So true.I need to check out these Sri Lankan pitches. They go from raging turners when Murali bowls to impossibly flat when Sangakkara bats.
Some brilliant points raised by cricketismylife . Agree with a lot of what he says.So is Sangakkara better than Viv, Richards, Sobers, Lara, Chappell, Border, Ponting, Tendulkar, Dravid, Waugh, Hammond, Pollock and Kallis? He has a better record than nearly all of them. By what you are saying he is, and we all know he isn't. So tell me why this is, and don't say because no one watches Sri Lanka play.
You still don't get the point. Murali averaged better (away) against NZ, SAF, ENG and WI than Warne, whom he played a greated % of his matches. If Murali played the same % of matches against those four teams, he would have had better or equal away stats as Warne.And thats apposed to playing more againts Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. Additionally he averaged 19 at home and over 27 away, that is huge.
Is this vs these countries or in these countries. You have also missed my point.You still don't get the point. Murali averaged better (away) against NZ, SAF, ENG and WI than Warne, whom he played a greated % of his matches. If Murali played the same % of matches against those four teams, he would have had better or equal away stats as Warne.
no. he's not one of the greatest.Is this vs these countries or in these countries. You have also missed my point.
Doesn't matter though because as is agreed he one of the greatest.
...except, there will always be that question mark over Murali....warne is one of the greatest and there's no disrespect in languishing behind murali. murali is, by far and away, the most destructive bowler i've ever had the pleasure of watching. and his performances speak for themselves.
there's absolutely no question marks. except mebbe in the eyes of sore losers, unapologetic idealists and biased wankers. i've seen legions of batsmen trying to block him out, hit him out of the park, walk down the pitch, change their stances, do everything possible to unsettle his line and rhythm, and he'd keep on going with the sort of sheer relentlessness and single-mindedness that differentiates a true genius from the ranks of the merely greats....except, there will always be that question mark over Murali....
The same applies in reverse. The problem with disregarding Sangakkara's batting stats while not keeping is that it completely removes the peak of his career, and essentially focuses on a chunk of his early career. If he'd been a keeper batsman his whole career, there's no way he'd be averaging 40, and would have been on par with Gilchrist as the greatest wicket-keeper batsman.The problem with disregarding Sangakkara's batting stats whilst keeping is that it completely removes the beginning chunk of his career, and essentially focuses on his peak. If he'd been a specialist batsman his whole career, there's no way he'd be averaging 69.
Yes, and then his average as a keeper should not have any bearing on his average as a batsman. If he's considered only as a pure batsman, he's only behind Bradman. You cannot have the argument both ways. If you don't agree that he will not improve his average if he didn't give up his gloves, then you should agree that if he played as a pure batsman, would have been averaging much more than 56.But he didn't remain keeping and so the comparrison with Gilchrist isn't valid. Though for the record I agree with you, and was disappointed when he gave up the gloves and he would have had a chane to be among if not the best of all time. His keeping was very under rated.
Which reminds me that Sanga really deserves extra credit because first drop for SL in recent times has been a pretty precarious position. No really settled opening partnership and the combination of the ineptitude of the likes of Piranha and the sheer stupidity of Dilshan (at times) has meant that whenever SL is up against an attack that knows how to use the new ball he's been as good as opening.Barrington was a notoriously slow batsman. A stonewaller, as they used to say.
Sunil- forgotten in great batsmen discussions, maybe because he opened? Look at the pace bowling he faced, remarkable player.
Average doesn't tell the whole story, but it tells a telling story than glorified accounts of sports journalists. Even taken on that account, cannot see how Miandad is in Sangakkara's league as some pointed out, and why Kallis and Sangakkara are not in same league with batting.Barrington has an average of over 58, is he behind only Pollock and Headley behind Bradman? Is he better than Viv and Sunil?
It doesn't work that way.