Twenty one great allrounders took cricket by storm!

Ian Botham – Affectionately called ‘Iron Bottom’ a fine hard-hitting batsman quite capable of making plenty of runs. A capable bowler too.

Richard Hadlee of New Zealand had fewer opportunities but is a great trier in bowling.

Kapil Dev though lacking a bit in bowling, he has plenty of power in batting.

Unique happening ... Never before in the history of Test cricket have four allrounders from four different countries flourished and reached their peak powers at one and the same time, each having clashed against the other three in titanic battles.

The readers have an opportunity to evaluate the respective merits of this "Fabulous Four" in the in-depth comparative study of Ian Botham of England, Kapil Dev of India, Imran Khan of Pakistan and Richard Hadlee of New Zealand.

It is interesting to take stock of the complete list of the 21 great allrounders who have scored at least 1,000 runs and taken a minimum of 100 wickets during their Test career, updated to the end of the 1982 Test season in England.

The 21 cricketers who have hit the top in the years gone by: Richie Benaud of Australia, Ian Botham of England, Garfield Sobers (West Indies), T. Bailey (England), T.L. Goddard (South Africa), A.W. Greig (England), Vinoo Mankad (India), Keith Miller (Australia), G. Giffin (Australia), Richard Hadlee (New Zealand), Ray Illingworth (England), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Intikhab Alam (Pakistan), I.W. Johnson (Australia), Kapil Dev (India), M.A. Noble (Australia), M.W. Tate (England), F.J. Titmus (England). Ever since August 1980 at Headingley against West Indies in his 30th Test, Ian Botham has remained the only English allrounder in Test annals to record the 'Double' of 1,500 runs and 150 wickets, Fred Titmus tragically missing it by just one run, and in Australia, Botham became the only player in Test history to scale a new and dizzily unattainable height of all-rounder's glory: 3,000 runs and 250 wickets in Test career.

Imran Khan of Pakistan has the tremendous blasting power of his pace to get the wickets.

Kapil Dev has the awe-inspiring batting strength to get to 3,000 runs but he lacked the bowling punch to go to 250 wickets, and Imran Khan - the Pakistan maestro has the tremendous blasting power of his 'pace like fire' to get 250 wickets but lacks the scoring consistency to reach 3,000 runs, and Richard Hadlee had fewer opportunity then either, since he played against traditionally weak teams (that is, comparatively speaking) to attain both these ambitious targets.

Ian Botham, as we all know surpassed in August 1979 at the Oval against India Vinoo Mankad's record for reaching the 'Double' in the least number of Tests, and he has scored more centuries (beating Sobers) and 5 or more wickets in an innings more times than any of the 20 other members of the ultra-exclusive '21 club'. If the table is studied, one can assess Ian Botham's worth to answer the often asked question: "Who gets the Gold?

There could be but one answer. Indian fans at the Wankhede Stadium, Bombay, affectionaltes nicknamed him "Iron Bottom" the first time they saw him in February 1980 - a level which became increasingly appropriate as Ian Botham proceeded to carry out with cheerful ruthlessness and untiring effort a one-mandesolution job of terrifying totality to the Board's Golden Jubilee Test. The intriguing question now remains: "who gets the Silver and Bronze?" So far as Kapil Dev, Imran Khan and Richard Hadlee are concerned, the data will be provided and Analysis of the fabulous allrounder quartet too will be provided for all to resolve the question at hand.