The cricket teams allot the No.11 position of their batting lineup to their team’s least talented batsman. There are three categories of cricketers – batsmen, bowlers, and all-rounders. Generally, batsmen play in the top-order and the upper middle-order. All-rounders bat in the lower middle-order, while the bowlers bat last.
Some all-rounders bat higher in the order, but the players who specialize in bowling always play lower down the order. The No.11 position is of the bowler who cannot play well with the bat compared to his other teammates. Still, quite a few players have made their presence felt at the last batting position.
Here is a country-wise list of the players with the most Test runs at no. 11 position.
(Note: This list considers only the top eight teams)
West Indies – Courtney Walsh – 553 runs
Legendary West Indian fast bowler Courtney Walsh is one of the greatest pacers of all time. The right-arm quick represented West Indies in 132 Test matches.
In those 132 games, Walsh scalped 519 wickets at an economy rate of 2.54. He played 122 innings at number 11, aggregating 553 runs at an average of 7.47.
Pakistan – Danish Kaneria – 197 runs
Danish Kaneria played 61 Test matches for Pakistan, where he picked up 261 wickets and bowled 517 maidens. He also batted in 84 Test innings for his country.
Out of those 84 innings, 58 came at the number 11 position. Danish holds the record for the most Test runs by a Pakistani player at number 11 with 197 runs at an average of 6.79.
South Africa – Makhaya Ntini – 344 runs
Former South African speedster Makhaya Ntini made a name for himself with his fantastic bowling skills. The right-arm quick also played for the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL.
Talking about his numbers at the 11th position of the batting lineup, Ntini aggregated 344 runs for his team. His batting average was 9.05 in those 76 innings, where he remained unbeaten 38 times.
Sri Lanka – Muttiah Muralitharan – 623 runs
Sri Lanka’s legendary off-spin bowler Muttiah Muralitharan is the world record holder for the most Test runs at number 11 position. The spin wizard batted at the number 11 position 98 times in his career.
In those 98 innings, Muralitharan scored 623 runs at an average of 11.33. Since he came out last to bat, Muralitharan remained not out 43 times in his Test career.
New Zealand – Trent Boult – 539 runs
Another left-arm fast bowler present on this elite list is current New Zealand star, Trent Boult. The left-arm fast-medium bowler is yet another ambidextrous cricketer.
The 31-year-old has represented the Blackcaps in 68 Test matches, where he has scored 654 runs. Out of his total aggregate, 539 have come at the number 11 position, with his average being 15.40.
England – James Anderson – 564 runs
Another icon player present on this list is James Anderson. The English fast bowler recently touched the milestone of 600 wickets in Test cricket.
Anderson is an ambidextrous player. Although he bowls with his right arm, he is a left-handed batsman. Anderson has scored 564 runs in 141 innings at number 11.
India – Zaheer Khan – 209 runs
Among Indian players, Zaheer Khan stands at the first position for the most Test runs at number 11. As James Anderson, Khan was an ambidextrous cricketer.
He was a left-arm fast bowler who batted right-handed. The former Delhi Capitals captain batted at number 11 only 21 times in his career, scoring 209 runs at an average of 17.42.
Australia – Glenn McGrath – 603 runs
Australian great Glenn McGrath is one of the only two bowlers with over 600 Test runs at the number 11 position. He stands only behind Muttiah Muralitharan on the all-time list.
McGrath batted at the number 11 position in 128 Test innings. The right-handed batsman represented his country from 1993 to 2007 and managed 603 runs at the last place available in the lineup.
