Greatest cricketers since 1980

[honestbharani]

I think people were being particularly harsh on Ikki. Choosing only ten best players for the last thirty years is no mean task and I'd have to lave out many ATGs too. My list would be: (In no particular order)

Hadlee
Marshall
Khan(I)
Murali
Warne
Waqar
Donald
Tendulkar
Border
Ponting

This does not in anyway suggest that I consider the difference between Lara/Ponting as Batsmen or Mcgrath/Donald as bowlers to be significant;Infact it is negligible, It's just that the list is too constricting and exclusive.

See.. if you put any one out of Sachin/Lara/Ponting in there ahead of the other, it is, to an extent, understandable.. What is NOT understandable, is that you would say Ponting is a better cricketer than Murali. I am sorry, I just don't see how you can defend that.

 

[bagapath]

Here is the punchline: Been really struggling to finalize this list. But If I were to choose only 5 cricketers from 1980 onwards they would be...

Top 5 Cricketers since 1980

Viv Richards
Imran Khan
Shane Warne
Sachin Tendulkar
Muralitharan

 

[honestbharani]

You must admit its pretty darn impressive to have your peers overwhelmingly vote you the best player for a whole decade.

Ponting named best batsman of the decade



batsman = player? Or is it juz that way your eyes read the word when it is about Aussies?

 

[weldone]

Here is the punchline: Been really struggling to finalize this list. But If I were to choose only 5 cricketers from 1980 onwards they would be...

Top 5 Cricketers since 1980

Viv Richards
Imran Khan
Shane Warne
Sachin Tendulkar
Muralitharan

My top 6 cricketers since 1980 would be:

Adam Gilchrist
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Sachin Tendulkar
Muttiah Muralitharan
Imran Khan

 

[L Trumper]

Here is the punchline: Been really struggling to finalize this list. But If I were to choose only 5 cricketers from 1980 onwards they would be...

Top 5 Cricketers since 1980

Viv Richards
Imran Khan
Shane Warne
Sachin Tendulkar
Muralitharan

I'm not sure about both warne and murali.. I will replace one of'em with either mcgrath or marshall. Its very hard task to minimize with just 5 though. Especially considering viv and imran had almost half the careers prior to 80s.

BTW, for one reason or other Viv is being seriously underrated in these forms.

 

[honestbharani]

FTR, I don't think Sachin or Lara will make my list ahead of Viv.


Viv, Hadlee, Imran, Murali, Ambrose it is...

 

[gwo]

Ponting named best batsman of the decade



batsman = player? Or is it juz that way your eyes read the word when it is about Aussies?

just from the article

The leading cricket website's jury that selected Ponting was asked to pick their top three cricketers of the 2000s.

beats me why you try and humiliate others when you don't read the article itself...

 

[honestbharani]

just from the article



beats me why you try and humiliate others when you don't read the article itself...

yet interesting that NOT a single bowler's name is mentioned anywhere.. Maybe they just got it right in the header and rest of the places and got it wrong in ONE spot......



EDIT: You guys got it right. This link serves the purpose much better.. apologize for the jabs. Unwarranted on my part..


http://www.cricinfo.com/decadereview2009/content/story/443957.html


Apart from Chappell and Vettori, the 38-member jury included Graham Gooch, John Buchanan, Tom Moody, Javagal Srinath, Geoff Boycott, Mushtaq Ahmed, Rashid Latif, David Lloyd, Ranjan Madugalle, Tony Greig and Geoff Lawson.


Still don't think that is the best cross section and would especially love to see such a poll undertaken now, with hindsight's benefit.

 

[vic_orthdox]

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/47771-ponting-murali-who-greater-test-cricketer.html

Thanks for starting that one up, bagapath.

 

[Streetwise]

yet interesting that NOT a single bowler's name is mentioned anywhere.. Maybe they just got it right in the header and rest of the places and got it wrong in ONE spot......



EDIT: You guys got it right. This link serves the purpose much better.. apologize for the jabs. Unwarranted on my part..


Ponting voted Player of the Decade | Decade Review 2009 | Cricinfo.com


Apart from Chappell and Vettori, the 38-member jury included Graham Gooch, John Buchanan, Tom Moody, Javagal Srinath, Geoff Boycott, Mushtaq Ahmed, Rashid Latif, David Lloyd, Ranjan Madugalle, Tony Greig and Geoff Lawson.


Still don't think that is the best cross section and would especially love to see such a poll undertaken now, with hindsight's benefit.

Well its pretty hard to argue against the opinion of this selction of cricket writers/players when the overwhelmingly declare Ponting the absolute best player for an entire decade.

Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent; Mushtaq Ahmed, former Pakistan legspinner; Sambit Bal, Cricinfo editor; Scyld Berry, editor, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack; Rahul Bhattacharya, writer; Harsha Bhogle, writer and TV presenter; Geoff Boycott, former England opener; Alex Brown, deputy editor, Cricinfo; John Buchanan, former Australia coach; Ian Chappell, former Australia captain; Tony Cozier, writer and commentator; Martin Crowe, former New Zealand captain; Peter English, Australasia editor, Cricinfo; Graham Gooch, former England captain; Tony Greig, former England captain, and commentator; Gideon Haigh, writer; Rob Houwing, chief writer for Sport24.co.za; Athar Ali Khan, former Bangladesh opener; Rashid Latif , former Pakistan wicketkeeper; Geoff Lawson, former Australia fast bowler; David Lloyd, former England coach; Ranjan Madugalle, ICC match referee; Pradeep Magazine , writer; Sanjay Manjrekar, writer and former India batsman; Neil Manthorp, broadcaster and writer; Ayaz Memon, writer; Suresh Menon, writer; Andrew Miller, UK editor, Cricinfo; Tom Moody, former Australia allrounder, former Sri Lanka coach; Dileep Premachandran, associate editor, Cricinfo; Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan batsman; Mark Richardson, former New Zealand opener; Peter Roebuck, writer; Christian Ryan, former editor of Wisden Australia; Osman Samiuddin, Pakistan editor, Cricinfo; John Stern, editor of the Wisden Cricketer; Javagal Srinath, former India fast bowler; Daniel Vettori, New Zealand captain

 

[honestbharani]

Well its pretty hard to argue against the opinion of this selction of cricket writers/players when the overwhelmingly declare Ponting the absolute best player for an entire decade.

Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent; Mushtaq Ahmed, former Pakistan legspinner; Sambit Bal, Cricinfo editor; Scyld Berry, editor, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack; Rahul Bhattacharya, writer; Harsha Bhogle, writer and TV presenter; Geoff Boycott, former England opener; Alex Brown, deputy editor, Cricinfo; John Buchanan, former Australia coach; Ian Chappell, former Australia captain; Tony Cozier, writer and commentator; Martin Crowe, former New Zealand captain; Peter English, Australasia editor, Cricinfo; Graham Gooch, former England captain; Tony Greig, former England captain, and commentator; Gideon Haigh, writer; Rob Houwing, chief writer for Sport24.co.za; Athar Ali Khan, former Bangladesh opener; Rashid Latif , former Pakistan wicketkeeper; Geoff Lawson, former Australia fast bowler; David Lloyd, former England coach; Ranjan Madugalle, ICC match referee; Pradeep Magazine , writer; Sanjay Manjrekar, writer and former India batsman; Neil Manthorp, broadcaster and writer; Ayaz Memon, writer; Suresh Menon, writer; Andrew Miller, UK editor, Cricinfo; Tom Moody, former Australia allrounder, former Sri Lanka coach; Dileep Premachandran, associate editor, Cricinfo; Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan batsman; Mark Richardson, former New Zealand opener; Peter Roebuck, writer; Christian Ryan, former editor of Wisden Australia; Osman Samiuddin, Pakistan editor, Cricinfo; John Stern, editor of the Wisden Cricketer; Javagal Srinath, former India fast bowler; Daniel Vettori, New Zealand captain

I said it is not the best cross section.. No. of cricketers is way less than the columnists and Aussies and Indians seem to dominate that list.

 

[Streetwise]

I said it is not the best cross section.. No. of cricketers is way less than the columnists and Aussies and Indians seem to dominate that list.

I think there are more English than Australians but thats is beside the point.

Cricket supporters from other countries have too many scars from Pontings batting to be able to make balanced and fair judgements on his abilities.

 

[marc71178]

I said it is not the best cross section.. No. of cricketers is way less than the columnists and Aussies and Indians seem to dominate that list.

But it's hard to argue when they pick the Aussie HB, surely you can see that?!

 

[vic_orthdox]

I said it is not the best cross section.. No. of cricketers is way less than the columnists and Aussies and Indians seem to dominate that list.

Cricketers in bold.

Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent;
Mushtaq Ahmed, former Pakistan legspinner;
Sambit Bal, Cricinfo editor;
Scyld Berry, editor, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack;
Rahul Bhattacharya, writer;
Harsha Bhogle, writer and TV presenter;
Geoff Boycott, former England opener;
Alex Brown, deputy editor, Cricinfo;
John Buchanan, former Australia coach;
Ian Chappell, former Australia captain;
Tony Cozier, writer and commentator;
Martin Crowe, former New Zealand captain;
Peter English, Australasia editor, Cricinfo;
Graham Gooch, former England captain;
Tony Greig, former England captain, and commentator;
Gideon Haigh, writer;
Rob Houwing, chief writer for Sport24.co.za;
Athar Ali Khan, former Bangladesh opener;
Rashid Latif , former Pakistan wicketkeeper;
Geoff Lawson, former Australia fast bowler;
David Lloyd, former England coach;
Ranjan Madugalle, ICC match referee;
Pradeep Magazine , writer;
Sanjay Manjrekar, writer and former India batsman;
Neil Manthorp, broadcaster and writer;
Ayaz Memon, writer;
Suresh Menon, writer;
Andrew Miller, UK editor, Cricinfo;
Tom Moody, former Australia allrounder, former Sri Lanka coach;
Dileep Premachandran, associate editor, Cricinfo;
Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan batsman;
Mark Richardson, former New Zealand opener;
Peter Roebuck, writer;
Christian Ryan, former editor of Wisden Australia;
Osman Samiuddin, Pakistan editor,
Cricinfo; John Stern, editor of the Wisden Cricketer;
Javagal Srinath, former India fast bowler;
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand captain

Think that there is more than there are writers, but ho hum. Maybe a bit of license with Buchanan, but he's a member of the "cricket industry" moreso than a writer, being a coach and former FC player, so thought it was fair to include him.

 

[Spark]

Ponting named best batsman of the decade



batsman = player? Or is it juz that way your eyes read the word when it is about Aussies?

I don't think there is huge doubt that the 2000's belonged to Ponting.

And why would hindsight change it? The poll was conducted in January this year and anything that happened since then is completely irrelevant by virtue of being in the wrong decade.

 

[vic_orthdox]

TBH, only competitor would be Murali. Maybe Kallis at a level below that, purely because of the addition of his bowling, but I still think that Murali and Ponting are the two pre-eminent players of the 2000s.

 

[vcs]

Adam Gilchrist has got to be very, very close to Ponting as one of the top cricketers of the noughties.

 

[honestbharani]

I don't think there is huge doubt that the 2000's belonged to Ponting.

And why would hindsight change it? The poll was conducted in January this year and anything that happened since then is completely irrelevant by virtue of being in the wrong decade.

nope, but when it is a subjective voting, people do tend to consider the legacy of said player dropping pretty big.. Like when they voted Lara > Sachin by like an unanimous margin in that round table and that was fully ex-cricketers *** commentators too.. And I think apart from one or two, Ponting was not even mentioned.. It was no coincidence that Sachin was going through probably the lowest ebb of his career.. Same when they picked the best player in the world circa 1998 and Lara being so down.. And again sometime in 2002... I am pretty sure not everyone would be objective enough to ONLY see the performances of the said decade..


And I still happen to think Murali was better in the noughties than Ponting. For me #1 Murali, #2 Ponting and #3 Kallis...

 

[honestbharani]

Cricketers in bold.

Jonathan Agnew, BBC cricket correspondent;
Mushtaq Ahmed, former Pakistan legspinner;
Sambit Bal, Cricinfo editor;
Scyld Berry, editor, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack;
Rahul Bhattacharya, writer;
Harsha Bhogle, writer and TV presenter;
Geoff Boycott, former England opener;
Alex Brown, deputy editor, Cricinfo;
John Buchanan, former Australia coach;
Ian Chappell, former Australia captain;
Tony Cozier, writer and commentator;
Martin Crowe, former New Zealand captain;
Peter English, Australasia editor, Cricinfo;
Graham Gooch, former England captain;
Tony Greig, former England captain, and commentator;
Gideon Haigh, writer;
Rob Houwing, chief writer for Sport24.co.za;
Athar Ali Khan, former Bangladesh opener;
Rashid Latif , former Pakistan wicketkeeper;
Geoff Lawson, former Australia fast bowler;
David Lloyd, former England coach;
Ranjan Madugalle, ICC match referee;
Pradeep Magazine , writer;
Sanjay Manjrekar, writer and former India batsman;
Neil Manthorp, broadcaster and writer;
Ayaz Memon, writer;
Suresh Menon, writer;
Andrew Miller, UK editor, Cricinfo;
Tom Moody, former Australia allrounder, former Sri Lanka coach;
Dileep Premachandran, associate editor, Cricinfo;
Ramiz Raja, former Pakistan batsman;
Mark Richardson, former New Zealand opener;
Peter Roebuck, writer;
Christian Ryan, former editor of Wisden Australia;
Osman Samiuddin, Pakistan editor,
Cricinfo; John Stern, editor of the Wisden Cricketer;
Javagal Srinath, former India fast bowler;
Daniel Vettori, New Zealand captain

Think that there is more than there are writers, but ho hum. Maybe a bit of license with Buchanan, but he's a member of the "cricket industry" moreso than a writer, being a coach and former FC player, so thought it was fair to include him.

Well, I meant to have said "current" players, coz I believe Streetwise mentioned something about "peers"... And the problem with that cross section is that not all of them were international players and if they were, I am sure they were not ones with huge careers (there are a few obviously, but not ALL of them).. The other issue is that I am not even sure how much international cricket blokes like Mushtaq Ahmed, Athar Ali Khan, Rashid Latif, Mark Richardson and Graham Gooch do watch.. I know most commentators watch all cricket but these guys I am not even sure were commentators in that period.. I can understand Richardson, as he was a test cricketer for a fair amount of time in that decade but others......


And it is what I meant by subjective voting.. Most of these guys would have seen more of Ponting than of, say, a Murali as well... I am just guessing here and I agree it is entirely possible that they all watched enough of both and regard Ponting to have been better in that decade, but that is my feeling about this. I mean, if you want peer rating, see where a Warne, Lara or Sachin rate Murali and where they rate Ponting...

 

[vcs]

From that article:

Ponting got 60 points (a first-place vote fetched three points, a second place two, and third place one), 23 more than second-placed Jacques Kallis. Adam Gilchrist was ranked third (29 points), while positions four to seven went to Muttiah Muralitharan, Glenn McGrath, Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne.

Don't think it's quite as one-sided as those points tallies make it out to be, surely he wasn't nearly twice as good as his closest competitor?

The reason I think Gilchrist has got to be very close to Ponting is that he was awesome for the greater part of the decade, plus he took over the captaincy successfully when Australia finally won in India.