Who is the cricketer with the highest number of runs without scoring a century or double century?

Cricket is a sport that often sees batsmen striving to achieve milestones such as centuries (100 runs in an inning) and double centuries (200 runs in an inning). However, not every player manages to achieve these milestones in their careers, despite scoring a substantial number of runs. The cricketer with the highest number of runs without scoring a century or double century can be identified by examining the career statistics of players across various formats of cricket (tests, one-day internationals, and twenty20 internationals).

1. Test Cricket: In Test cricket, there have been players who have accumulated a significant number of runs over their careers without reaching the century mark. This is often due to their role in the team, batting position, and playing style. Some players may have been adept at anchoring an inning or playing supporting roles rather than being the main run-scorer. Examples of such players include:

• Eric Hollies: An English cricketer, Eric Hollies played 24 Test matches and scored a total of 637 runs, with the highest score of 73. He never scored a century in his Test career, despite having a respectable run tally.

• Shane Warne: While known primarily for his exceptional bowling, Australian cricketer Shane Warne also played a fair bit with the bat. In his Test career, Warne accumulated 3,154 runs without scoring a century, with his highest score being 99. His primary role as a bowler meant that his batting achievements often went unnoticed.

2. One-Day Internationals: In ODIs, players often adopt aggressive playing styles and may not have the opportunity to build long innings. There have been several players who have scored a significant number of runs in their ODI careers without reaching a century:

• Misbah-ul-Haq: Misbah-ul-Haq, a former captain of the Pakistan cricket team, accumulated a substantial amount of runs in his ODI career without scoring a century. He amassed over 5,000 runs with a highest score of 96* (not out). Misbah’s role on the team often required him to stabilize the middle order rather than play big innings.
• Andrew Symonds: An Australian all-rounder, Andrew Symonds scored more than 5,000 runs in his ODI career, yet his highest score was 143 not out. While this may seem like an exceptional inning, Symonds did not achieve a century in other games to balance his total run count.

3. Twenty20 Internationals: In the T20 format, innings tend to be shorter, and opportunities for large individual scores are rare. Consequently, some players have accumulated notable run totals without achieving centuries or double centuries.

• MS Dhoni: The legendary Indian captain, MS Dhoni, is known for his finishing ability in T20 cricket. Despite being one of the highest run scorers for India in the format, he did not score a century in T20 internationals, with his highest score being 56. His primary role was to finish the innings, often leaving little time for him to reach the century mark.

These players serve as examples of how a batsman can have a successful cricket career and accumulate significant runs without achieving centuries or double centuries. Their contributions to their respective teams often involve playing supporting roles, anchoring the innings, or finishing games. Despite not reaching these milestones, they have left lasting impacts on the game and their teams.