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Which players and teams have been the busiest in 2009 and in previous years

The Boxing Day Test against Pakistan was Australia's 61st match in 2009  •  Getty Images

The Boxing Day Test against Pakistan was Australia's 61st match in 2009  •  Getty Images

There was cricket aplenty in 2009: 150 ODIs and 48 Twenty20s, if that is your tipple, and 41 Tests too. No other year had so many Twenty20s, no other year without an ICC tournament had as many ODIs, 11 others had more Tests. So this week we've looked at which players and teams have been the busiest in 2009 and in previous years as well.
The year gone by would have been a blur of airports and hotels for the Australian team. They began January with the final Test of the home series against South Africa, and then played two Twenty20s and five ODIs against them. New Zealand visited for five ODIs and a Twenty20 in February, before Ricky Ponting and Co. flew to South Africa for three Tests, two Twenty20s and five ODIs. The last week of April and the first few days of May were spent in the UAE, playing Pakistan in five ODIs. From there it was onward to England where they played the World Twenty20, the Ashes, eight one-dayers and a couple of other Twenty20s during the best part of four months. By the time Australia finished, the summer was ending in England, and the other teams were already warming up in South Africa for the Champions Trophy. The Australians arrived late but, despite having no time to acclimatise, won five games on the trot to retain their title. Next stop was India and by now they were losing a player a day to injury. Their weakened squad still beat India 4-2 in a seven-ODI series. After traipsing the world, they were finally hosts again, taking on West Indies in three Tests and Pakistan in one before the end of the year. Phew.
Australia played 61 matches (13 Tests, 39 ODIs, nine T20s) over 107 days in 2009, the most by any team in any year. India's 55 in 2007 is second most. England were next busiest in 2009 with only 44 matches - 13 Tests, 22 ODIs and nine T20s. Among the major teams, South Africa had the lightest year: their six Tests, 18 ODIs and 12 T20s were spread over 59 days.
Most international matches by a team in a year
Team Year Mat Days Tests Days ODIs Days T20IsDays
Australia 2009 61107 13 59 39 399 9
India 2007 5592 10 47 37 378 8
India 1999 5391 10 47 43 440 0
Pakistan 2000 5398 12 57 41 410 0
England 2007 5395 11 53 34 348 8
South Africa 2000 5291 11 50 41 410 0
India 1997 5198 12 59 39 390 0
Australia 1999 5199 14 62 37 370 0
India 2002 51109 16 74 35 350 0
Sri Lanka 2009 5187 11 47 27 2713 13
Pakistan 2002 5084 12 46 38 380 0
Sri Lanka 2006 5086 11 46 36 373 3
Zimbabwe 2001 4887 11 50 37 370 0
Sri Lanka 2001 4788 13 54 34 340 0
South Africa 2002 4773 9 35 38 380 0
Australia 2003 4790 12 55 35 350 0
South Africa 2007 4776 9 38 30 308 8
Australia 2007 4762 4 18 34 359 9
India 2009 4769 6 28 31 3110 10
Pakistan 1996 4670 7 31 39 390 0
No Australian, however, played all their team's matches in 2009. Michael Hussey played the most - 51. He was part of all the Tests but played only 33 ODIs and five Twenty20s. Ponting also played all the Tests but took the field in only 29 ODIs and six T20s. Kumar Sangakkara had a hectic year too, playing 50 matches, comprising 11 Tests, 27 ODIs and 12 Twenty20s.
Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly had also played 51 matches in 1997 and 1999 respectively while Lance Klusener and Paul Collingwood played 52 in 2000 and 2007. Nobody played more matches in a year, though, than Rahul Dravid and Mohammad Yousuf, who took the field in all 53 of their teams' games in 1999 and 2000. None of them were three-hour Twenty20s either.
Most international matches by a player in a year
Player YearMat Days Tests Days ODIsDays T20Is Days
R Dravid (India)1999 53 91 10 4743 44 0 0
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak)2000 53 98 12 5741 41 0 0
L Klusener (SA)2000 52 91 11 5041 41 0 0
PD Collingwood (Eng)2007 52 94 11 5333 33 8 8
SR Tendulkar (India)1997 51 98 12 5939 39 0 0
SC Ganguly (India)1999 51 89 10 4741 42 0 0
MEK Hussey (Aus)2009 51 97 13 5933 33 5 5
SK Warne (Aus)1999 50 94 13 5737 37 0 0
ME Waugh (Aus)1999 50 98 14 6236 36 0 0
JH Kallis (SA)2000 50 89 11 5039 39 0 0
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)2006 50 86 11 4636 37 3 3
KC Sangakkara (SL)2006 50 86 11 4636 37 3 3
MS Dhoni (India)2007 50 79 8 3734 34 8 8
KC Sangakkara (SL)2009 50 86 11 4727 27 12 12
SC Ganguly (India)1997 49 92 11 5438 38 0 0
Abdul Razzaq (Pak)2000 49 91 11 5338 38 0 0
Moin Khan (Pak)2000 49 90 11 5238 38 0 0
SM Pollock (SA)2000 49 88 11 5038 38 0 0
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)2009 49 85 11 4726 26 12 12
M Azharuddin (India)1997 48 95 12 5936 36 0 0
Australia's 107 days of cricket in 2009, however, isn't the most for a team in a year. India played 109 in 2002, even though they played only 51 matches. They played 16 Tests that year and, had all the Tests lasted five days, India would have played 115 days of cricket.
Most days of international cricket by a team in a year
Team Year Mat Days TestsDays ODIs Days T20Is Days
India 2002 51 109 16 74 35 35 0 0
India 1983 37 107 18 87 19 20 0 0
Australia 2009 61 107 13 59 39 39 9 9
Australia 1999 51 99 14 62 37 37 0 0
India 1997 51 98 12 59 39 39 0 0
Pakistan 2000 53 98 12 57 41 41 0 0
Australia 2005 46 98 15 67 29 29 2 2
India 2008 45 97 15 67 29 29 1 1
England 2007 53 95 11 53 34 34 8 8
Australia 1993 33 93 16 75 17 18 0 0
India 2007 55 92 10 47 37 37 8 8
South Africa 1998 37 91 15 69 22 22 0 0
India 1999 53 91 10 47 43 44 0 0
South Africa 2000 52 91 11 50 41 41 0 0
Australia 2003 47 90 12 55 35 35 0 0
England 2009 44 90 13 59 22 22 9 9
India 1979 21 88 18 84 3 4 0 0
Pakistan 1987 38 88 13 62 25 26 0 0
Sri Lanka 2001 47 88 13 54 34 34 0 0
England 2002 38 88 14 64 24 24 0 0
Who has played the most days of international cricket in a year? If you're thinking someone in the noughties, you're wrong. If you're thinking 1990s, you'd be wrong again.
India's wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani played 107 days of cricket in 1983. The 18 Tests India played that year is the most any team has ever played in a year, beating their mark of 17 in 1979. Kirmani played in all 18 Tests - India didn't win even one - as well as all 19 ODIs. Kapil Dev was also part of all 18 Tests but played one less ODI, leaving him with 106 days of cricket in the year, a mark that would be equalled by Sourav Ganguly in 2002.
Most days of international cricket by a player in a year
Player Year Mat Days Tests Days ODIs Days T20IsDays
SMH Kirmani (India) 1983 37107 18 87 19 200 0
N Kapil Dev (India) 1983 36106 18 87 18 190 0
SC Ganguly (India) 2002 48106 16 74 32 320 0
SM Gavaskar (India) 1983 33103 18 87 15 160 0
R Dravid (India) 2002 44102 16 74 28 280 0
SR Tendulkar (India) 1997 5198 12 59 39 390 0
ME Waugh (Aus) 1999 5098 14 62 36 360 0
Mohammad Yousuf (Pak) 2000 5398 12 57 41 410 0
RT Ponting (Aus/ICC) 2005 4698 15 67 29 292 2
MEK Hussey (Aus) 2009 5197 13 59 33 335 5
AC Gilchrist (Aus/ICC) 2005 4496 15 67 27 272 2
M Azharuddin (India) 1997 4895 12 59 36 360 0
SK Warne (Aus) 1999 5094 13 57 37 370 0
SR Tendulkar (India) 2002 3694 16 74 20 200 0
PD Collingwood (Eng) 2007 5294 11 53 33 338 8
RT Ponting (Aus) 2009 4894 13 59 29 296 6
IA Healy (Aus) 1993 3393 16 75 17 180 0
MG Johnson (Aus) 2009 4793 13 59 30 304 4
DC Boon (Aus) 1993 3292 16 75 16 170 0
SC Ganguly (India) 1997 4992 11 54 38 380 0
If there's a particular List you would like to see, email us with your comments and suggestions.

George Binoy is a senior sub-editor at Cricinfo