Top 30 batsmen of the modern era (1990s -Current)

[hendrix]

So conflicted as a NZer reading this thread.

Younis Khan and Rahul Dravid are probably my favourite two players ever and yes, their careers are better than Kane's. Kane winning the WTC makes it slightly closer but still. Younis and Dravid were absolute heroes.

Maybe Kane will overtake them. But not yet, and to be honest he's still a long way away, particularly from Younis.

 

[Burgey]

And as selectors predicted at that time Mark Waugh never became as gret as his brother, Boon or Border. Argument would have been true if Mark has retired with an average of 57.

So you’re saying the selectors in 1994 should have predicted that Mark Waugh would finish up in 2002 with an average in the low 40s, after he'd kicked off his career the way he did? He literally replaced his brother in the test side when he debuted. And of course he was never going to be as great as Border. No one is as great as Border.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Ponting was certainly the best Australian batsman since Chappell and Border, and until Smith came along, arguably the best since Bradman.

Means
Ponting better than Waugh, Arguably the best since Bradman.

 

[ankitj]

WTC is a great concept but one bad side effect will be that this forum will start discounting performances (even retrospectively) for having come in JAM tests. Ugh.

 

[venkyrenga]

No. 5

Jacques Kallis - 146



Points: 146
Span: 1999-2012
Peak: 2004-07
Longevity bonus: 2.9

Overall points: 142.1
Overseas points: 134.2
Best bowling attack points: 136.2
Peak points: 176.4

Runs: 13289
Average: 55.37

 

[mr_mister]

Mark Waugh really spaced out his twenty test centuries in a way that made him undroppable. Would pull out a chanceless, seemingly effortless hundred (and get out soon after, naturally) after a string of failures and talk of dropping him. Without checking I doubt he tonned up twice in a series very often. It's not too hard to understand why he got 100+ tests averaging low 40s even with the depth of talent pushing for his spot.

He looked like... above ATG level during most of those tons too. That didn't hurt

 

[mr_mister]

Also in a post 1990 analysis Steve Waugh being above Ponting makes sense. His career average is probably 55+ if you discount his 1980s test batting mediocrity.

 

[Gob]

WTC is a great concept but one bad side effect will be that this forum will start discounting performances (even retrospectively) for having come in JAM tests. Ugh.

This may be tongue in cheek comment but there are no such things as JAMTESTS now that every test is paving way to the final so in a way, from now on it's a non stop test world cup

 

[Migara]

So you’re saying the selectors in 1994 should have predicted that Mark Waugh would finish up in 2002 with an average in the low 40s, after he'd kicked off his career the way he did? He literally replaced his brother in the test side when he debuted. And of course he was never going to be as great as Border. No one is as great as Border.

Exactly my point. Unless a player puts out an uber performance in FCC (a Bradmensque one), for an extended period, the chances of them being a greater player than already established and well performing player is very slim. Mark Waugh's case is an example for it. I can relate may cases from SL too. The only exception I can think is Pakistan's Fawad Alam, but there was hefty amounts of politics involved there.

 

[Burgey]

Means
Ponting better than Waugh, Arguably the best since Bradman.

Thanks, Scoop

 

[mr_mister]

Exactly my point. Unless a player puts out an uber performance in FCC (a Bradmensque one), for an extended period, the chances of them being a greater player than already established and well performing player is very slim. Mark Waugh's case is an example for it. I can relate may cases from SL too. The only exception I can think is Pakistan's Fawad Alam, but there was hefty amounts of politics involved there.

Speaking of Fawad Alam, darkhorse for top 3?

 

[_00_deathscar]

This may be tongue in cheek comment but there are no such things as JAMTESTS now that every test is paving way to the final so in a way, from now on it's a non stop test world cup

But the forum (or some members anyway) discounts group stage/other games too unless it’s a final

 

[Zinzan]

Ponting was certainly the best Australian batsman since Chappell and Border, and until Smith came along, arguably the best since Bradman.

You're prepared to put Smith ahead of Ponting already before his career is even done? I'm not, especially considering Ponting also averaged nigh-on 60 around the same age is Smith is now, and that was after many more innings.

I might well have Smith ahead when all is said and done, but the jury isn't out yet.

 

[Slifer]

You're prepared to put Smith ahead of Ponting already before his career is even done? I'm not, especially considering Ponting also averaged nigh-on 60 around the same age is Smith is now, and that was after many more innings.

I might well have Smith ahead when all is said and done, but the jury isn't out yet.

Agree with waiting til Smith is done but his 60+ average coincides with tremendously full bowling stocks. Ponting didn't face no where near as many challenging attacks when he was at his peak (early in his career he did).

 

[Chrish]

Not gonna lie concept of “meaningless bilateral test series” sounds appealing for some reason.

 

[TheJediBrah]

So conflicted as a NZer reading this thread.

Younis Khan and Rahul Dravid are probably my favourite two players ever and yes, their careers are better than Kane's. Kane winning the WTC makes it slightly closer but still. Younis and Dravid were absolute heroes.

Maybe Kane will overtake them. But not yet, and to be honest he's still a long way away, particularly from Younis.

This is a joke right

But the forum (or some members anyway) discounts group stage/other games too unless it’s a final

You realize there's a big difference though? Bilateral ODI series are full of rested players and half strength teams, and since about the mid-00s rarely have they been high stakes. You don't see a lot of players skipping Tests in comparison.

 

[_00_deathscar]

You realize there's a big difference though? Bilateral ODI series are full of rested players and half strength teams, and since about the mid-00s rarely have they been high stakes. You don't see a lot of players skipping Tests in comparison.

Of course - but it seems to have been retroactively applied to many ODIs which weren’t JAMODIS.
ODIs weren’t JAM until some time in the late 00s, possibly early 10s, IMO.

On that note, you do see players skipping tests - for IPL.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Of course - but it seems to have been retroactively applied to many ODIs which weren’t JAMODIS.
ODIs weren’t JAM until some time in the late 00s, possibly early 10s, IMO.

Yeah, which is why I specified since the mid-00s. In the 90s and early-00s ODIs were taken pretty seriously.

On that note, you do see players skipping tests - for IPL.

Only very recently, and generally from the smaller nations

 

[Daemon]

Yeah, which is why I specified since the mid-00s. In the 90s and early-00s ODIs were taken pretty seriously.


Only very recently, and generally from the smaller nations

England's not a small nation

 

[_00_deathscar]

Yeah, which is why I specified since the mid-00s. In the 90s and early-00s ODIs were taken pretty seriously.


Only very recently, and generally from the smaller nations

My point was that sometimes it’s retroactively applied to ODIs as a whole, even when they did occur in the 90s.

But going back further - even group games/knockout rounds of World Cups have been discounted unless it’s a final (in jest I suppose but still)