Top Five Cricketers from each country

[Malcolm]

If Watson was in this Australian team I reckon they'd be favourites for the WC right now.

Australia is going to win it anyway.

 

[Burgey]

Of course they are, they usually do. But the point is they aren't favourites right now, but if Watson was in their side, they would be.

 

[trundler]

Watson could probably still be one of the better openers going around. Not sure about his bowling these days but he's looked too good to be a franchise hack.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

At his peak Watto was a far superior bowler to what Stoinis will ever be. With his age and injury history though that horse has long bolted, didn't deliver a single ball in the most recent Big Bash

 

[Burgey]

Yeah but I wasn't referring to current Watson, just as I'm sure the people who are talking about Sobers, Botham et al aren't advocating for their greatness as 60-80 year olds. I was referring to something approaching peak Watson, who would solve the fifth bowling problem and provide a locked in opener.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Yeah but I wasn't referring to current Watson, just as I'm sure the people who are talking about Sobers, Botham et al aren't advocating for their greatness as 60-80 year olds. I was referring to something approaching peak Watson, who would solve the fifth bowling problem and provide a locked in opener.

That I by and large completely agree with

 

[Daemon]

Peak Watson would stroll into any side in the world right now and probably be one of if not the best player there.

 

[stephen]

Watson is underrated by Australians I think. He perennially disappointed in tests which fed into the public's opinion of him. The second reason he's underrated here is that most of his runs came overseas and in the 2011 world cup disaster.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Just shows the wonder of hindsight I guess. I was pretty critical of Watto in the past, especially regarding his canoe sized front pad, but the hole he left in the limited overs setup especially has still not been truly filled to this day.

Definitely a world class ODI cricketer

 

[bagapath]

1. It was not their fault .
Also Procter proved himself by playing 16 matches spanned over a decade against strong test teams.

Procter stats
16 matches 700 runs at 33.33
70 wickets at 17.14

If 1 wkt = 20 runs , Procter equalled Headley / Pollock from just 16 matches.

2. Botham better peak. Kapil better for longer. Overall Kapil.

there are people born with physical handicaps, for example. it is not their fault. That doesn't mean you can predict that they'd have been great test cricketers if they had both legs.

 

[StephenZA]

there are people born with physical handicaps, for example. it is not their fault. That doesn't mean you can predict that they'd have been great test cricketers if they had both legs.

That is a poor comparison, it is not like the man did not play cricket for 10+ years at high level.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

there are people born with physical handicaps, for example. it is not their fault. That doesn't mean you can predict that they'd have been great test cricketers if they had both legs.

^^ This is the opposite of a quality post .

Whatever evidences available suggest ATG careers for Procter , Pollock , Richards And Rice.
There is absolutely no evidence against that claim , unless you make a weak assumption of a "Hick possibility" as your scientific proof.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

In fact ,
Procter had a longer quality career against top quality test teams than Ian Botham.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

^^ In terms of years

Imagine , like most players , Botham playing just 30 tests in his peak 5 years and 70 tests 10yrs outside the peak.
Bat AVG 25 , Ball AVG 35 .. may be

 

[bagapath]

explain to me please...

How would you rate Rice as the third best batsman among quality allrounders at the test level, above Botham, Miller and Kapil, when he has played exactly 0 test matches?

no legs. not his fault. but he is not eligible.


If Hick's case is a double quote worthy scientific evidence, what irrefutable logic do you have to sell Rice at the test level?

 

[bagapath]

^^ In terms of years

Imagine , like most players , Botham playing just 30 tests in his peak 5 years and 70 tests 10yrs outside the peak.
Bat AVG 25 , Ball AVG 35 .. may be

Imagine Rice playing 0 tests at his peak. no batting average, no bowling average. not eligible for this discussion.

 

[bagapath]

That is a poor comparison, it is not like the man did not play cricket for 10+ years at high level.

rate him as a first class cricketer then. don't extrapolate those numbers to the highest level and belittle players who played 50+, 100+ tests around the globe.

 

[Bolo]

Watson a pretty underrated ODI all-rounder. Averaged 40 at a SR of 90 and perfectly capable of bowling his full quota of overs.

Good enough and capable of are different in Watsons case. I think you mean the former

 

[StephenZA]

rate him as a first class cricketer then. don't extrapolate those numbers to the highest level and belittle players who played 50+, 100+ tests around the globe.

I haven't done so, I pointed out it was a poor comparison. He played cricket at top level and did exceptionally well. Whether that should be extrapolated to Test cricket is another argument. But to compare him to somebody with a disability is beyond hyperbole.

 

[Burgey]

In fact ,
Procter had a longer quality career against top quality test teams than Ian Botham.

This is terrible. Truly terrible.

Players get worked out. Opposition sides work out how to play them, they adjust. It’s all hypothetical. You can’t say Procter would have ahd a better test career than Botham. It’s just a what if.

And this idea being floated around that Dev was a better cricketer than Botham is ****ing tosh. One of the worst exercises in revisionist stat picking I’ve seen. Stop it, all of you. Anyone who watched them play knows Botham was a better cricketer. Those who are saying it’s Dev must never have watched them play, and their opinion is so naive their balls probably haven’t dropped yet. Terrible analysis. Just junk posting.

Doesn’t mean Dev was ordinary, doesn’t mean he wasn’t great. But the other bloke was simply better.