When cricket was largely played between only two nations, you seriously think FC cricket standards would not have been higher????????So how many such tours used to happen? And with what regularity?
These days player do as many as 3 tours every single year.
I am no way denigrading the effort that those people took in the earlier half of 1900s for such tour. But fact is the effort they took is no way comparable to what cricketers are taking now. They have to adapt to different conditions very quickly, as there are hardly any FC fixtures to "get yourselves in". All that takes a toll.
Haha a welcome diversion.Pointless thread. Hughes will break so many records that both these players will be quickly forgotten. Although Bradman might have some left-over records, the poor bloke.
Pointless thread. Hughes will break so many records that both these players will be quickly forgotten. Although Bradman might have some left-over records, the poor bloke.
As you say - international cricket was so relatively infrequent that FC essentially WAS top cricket in a day-to-day way. It was massively more important to a player's reputation and ability to earn a professional living in the game than is the case for today's internationals. Intensity tends to follow with how important a game is to the participants.Well, it's obvious, with less Test cricket played those days, FC cricket must obviously have received a lot more attention relative to now. Many of Bradman's FC knocks are held up as all-time great ones and if FC cricket was such a low grade of cricket in comparison to Tests, nobody would have bothered mentioning them.
Sachin fields in the slips generally. Its definitely relevant though. Rhodes was an all-rounder. He's probably put in more effort on the field than probably any player ever.That's not necessarily a good counter to his point as the fitness level required back then was probably much lower. I remember watching ESPN Legends of cricket and the historians talking how about in WG Grace's era they wouldn't go for sliding saves or dives, etc, which kinda points to how Grace himself played so long.
Yet, FC cricket has never been more professional as it is now. Back then it used be a set of amateurs, who obviously had to do second or even third jobs. I am not sure there were even "contracts" as it exists today. What apart from sheer love for the game would've inspired people to eke a full scale career like Wilfred Rhodes did?Well, it's obvious, with less Test cricket played those days, FC cricket must obviously have received a lot more attention relative to now. Many of Bradman's FC knocks are held up as all-time great ones and if FC cricket was such a low grade of cricket in comparison to Tests, nobody would have bothered mentioning them.
Ignoring the stupid first line,so if I DO find someone who HAS played in more grounds than Sachin, you will give up this drivel?
And here R_D was wondering why I was getting worked up......
awta.as you say - international cricket was so relatively infrequent that fc essentially was top cricket in a day-to-day way. It was massively more important to a player's reputation and ability to earn a professional living in the game than is the case for today's internationals. Intensity tends to follow with how important a game is to the participants.
Meh he betters Tendulkar in 3 things already:Little does Sachin know that Hughes plans on breaking all of his records, including being a ****ter captain.
Read Matt's post above.Yet, FC cricket has never been more professional as it is now. Back then it used be a set of amateurs, who obviously had to do second or even third jobs. I am not sure there were even "contracts" as it exists today. What apart from sheer love for the game would've inspired people to eke a full scale career like Wilfred Rhodes did?
Actually in that aspect a salute to the guy.
Lol! What an uninformed opinion. In tests for a longtime he used to be in the outfield, and in ODIs he still fields in the deep.Sachin fields in the slips generally. Its definitely relevant though. Rhodes was an all-rounder. He's probably put in more effort on the field than probably any player ever.
It's a lot more than trivia. The point was the relevance of fitness levels to forging a long career, and Rhodes achieved what he did despite playing in the era he did.Could you please explain "stakes being higher back then"?
As I said, what you brought up is good trivia. But I think it is of little relevance in a thread like this.
BTW Graeme Hick has spent 2857 days on the field. Huge effort that!
Yet the competition for FC space is perhaps much more than it was then. Because FC today is a platform to get into tests, which is very rewarding. There is much motivation to play FC and associated T20 and OD games these days as compared to Rhodes' days, financially atleast.As you say - international cricket was so relatively infrequent that FC essentially WAS top cricket in a day-to-day way. It was massively more important to a player's reputation and ability to earn a professional living in the game than is the case for today's internationals. Intensity tends to follow with how important a game is to the participants.
What I'm saying is that fitness levels are less relevant than skill and hunger. If a player forges a long enough career, much of it should be attributed to his passion for playing that much, and his possession of skills that enable him to earn that long a passage at the top level.I meant more about the intensity of it. Do you seriously think we have not made ANY progression in terms of fitness and taking care of the body so that we can be in better shape for the sport?
My uncle used to play club cricket till well past 50 too.It's a lot more than trivia. The point was the relevance of fitness levels to forging a long career, and Rhodes achieved what he did despite playing in the era he did.
I have no idea if he's a better or worse captain than Sachin. Was just taking the piss.Meh he betters Tendulkar in 3 things already:
- Scored 2 Test tons in the same Test
- Averages 2x more then him in SA
- Averages higher in FC cricket
And he no longer is, hasn't been for long. He plays far fewer ODIs too. You'd want to re-evaluate your opinion of FC cricket in the pioneering days before throwing the lols around.Lol! What an uninformed opinion. In tests for a longtime he used to be in the outfield, and in ODIs he still fields in the deep.