How good is Sanga?

[Jono]

He probably would nowadays. BCCI would be like the gestapo, talented young cricketers conscripted to play.

 

[Howe_zat]

My point's that there's essentially no difference between them except that Tendulkar was playing test and doing ok between the ages of 16 and 23 and Sangakkara was in domestic cricket, debuting at 22. And then there's a couple of dodgy ending years that Sanga seems keen to avoid. The only way you can say Sangakkara's record is clearly better is by claiming that not playing tests and doing decently in them for 7 years are the same, which is senseless

 

[Jono]

My point's that there's essentially no difference between them except that Tendulkar was playing test and doing ok between the ages of 16 and 23 and Sangakkara was in domestic cricket, debuting at 22. And then there's a couple of dodgy ending years that Sanga seems keen to avoid. The only way you can say Sangakkara's record is clearly better is by claiming that not playing tests and doing decently in them for 7 years are the same, which is senseless

Indeed. Good post.

The only counter I guess is that Sanga had the gloves on for a chunk of his career.

 

[CWB304]

One hell of an innings. The Sanga naysayers on this thread seem to have retired hurt, except the guy who still rates Jayawardene above him, presumably because "cricket is more than just a game about statistics" :-)

 

[harsh.ag]

One hell of an innings. The Sanga naysayers on this thread seem to have retired hurt, except the guy who still rates Jayawardene above him, presumably because "cricket is more than just a game about statistics" :-)

I don't know why there are quotes on that.

 

[Riggins]

how does burgey get 4 likes on this? jesus christ guys it's not like he was saying something out of left field

spikey dolling out a like the biggest mystery of the lot.

 

[Spark]

Likes Given Likes Given (1)

the intrigue deepens

 

[grecian]

Indeed. Good post.

The only counter I guess is that Sanga had the gloves on for a chunk of his career.

Pretty good counter though when you consider his record without the gloves, and that is why I probably liked Burgey's post, simply because all the arguments in here will be circular around, that, the Bangla/Zim thing. Has it has been from the start of the thread.So why not like the post that seems true amongst the recycled opinions?

 

[Spikey]

Indeed. Good post.

The only counter I guess is that Sanga had the gloves on for a chunk of his career.

I can think of another counter

Sachin is much bigger than the little sri lankan

 

[Jono]

For Sanga to be as good as Sachin he needs to write an autobiography bitchslapping everyone.

 

[honestbharani]

I dunno about you guys but his image has taken a small but definite beating after that book, esp. the mud slinging at Dravid for the Multan declaration... He was comparing his knock to the Sydney test knock by Dravid in the second innings before that test and IIRC, he even got the venue wrong as Melbourne.. Boria Majumdar obviously too cool to check even basic facts ghost writing his book...

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yeah, my doubts that Tendulkar cared a lot more about milestones than fans would believe was confirmed when I read the book. He also mentioned that after the Multan declaration, he was the one who stopped Dhoni and Kirsten from declaring on the last day of a test vs England just to allow Gambhir and Yuvraj to get their hundreds, because he didn't want them to "go through what he did". The match was going to be a draw anyway and the draw secured the series, but I think it reveals a lot about Tendulkar that he went against the wishes of the captain and the coach and convinced them to allow the batsmen to get meaningless hundreds at the cost of a possible early declaration.

Ironically, both Yuvraj and Gambhir got out before their hundreds anyway.

 

[viriya]

My point's that there's essentially no difference between them except that Tendulkar was playing test and doing ok between the ages of 16 and 23 and Sangakkara was in domestic cricket, debuting at 22. And then there's a couple of dodgy ending years that Sanga seems keen to avoid. The only way you can say Sangakkara's record is clearly better is by claiming that not playing tests and doing decently in them for 7 years are the same, which is senseless

What you did is essentially the same as considering just Sanga the non-wicketkeeper batsman - take out the bad parts of a person's career (early career + horrendous milestone seeking end in Tendulkar's case)..

You have to compare overall careers to evaluate them fairly imo - Sanga is better without the gloves but I think the 70 average just shows that he only figured out how to get massive scores consistently a few years in. The fact that he just got better with age in ODIs while still keeping suggests that his career trajectory was likely to be the same regardless.

"Avoiding the 2 dodgy years" is something every player should look to do - for the team's and their own career's sake.

 

[Spark]

Providing competent if not ATG batting whilst the team is in transition and taking an average hit >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Retiring early to retain a high career average

 

[Jarquis]

Adore him.

His 'dismissal' at Hobart still pains me to this day

 

[viriya]

Providing competent if not ATG batting whilst the team is in transition and taking an average hit >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Retiring early to retain a high career average

Not when you average 27 over 2 years.. Maybe Rohit Sharma would have established himself instead of playing just 9 tests here and there and now probably losing his Test career prospects.

 

[Blocky]

So the "peak" of Tendulkar's career has an average of .3 or so more than Sanga's entire career. Yet the peak of Sanga's career has an average of 10 more than Tendulkars best period. Go figure.

 

[Coronis]

Providing competent if not ATG batting whilst the team is in transition and taking an average hit >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Retiring early to retain a high career average

Is 37 retiring early?

 

[Blocky]

Is 37 retiring early?

Some would say yes, considering Misbah is playing some of his best ever cricket at 40 but to put it into perspective - Stephen Fleming retired at 34, Graeme Smith, 33. Hussey 36.

 

[Migara]

Don't know. But he needs to stick around for two more seasons, till 2017 may be. Another two batsmen have to step up to fill Sanga's and Mahela's boots. Chandimal is one of them for sure. Having very high hopes of Kaushal Silva, but he is 30+ at the moment. But 5 seasons averaging 40, at the top wouldn't do any harm.