Most Underrated Cricketers in Cricket Chat

[Fuller Pilch]

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.

That's not true. I think 2 of 3 best test players of the 21st century (along with Kallis) are Sri Lankans (Murali and Sanga). I'd also put Herath in a team of the 2010s and I really liked Samaweera and Russell Arnold. SL are my 2nd favourite team behind NZ.

 

[ataraxia]

That's not true. I think 2 of 3 best test players of the 21st century (along with Kallis) are Sri Lankans.

Fuller Pilch: I see the source of the confusion as your namesake was born in 1803, but you aren't Burgey I'm afraid.

 

[sunilz]

That's not true. I think 2 of 3 best test players of the 21st century (along with Kallis) are Sri Lankans (Murali and Sanga). I'd also put Herath in a team of the 2010s.

I am talking about @Burgey . Even a bad team can have very good cricketers. He simply doesn't get this basic fact.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Oops sorry

 

[mr_mister]

Jayasuriya in tests is a 40 averaging opener and useful 5th bowler...

Let's not pretend he'd make any side in history. That's dumb

 

[ataraxia]

Jayasuriya in tests is a 40 averaging opener and useful 5th bowler...

Let's not pretend he'd make any side in history. That's dumb

I think he makes all but Hobbs/Sutcliffe, Greenidge/Haynes, Boycott/Gooch, Simpson/Lawry, Ponsford/Woodfull and maybe Hayden/Langer.

 

[mr_mister]

Can think of plenty more. Keep in mind the 5th bowler is nowhere near as important in tests than ODIs... Especially someone bowling darts

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Morris and Barnes, Boycott and Amiss

Possibly Cook and Strauss

Warner and Rogers

Maybe Richards and Goddard (the latter a better bowler than Jayasuriya). Otherwise Barlow who didn't open against the 1970 Australians but was quality with bat and ball.

Greenidge and Fredericks

 

[sunilz]

I think he makes all but Hobbs/Sutcliffe, Greenidge/Haynes, Boycott/Gooch, Simpson/Lawry, Ponsford/Woodfull and maybe Hayden/Langer.

Jayasuriya and Haynes are highly debatable.
Jayasuriya and Rogers are also debatable.@Fullerpilch

 

[ataraxia]

Morris/Barnes/Brown a good shout.

 

[mr_mister]

Slater and Taylor
Gooch and Stewart
Richards and Goddard

Remember he also got only 14 tons in 110 tests and only 98 wickets

He's not a test ATG

 

[sunilz]

Slater and Taylor
Gooch and Stewart
Richards and Goddard

Remember he also got only 14 tons in 110 tests and only 98 wickets

He's not a test ATG

Nobody is saying he is Test ATG. But he will still make 90-95% side.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Did Gooch and Stewart ever open together?

Or was it Gooch-Atherton, and Atherton-Stewart?

 

[sunilz]

Let's go backwards from 2021-1980 and list all those teams he won't make.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I'd put Smith and Gibbs ahead as well.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Gets over Langer and gets over Haynes in the great Aussie and Windies teams.

No way. Both definitely better Test bats than Jayasuriya. Sanath only plays ahead of them if you desperately need another spin bowling option that you can't get elsewhere in the side.

Agree that Sanath would make the vast majority of Test sides throughout history, but not these 2. Maybe make the WI side as a no.6-7 part time spin bowler.

 

[mr_mister]

Karunaratne will finish his career a better test opener than Jayasuriya at this rate

 

[CricAddict]

No way. Both definitely better Test bats than Jayasuriya. Sanath only plays ahead of them if you desperately need another spin bowling option that you can't get elsewhere in the side.

Agree that Sanath would make the vast majority of Test sides throughout history, but not these 2. Maybe make the WI side as a no.6-7 part time spin bowler.

I was more coming from this viewpoint only.

As bats, yes, Langer and Haynes are better but it is not as if they were so far ahead. And Sanath brings more than just bowling to the team. Players like Sanath and Sehwag are attacking even in tests and can help get over the minds of bowlers which other dour batsmen can take advantage of.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I was more coming from this viewpoint only.

As bats, yes, Langer and Haynes are better but it is not as if they were so far ahead. And Sanath brings more than just bowling to the team. Players like Sanath and Sehwag are attacking even in tests and can help get over the minds of bowlers which other dour batsmen can take advantage of.

Not practical at all. When is that Australian team ever going to benefit from a semi-part-time finger spinner in addition to Warne in the conditions they play in? Very rarely if ever. Sanath being a little bit more aggressive isn't adding anything that Hayden/Langer don't already have. Hayden and Langer never had an issue with batting slowly or failing to intimidate opposition. From what I've heard Greenidge and Haynes operated in a similar fashion.

I can't comment definitively on the WI side never having seen them or watched them live but I can think the only way Sanath makes those sides is if he's playing a different role in very niche circumstances.

 

[Burgey]

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.

Not true at all. I quite liked Sangakkara and rate him very highly as a batsman.

I don't underestimate SL cricketers because it's impossible to underestimate them when you've had to sit through their woeful efforts here over the years. They lose a collective leg when they tour. Always have.