Is Dhoni greatest OdI cricketer off all-time

[Black_Warrior]

Lol I had to keep it short and not post a thesis

 

[indiaholic]

B_W what about Dhoni refusing to dive for anything that goes to his right? Do his keeping abilities (stumpings/run outs) compensate for not going for catches that most wicket keepers would have gone for?

 

[Black_Warrior]

No the helicopter makes up for that

 

[Burner]

I'd have Dhoni in my team just for the helicopter. Just so good.

 

[Burgey]

Yepp and as a cricketer (given that Dhoni is an allrounder), there is a legitimate case for Dhoni being ahead of all three of them in terms of overall career in the same way that there is a legitimate case for Sobers being a greater cricketer than Bradman and Viv.

You know Viv used to bowl ten overs of offies in almost every odi, right?

 

[Burgey]

Dhoni is certainly worthy of consideration in this argument though.

I always think Sanath gets overlooked a lot in these discussions too. Fmd he was a gun LO player.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

You know Viv used to bowl ten overs of offies in almost every odi, right?

He says as if 95% of this forum was alive then.

 

[Red]

You know Viv used to bowl ten overs of offies in almost every odi, right?

Used to share 5th bowler duties with Harper, Gomes and Hooper a lot when the WIs were playing 4 quicks. Was definitely a handy and economical offie.

 

[Red]

Plus, if you're gonna take Dhoni's average keeping into account, also take into account Viv's elite fielding. Guy was close to the best fielder I've seen

World Cup Vignettes : 1 | Three strikes from King Viv | Cricket videos, MP3, podcasts, cricket audio | ESPN Cricinfo

 

[smash84]

yeah Viv is arguably a greater cricketer but Dhoni belongs in the argument.

 

[Jono]

could have sworn Cricinfo did an analysis of all ODI cricketers and Viv's bowling was statistically very useful on the weighting. He ended up #1 accordingly.

 

[honestbharani]

Its hard to put anyone above King Viv but MSD s surely in the conversation n dats a big enough achievement by itself.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhoni is certainly worthy of consideration in this argument though.

I always think Sanath gets overlooked a lot in these discussions too. Fmd he was a gun LO player.

Destructive opener, gun fielder, extremely useful dart throwing 5th bowler, man of the series in SL's only WC win. Yep. He's up there for sure.

 

[Contra]

Plus, if you're gonna take Dhoni's average keeping into account, also take into account Viv's elite fielding. Guy was close to the best fielder I've seen

World Cup Vignettes : 1 | Three strikes from King Viv | Cricket videos, MP3, podcasts, cricket audio | ESPN Cricinfo

Dhoni's wicketkeeping in limited overs cricket is far superior to his test cricket keeping, he's legit the fastest behind the stumps to spinners, and considering how much spin India usually uses that's critical to the team's success.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Dhoni's wicketkeeping in limited overs cricket is far superior to his test cricket keeping, he's legit the fastest behind the stumps to spinners, and considering how much spin India usually uses that's critical to the team's success.

Captaincy too. It's weird how different every single facet of Dhoni's skillset is different according to format. Ok test batsman but ATG ODI batsman, decent test keeper but great ODI keeper because his mediocre keeping to swing is more than compensated by quick hands when keeping to the spinners, and a terrible (imo) test captain, but a great ODI captain. Very few better at tightening the screws in the middle overs by perfectly rotation of spinners and part timers.

 

[TNT]

Captaincy too. It's weird how different every single facet of Dhoni's skillset is different according to format. Ok test batsman but ATG ODI batsman, decent test keeper but great ODI keeper because his mediocre keeping to swing is more than compensated by quick hands when keeping to the spinners, and a terrible (imo) test captain, but a great ODI captain. Very few better at tightening the screws in the middle overs by perfectly rotation of spinners and part timers.

Never really rated his captaincy in ODI's, actually thought it hindered the team at times certainly not a great ODI captain IMO.

 

[grecian]

In the end, Vivs strike-rate in One-day cricket without field restrictions, boundaries brought in, better bat technology was so ahead of his contemporaries it was almost pure genius, oh and he averaged 47 whilst doing it. Look at other great players of the time like Javed and Greg Chappell. His decent bowling and top-class fielding almost seems an irrelevance compared to that.

gawd knows what his strike-rate would be today when you can use the bats to short-arm jab a six, blimey all his defensive shots would have probably gone for 4.

 

[Victor Ian]

I think it is quite remarkable that so many Best Ever ODI players are appearing this century. So much so that I think this must make one really reassess making so much hyperbole out of averages and strike rates. If Viv was playing now, he'd make them all pale into white. If Dean Jones was here he'd make them all sit back and take notice. Some may like to say, "Oh it's the greater professionalism of players these days", forgetting that the bowlers are more professional too. Clearly it is all about the fact that the balance has been tilted so far in favour of batsmen that no one talks about any bowlers of late being the best ever. It's still all the way back to Garner. Dhoni is pretty good, that's all. He has no where near the class or skill of Tendulkar or he'd have translated that into tests. As for the finishing argument, I think that is overrated. Viv, Ponting, Tendulkar and many others finished games from the onset.

 

[indiaholic]

The finishing and chasing arguments I agree are over rated. But that is just human bias.. You tend to value the finish way more than the journey. Now this does not mean that Dhoni or Kohli are not ATG batsmen.
And you don't have to go as far back as Garner. You do have McGrath and confirmed God Wasim.

 

[Burgey]

Can't believe non-nz supporters are forgetting the immortal Trent Boult and Tim Southee when talking about all time odi bowlers.