Most Underrated Cricketers in Cricket Chat

[honestbharani]

Sanath Jayasiriya is one of the greatest openers to ever play ODI cricket.

And then there's his bowling.

Even in tests, he's poking the door of the great allrounders. A destructive opener averaging 40 that takes poles as the 5th bowler is really bloody useful. He makes almost every test side in history.

I don't think the first part is even a debate even on CW. I have him and Sachin opening for the AT ODI XI.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Touches on a systemic issue that ODI batsmen from pre ~2003-ish are chronically underrated in general. Most of us realise how different the game was back then with bigger boundaries, worse bats and everything but a lot of people come now and see every second batsman with an ODI average of 45 and think that's always the case and unless a batsman from 1995 was averaging the same he mustn't have been as good. And that's how you get people thinking Jason Roy & Johnny Bairstow are way better than Saeed Anwar, Mark Waugh, Jayasuriya, Gilchrist etc.

 

[Burgey]

He makes almost every test side in history.

I like you mate, but have a breather. Step away from the keyboard.

 

[sunilz]

I like you mate, but have a breather. Step away from the keyboard.

He will make every Test side currently . Please tell me a side which Jayasuriya won't get into as opener.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Saeed Anwar to me was the best opener of the 90s, but the posters here dont seem to give him the time of the day.

Younis Khan also doesnt get much love here.

Gooch was, but Anwar was good

 

[Fuller Pilch]

If he could concentrate for 8 hours instead of 4 he would be on his way to becoming an ATG. It's unbelievably frustrating watching him move unruffled to 40-70 then do something unbelievably dumb.

And score runs against quality pace attacks.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Think it's a bit unfair to say that Jayasuriya didn't do much in tests. Nearly 7000 runs at 40 and 100 wickets at 34 is a brilliant career.

And he averaged 41.5 as an opener. Batted lower at the start of his career.

 

[CricAddict]

He will make every Test side currently . Please tell me a side which Jayasuriya won't get into as opener.

Yeah, except those old England sides with Hobbs, Hutton, Sutcliffe etc., he will be at least banging the doors for all sides if not a certainty. Gets over Langer and gets over Haynes in the great Aussie and Windies teams. Definitely over Gambhir as well.

Not sure which other team had two strong ATG openers.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

He will make every Test side currently . Please tell me a side which Jayasuriya won't get into as opener.

NZ

Latham and Conway, but we'd pick him at 6 instead of Rachin.

 

[Burgey]

He will make every Test side currently . Please tell me a side which Jayasuriya won't get into as opener.

Do you have comprehension issues?

Read the part of Flem's post I quoted and replied to.

Then read your post.

Can you see the difference?

 

[ataraxia]

NZ

Latham and Conway, but we'd pick him at 6 instead of Rachin.

nah, Conway should bat down the order

Latham
Jayasuriya
Williamson
Conway
Nicholls
Taylor

or

Latham
Jayasuriya
Williamson
Conway
Nicholls/Taylor
Rachin/Mitchell/CDG

 

[Red]

Cairns as a batsman : 6
Cairns as a bowler : 7

Total: 13

Lara as a batsman : 9
Lara as a bowler : 0

Total: 9

McGrath as a batsman : 1
McGrath as a bowler : 10

Total : 11


The math checks out

Who would win out of these XIs?

Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns

vs

Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath

 

[ataraxia]

Who would win out of these XIs?

Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns

vs

Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath

You're pitting two players against one.

Who wins?

Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns
Cairns

Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara
Lara

McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath
McGrath

Not that this is how you rate players or anything. Just that it's a bad measure of someone's overall skill.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Well considering Lara averaged 41 vs NZ, Cairns averaged 9.94 with the ball vs WI and 34.5 with the bat vs Australia, and McGrath averaged 25 with the ball vs NZ it would be close. I'm sure a couple of the McGrath tailenders would score pesky 50s though.

Also the 11 Cairnses (or 10 if one's keeping) would never get tired when bowling.

 

[ataraxia]

Well considering Lara averaged 41 vs NZ, Cairns averaged 9.94 with the ball vs WI and 34.5 with the bat vs Australia, and McGrath averaged 25 with the ball vs NZ it would be close. I'm sure a couple of the McGrath tailenders would score pesky 50s though.

Excellent cherry-picking. But tbh I'm more worried about the wicketkeeping standards.

 

[sunilz]

NZ

Latham and Conway, but we'd pick him at 6 instead of Rachin.

Let Conway play few Test overseas before declaring him better than Jayasuriya.

Is Shreyas Iyer better than Williamson ?

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Let Conway play few Test overseas before declaring him better than Jayasuriya.

Is Shreyas Iyer better than Williamson ?

Conway has played 100% of his tests overseas.

 

[sunilz]

Do you have comprehension issues?

Read the part of Flem's post I quoted and replied to.

Then read your post.

Can you see the difference?

Jayasuriya would make atleast 95% of cricket teams at any point in history. There is nothing wrong with @Flem274* statement. You have a huge problem of underestimating any SL cricketer.

 

[sunilz]

Conway has played 100% of his tests overseas.

England is as much overseas for Conway as Bangladesh is for IND cricketers

 

[ataraxia]

England is as much overseas for Conway as Bangladesh is for IND cricketers

he's South African

edit: oh wait England is home for him then