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Gavaskar v Boycott
- Thread starter Pratters
- Start date
Dissector
International Debutant
Any particular reason? I don't have any strong opinion one way or another but Boycott certainly deserves more respect. He played on less docile pitches than Sunny on average and faced just as many truly great fast bowlers. He is right up there among the greatest openers of all time IMO.
60 5055 221 52.11 18 22 1 1/34 128.00 0 57 0
sunny's away home average better than his overall average.
shortpitched713
International Captain
Pretty clear cut imo. Similar styles, but one was just that much better.
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
Sunny, though I wouldn't really say that he was 'miles' better.
Dissector
International Debutant
True but that away average was inflated somewhat by a few series against some weak teams. For example the Australian team in the mid-80's and the relatively weak West Indies team in his debut series. Not to say that he didn't play many magnificent innings against top-class opposition but Sunny did know how to cash in when the going was good as well.
Sanz
Hall of Fame Member
This is the reason why I dont like to get into 'who is better' arguments. Oh he faced weak opposition, oh he was a minnow basher, oh he he knew how to boost his average when going was good. These are pathetically poor arguments.
Sunny is one of the greatest cricketers (not just batsman) of all time. May be he feasted on the weak bowling in his debut series, so what. He was still a debutant and how many debutant do well in a series against any kind of attack ?
Dissector
International Debutant
Sanz,
You are the one who claims that Sunny is better "hands down". Why don't you offer a few arguments instead of arbitrarily dismissing those of others.
It's not a secret that Sunny's overseas record is quite patchy. He had some great series mixed with a few poor ones in the 70's but in the 80's his overseas performance is very average.
You are the one who claims that Sunny is better "hands down". Why don't you offer a few arguments instead of arbitrarily dismissing those of others.
It's not a secret that Sunny's overseas record is quite patchy. He had some great series mixed with a few poor ones in the 70's but in the 80's his overseas performance is very average.
BhupinderSingh
Banned
Both were excellent opening batsmen but Sunil Gavskar was better because of his excellent record against West Indies.
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Sanz
Hall of Fame Member
I am not going to get into any such mud slinging debate with you or anyone else, Go ahead and attack Gavaskar's record as much as you want to.
When I said Gavaskar is better hands down, its no disrespect to Boycott. IMO Gavaskar was just better, clearly better, period. Was it miles better ? probably not. But If I am going to ink an XI I will always put Gavaskar ahead of Boycott. This is on the basis of what I saw, read and heard. If you believe otherwise, that's fine with me too.
BhupinderSingh
Banned
BTW,why did both of them had the reputation of being such players who play for their personal records,not for team?
silentstriker
The Wheel is Forever
A lot of players who have low Strike Rates have that accusation. In most cases, it's patently false. I'd be much more suspicious of an opener with a high S/R.
BhupinderSingh
Banned
Every player has his own style,some are defensive,some,moderate & aggressive.If someone who has a naturally defensive style tries to play aggressively,then he would not be able to show as good persormance as before,its for sure.So,its not fair to label such players as 'selfish".
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
That's an interesting one, because the myth far, far outdoes the reality. Gavaskar played a number of excellent innings against several very fine West Indian seam-attacks: Holder, Roberts, Boyce and Julien in '74\75; Roberts, Holding and Daniel in '76; and Marshall, Holding and Roberts\Daniel in '83\84. The legend, though, is that he scored many innings against four-pronged pace attacks where all four were legends: this is untrue, he played just one of these, 147* against Roberts, Holding, Garner and Marshall in 1983... on a last day where the Test was long-since foretombled to a draw having had 2 full days washed-out. This was still a fine innings, let's not forget, as the bowlers would hardly have been handing runs out on a plate.
But the Gavaskar legend outdoes the reality, not helped by the series in 1971 and 1978\79 where West Indies' bowling was abysmal. All the same, he still scored several fine knocks against several fine attacks, and even if he'd never scored a run against good West Indian attacks he scored many against others and would still be a magnificent player, almost certainly the best Test opener of the modern (post-1970) era. With Boycs 2nd.
Smudge
Hall of Fame Member
Gee, is it too much for us to ask "why" you think Gavaskar was better? I mean, forums are all about debating - otherwise everyone would make their point by starting a thread then locking it (if they had such powers).
For the record, I would go Gavaskar as well. Boycott was a horribly selfish man who batted for himself first and the team second. Gavaskar, on the other hand, was a player who could adapt to the team situation.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Rubbish. Anyone like that won't last 5 minutes in the game of cricket.