Who is the best young batsman around right now?

[Daemon]

when you have guys like munro turning up to play for you in tests you're going to big up any decent prospect you have tbf.

 

[Flem274*]

He's from Northern Districts. Doomed to fail.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

I honestly don't get the Williamson love. I think he'll be a good bat and all but I don't think he's anywhere near as good as Pujara, Kohli, Bravo, Warner etc

He's an nzer. Big fish, small pond so naturally attracts more attention.

He's from Northern Districts. Doomed to fail.

Indeed, he has no hope of matching up to CD success stories such as Sinclair and How.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

What do people make of Asad Shafiq. Played a good knock against the best in the world on their own home turf.

 

[straw man]

Williamson isn't as good as most make him out to be tbh. Decent cricketer but I doubt he'll be near the top of this list a decade down the road.

when you have guys like munro turning up to play for you in tests you're going to big up any decent prospect you have tbf.

Shudup, Williamson is New Zealand's next great bowler. Hey I found a gif of Williamson delivering to Munro

 

[Flem274*]

What do people make of Asad Shafiq. Played a good knock against the best in the world on their own home turf.

On his first tour here I thought he had one of the best techniques in the Pakistan side and would be good player.

Many modern Pakistan batsmen are good on the attack, but Shafiq is one of the few who is also good defensively.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

He's good against spinners.

 

[andruid]

You may have laughed at me before but I'm going to persist in saying Irfan Karim's the hottest batting prospect in associate cricket just now.

 

[Prince EWS]

He's an nzer. Big fish, small pond so naturally attracts more attention.


Indeed, he has no hope of matching up to CD success stories such as Sinclair and How.

Cribb likes Williamson; doomed to fail probably makes more sense.

 

[Cricketismylife]

Williamson looks a much better player than his pathetic average of 30 suggests.

 

[Gowza]

shakib, nasir, rahim looking pretty good now also.

 

[Howsie]

Williamson looks a much better player than his pathetic average of 30 suggests.

That would be because he is.

He's underperformed somewhat in his test career to date I'll admit that, inconsistancy has plagued him pretty badly. But some of the expectations people seem to have placed on him are just totally ridiculously, it's as though he should be averaging 45+ and because he isn't he's some sort of cricketing bust. Newsflash, test cricket is tough. It is especially tough when you're a young batsmen trying to make it in a team that is as bad as this New Zealand one as been over the past three or so years. He's also come into the New Zealand team where we've played a lot of test cricket recently (for us anyway) but very little of it at home, 21 test matches and he's played 1/3 them at home.

He might not have the record so far that a few other young batsmen have managed but his overall game is right up there, you only have to watch him for five minutes to see that.

 

[Flem274*]

Williamson's problem is he's a flawed young middle order batsman playing as a de facto opener.

He's not the best young batsman right now, Pujara is. cbf predicting which of this lot will be the best because I'll be wrong anyway.

 

[hendrix]

Williamson's problem is he's a flawed young middle order batsman playing as a de facto opener.

This.

He's a busy middle order batsman whose main shots rely on the pitch having flattened out somewhat.

He's not suited to bat at 3, and especially not behind our openers.

 

[BeeGee]

when you have guys like munro turning up to play for you in tests blah blah blah

Munro is a cricketing God! Certainly the best young batsman around right now (top class bowler as well).

But because NZ's selectors are blind and ******** (and play lawn bowls) they don't see his greatness and he will probably never get to play another Test match.

 

[WindieWeathers]

I'm not sure how people can be so confident about Pujura when the lad hasn't even performed away from home yet!!.. at least Kohli has a ton in Aus, Darren Bravo two tons in India, Williamson a ton in India too etc, for all we know Pujura is just a home bully.

No doubt he's looked impressive thus far, but lets see what he can do when they go to SA later this year before he's hailed an "all time great".

 

[Jono]

Fmd, that must be the biggest straw man of all time. No one called him an all-time great.

 

[Satyanash89]

"All time great"? Lol, where did that come from?

 

[tooextracool]

That would be because he is.

He's underperformed somewhat in his test career to date I'll admit that, inconsistancy has plagued him pretty badly. But some of the expectations people seem to have placed on him are just totally ridiculously, it's as though he should be averaging 45+ and because he isn't he's some sort of cricketing bust. Newsflash, test cricket is tough. It is especially tough when you're a young batsmen trying to make it in a team that is as bad as this New Zealand one as been over the past three or so years. He's also come into the New Zealand team where we've played a lot of test cricket recently (for us anyway) but very little of it at home, 21 test matches and he's played 1/3 them at home.

He might not have the record so far that a few other young batsmen have managed but his overall game is right up there, you only have to watch him for five minutes to see that.

Im very much on the same page as you - every time I've watched him bat hes looked very organized and his technique is unparalleled in the NZ side. I rate him very highly, and even though his average is perhaps unflattering hes played some very valuable knocks and considering that he is not yet 23 he has got plenty of time to set that record straight.

 

[tooextracool]

The likeness with Brian Lara is only too apparent for Darren Bravo and quite a player to live upto, though the way he's started his Test career those comparisons won't go away soon. Did struggle in English conditions and like Williamson has done, another stint in county cricket should certainly help his game develop.

I think what people forget with Lara is that he never had a great technique, his was really a triumph of hand- eye coordination and balance over technique and its one of the reasons why Glenn McGrath worked him over time and time again. An extraneously high backlift along with feet that often got nowhere near the pitch of the ball meant that he was often susceptible to the ball going away from him. My own personal opinion with Bravo is that I just dont think he has the ability of Brian Lara to make up for the deficiencies in his technique though obviously considering that he is only 24 he could very well figure it out over the course of his career.

I havent seen enough of Pujara, at least not on helpful tracks to judge so I will reserve judgement on him for the time being. His record though shows an insatiable appetite and the fact that he has scored FC runs for India A across the world probably is a good sign. I'm also quietly fond of Murali Vijay's technique, though once again, it remains to be seen how he holds up away from home.