1999, and 2000 onwards.
The panel featured notable names such as Ashley Giles, Steven Finn, Simon Katich, Damien Fleming, and Guardian columnist Mark Ramprakash, alongside historian Tom Holland, former selector Geoff Miller, commentator Alison Mitchell, and writers Vic Marks, Matthew Engel, and Gideon Haigh. None were paid for their participation, and individual votes will be anonymised to allow frank opinions.
The countdown began on Tuesday with positions 100-71, continuing Wednesday to 41, Thursday to 11, and concluding Friday with the top 10, full voting results, and select XIs. The Guardian acknowledges the list is a snapshot based on 51 perspectives, but hopes it sparks enjoyment and debate among cricket fans.
