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

[OverratedSanity]

Have always found Waugh extremely overrated because his peak happened to coincide with Australia's rise to the top and gets some ott credit . Obviously he was a big part of it but he wasn't indispensable. Clear level below ponting afaic.

 

[Burgey]

Don't disagree re the Ponting comparison, but in the period in and around 95 when Aus got to number one, he bailed them out of a hole so many times it was crazy. Certainly benefited a fair bit in the late 90s and the 2000s though.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Have always found Waugh extremely overrated because his peak happened to coincide with Australia's rise to the top

what a coincidence that was . . .

 

[OverratedSanity]

what a coincidence that was . . .

Obviously he was a big part of it but he wasn't indispensable.

...

He was a great batsman, but comparisons with Lara and Ponting I always found odd even at the time. Ponting at his peak absolutely merited comparison, Waugh didnt.

 

[Victor Ian]

I've just been assuming Waugh didn't make the cut due to his run starting in 93, so can't get 12 years up. Unlike Ponting he might score high because of the bowling ratings he'd have faced.

 

[Victor Ian]

...

He was a great batsman, but comparisons with Lara and Ponting I always found odd even at the time. Ponting at his peak absolutely merited comparison, Waugh didnt.

Waugh was different. A bit like Kallis in not throwing away his wicket and definitely instilled the winning instinct in Australia that had been lacking (not that that is going to help him here).

 

[sunilz]

Have always found Waugh extremely overrated because his peak happened to coincide with Australia's rise to the top and gets some ott credit . Obviously he was a big part of it but he wasn't indispensable. Clear level below ponting afaic.

Ponting at his peak didn't even score 500 runs in Asia. He is ATG batsman but let's not over-rate him. I am more comfortable with Steve Waugh being in same league as Lara/Sachin because of his exploits against SA/ WI , 2 absolute ATG bowling attacks.

Ponting at his peak never faced pace attack comparable to Steve Waugh.

 

[Gob]

It's not the attacks it's how he batted. If Waugh senior batted like Waugh junior with the same record, he'd be hailed along side Lara and Tendulkar

 

[TheJediBrah]

People underrating Waugh clearly never followed his career or saw what he did, and how

 

[sunilz]

It's not the attacks it's how he batted. If Waugh senior batted like Waugh junior with the same record, he'd be hailed along side Lara and Tendulkar

I don't find anything wrong with Steve Waugh's SR tbh. If there are 2 great sides then 350 is a winning score unless pitch is extremely flat.

So even if you have a SR of 45 against very good bowling attacks, you are doing very good job . WTC final was another example where 250 was winning total.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I've just been assuming Waugh didn't make the cut due to his run starting in 93, so can't get 12 years up. Unlike Ponting he might score high because of the bowling ratings he'd have faced.

If anything his longevity is likely to place him higher than popular opinion would. His breakthrough series was in England in 1989 and he possibly never bettered it. I don't know exactly what the OP is going to do his figures, but there's no problem finding a good 12 years (if that's what's necessary with this).

 

[Gob]

I don't find anything wrong with Steve Waugh's SR tbh. If there are 2 great sides then 350 is a winning score unless pitch is extremely flat.

So even if you have a SR of 45 against very good bowling attacks, you are doing very good job . WTC final was another example where 250 was winning total.

More than the S/R, it's his style of play. Jamming runs through 3rd man, shuffling across and shoving balls through mid wicket, he made batting looked difficult in general and people tends to degrade such players when they are compared to likes of Lara's and Richard's princely batting

Not saying it's the right thing to do but that is the case nonetheless

 

[Gob]

People underrating Waugh clearly never followed his career or saw what he did, and how

There is no denying the quality of runs he made. He did face up to some of the best fast bowlers and made runs in difficult conditions like Headingley 97. His away record is also brilliant i think. In many ways, he was the Border of 90s

 

[venkyrenga]

Another aspect where this ratings system varies from the usual ones is that it puts more weight on consistency throughout different periods. A batsman's exceptional performance in one period may not be able to fully compensate his mediocrity in another period and vice versa. Consider the example below.

	Inn	No	Runs	Avg
2001-04	90​	0​	4950​	55​
2005-08	60​	0​	2400​	40​
2009-12	90​	0​	4950​	55​
Total	240​	0​	12300​	51.25​

The usual methods rate him as 51.25 and this one rates him as 50 (55+40+55/3), hence a better reflection of his consistency throughout different periods.

 

[mr_mister]

Steve Waugh's an absolute legend and king of the back to the wall knock. Like mentioned earlier his conquering of peak Ambrose and peak Donald multiple times, and the way he did it, eschewing the hook and gritting his way to centuries, was spectacular. Also nearly every single ashes century was scored in a clutch situation or memorable in some way. He dug his side out of a hole for fun

Though funnily enough when you revisit the '99 WC 120* knock there's actually a ton of risky slogs and aerial hoiks. But I guess it's reasonable due to being an LO game

 

[harsh.ag]

Waugh's MO - pick a fight with the opposition and fight hard. If he wins, he's hailed. If it's close, still hailed. If he loses badly, somehow still hailed with a qualifier of "'twas a bit of a miscalculation".

 

[TheJediBrah]

More than the S/R, it's his style of play. Jamming runs through 3rd man, shuffling across and shoving balls through mid wicket, he made batting looked difficult in general and people tends to degrade such players when they are compared to likes of Lara's and Richard's princely batting

Not saying it's the right thing to do but that is the case nonetheless

Signature shot for me was the backfoot cover drive. Never seen someone hit a good length ball outside off to the boundary so comfortably.

Steve Waugh's an absolute legend and king of the back to the wall knock. Like mentioned earlier his conquering of peak Ambrose and peak Donald multiple times, and the way he did it, eschewing the hook and gritting his way to centuries, was spectacular. Also nearly every single ashes century was scored in a clutch situation or memorable in some way. He dug his side out of a hole for fun

Though funnily enough when you revisit the '99 WC 120* knock there's actually a ton of risky slogs and aerial hoiks. But I guess it's reasonable due to being an LO game

That's how he played a lot of the time on ODIs. Slog sweeping and hoiking across the line.

 

[ankitj]

Smith has nothing but longevity going against him.

Runs against everyone
Runs everywhere
Runs in tough conditions
Bowler friendly era
Multiple big series
Far ahead of the next best peer

Couple of tests more in each country and I'm pretty sure he'll end up like some sort of fusion between Tendulkar in terms consistency and having no holes in his record, and Lara in terms of ridiculous knocks and big series.

Shame he's a cheat though.

Yeah, longevity is the only justifiable reason to not put him ahead of few others with completed careers. No batsman has made me fear as Smith does and there have been plenty who have scored heavily against India.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Waugh's MO - pick a fight with the opposition and fight hard. If he wins, he's hailed. If it's close, still hailed. If he loses badly, somehow still hailed with a qualifier of "'twas a bit of a miscalculation".

Some truth to this too, especially as captain. Nearly lost a few games despite having a far stronger team because he was deathly afraid of draws for some reason (eg. NZ @ Brisbane 2001)

 

[ankitj]

It's not the attacks it's how he batted. If Waugh senior batted like Waugh junior with the same record, he'd be hailed along side Lara and Tendulkar

Same can be said of Kallis, isn't it?