Father of cricket

William Gilbert Grace, 18 July 1848–23 October 1915, an English amateur cricketer, is regarded as the father of cricket. Grace, a right handed batsman and bowler, controlled the game for most of his career. His profound influence and technical discoveries left an enduring legacy. 

WG Grace was a superb all around player who was exceptional at all three key positions of batting, bowling, and fielding, but is most well known for his batting. He is credited with developing contemporary batsmanship. He typically started the innings and was well regarded for his command of all strokes. Modern commentators described his level of proficiency as being exceptional.