PhoenixFire
International Coach
AB de Villiers.
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Highest Run Scorer
- Thread starter Athlai
- Start date
This is such a typically English mentality, does well against weak opposition and people presume he'll repeat it against the best, subsequently rate him as a top player; Ian Bell syndrome. He had one good innings in the IPL, was poor otherwise. I think it's been pretty well established that county performances are little indication of international quality any more. He's done well compared to other English players, but compare him with the other candidates mentioned and there's little comparison. He's just not up their with the likes of Gibbs, Smith, De Vililers, Gambhir, Sehwag, Raina, Jayasuriya, Sangakarra, Symonds or Taylor to mention a few. He's neither as destructive or prolific at the international level in this format. One day he might be but he's not at that standard yet. Fair play to him for cashing in against the Windies, but he won't get too many softer runs in his international career. Also compare the attacks he's done well against with the quality he'll face in the tournament and again they fall short.
King Pietersen
International Captain
I disagree. He may not be as destructive as all of those players, but he's as naturally gifted as anyone in England. He's got an excellent technique, plays straight, he's very mentally toug and capable of playing a skillful but aggressive innings, his OD Double hundred in the FP Trophy last year proved that. He's not just talented with no bottle like Bell. I think Bopara will have a long and fruitful career in International cricket. I've seen a hell of alot of him and rate him immensely highly, he will be one of England's top players in 2-3 years in both forms of the game, I'm almost sure of it. He's not rated as highly as he is in the England camp for nothing.
I don't disagree with this post, I too think he's a fantastic young cricketer and think he will be one of England's best if not the best batsmen in England in years to come. However thats the best batsmen in England. When comparing him with his opposite numbers I can't see him coming out on top, being very good ain't good enough for top sides, frankly you need to be a potential great. I rate him highly, but I don't think he'll ever be a Ponting or Dravid or Tendulkar or Kallis or Jayawardene or Sangakarra or Younis Khan or Mohammed Yousuf or even De Villiers (shooting up the ladder to greatness at the mo). Before you say it's unfair to compare him to such players, surely it isn't? After all those are his opposition, they are the players who have played in the positions he'll be batting in for the teams he'll be competing against. This is the thing that England fans have to learn, at the test level good ain't good enough. Harsh but true.
Back to T20s, as you said he isn't as destructive as those mentioned players, but he doesn't really score as many runs as them either... so how's he going to be top runscorer? Stop thinking like a fan, start thinking like a punter, it makes you a whole lot more objective when your cash is involved.
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zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
Tend to agree with King Pietersen on this one.
Yes, oitoitoi is right that Bopara still has something to prove against the top teams. However I don't accept that county cricket is as poor a test-bed as you are suggesting. He's had a pretty good run in Test cricket (albeit against the West Indies whose bowling attack is little more than adequate) and don't forget he scored that hundred v Australia in 2005 (I cbf checking who the Australian bowling attack was in that match though).
Bopara is very talented, has something about him, is rated very highly by all who've worked with him or played against him, is in great form, and will be playing in front of his home crowds.
And to be the best batsman in England does actually mean something, because it means you need to be at least on a par with KP who clearly is comparable with the other modern greats listed by oitoitoi.
Yes, oitoitoi is right that Bopara still has something to prove against the top teams. However I don't accept that county cricket is as poor a test-bed as you are suggesting. He's had a pretty good run in Test cricket (albeit against the West Indies whose bowling attack is little more than adequate) and don't forget he scored that hundred v Australia in 2005 (I cbf checking who the Australian bowling attack was in that match though).
Bopara is very talented, has something about him, is rated very highly by all who've worked with him or played against him, is in great form, and will be playing in front of his home crowds.
And to be the best batsman in England does actually mean something, because it means you need to be at least on a par with KP who clearly is comparable with the other modern greats listed by oitoitoi.
King Pietersen
International Captain
That hundred in 2005 came against Lee, Gillespie, Kasprowicz, Tait and MacGill. Not too shabby.
As Zaremba mentioned, he has had a superb run in Test cricket, and although that Windies attack isn't good, scoring 3 hundreds in 3 innings against them is no mean feat. He's one of only 6 Englishmen (iirc) to score 3 hundreds in 3 innings, which irrespective of the bowling attack is impressive. He's continued that form into the T20 Cup with Essex, and his 45 the other night was excellent. Got himself in, and then blasted away, he is capable of playing very destructive innings. He scored a beautiful hundred in the Pro40 last year. He came in with Essex 100+/1, with Gallian on 50, and Bopara managed to beat Gallian to a hundred, he was smacking the bowlers to all parts. Was superb to watch.
My prediction of Ravi ending the tournament as Leading Run Scorer is purely a gut instinct pick. I can just see him having an excellent tournament, and if he does, and Pietersen fires, the England will have a shot in this tournament, we're not as bad a T20 side as you're making out. We've certainly not been great in the past, but I think we've got the players to get to the Semis, especially in home conditions, and if we do then Ravi will have every chance of becoming the leading run scorer. I could be proven wrong, but it's a prediction and that's all it is, I'm not going to be putting money on it so it doesn't really matter.
As Zaremba mentioned, he has had a superb run in Test cricket, and although that Windies attack isn't good, scoring 3 hundreds in 3 innings against them is no mean feat. He's one of only 6 Englishmen (iirc) to score 3 hundreds in 3 innings, which irrespective of the bowling attack is impressive. He's continued that form into the T20 Cup with Essex, and his 45 the other night was excellent. Got himself in, and then blasted away, he is capable of playing very destructive innings. He scored a beautiful hundred in the Pro40 last year. He came in with Essex 100+/1, with Gallian on 50, and Bopara managed to beat Gallian to a hundred, he was smacking the bowlers to all parts. Was superb to watch.
My prediction of Ravi ending the tournament as Leading Run Scorer is purely a gut instinct pick. I can just see him having an excellent tournament, and if he does, and Pietersen fires, the England will have a shot in this tournament, we're not as bad a T20 side as you're making out. We've certainly not been great in the past, but I think we've got the players to get to the Semis, especially in home conditions, and if we do then Ravi will have every chance of becoming the leading run scorer. I could be proven wrong, but it's a prediction and that's all it is, I'm not going to be putting money on it so it doesn't really matter.
S Chanderpaul
U19 Vice-Captain
Owais Shah.
rivera213
U19 Vice-Captain
Come on, be serious.
pietersenrocks
U19 Vice-Captain
Being an England fan, I want KP to be.
But the kind of form Taylor is in, I go with Ross Taylor.
But the kind of form Taylor is in, I go with Ross Taylor.
PhoenixFire
International Coach
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