Is Ricky Ponting the best batsman test cricket has seen since Bradman ?

[Dasa]

Best since Bradman? Probably not. It seems like whenever an already top batsman goes through a brilliant patch of form such comparisons are made, but really, there's a whole group of batsman who could be called the best since Bradman and there's little to separate any of the batsmen in that group. Personally, although Ponting is batting so well now, I'll still rate Lara and Tendulkar above him, having seen much of what they did in the 90s.

 

[Matt79]

There's a case for him to be considered the best Australian batsman since Bradman - I don't think he is, but its not a stupid thing to suggest.

There's absolutely no way he's the best cricketer since Bradman. That would be Garry Sobers IMO.

 

[roseboy64]

Heck no!! Interesting that it's mostly the Australians who are in favour of him. Best Aussie since Bradman? Maybe. Best batsman? NO. Lara, Tendulkar, Richards, Steve Waugh are all ahead of him ATM. Whe he's closer to the end of his career a fairer assessment can be done.

 

[tooextracool]

Yeah and my Mom's actually my Dad.

Seriously Ricky Ponting with or without his record in India is no match for about a dozen other players over the last century and the only people who would suggest otherwise dont really have enough of a knowledge of cricket during the last century.

 

[andyc]

Heck no!! Interesting that it's mostly the Australians who are in favour of him. Best Aussie since Bradman? Maybe. Best batsman? NO. Lara, Tendulkar, Richards, Steve Waugh are all ahead of him ATM. Whe he's closer to the end of his career a fairer assessment can be done.

Haha what?

 

[pup11]

IMO, Ponting is class act and what sets him apart from the rest is his consistency of run scoring and that to in both forms of the game and like other players he hasn't grafted around for his runs, he has just dominated bowlers on almost every surface.


The more important thing is i don't feel we have seen the best of Ponting yet, so when he hangs his boots it would be a better time to judge how good he really was.

 

[Fiery]

There's a case for him to be considered the best Australian batsman since Bradman - I don't think he is, but its not a stupid thing to suggest.

There's absolutely no way he's the best cricketer since Bradman. That would be Garry Sobers IMO.

Which Aussie batsman or men do you think is/are/were better?

In regards to your second sentence, we're not arguing who's the best cricketer but who's the best batsman

 

[Flem274*]

IMO, Ponting is class act and what sets him apart from the rest is his consistency of run scoring and that to in both forms of the game and like other players he hasn't grafted around for his runs, he has just dominated bowlers on almost every surface.


The more important thing is i don't feel we have seen the best of Ponting yet, so when he hangs his boots it would be a better time to judge how good he really was.

I really hope you're wrong, seriously, Ponting is cruel enough already.

And to the topic, no he is not. There are guys stil ahead of him (Viv Richards springs to mind) and as Pup and others have said, we have to wait until the end of his career before we can judge how good he is properly.

 

[Jono]

I'd prefer to have the one that makes more runs.

Yeah, but I'm pretty sure Lara and Tendulkar made a few runs as well. Around 22,000 test runs or so.

Lara and Tendulkar may end up in history as the better players, and if that happens it isn't because they "look better" or are "more talented" (which is a subjective term anyway). Its because of their records and the manner in which they scored runs for their team against certain types of bowlers.

 

[Salamuddin]

Haha what?

I reckon S Waugh is a better player than Ponting.


Don't judge Ponting purely by the sheer volume
of runs he scores.......he has not faced many quality bowlers.

Waugh had to play guys like Akram, Younis, Mustaq,Ambrose, Bishop, Walsh, Donald, Pollock (in his heyday), De villiers, KUmble, SRinath.

The best attack Ponting's probably faced is Flintoff, Jones, Hoggard and Harmison and he wasn't brilliant against them.

 

[Matt79]

Which Aussie batsman or men do you think is/are/were better?

In regards to your second sentence, we're not arguing who's the best cricketer but who's the best batsman

With regards to your second point, I realised you were all asking the wrong question after I posted that.

About your first point, acknowledging you can't properly rate the guy til his career is over, I'd have him behind: Greg Chappell, Neil Harvey, Allan Border and probably Steve Waugh. But its close, and I don't discount that by the end of his career he could be ahead of all those guys - but I'll want to see how long he sustains his current peak and how he ends his career. I certainly wouldn't think people are mad for rating him ahead of those guys, but as I said, I'd disagree with them at the moment.

 

[Flem274*]

With regards to your second point, I realised you were all asking the wrong question after I posted that.

About your first point, acknowledging you can't properly rate the guy til his career is over, I'd have him behind: Greg Chappell, Neil Harvey, Allan Border and probably Steve Waugh. But its close, and I don't discount that by the end of his career he could be ahead of all those guys - but I'll want to see how long he sustains his current peak and how he ends his career. I certainly wouldn't think people are mad for rating him ahead of those guys, but as I said, I'd disagree with them at the moment.

I'd just like to take some time to congratulate Matt79 on his stunning choice of avatar. It was definitely a brave choice. I'm sure you're disapointed Mason Didn't win the ***iest criceker award in the other thread Matt?

 

[pasag]

I'd just like to take some time to congratulate Matt79 on his stunning choice of avatar. It was definitely a brave choice. I'm sure you're disapointed Mason Didn't win the ***iest criceker award in the other thread Matt?

Tbf...

 

[Flem274*]

Tbf...

Oh OK. TBH it would have been funnier if Fiery lost.

 

[nightprowler10]

I reckon S Waugh is a better player than Ponting.


Don't judge Ponting purely by the sheer volume
of runs he scores.......he has not faced many quality bowlers.

Waugh had to play guys like Akram, Younis, Mustaq,Ambrose, Bishop, Walsh, Donald, Pollock (in his heyday), De villiers, KUmble, SRinath.

The best attack Ponting's probably faced is Flintoff, Jones, Hoggard and Harmison and he wasn't brilliant against them.

Pretty sure Andy was pointing out the contradiction in roseboy's post, not laughing at the thought of Waugh being better than Ponting.

 

[Fiery]

With regards to your second point, I realised you were all asking the wrong question after I posted that.

About your first point, acknowledging you can't properly rate the guy til his career is over, I'd have him behind: Greg Chappell, Neil Harvey, Allan Border and probably Steve Waugh. But its close, and I don't discount that by the end of his career he could be ahead of all those guys - but I'll want to see how long he sustains his current peak and how he ends his career. I certainly wouldn't think people are mad for rating him ahead of those guys, but as I said, I'd disagree with them at the moment.

I think you'll find those guys themselves rate him higher though

 

[Jono]

Doesn't make it true.

I reckon Ponting has now surpassed Border probably, but Steve Waugh? Not quite yet. The game is more than numbers.

 

[Flem274*]

Is was my choice actually

Haha good choice. Poor old Mason, wonder what the girls are thinking now that he's a rich international cricketer and they never noticed him....

 

[Fiery]

Haha good choice. Poor old Mason, wonder what the girls are thinking now that he's a rich international cricketer and they never noticed him....

Probably the same as Lou Vincent's old girlfriends

 

[Flem274*]

Probably the same as Lou Vincent's old girlfriends

Haha I bet Lou was the schoolyard smart****. Probably why he has such a big chin nowadays.