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2nd greatest living cricketer

Who is the 2nd greatest living cricketer (behind Sobers)?


  • Total voters
    74

Victor Ian

International Coach
When is the next Aus NZ test? We need this now while NZ are world champs. **** England and their complaints. If they come over, I'm going to laugh so hard if they get trapped in Victoria's prison with the rest of us.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
He bowled arguably his best ever spell on a Brisbane road in 2006 Ashes. I'm quite fond of posting this YouTube video, masterclass in hitting one crack that was misbehaving on an otherwise flat wicket.

I watched that live. He walked off with an invisible zimmer frame after that spell. The whole crowd erupted in laughter.
 

Migara

International Coach
Murali was quite mediocre for the first six years of his career. Interesting action, big turner, but he wasn't setting the world alight until '98 or so when the doosra appeared and seemed to have a positive effect on his overall consistency as well. But that's probably the longest gestation period for an ATG alongside Imran?
Averaging 32 odd in gestation period, I'd take it for a Lankan spinner as for a whole career.
 

Bijed

International Regular
That ATG XI will be playing Klingon XI who will have equally better bowlers. So any batting ability is an advantage.
I do agree with this. Presuming the ATG sides we propose on this forum were to play each other (with players being cloned as necessary), you'd expect a normal match between them to be close, so the potential for runs (or more importantly, partnerships with a batsman) all the way down the order is valuable. Whether it's worth the trade off in bowling between players x and y is obviously a debate with a fair number of permuations and conclusions, but I don't think it's an issue that can just be totally ignored because your top 6/7 are so strong on paper.
 

_00_deathscar

International Regular
I do agree with this. Presuming the ATG sides we propose on this forum were to play each other (with players being cloned as necessary), you'd expect a normal match between them to be close, so the potential for runs (or more importantly, partnerships with a batsman) all the way down the order is valuable. Whether it's worth the trade off in bowling between players x and y is obviously a debate with a fair number of permuations and conclusions, but I don't think it's an issue that can just be totally ignored because your top 6/7 are so strong on paper.
Yea it depends on what the tradeoff is. At the top end, Hadlee is more valuable than McGrath because they're practically identical in terms of bowling ability etc but Hadlee could bat a bit from time to time and that's a huge edge over not being able to at all.
 

Pap Finn Keighl

International Debutant
Yea it depends on what the tradeoff is. At the top end, Hadlee is more valuable than McGrath because they're practically identical in terms of bowling ability etc but Hadlee could bat a bit from time to time and that's a huge edge over not being able to at all.
Yeah..
Same as Kallis vs Dravid.
 

kyear2

International Coach
That ATG XI will be playing Klingon XI who will have equally better bowlers. So any batting ability is an advantage.
Or, or just..you actually want the best possible bowlers to bowl them out. If you're relying on the no. 11 , you have bigger issues.
 
Last edited:

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Or, just or...you actually want the best possible bowlers to bowl them out. If you're relying on the no. 11 , you have bigger issues.
Having a weak tail is a liability though. The ability of a number 8 or 9 to stretch the innings with the rest of the tail when the bowlers are tired has been shown to be incredibly useful.

The preference then is for an ATG bowler who has some batting ability versus an ATG bowler who is completely hopeless with the bat. The value of a Imran/Hadlee/Marshall/Warne tail over a Wasim/McGrath/Ambrose/Murali tail then makes sense in a Klingon match.
 

kyear2

International Coach
First of all I wasn't talking about a weak tail. I'm taking about a weak no. 11, where you are actually picking the best available bowler.
Picking the best batsmen of the bowlers is so very overplayed on here. You think that if the opposition are able to run through Hutton, Bradman, Sobers and co, that Hadlee and Warne will stand a chance? A good no 8 and a handy 9 is sufficient.
They are picked to bowl out the opposition. That's the primary objective.
 

kyear2

International Coach
The most obvious example. 90% of cricinfo thinks that McGrath is a top 2 or the 2nd best bowler ever. We are saying that he's automatically disqualified because he can't bat? Against a equally strong opponent, we don't want the 2nd best available option to bowl, because we want a stronger no 11?

Wasim, Marshall, Warne, McGrath.

Or for arguments sake,

Hadlee, Marshall, Warne, Steyn.

We can agree to take at least one pure specialist. If your no. 11 makes u loose the game, you're going to loose the game.

And yes balance is important. A strong no 8 is a good thing to have, some of the batsmen being able to hold on to the chances in the slips is a must and a batsman who can roll over his hand to spell the front line bowlers is always handy.

But enough of the bat deep.
 

ataraxia

International Coach
You think that if the opposition are able to run through Hutton, Bradman, Sobers and co, that Hadlee and Warne will stand a chance?
This isn't how cricket works. If a team is 50-5, odds are they reach 150+. Tails so often score handy runs and having a much stronger tail is better than a marginally better bowling attack.
 

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