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Are multi-format greats a thing of past?

ankitj

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Among the currently active players, you will probably only describe Kohli as a great in both tests and limited overs. Going back to 90s and mid-2000s, you would describe a lot of them as greats in both formats -- Tendulkar, Murali, McGrath, Warne, Akram, Pollock, Ambrose, Ponting, Donald, Lara among them. With the increased workload these days, are we going to see players focusing on one format and hence emergence of greats in one format only?

Discuss.
 
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harsh.ag

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
SA - Rabada. Markram might get there.
Oz - Smith is pretty good in LOs. As good as someone like Lara was in the 90s. Starc should count too imo though I can see disagreement on this.
Eng - Root. Bairstow ain't half bad.
India - Bumrah will probably get there.
NZ - KW.

If you define multi format as tests and LOs, then lesser players than before definitely because of the explosion of LO specialists. But if ODIs and T20s count as multi format, then we might even have more than earlier.
 
srbhkshk

srbhkshk

International Captain
I'd say Root , Williamson , Starc , Rabada , Warner , Bhuvi , Stokes , Boult , Hazlewood , Buttler , QDK , Bumrah and maybe a few more are all above average players in all formats, maybe a few of them would go on to be a great in both along with Kohli who is already there in loi's and is looking pretty good in tests too.

That said it's certainly the case that a proper test batsman used to have the tools to be a good accumulator in the ODI sides, an SR of 75 was very much acceptable if you could be a bit consistent. That's not the case now, someone like a Pujara would have been a good ODI batsman a couple decades ago, not so much now. With bowlers it's probably the workload, but the bowling requirements are really different in both formats too.
 
B

Bolo

State Captain
Skill sets have diverged somewhat. Line and length is the chief characteristic of a good test bowler, but not so useful in an ODI bowler. Patience plus the ability to punish bad balls marks a good test bat, but is useless in LO where you need to force runs.

We haven't seen the last of multi format greats, but it's not going to be a case of great in one probably means at least very good on another.
 
ankitj

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
harsh.ag said:
SA - Rabada. Markram might get there.
Oz - Smith is pretty good in LOs. As good as someone like Lara was in the 90s. Starc should count too imo though I can see disagreement on this.
Eng - Root. Bairstow ain't half bad.
India - Bumrah will probably get there.
NZ - KW.

If you define multi format as tests and LOs, then lesser players than before definitely because of the explosion of LO specialists. But if ODIs and T20s count as multi format, then we might even have more than earlier.
Click to expand...
Counting limited overs as one format.
 
TheJediBrah

TheJediBrah

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harsh.ag said:
SA - Rabada. Markram might get there.
Oz - Smith is pretty good in LOs. As good as someone like Lara was in the 90s. Starc should count too imo though I can see disagreement on this.
Eng - Root. Bairstow ain't half bad.
India - Bumrah will probably get there.
NZ - KW.

If you define multi format as tests and LOs, then lesser players than before definitely because of the explosion of LO specialists. But if ODIs and T20s count as multi format, then we might even have more than earlier.
Click to expand...
How many of them are "greats" though?

I don't think there's as many great players in general right now tbh, regardless of how many formats we're talking about.

Kohli, Smith, Root, KW, Anderson, ABdV if he was still playing, Steyn but he may be past it, Rabada but still early days, Warner I guess but he's a ****. A case could be made for all the Aus fast bowlers but still hard to rate them at this stage.
 
Starfighter

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
ankitj said:
ABdV also falls a touch short of greatness in test format, doesn't he?
Click to expand...
He finished with an average over 50, which a lot of people use as the benchmark. I must say that in my opinion it doesn't 'feel' like he was a test ATG, and I do think that perceptions have as much to do with greatness as the pure numbers.
 
morgieb

morgieb

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OverratedSanity said:
Yeah, borderline. Same with Smith and Steyn in odis. Bit of a stretch to call bairstow a "great" in any format. And if bumrah comes close to "greatness" in Tests, I'll eat Howe's shoe.
Click to expand...
Ehh, I feel like AB was a better Test player than Smith and Steyn are ODI players.
 
randycricfreak

randycricfreak

State Vice-Captain
As long as King Kohli is there, no.

Smith will remain an AT test great.

Root,KW will remain as greats of their times.

None of the current bowlers will become all time greats, however Rashid might have a shot at being an LOI great.

Rabada at best a great of his time.
 
S.Kennedy

S.Kennedy

International Vice-Captain
Well there is one more format now then there was during the '90s (potentially two if The Hundred happens haha) and Twenty20 is taken more seriously than it was during the '00s.
 
stephen

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Rabada and Cummins both are potential ATG bowlers. Rabada might be close to there tbh. It takes a special bowler to push Steyn out of the spearhead position for good.
 
Starfighter

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
stephen said:
Rabada and Cummins both are potential ATG bowlers. Rabada might be close to there tbh. It takes a special bowler to push Steyn out of the spearhead position for good.
Click to expand...
Rabada should reach test ATG easily. He's only 23 and has an superb record, and while I don't necessarily subscribe the idea he'll get better (some bowlers peak early, others late) than that he just needs to avoid major injury and he'll be right. But to put it in the context of this thread his ODI record is only fairly good rather than great. Cummins need to avoid further injuries (not doing a great job at that so far), and his ODI record isn't more than good, and I feel it actually flatters him.
 
OverratedSanity

OverratedSanity

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The only thing I see stopping rabada from being ATG is catastrophic injury/fitness issues. Can't think of any bowlers who had the kind of record rabada has now and not end up as a great despite staying fit.
 
morgieb

morgieb

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OverratedSanity said:
The only thing I see stopping rabada from being ATG is catastrophic injury/fitness issues. Can't think of any bowlers who had the kind of record rabada has now and not end up as a great despite staying fit.
Click to expand...
Hell, I struggle to think of bowlers with Rabada's record at a similar age full stop. Waqar probably the only one, and despite injuries he's still clearly an ATG.
 
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