Cricket
Best Australian Batsman Ever: Ponting, Smith, Waugh?
Australia has long been a formidable power in the world of cricket. While blessed with an array of supreme fast bowlers, the Aussies have also been fortunate to count on a successful production line of batters that have transcended the game. Sir Donald Bradman may be widely considered the best cricketer in the history of the game, but our guide focuses on five legends who form the contours of our Australia cricket GOAT debate. Yes, the five batsmen compared for our analysis are: Ricky Ponting, Steve Smith, David Warner, Steve Waugh, and Allan Border. At SportsBoom, we have all bases covered. To determine the best Australian batsman ever, we have unravelled the stats, including runs and averages and put our figures into a series of tables to give you an unequivocal answer.
Steve Smith/Getty Images
SB Market Index: How We Evaluate Australia’s Greatest Batsmen
Our evaluation of the top Australian batsmen in history involved a multi-stage process. We combined a statistical analysis of their career batting records and fused these with expert and media perception to provide a comprehensive ranking. This created the ‘SB Market Index’, a custom-rating system that provided transparency and ensured results weren’t skewed by single-source opinions.
Industry Insights
A curated analysis gathered from the top 10 cricketing and sports media sources measures how prominently each player is featured in discussions about Australia’s greatest ever batsmen.
| Source Name | RT Ponting | DA Warner | SR Waugh | AR Border | SPD Smith |
| Cricstralia – “10 Best Australian Batsmen Of All Time” | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| News.com.au – 25@25 GOAT debate, includes Ponting, Smith | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Reddit – r/CricketAus top-10 all-time test batsmen list | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Facebook – Top 10 Aussie Test batsmen (includes Ponting, Border) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| TheTopTens – best Australian cricketers all-time (Ponting featured) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ICC All-Time Test Batting Rankings – Ponting & Smith in top five | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| ESPNcricinfo – Most runs list confirms Ponting’s record | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Guardian – Steve Smith “among Cricket’s greats” | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| PakPassion forum – All-time Test XI includes Smith, Ponting, Border | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Wikipedia – Records: Allan Border batting average & achievements | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 7 |
SB Score
| Player | Matches | Runs | Ave | 100s | 50s | SB Score |
| RT Ponting | 559 | 27368 | 45.84 | 70 | 146 | 0.993 |
| SPD Smith | 356 | 17371 | 47.59 | 48 | 83 | 0.865 |
| DA Warner | 383 | 18995 | 42.39 | 49 | 98 | 0.852 |
| AR Border | 429 | 17698 | 40.77 | 30 | 102 | 0.781 |
| SR Waugh | 493 | 18496 | 41.65 | 35 | 95 | 0.796 |
This score for the greatest Australian batsmen ranked was based on four key career batting metrics: Batting Average (40% weightage), Total Runs (30% weightage), number of Centuries (20% weightage), and number of Fifties (10% weightage). The raw stats are used to calculate the final ‘SB Score’
SB Market Index
| Rank | Player | SB Score | Industry Insights | SB Market Index |
| 1 | RT Ponting | 0.993 | 8 | 6.599 |
| 2 | SPD Smith | 0.865 | 7 | 5.773 |
| 3 | AR Border | 0.781 | 5 | 4.156 |
| 4 | DA Warner | 0.852 | 3 | 2.570 |
| 5 | SR Waugh | 0.796 | 3 | 2.559 |
Ricky Ponting: Australia’s Premier Batsman
Uncompromising and extremely competitive, Ricky Ponting invariably made his mark, whether it be in Test cricket or otherwise. Yes, Ponting routinely came to the fore during Ashes series against England, and as an attack-minded batter, he was famed for his cover drive and pull which yielded him many runs.
Ricky Ponting’s career stats were extraordinary, notching up over 27,000 runs across all formats for the Baggy Greens, but he was also one of the greatest cricket captains of all time, leading his side to three consecutive World Cup wins. His terrific ‘SB Score’, which was backed up with an exceptional ‘Industry Insights’ score, led to his top ranking in our comparative analysis.
Steve Smith: The Modern Master
A key component of the “Fab 4 in cricket”, and often likened to Joe Root, Steve Smith was a top run getter. This is underpinned by the fact Smith was the fastest to 8,000 Test runs, which he managed in 151 innings. While his technique was unorthodox, Smith’s impressive batting average (47.59) spoke volumes about the calibre of player he was, surpassing the others on this list for this metric.
His second-placed finish was also underlined by the strong expert recognition, cementing his spot among the pantheon of Australian batting greats.
The Foundational Pillars: Border and Waugh
Before Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh burst onto the scene, Australia had a few other batters who paved the way. Allan Border’s runs were invaluable for Australia, and he is widely perceived as one of the greatest left-handed batsmen. His grit and determination sowed the seed for the Australian winning mentality, and this was reflected in his excellent ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insights’ score.
Waugh’s record was sublime, and he evolved very quickly as a batsman. Often, he capitalised on a loose ball and took fewer risks. Meanwhile, David Warner’s stats proved he was an undisputed T20 batting great. His explosive style meant he often thrilled the fans whenever he represented his country, clocking up some big scores.
Conclusion on Australia’s Batting Pantheon
In summary, Ricky Ponting stands tallest in our Australia GOAT cricket debate, and according to our comprehensive model, his sublime ‘SB Score’ and ‘Industry Insights’ score showed the impact he had on the game during his long and illustrious career.
Although the debate often centres around Ponting vs Smith or Ponting vs Waugh, the achievements of all the batters mentioned on this page should be lauded. Their innate talent, combined with their immense dedication, means they should be celebrated. To a certain extent, some batters probably ought to have received more plaudits for their exploits.
Charles Perrin is a highly experienced sports betting content writer with over six years of working with some of the leading sportsbooks in the UK, including bet365 and William Hill.