Brendon McCullum

[Richard]

Reckon too much is made of his basic errors, certainly I've seen Jayawadene put down just as many as Baz.

I haven't.

Yes, I realise that doesn't mean I'm right and you're wrong, or vice-versa, just that we don't both watch every game of cricket.

But no, too much can never be made of basic errors. For a truly excellent wicketkeeper, such things must essentially be eliminated - or at worst made on a once-every-couple-of-years basis.

 

[Richard]

Yeah McCullum is probaly one of the best fielders in the world. Too bad he is also the best keeper so he can't do both.

It's not as unusual as you might think. Wicketkeepers who are also excellent outfielders are far from unheard of.

Most, of course, never get the chance to demonstrate this to any remotely large audience, so we'll never know how good the vast majority of wicketkeepers are\were\weren't in the field.

 

[Athlai]

Don't think you can ever make too much of the higher responsibilities placed on the modern wicket keepers batting in the modern era. As well as the hectic schedule of some keepers such as McCullum and Dhoni who play every game for their team in these high pressure roles. For every clanger Baz drops he picks up a wicket or two where no other keeper in the world would have. While safely taking dozens of the easy to harder ones as well.

 

[Prince EWS]

Brett Geeves, Ben Drew, Jason Krejza, Chris Swan, Chris Simpson, Daniel Christian, Daniel Cullen?

No.

Unless by "some teams in the world" you mean various English club second XIs, because those are the only types such bowlers would be good enough to walk into.

Just an aside, but I reckon Swan would average about 25 with the ball if he played County Cricket.

 

[Richard]

Don't think you can ever make too much of the higher responsibilities placed on the modern wicket keepers batting in the modern era. As well as the hectic schedule of some keepers such as McCullum and Dhoni who play every game for their team in these high pressure roles. For every clanger Baz drops he picks up a wicket or two where no other keeper in the world would have. While safely taking dozens of the easy to harder ones as well.

It's true that the number of truly outstandinding wicketkeepers along the lines of Grout, Tallon, Oldfield, Ames, Taylor, Knott, Kirmani etc. making it to the very top level is as of 1990 or so going to be miniscule.

But that doesn't make McCullum fit to rank with 'em, or even the next rung down.

 

[Athlai]

It's true that the number of truly outstandinding wicketkeepers along the lines of Grout, Tallon, Oldfield, Ames, Taylor, Knott, Kirmani etc. making it to the very top level is as of 1990 or so going to be miniscule.

But that doesn't make McCullum fit to rank with 'em, or even the next rung down.

Yet certainly his name should be held high in the terms of post 1990 wicketkeepers.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

Brett Geeves, Ben Drew, Jason Krejza, Chris Swan, Chris Simpson, Daniel Christian, Daniel Cullen?

No.

Unless by "some teams in the world" you mean various English club second XIs, because those are the only types such bowlers would be good enough to walk into.

Dirk Nannes, Peter Siddle, Shane Harwood and Ben Hilfenhaus are all better bowlers then Stuart Broad.

 

[_Ed_]

Was not the first choice wk.

While I don't know for sure, I'd imagine that was McCullum's choice, not Kolkata's.

 

[Smith]

While I don't know for sure, I'd imagine that was McCullum's choice, not Kolkata's.

More of Buch's choice.

Anyway my point was not that exactly. More to do with that McCullum hardly kept to Mendis.

 

[zaremba]

McCullum still makes the odd too many ridiculous error for my liking. He's quite the Jack Russell. For all his regular brilliance, he makes occasional basic errors that you just cannot excuse.

Could you elaborate? I never thought that about Jack Russell, and I watched him keep wicket a lot.

 

[fredfertang]

No I'm struggling with that one although he did miss stumping both Lara and Adams in this match

 

[Richard]

Dirk Nannes, Peter Siddle, Shane Harwood and Ben Hilfenhaus are all better bowlers then Stuart Broad.

Nannes certainly isn't and Harwood may have been at one point but isn't any more. Siddle and Hilfenhaus are two of the best bowlers Australia have available, and there's still no innate suggestion yet that either are good enough for Test cricket!

And as I quite obviously showed, most of the bowling in Australian domestic cricket is piss weak. There is no way on Earth more than one or two Australian bowlers who are not in the Test picture would improve the strength of other countries' attacks.

 

[Richard]

Could you elaborate? I never thought that about Jack Russell, and I watched him keep wicket a lot.

No I'm struggling with that one although he did miss stumping both Lara and Adams in this match

I remember him missing several in West Indies in 1998 (admittedly he was past his very best by that time); I also know Mickey Stewart, who was the coach in most every Test Russell played, said "there were times when, for no apparent reason, Jack would spill a straightforward chance. Alec, once he devoted as much time to his keeping as his batting, didn't".

And no, that's not because he was incapable of watching when his son dropped a catch!

 

[Uppercut]

Nannes certainly isn't

Why do you say this? He averages 24 in FC to Broad's 29, despite having bowled in a much, much tougher system for bowlers. And you can't possible have ascertained that from watching Nannes bowl- he looks far more threatening than Broad does.

 

[Richard]

Nannes was not even good enough to break into First-Class cricket until he was in his 30s. He has so far simply been fortunate to play a year or so (in England and Australia) at the top of his powers. That First-Class average of 24 is not a long-term thing.

Broad may be very poor but Nannes is no better.

 

[Smith]

Nannes certainly isn't and Harwood may have been at one point but isn't any more. Siddle and Hilfenhaus are two of the best bowlers Australia have available, and there's still no innate suggestion yet that either are good enough for Test cricket!

Yet Siddle has figures much impressive than Stuart Broad.

And as I quite obviously showed, most of the bowling in Australian domestic cricket is piss weak. There is no way on Earth more than one or two Australian bowlers who are not in the Test picture would improve the strength of other countries' attacks.

And how on earth is England's case better than that of Australia?

 

[Uppercut]

Nannes was not even good enough to break into First-Class cricket until he was in his 30s. He has so far simply been fortunate to play a year or so (in England and Australia) at the top of his powers. That First-Class average of 24 is not a long-term thing.

Broad may be very poor but Nannes is no better.

Jesus you talk some absolute BS sometimes mate.

 

[Richard]

Yet Siddle has figures much impressive than Stuart Broad.

That has what to do with anything, precisely? Who said Broad was better than Siddle?

And how on earth is England's case better than that of Australia?

It doesn't need to be - there are virtually no bowlers in English cricket out of the national side who'd improve the teams of other national sides either.

The notion that there are large numbers of them in Australia is utterly laughable.

 

[Smith]

That has what to do with anything, precisely? Who said Broad was better than Siddle?

It doesn't need to be - there are virtually no bowlers in English cricket out of the national side who'd improve the teams of other national sides either.

The notion that there are large numbers of them in Australia is utterly laughable.

Large numbers? No, but still Australia have some 4 or 5 good bowlers who can step up to test cricket on an emergency while England has zilch. The continued selection of Broad in test cricket despite his poor record prior to WI series' is testimony to this.

 

[Richard]

Jesus you talk some absolute BS sometimes mate.

None of what I said there is untrue. Some people seem to think Nannes is a youngster because he's never been heard of until the last year, but I assure you, he's not. He was born in May 1976, making him 33 as of this post, and had played 3 First-Class matches up to his 31st birthday.