Wisden's Greatest ODI Players of each decade

[Flem274*]

It also can't be understated how much harder it is and was to bat in ODIs in Australia. The large grounds typically used to mean Australian batsmen would average more overseas than at home. Gilchrist averaging 37 in Australia was extremely valuable. Between 1990 and 2010 at home, only Ponting scored more hundreds.

so does this mean all your bowlers are overrated because they had it so much easier to contain on those continental sized grounds?

though i guess this puts the symonds atg 5th bowler discussion to bed. dude just skipped getting pumped because no one has the power to hit his slow dobbly filth over the rope 3 australian kilometres away.

 

[harsh.ag]

It also can't be understated how much harder it is and was to bowl in ODIs in Australia.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Swing and a miss from stephen there

Don't know why big boundaries would make opening hard in the 90s anyway. Not too many trying to clear the boundary back then and even if you do try there's only 2 men out in the first 15 so barely matters anyway

 

[Gob]

Man this reminds me of #mcgsobig

Good times

 

[TheJediBrah]

Man this reminds me of #mcgsobig

Good times

So big it have BMac vertigo

 

[Jack1]

Swing and a miss from stephen there

Don't know why big boundaries would make opening hard in the 90s anyway. Not too many trying to clear the boundary back then and even if you do try there's only 2 men out in the first 15 so barely matters anyway

It’s easier to hit fours when the boundary is smaller too. Grass length can be a factor too for fours can’t say I’ve paid too much notice to it though

 

[Burgey]

Man this reminds me of #mcgsobig

Good times

the great thing about #mcgsobig is it proved to be true in the final, where NZ looked like junior players having to compete on a state miles too big for them

 

[stephen]

Swing and a miss from stephen there

Don't know why big boundaries would make opening hard in the 90s anyway. Not too many trying to clear the boundary back then and even if you do try there's only 2 men out in the first 15 so barely matters anyway

Australian players batting at home:

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Vs overseas:

Batting records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

6 players averaged >40 at home, 12 players averaged >40 away/neutral. Looking at batting averages, the aggregate batting average of Australians in Australia was 34 and outside Australia was 38. That's a 10% difference, which is certainly significant.

Even in the 90s/00s, ground size mattered. If this also means that Australian bowlers may have been overrated, you might be right. I haven't looked much into that.

 

[Victor Ian]

Funny the difference is 4 runs.

Do everyone else in australia and everyone else everwhere else, please.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

Top order batsmen in 90s weren't really known for big hits and the large size of ground makes it easier to hit fours as there are lots of open spaces(bigger gaps).

 

[ataraxia]

the large size of ground makes it easier to hit fours as there are lots of open spaces(bigger gaps)

that makes zero sense

 

[stephen]

Funny the difference is 4 runs.

Do everyone else in australia and everyone else everwhere else, please.

For context, from 1990 to the end of 2009:
India 37 home, 30 overseas, 27 Australia
Pakistan 38 home, 29 overseas, 26 Australia
South Africa 37 home, 33 overseas, 31 Australia
West Indies 31 home, 29 overseas, 25 Australia
Sri Lanka 33 home, 29 overseas, 25 Australia
New Zealand 30 home, 27 overseas, 26 Australia
England 33 home, 28 overseas, 26 Australia
Australia 33 home, 37 overseas

Literally every other major country averaged more at home in that 20 year period than they did overseas. Every country averaged lower in Australia (even counting neutral games) than their general overseas record.

Australia's large grounds and/ or friendlier bowling conditions drove averages down in the country.

 

[stephen]

Oh and it didn't matter so much batsmen trying to hit 6s in the 90s, but hitting a ball that would have gone for 4 in another country would often only give 2 runs in Australia. That would particularly hurt boundary- reliant batsmen, unless they were cross bat specialists like Gilchrist.

 

[sunilz]

For context, from 1990 to the end of 2009:
India 37 home, 30 overseas, 27 Australia
Pakistan 38 home, 29 overseas, 26 Australia
South Africa 37 home, 33 overseas, 31 Australia
West Indies 31 home, 29 overseas, 25 Australia
Sri Lanka 33 home, 29 overseas, 25 Australia
New Zealand 30 home, 27 overseas, 26 Australia
England 33 home, 28 overseas, 26 Australia
Australia 33 home, 37 overseas

How much Australia average at home against SA ? That would be fare comparison. Because rest of the team have to face AUS attack in AUS. And I feel SA attack was at par with Aus in 90s and 2000s in ODI. So AUS vs SA in AUS would be comparable to rest of teams vs AUS in AUS.

 

[stephen]

though i guess this puts the symonds atg 5th bowler discussion to bed. dude just skipped getting pumped because no one has the power to hit his slow dobbly filth over the rope 3 australian kilometres away.

Symonds bowling average was 36 at home and 38 overseas. I wouldn't pick Symonds for an ATG side to play in Australia anyway. Overseas his batting average was pretty much 50 but at home he averaged less than 30.

 

[stephen]

How much Australia average at home against SA ? That would be fare comparison. Because rest of the team have to face AUS attack in AUS. And I feel SA attack was at par with Aus in 90s and 2000s in ODI. So AUS vs SA in AUS would be comparable to rest of teams vs AUS in AUS.

Australian batsmen averaged 27 at home against South Africa. South Africa averaged 30 in Australia against Australia in that time period.

Australia averaged 31 in and against South Africa in South Africa. South Africa averaged 33 at home against Australia.

I'm not really sure that says much though because it depends a lot more on the quality of the individual sides than it does about overall trends.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

that makes zero sense

You know that players need to find gaps to hit fours? Easier to do that on a bigger ground with more open spaces.

 

[stephen]

Less reliably, we can look at neutral matches played in each country. This is less reliable because many neutral matches are not played on primary grounds.

Team records | One-Day Internationals | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo.com

stats.espncricinfo.com

Anyway, the batting average in neutral matches is lower in Australia than any other top 8 country except Sri Lanka.

 

[stephen]

You know that players need to find gaps to hit fours? Easier to do that on a bigger ground with more open spaces.

The fielders field further out can can cover a wider area than on smaller grounds.

 

[CodeOfWisden]

The fielders field further out can can cover a wider area than on smaller grounds.

Yes, that's the downside but bigger gaps over compensates for this.
Another advantage -
Bigger ground means more open spaces to play lofted shots and not get caught.