Who would be your top 10 greatest Asian cricketers?

[Teja.]

It's probably happened in this thread already and there's probably not a great deal of difference between it and a top 10, but has anyone put together an Asian All Time XI?

All-time Sub-continental Test XI,

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Miandad
Sangakkara(wk)
Khan(C)
Akram
Akthar
Waqar
Murali

The top four pretty much pick themselves IMO. Hanif was considered but a bit of overkill with Gavaskar already there. Dravid and Tendulkar walk in. Sanga competes for Dravid's place but I'd rather have Sanga keep.

The fifth spot was a bit of a think. Sanga>Miandad as a pure batsman IMO, but not as much as Sanga(wk)+Miandad>Sanga+Dhoni(wk). Jayawardene criminally underrated too, but Miandad definitely the better man to bat at five particularly due to his excellence in batting with the tail. Hazare, De Silva, Azhar, Laxman, Inzy all class, but a tier below IMO.

Sangakkara - See above

Imran has to be the first pick anyone will make and Waqar, Akram and Murali walk in. Now the choice is between having Kapil Dev or Akthar. Kapil Dev obviously a fantastic cricketer who never had a significant dip either with bat or ball or body for 16 years and I'd pick him over Akthar in a Greatest Cricketers List but considering the strength of the batting, I'd rather have the better pacer. Shoaib on his days, which are often, is just something else. Can make a featherbed a raging volcano. The length of his career is often underrated too, played about 50 games and had a phenomenal SR and average particularly for this decade.

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[Prince EWS]

Would you still pick Akhtar over Kapil?

 

[Teja.]

Would you still pick Akhtar over Kapil?

Yep. Kapil 'deserves' to make the XI more but while picking the optimal team and considering the batting lineup, Akthar is the better man.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yep. Kapil 'deserves' to make the XI more but while picking the optimal team and considering the batting lineup, Akthar is the better man.

Fair enough. Just seems to contradict the fact that you picked Pollock to bat nine in your ATW team a little bit.

 

[Burgey]

Always thought Wasim Bari an excellent 'keeper, Kirmani too. Though I understand it's hard to leave a guy like Sanga out. All depends on the balance of the team I guess.

 

[Prince EWS]

Sangakkara should make the team on batting anyway IMO.

 

[Burgey]

Maybe. I mean you look at a guy like Vengsarkar, he was an excellent player in a pretty tough era. Hanif Mohammed of course, Inzi, Viswanath, Aravinda. Just tossing up names of guys who could easily contend .

 

[Teja.]

Fair enough. Just seems to contradict the fact that you picked Pollock to bat nine in your ATW team a little bit.

My first goal is to make sure that I have five top class bowlers in my team, I'd obviously interchange them with people who can bat if they can bowl to the same level.

In an AT XI, I wouldn't let Sobers touch the ball and would want 5 awesome bowlers, When I could have the bowlers who can bowl as well/negligibly worse while still bat to a decent level, I'd pick 'em without thinking twice.

However, In an Asian XI, I don't have anyone apart from Imran who can bowl to an ATG level while still being able to bat. Kapil's bowling is very good but not good enough to be a fifth bowler in an AT XI IMHO.

 

[Migara]

Somebody argued me for having Razzaq over Kapil im my side. Would have silenced the critics with that knock of his last night.

 

[smash84]

Somebody argued me for having Razzaq over Kapil im my side. Would have silenced the critics with that knock of his last night.

Migara, the last time Abdur Razzaq crossed 50 was in 2006. Yes he missed out a lot in the next 3 years but he wasn't really that good.

 

[smash84]

Some pretty awesome statistics for the greatest Asian cricketer IMO

Stats analysis: Imran Khan | Specials | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

 

[Jono]

My Asian XI:

Gavaskar
Sehwag
Dravid
Tendulkar
Miandad
Sanga (wk)
Imran (c)
Wasim Akram
Kumble
Murali
Waqar

12th Man: Yuvraj Singh (greatest Asian waterboy of all time, if not the world's greatest)

An Asian XI is expected to be filled with modern players IMO, simply because the success of Asian teams and the development of professionalism in Asian cricket has taken off over the last 20-30 years. Well modern-day Pakistan may dispute that

 

[Jono]

Somebody argued me for having Razzaq over Kapil im my side. Would have silenced the critics with that knock of his last night.

Bit difficult for Kapil to hit a knock like that at 51 years old tbh.

 

[Francis]

I haven't posted here in a while. But I assumed after Tendulkar's red hot form in the last year or so that he would be just about everybody's number one.

I remember when Wisdon came out with their '5 players of the Century' and selected Bradman, Sobers, Hobbs, Warne, and Richards, there was a huge uproar about leaving Tendulkar off that list. That's how highly regarded he was, and deservedly so. I wouldn't have put him in my top five in 2000, but he'd be close.

What's he done in the last decade? A lot! Yes he had a drop in form, but so have Lara and Warne at times (while they were both still very good).

It's just inconceivable to me that he's not one of the five best cricketers ever these days. Of course most people would put Imran Kahn at no 2 in the best of all time stakes (something I immediately disagree with). But yeah I don't see how Tendulkar can't be up there.. he just keeps going and going and going. And more importantly, he has an impact in winning games with his performances.

 

[Migara]

Migara, the last time Abdur Razzaq crossed 50 was in 2006. Yes he missed out a lot in the next 3 years but he wasn't really that good.

I don't buy in to the argument that Razzaq debuted when he was 19 when he made his ODI debut. looks much older for me and probably near 35 than 30. But still he's a beast. half a decade ago he was one of the best ODI all rounders around in the world. In thi decade he averages 32.7 with the ball and 31.65 @ 85. His strength or role is not scoring 50s or 100s, but to bash quick 30-40 in next to nothing number of deliveries.

 

[smash84]

Some pretty awesome statistics for the greatest Asian cricketer IMO

Stats analysis: Imran Khan | Specials | Cricinfo Magazine | Cricinfo.com

I haven't posted here in a while. But I assumed after Tendulkar's red hot form in the last year or so that he would be just about everybody's number one.

I remember when Wisdon came out with their '5 players of the Century' and selected Bradman, Sobers, Hobbs, Warne, and Richards, there was a huge uproar about leaving Tendulkar off that list. That's how highly regarded he was, and deservedly so. I wouldn't have put him in my top five in 2000, but he'd be close.

What's he done in the last decade? A lot! Yes he had a drop in form, but so have Lara and Warne at times (while they were both still very good).

It's just inconceivable to me that he's not one of the five best cricketers ever these days. Of course most people would put Imran Kahn at no 2 in the best of all time stakes (something I immediately disagree with). But yeah I don't see how Tendulkar can't be up there.. he just keeps going and going and going. And more importantly, he has an impact in winning games with his performances.

Francis you might want to take a look at Rajesh's stats analysis of Imran at cricinfo. It's damn good.

And I think you would find a lot of people rating Imran as the greatest Asian cricketer. That is because he added so much value to the team. An all time Great bowler plus a very decent bat. If you agree with the theory that bowlers are more useful to the side than batsmen then you might want to pick Imran over Tendulkar. Also Imran is one of the greatest all time captains.

So it would be difficult for Tendulkar to beat Imran for the greatest Asian cricketer. Although Tendulkar is the best Asian batsman for most.

 

[ankitj]

12th Man: Yuvraj Singh (greatest Asian waterboy of all time, if not the world's greatest)

Man aren't you really harsh on Yuvi? He has been a very valuable batsman for India for many years!

 

[Jono]

Haha I'm a Yuvi fan relax. He's easy to make fun of though come on.

 

[vcs]

He's brought on a lot of this criticism and piss-taking himself TBF. Needs to get back into shape (round not allowed) and get his attitude right. Pissed me off how he was glowering in the dressing room in the last ODI after he got out. I think he was angry that Kohli's runner turned down a single earlier in the over.

 

[Jono]

Yeah he was cut at Dhawan and blamed his dismissal on him.

Just summed him up perfectly.