Vote for Five Cricketers of the 2000s + 2010s

[stephen]

Both were fantastic cricketers and deserving of their spots.

 

[indiaholic]

Virat should have made the top 5 easily if ODI's and T20s were fully taken into account by everyone

I'll admit I was only thinking Tests

Yup. This is true. Give something like equal weight to LOIs and he is in comfortably.

 

[stephen]

Yup. This is true. Give something like equal weight to LOIs and he is in comfortably.

True and all format players, particularly bowlers are very rare these days.

Starc, for example is possibly the greatest white ball bowler ever and yet is merely very good in tests. The reverse is true for Smith. Finch is great at ODIs and trash tier at tests. This is really what makes Kohli so special. His ODI and t20 prowess overshadows the fact that he's the second best batsman in tests as well.

 

[honestbharani]

I still think Starc will wind up better than Hazlewood and a very good test bowler.

 

[srbhkshk]

No bent knee, away from the body, all hands no footwork... pretty rubbish cover drive tbh

lol yeah, unless this was supposed to be an example of a poor cover drive. You can literally find a better one being played each hour in any test.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Tell that to anyone covering English cricket though.

the nation that gave you vaughan and gower. put some respect on the name

(vince is **** though, bell too from an aesthetics pov)

 

[ankitj]

When we getting real countdown started?

 

[harsh.ag]

Here we go!








#5
Thirteen Votes

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Adam Craig Gilchrist, aka Gilly, aka Churchy, born on Children's Day in the year of 1971, was the forerunner of a galaxy of superstar keepers, transforming the previously unassuming role.

There are lots of little facts about Gilly worth sharing. His domestic journey began late, at the age of 20, involved a state transfer from NSW to Western Australia and confrontations with Shane Warne who initially wanted Darren Berry to be Healy's successor. His first big international innings was as a specialist batsman in an ODI in Durban, scoring a counter attacking 77 to win a low scoring encounter for Oz. His penchant for attacking strokeplay soon saw him promoted to the opening role where he struck his hammer at a rate of 98. He famously scored fifty plus scores in all three world cup finals, ending with a cracking 149 in 2007 to seal Sri Lanka's fate.

The excellence of Ian Healy made Gilly wait till the age of 28 for a test call up. In the summer of '99, he proceeded to flay messers Wasim, Shoaib and Mushtaq to all parts of the Gabba on debut before mounting one of the all time great counterattacking (there is that word again!) chases with Justin Langer in the next game at Hobart with another 149.

He was one of the few batsmen in history to be able to effectively combine a ferocious attacking style with such high output. He was adept at cutting, pulling and driving pacers and played dismissive sweeps against spin bowlers of all types. That high backlift somehow managed to despatch full deliveries designed to get under him. His 17 test hundreds are far and away the most by a keeper and will remain so for a while.

​

Gilchrist made a habit of rescuing Australia when required and of putting a nail in the opposition's coffin as early as day two of a game. Another fine example of the former was the quickfire 144 in the third innings of the 2004 Kandy test, setting up a floundering Australia for a 27 run win. I will never forget watching him go berserk at the WACA in the 57 ball Ashes hundred and the score galloping from 375 to 500 in no time. He will best be remembered for being one of the feared pillars of perhaps the greatest test team of all time. It's hard to describe the sense of dread an opposing side would feel when out strolled Gilly after all the hard work put in to dismiss the top 5 bats.

He was also a top tier leader on the field. Having served as vice captain to both Waugh and Ponting, he put his skills to good use in conquering "the final frontier", leading Australia to an unassailable 2-0 series lead in India in 2004, a historic win for that great side. He also guided the Deccan Chargers to an IPL trophy in 2009.

His keeping was immaculate, without the kind of flaws apparent in some modern keeper-bats. Being a big man, he must have had great balance to be able to keep to Shane Warne, Stuart MacGill and Brad Hogg (and Bevan, who he said was the hardest to keep to) as cleanly as he did. He also stood up to McGrath and Bracken at times, even getting a couple of stumpings.

The decade of 2000 belonged as much to Gilchrist as it did to Ponting and McGrath and that speaks volumes. He will also be remembered as a man who often walked when not given, receiving, for wit, in equal measure, praise and blame.

 

[honestbharani]

He tipped the Australian side from being merely great to one of the greatest of all time. Definitely deserves his spot even if I did not personally pick him.

 

[trundler]

Dat SR (at dat average while being a truly world class keeper).

That's all you need to look at really. Champion.

 

[srbhkshk]

Had lots of balls too.

 

[vcs]

Legend. One of my favourite cricketers ever.

 

[ankitj]

Superb write-up @harsh.ag. Captures the phenomenon that was Gilchrist perfectly.

 

[Burgey]

Had to be there. i pity those other than the 13 who voted for him

 

[harsh.ag]

Wasim talks about the Hobart 149 with a lot of respect. Also had Waqar in that test, unlike the previous one.

 

[honestbharani]

Waqar in 1999 was not the Waqar we knew though. Not to take away from the inning coz he did have to contend with Saqlain, Wasim and Shoaib and even a downgraded Waqar was still good. Razzaq was very good with the ball around this time too.

 

[stephen]

1999 was probably the year Pakistan had the greatest bowling attack they've ever fielded though. None of their bowlers were bad and they had some legitimate ATG bowlers.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

virat could try contributing in a knock out game....

an achievement he lacks

Well he's no Grant Elliot but still a pretty decent white ball player.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

On the Sky Debate show after the days play today they filled the time left by the lack of cricket by picking their teams of the 21st Century. Mark Butcher was host, with Dominic Cork, Matt Prior and a journalist from Pakistan who’s name I can’t remember. None of them picked Gilchrist (all had Sanga as keeper.) One had Kallis batting at 7 and ,drum roll, one of them had Brett Lee in the side but not Dale Steyn.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Crazy. I wouldn't even have Brett Lee close to an Australian team of the 21st century.

Would he be in the top 25/30 seamers of the century?