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Best left handed batsman of all time
- Thread starter Avada Kedavra
- Start date
watson
Banned
I said 'almost identical'. I'll strain the definition of 'almost' as far it will go and assume that those numbers are not meaningfully different.
Himannv
Hall of Fame Member
Based on this analysis, I'd like to conclude that left handed tailenders are significantly better with the bat than right handed ones.
Debris
International 12th Man
This is proof that tough batting conditions make you bat right-handed.
G.I.Joe
International Coach
Jager
International Debutant
watson
Banned
lol
A recessive mutant gene that expresses itself such that a specific population of male humans have a 4run advantage over the humans that carry the dominant antithetical gene makes no sense to me.
Perhaps it's the fact that some left-handed batsman are actually right-handed and therefore have their stronger hand at the top of the grip - thus giving better control of the bat?
Or is it an eyesight thing whereby a more dominant right-eye faces down the pitch?.
Or maybe it's a brain-hemisphere thing as left-handers get to use more of their intuitive right-hemisphere.
Facinating, a mutation that conveys a slight advantage.
A recessive mutant gene that expresses itself such that a specific population of male humans have a 4run advantage over the humans that carry the dominant antithetical gene makes no sense to me.
Perhaps it's the fact that some left-handed batsman are actually right-handed and therefore have their stronger hand at the top of the grip - thus giving better control of the bat?
Or is it an eyesight thing whereby a more dominant right-eye faces down the pitch?.
Or maybe it's a brain-hemisphere thing as left-handers get to use more of their intuitive right-hemisphere.
Facinating, a mutation that conveys a slight advantage.
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watson
Banned
Or conversely, batsman standing the wrong way round puts the bowler off his line and they bowl worse to left handers rather than better to right-handers. Too many half-volleys just outside the left-handers off-stump.
In-other-words, if the majority of batsman were left-handed then bowlers would have more problems adjusting to right-handers and they would have the slightly higher average.
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slowfinger
International Debutant
what are the chances of the average left-handed batsmen becoming greats? (45+, we shall assume)
watson
Banned
128 right-handed batsman have averaged 45 runs or more. That is, 5.8% (128/2190)
42 left-handed batsman have averaged 45 runs or more. That is, 8.6% (42/489)
Note: These figures include all batsman even if they played only a single Test.
You can double check on Statsguru if you like, but again, it seems as though lefties are more prolific.
In the words of Professor Julius Sumner-Miller, "Why is it so?"
vic_orthdox
Global Moderator
More right handed bowlers, who move the ball away from the right hander.
Bias of LBW laws for left hand batsman vs right handed bowlers.
Bias of LBW laws for left hand batsman vs right handed bowlers.
slowfinger
International Debutant
We are looking at a heavy 3% margin, there has to be a clear factor...
I reckon, as many think, Left Handed batting and bowling is NOT a mirror image of right handed batting and bowling.
BBC- Left Handed Batsmen with Advantage at crease
I reckon, as many think, Left Handed batting and bowling is NOT a mirror image of right handed batting and bowling.
BBC- Left Handed Batsmen with Advantage at crease
slowfinger
International Debutant
i think you'd be surprised by the success rates of left arm spinner as compared to right arm spinners
zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
One minor factor might be that batting conditions recently are relatively favourable, and a lot more people bat "left" handed than previously.
Actually, on reflection, that's probably a matter of vanishingly slight significance.
But one thing that's clear is that loads of players who are right handed bat with their right hand at the top of the bat - and the reverse for left handed players. I've posted a very long list somewhere but cbf to dig it up.
Actually, on reflection, that's probably a matter of vanishingly slight significance.
But one thing that's clear is that loads of players who are right handed bat with their right hand at the top of the bat - and the reverse for left handed players. I've posted a very long list somewhere but cbf to dig it up.
zaremba
Cricketer Of The Year
To illustrate the point in my previous post, I've taken the list of great left handers drawn up by The Sean and divided them into those who bowl with their left arm and those who bowl with their right.
Left arm bowlers
Garry Sobers
Allan Border
Arthur Morris
Bill Lawry
Roy Fredericks
Bert Sutcliffe
Sanath Jayasuriya
Right arm bowlers
Brian Lara
Graeme Pollock
Kumar Sangakkara
Neil Harvey
Clive Lloyd
Matthew Hayden
Adam Gilchrist
David Gower
John Edrich
Graham Thorpe
Mark Taylor
Justin Langer
Mike Hussey
Graeme Smith
Alvin Kallicharran
Shiv Chanderpaul
I've left out Stephen Fleming because I've no idea what he bowled, or with which arm.
Left arm bowlers
Garry Sobers
Allan Border
Arthur Morris
Bill Lawry
Roy Fredericks
Bert Sutcliffe
Sanath Jayasuriya
Right arm bowlers
Brian Lara
Graeme Pollock
Kumar Sangakkara
Neil Harvey
Clive Lloyd
Matthew Hayden
Adam Gilchrist
David Gower
John Edrich
Graham Thorpe
Mark Taylor
Justin Langer
Mike Hussey
Graeme Smith
Alvin Kallicharran
Shiv Chanderpaul
I've left out Stephen Fleming because I've no idea what he bowled, or with which arm.
watson
Banned
Interesting list zaremba.
It is a well known coaching fact that the hand on top of the batting grip is responsible for the straightness and correctness of the swing. Therefore, if your dominant hand is controlling the bat then this will give a slight technical advantage; as is the case for Brian Lara et al.
However, I still think the main/major reason that left-handers average slight better than right-handers is that bowlers (on the whole) are less practiced/proficient at hitting the line of the left-handers off stump, and so forth.
In other words, it's not a case that left-handed batsman are better, rather it is a case that bowlers of all persuasions are worse. That makes more intuitive sense to me.
It is a well known coaching fact that the hand on top of the batting grip is responsible for the straightness and correctness of the swing. Therefore, if your dominant hand is controlling the bat then this will give a slight technical advantage; as is the case for Brian Lara et al.
However, I still think the main/major reason that left-handers average slight better than right-handers is that bowlers (on the whole) are less practiced/proficient at hitting the line of the left-handers off stump, and so forth.
In other words, it's not a case that left-handed batsman are better, rather it is a case that bowlers of all persuasions are worse. That makes more intuitive sense to me.
Burgey
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The pointe Watson raised is an interesting one. The late Peter Roebuck was of the view that right handed people should be taught to bat left handed, as their dominat hand would then be their top hand, not their bottom hand. I heard him express this view on several occasions on radio in the last couple of years before his death.