Who is Sri Lanka's best ever cricketer?

[Pratters]

Please don't over simplify things by just looking at over all stats. It never helps. Go deep and in layers some thing might be understood.

 

[NUFAN]

oh crap, thought this was a thread for SL batsmen. Ended up voting sangers, didn't think of Murali. Otherwise Murali beats sangers.

How on earth did you do that? The thread title literally says cricketers and Murali is the first name on the list directly above Sangakkara. Don't think its possible what you've done, kudos.

 

[Pratters]

There is no way 60 for 80 tests is equally dominant as 52 for 40 tests. No. way.

No this theory of yours makes no sense. Every era has different number of tests. Fred Truman took only 300 test wickets in his era. That was considered a great achievement then. Hadlee took 431. Spofforth took far less. When we compare, we see who the better bowler was as the minimum requisite to establish standard has been achieved. It's not like they missed because hhey were dropped. As you saw by averages De Silva equates to 56 or so any ways.

So one establishes both were dominant at home. So other factors have to be looked at.

 

[Hurricane]

How on earth did you do that? The thread title literally says cricketers and Murali is the first name on the list directly above Sangakkara. Don't think its possible what you've done, kudos.

Don't let him off lightly NUFAN.

 

[NUFAN]

Don't let him off lightly NUFAN.

Mods, can we ban Smali, deserves a week on the sidelines.

 

[Pratters]

He would at least be closer to be the GOAT bowler than Sanga would be to be the GOAT batsman/2nd best batsman.

How is Murali greatest of all time? Prove conclusively he is better than Marshall, McGrath, Spofforth, O Reilly.

 

[viriya]

Please don't over simplify things by just looking at over all stats. It never helps. Go deep and in layers some thing might be understood.

Going deep involves picking and choosing small sample sizes like 6 Tests and extrapolating.. that's really not how you make insightful conclusions.

 

[viriya]

How is Murali greatest of all time? Prove conclusively he is better than Marshall, McGrath, Spofforth, O Reilly.

For a 6 year period, he took 441 wickets over 62 games averaging 7.2 wickets/game at an average of 19:
Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

This is the most Bradmen-esque stretch of bowling that has ever been (a dominant stretch similar to Bradman's career length of 52 tests).

No one in the history of the game was a bigger match-winner (clear when you compare post-Murali SL Test W/L with the W/L during his career).

Whether Murali is the GOAT is a separate thread topic though, and I'd rather not this thread turn into that and just focus on SL's best.

 

[harsh.ag]

67 5-fers bitches

 

[mr_mister]

yeah well he bowled 7339 overs

 

[viriya]

yeah well he bowled 7339 overs

Murali 7339 overs, 67 5-fers
Warne 6784 overs, 37 5-fers

I'm not sure that's a good argument. A better one would be that he was more likely to get wickets because SL didn't have many bowling options aside from Vaas, which is valid to a degree, but doesn't explain the massive difference.

 

[mr_mister]

I was going for that argument but went for the objective rather than subjective statement

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Mathews must be pretty close to Jayawardene, Aravinda, Vaas and Sanath now, and if he performs well for the rest of his career I'd put him 3rd as his performances in the last couple of years have been Kallisesque.

Angelo needs to score more centuries, but he's basically Misbah with decent bowling and average captaincy - fine player.
Still a big gap to Sanga and then another gap to Murali though

 

[OverratedSanity]

Can someone make a Cricket Chat flowchart where all threads eventually lead to Warne vs Murali no matter what?

 

[viriya]

Mathews must be pretty close to Jayawardene, Aravinda, Vaas and Sanath now, and if he performs well for the rest of his career I'd put him 3rd as his performances in the last couple of years have been Kallisesque.

Angelo needs to score more centuries, but he's basically Misbah with decent bowling and average captaincy - fine player.
Still a big gap to Sanga and then another gap to Murali though

Calling Angelo Kallis-esque might be pushing it a bit. He just doesn't bowl in Tests enough. Definitely has the potential for #3 for sure, but a few more years needed. Hope he keeps at his bowling.

 

[Ikki]

yeah but there's enormous value in having a home track bully.

I've heard this before and I guess it's because you play more at home than any one country by far. I think what that logic fails to account for is that it's not just easier batting at home for the best batsman; it's also easier for almost all the batsmen in the line-up. Whereas away from home that's not the case. It could be argued that there's more value for performing away because of how less likely your teammates are to perform; whereas even if you don't perform at home it's more likely someone else from the line-up will pick up the slack.

I did clarify.. By number of tests.. Mahela played 50% more test matches and was generally consistent throughout.

Didn't Aravinda play for longer?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Calling Angelo Kallis-esque might be pushing it a bit. He just doesn't bowl in Tests enough. Definitely has the potential for #3 for sure, but a few more years needed. Hope he keeps at his bowling.

Has averaged 75 with bat and 34 with the ball in the last 2 years (18 tests). I'd call that Kallisesque

 

[viriya]

Has averaged 75 with bat and 34 with the ball in the last 2 years (18 tests). I'd call that Kallisesque

Yea but that 34 bowling average is a little deceiving because he doesn't bowl significantly. Only 16 wickets in 18 tests is just not that impactful.

 

[Zinzan]

I've heard this before and I guess it's because you play more at home than any one country by far. I think what that logic fails to account for is that it's not just easier batting at home for the best batsman; it's also easier for almost all the batsmen in the line-up. Whereas away from home that's not the case. It could be argued that there's more value for performing away because of how less likely your teammates are to perform; whereas even if you don't perform at home it's more likely someone else from the line-up will pick up the slack.

Exactly, I don't know why people don't get this point. Lots of players bat well at home, the real value is the players who do it in the most foreign of conditions.

 

[Pratters]

For a 6 year period, he took 441 wickets over 62 games averaging 7.2 wickets/game at an average of 19:
Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo

This is the most Bradmen-esque stretch of bowling that has ever been (a dominant stretch similar to Bradman's career length of 52 tests).

No one in the history of the game was a bigger match-winner (clear when you compare post-Murali SL Test W/L with the W/L during his career).

Whether Murali is the GOAT is a separate thread topic though, and I'd rather not this thread turn into that and just focus on SL's best.

But how is either better than Bill O Reilly or Glenn McGrath?