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Garry Sobers v Imran Khan,Test Cricket:Poll
- Thread starter Teja.
- Start date
honestbharani
Whatever it takes!!!
lol.. kinda answered your own question there, Xuhaib..
Outswinger@Pace
International 12th Man
I'm assuming that the whole package is ought to be considered in this case. Batting + Bowling + Fielding + Influence on Team-mates + Leadership skills.
Sobers would be better than Imran, for my money, and I voted for him. Not too far ahead, but a fair few notches between them. Having said that, Imran perhaps gets the closest to Sobers in terms of overall calibre as a cricketer. Keith Miller, Alan Davidson, Mike Proctor (people may have reservations here
), Botham of the 1978-84 period and Richie Benaud may be few more names worthy of mention here. Adam Gilchrist's overall value in the early 21st century Australian team is not to be under-estimated either.
However for me, Gary Sobers >> mortals. Always has been this way! Just the skill level, panache, atheletic excellence and unadulterated joy that he brought to the game is way beyond numbers and records.
Sobers would be better than Imran, for my money, and I voted for him. Not too far ahead, but a fair few notches between them. Having said that, Imran perhaps gets the closest to Sobers in terms of overall calibre as a cricketer. Keith Miller, Alan Davidson, Mike Proctor (people may have reservations here
), Botham of the 1978-84 period and Richie Benaud may be few more names worthy of mention here. Adam Gilchrist's overall value in the early 21st century Australian team is not to be under-estimated either.However for me, Gary Sobers >> mortals. Always has been this way! Just the skill level, panache, atheletic excellence and unadulterated joy that he brought to the game is way beyond numbers and records.
smash84
The Tiger King
Imran brought adulterated joy to so many
Outswinger@Pace
International 12th Man
Myself included there, friend. Stories and videos of Imran and Hadlee inspired me to pick up the cricket ball.Imran brought adulterated joy to so many
But Sobers played in a different era where his kind of batting, athleticism in fielding and general exuberence were a refreshing change. To me, he is the greatest advertisement that cricket could ever have. Catccing pigeons at short-leg, bowling at 90 mph with a panther-like run-up and a smooth action and then finding the energy to hit six sixes an over - it's almost sinful to be so talented.
Imran is unparalleled as a fast-bowling all-rounder, but Sobers meant just so much more to the game. It's not a censure against the great Khan, but rather an acknowledgement of the freakish ability that Sobers had.
smash84
The Tiger King
errr....by adulterated joy to so many I meant all the women that he was known to be courting..........Myself included there, friend. Stories and videos of Imran and Hadlee inspired me to pick up the cricket ball.
Would agree with some parts but Sobers bowling at 90 mph might be stretching it I think.
, bowling at 90 mph with a panther-like run-up and a smooth action and then finding the energy to hit six sixes an over - it's almost sinful to be so talented.
Imran is unparalleled as a fast-bowling all-rounder, but Sobers meant just so much more to the game. It's not a censure against the great Khan, but rather an acknowledgement of the freakish ability that Sobers had.
Also I am not sure what you mean by Sobers meaning so much more to the game. I think at least in the SC Imran was more popular (regarding India I am making an assumption that he would be more popular than Sobers cbf on this).
smash84
The Tiger King
Outswinger@Pace
International 12th Man
Sobers could be genuinely quick when the mood took him, especially in his younger days. As a left-armer, he preferred to bowl fast-medium and get it to swing more. Boycott mentions that the best delivery he faced ever in Test cricket was from a 32-year-old Sobers. It was a late in-dipping length ball that nailed him plumb.
Even in the 1971 ROW series in Australia, the 36-year-old Sobers could bowl quick bouncers as Lillee recalls in his autobiography.
I believe that his chinamen and slow orthodox bowling spoiled his figures a lot. As a pace bowler, he was a handful in the early-mid 1960s on most days and lethal on some.
Outswinger@Pace
International 12th Man
As a natural athelete, Sobers delighted the connoisseurs of the game as well as the casual observers more than anyone else. He was a great attraction on the field in the sense that he made everything seem so easy. I don't just mean his skills with the bat and the ball.
That feline grace, acrobatic catching at short-leg and throwing his body around while fielding (despite being a senior player) were unheard of in the amateurish era that he played in. A very pleasant man, he seemed to enjoy every bit of what he was doing as well. Impossible to hate or to be neutral towards, one might say. He was a man ahead of his time and truly heralded the beginning of a great era in cricket.
To me, he summarised everything good about (any) sport - the passion, the child-like exuberence, the outrageous skill, the masculine athleticism and the tremendous sportsmanspirit. Many other cricketers followed-through very well on these attributes, but Gary was the first to make cricket '***y' with his presence. He glamourised the game and took it to the masses, in more ways than men like Frank Worrell, Keith Miller, Dennis Compton and other greats had done before him.
That is true, indeed. Imran Khan is one of the most popular sporting celebrities in the sub-continent.
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Xuhaib
International Coach
I rate Imran and Sobers equal in their primary skills its their weaker skills which needs a debate. A lot of old timers rate Sobers bowling more then Imran's batting so instead of doing stats crunching I will just take the word of the historians who have seen both perform ad give the nod to Sobers.
BlazeDragon
Banned
Agent Nationaux
International Coach
There are just as many specialist batters better than Sobers as there are specialist bowlers better than Imran.
there is only one that is definitely better, the rest of the cases are arguable at best and there are not too many of those who can really be compared to him as a batsman....