GOAT Rank · 27

Greatest Opening batters of all time

This ranking is led by Jack Hobbs, Alastair Cook and Chris Gayle. GOAT Rank currently ranks 27 eligible Cricket opening batters using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.

Quick answer

According to GOAT Rank's current model, Jack Hobbs ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 90.6.

How the GOAT Score is calculated →

#AthleteGOAT Score

Jack Hobbs

90.6

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1905–1934
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 90.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: Jack Hobbs

Alastair Cook

89.9

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2006–2018
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 96.0
Honours: 88.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Alastair Cook

Chris Gayle

89.6

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1998–2021
Country: 🇯🇲 Jamaica

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Chris Gayle

Bobby Abel

88.8

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1881–1904
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 86.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Bobby Abel

Suzie Bates

88.3

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2006–active
Country: 🇳🇿 New Zealand

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 82.0
Longevity: 94.0

Athlete: Suzie Bates

115

Geoffrey Boycott

87.0

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1964–1986
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Geoffrey Boycott

117

Shikhar Dhawan

87.0

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2004–2024
Country: 🇮🇳 India

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 84.0
Longevity: 86.0

Athlete: Shikhar Dhawan

119

Jimmy Cook

87.0

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1972–1994
Country: 🇿🇦 South Africa

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 84.0
Statistics: 96.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Jimmy Cook

124

Andrew Strauss

86.7

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1998–2012
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 86.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Andrew Strauss

150

Dennis Amiss

85.7

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1960–1987
Country: 🇬🇧 England

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Dennis Amiss

162

Charlie Barnett

85.4

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1927–1953
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Charlie Barnett

164

Warren Bardsley

85.3

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1903–1926
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Warren Bardsley

173

Tamim Iqbal

84.9

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2007–2023
Country: 🇧🇩 Bangladesh

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 88.0

Athlete: Tamim Iqbal

183

Stewie Dempster

84.7

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1921–1947
Country: 🇳🇿 New Zealand

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Stewie Dempster

189

Saeed Anwar

84.3

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1989–2003
Country: 🇵🇰 Pakistan

Peak: 94.0
Dominance: 82.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Saeed Anwar

201

Jack Brown

83.9

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1889–1904
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 78.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Jack Brown

208

Ted Bowley

83.7

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1912–1934
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 92.0
Honours: 74.0
Longevity: 90.0

Athlete: Ted Bowley

221

Dennis Brookes

83.1

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1934–1959
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 94.0
Honours: 72.0
Longevity: 92.0

Athlete: Dennis Brookes

241

Fred Bakewell

81.9

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1928–1936
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 92.0
Dominance: 80.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 74.0

Athlete: Fred Bakewell

242

Bill Brown

81.8

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1932–1950
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 80.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Bill Brown

253

Michael Atherton

81.1

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1989–2001
Country: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 74.0
Longevity: 82.0

Athlete: Michael Atherton

254

Ben Duckett

81.0

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2013–active
Country: 🇬🇧 England

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 78.0
Statistics: 90.0
Honours: 74.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Ben Duckett

255

Cuthbert Burnup

81.0

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1895–1907
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 88.0
Dominance: 76.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 76.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Cuthbert Burnup

267

Nick Compton

79.6

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2001–2018
Country: 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Peak: 86.0
Dominance: 72.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 72.0
Longevity: 84.0

Athlete: Nick Compton

274

Zak Crawley

78.5

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2017–active
Country: 🇬🇧 England

Peak: 90.0
Dominance: 72.0
Statistics: 86.0
Honours: 72.0
Longevity: 76.0

Athlete: Zak Crawley

275

Jim Burke

78.3

Sport: Cricket
Career: 1948–1959
Country: 🇦🇺 Australia

Peak: 84.0
Dominance: 74.0
Statistics: 84.0
Honours: 74.0
Longevity: 78.0

Athlete: Jim Burke

276

Rory Burns

78.0

Sport: Cricket
Career: 2011–active
Country: 🇬🇧 England

Peak: 84.0
Dominance: 72.0
Statistics: 88.0
Honours: 70.0
Longevity: 80.0

Athlete: Rory Burns

#	Athlete	Sport	Country	Career	GOAT Score
18	Jack Hobbs	Cricket	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England	1905–1934	90.6
34	Alastair Cook	Cricket	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England	2006–2018	89.9
37	Chris Gayle	Cricket	🇯🇲 Jamaica	1998–2021	89.6
53	Bobby Abel	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1881–1904	88.8
72	Suzie Bates	Cricket	🇳🇿 New Zealand	2006–active	88.3
115	Geoffrey Boycott	Cricket	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England	1964–1986	87.0
117	Shikhar Dhawan	Cricket	🇮🇳 India	2004–2024	87.0
119	Jimmy Cook	Cricket	🇿🇦 South Africa	1972–1994	87.0
124	Andrew Strauss	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1998–2012	86.7
150	Dennis Amiss	Cricket	🇬🇧 England	1960–1987	85.7
162	Charlie Barnett	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1927–1953	85.4
164	Warren Bardsley	Cricket	🇦🇺 Australia	1903–1926	85.3
173	Tamim Iqbal	Cricket	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	2007–2023	84.9
183	Stewie Dempster	Cricket	🇳🇿 New Zealand	1921–1947	84.7
189	Saeed Anwar	Cricket	🇵🇰 Pakistan	1989–2003	84.3
201	Jack Brown	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1889–1904	83.9
208	Ted Bowley	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1912–1934	83.7
221	Dennis Brookes	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1934–1959	83.1
241	Fred Bakewell	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1928–1936	81.9
242	Bill Brown	Cricket	🇦🇺 Australia	1932–1950	81.8
253	Michael Atherton	Cricket	🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England	1989–2001	81.1
254	Ben Duckett	Cricket	🇬🇧 England	2013–active	81.0
255	Cuthbert Burnup	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1895–1907	81.0
267	Nick Compton	Cricket	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	2001–2018	79.6
274	Zak Crawley	Cricket	🇬🇧 England	2017–active	78.5
275	Jim Burke	Cricket	🇦🇺 Australia	1948–1959	78.3
276	Rory Burns	Cricket	🇬🇧 England	2011–active	78.0

Compare the leaders

Jack Hobbs vs Alastair Cook

Read the full methodology

Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.

Read the full methodology

Frequently asked questions

How is this ranking calculated?

Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.

Who is included?

According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.

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