Andy Flower: Underrated or Overrated?

[BazBall21]

Inarguably Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketer, Andy Flower had a brilliant if somewhat unusual career that was ultimately cut short by the increasing political issues that continue to plague the country he represented 63 times in Test Cricket.

Now his “fans” will say he averaged over 50 despite the burdens of batting mostly in the 90s, playing in a very weak side, and keeping-wicket, and that he is therefore underrated. They also tend to talk him up as one of the greatest players of spin bowling.

However, his “detractors”, not that I’m entirely sure that’s the right way of describing them, claim that his average and reputation were both helped by not playing the top sides enough, and that therefore he is a bit overrated. They also sometimes question his prowess against pace bowling.

Underrated or overrated?

 

[Slifer]

All I know is this, Zimbabwe came to the WI in 1999 and lost 2-0. Both tests they probably should've won but didn't. Andy Flower against the likes of Walsh, Ambrose, Rose and King was outstanding. Therefore, he's not overrated. He is rightfully rated as a great of the game.

 

[BazBall21]

All I know is this, Zimbabwe came to the WI in 1999 and lost 2-0. Both tests they probably should've won but didn't. Andy Flower against the likes of Walsh, Ambrose, Rose and King was outstanding. Therefore, he's not overrated. He is rightfully rated as a great of the game.

He got dropped a couple of times (which happens in loads of hundreds) but that hundred in Trinidad must rank as one of his best performances.

 

[Coronis]

I mean, you can only play who you play and most players can’t help that. He ended up what, 30th in that top 50 batsmen we did, sounds about right to me, wouldn’t call him over or underrated personally, at least not here.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Overrated, Zimbabwe's greatest cricketer is Hamilton Masakadza

 

[Chubb]

Andy Flower scored 12 test centuries. Only two of them were against Bangladesh. The idea he's overrated is nonsense. He made runs against Waqar Younis and Wasim Akram, against Indian spinners in India, against Donald, Ntini and Pollock and against Murali in Sri Lanka.

 

[Migara]

Inarguably Zimbabwe’s greatest cricketer, Andy Flower had a brilliant if somewhat unusual career that was ultimately cut short by the increasing political issues that continue to plague the country he represented 63 times in Test Cricket.

Now his “fans” will say he averaged over 50 despite the burdens of batting mostly in the 90s, playing in a very weak side, and keeping-wicket, and that he is therefore underrated. They also tend to talk him up as one of the greatest players of spin bowling.

However, his “detractors”, not that I’m entirely sure that’s the right way of describing them, claim that his average and reputation were both helped by not playing the top sides enough, and that therefore he is a bit overrated. They also sometimes question his prowess against pace bowling.

Underrated or overrated?

Together with his keeping he is the premier keeper batsman of the cricket history. Not that guys who came few years later named Gilchrist or Sangakkara.

 

[Migara]

All I know is this, Zimbabwe came to the WI in 1999 and lost 2-0. Both tests they probably should've won but didn't. Andy Flower against the likes of Walsh, Ambrose, Rose and King was outstanding. Therefore, he's not overrated. He is rightfully rated as a great of the game.

He was excellent against Murali and Kumble on home conditions. That is a ****ing impressive resume even greats like Viv don't have.

 

[CricAddict]

His batting is rightly rated. His keeping is grossly under-rated.

 

[TheJediBrah]

His batting is rightly rated. His keeping is grossly under-rated.

Lmao why u do this every time

Not a good keeper. This is widely accepted. Ask any Zimbabwe cricket fan

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Together with his keeping he is the premier keeper batsman of the cricket history. Not that guys who came few years later named Gilchrist or Sangakkara.

Sanga? Even Dhoni was better than Sanga.

 

[CricAddict]

Lmao why u do this every time

Not a good keeper. This is widely accepted. Ask any Zimbabwe cricket fan

Because it will mean I didn't watch Zim cricket properly in my childhood.

I am not going by any reports. I am just going by what I remember and I don't remember him dropping too many catches in the matches I saw.

I can distinctly remember guys like Kamran Akmal and Parthiv dropping the ball frequently but not him.

 

[Chubb]

Because it will mean I didn't watch Zim cricket properly in my childhood.

I am not going by any reports. I am just going by what I remember and I don't remember him dropping too many catches in the matches I saw.

I can distinctly remember guys like Kamran Akmal and Parthiv dropping the ball frequently but not him.

I didn’t see as much of him as I would have liked, for despite everything I am not actually Zimbabwean. But he was not a great keeper.

He wasn’t terrible, by any means, but he would have preferred not to have the gloves if there was anyone in Zim capable of it. As soon as Taibu came along he played as a batsman only.

I rate him as high as anyone but I saw him be untidy with the gloves and drop catches for Essex, when Foster was injured.

 

[CricAddict]

I didn’t see as much of him as I would have liked, for despite everything I am not actually Zimbabwean. But he was not a great keeper.

He wasn’t terrible, by any means, but he would have preferred not to have the gloves if there was anyone in Zim capable of it. As soon as Taibu came along he played as a batsman only.

I rate him as high as anyone but I saw him be untidy with the gloves and drop catches for Essex, when Foster was injured.

Actually this is what I am arguing for. I am not saying that he was a great keeper.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I think equating him with Dravid as a keeper is about fair. Maybe I'm being too harsh because as a keeper, watching "bad" techniques always annoyed me and Flower's keeping style was very difficult to watch.

Putting him in the same class as Sangakkara or Gilchrist is ridiculous though

 

[Migara]

Sanga? Even Dhoni was better than Sanga.

Dhoni was no where the batsman Sanga, Flower or Gilchrist were in test matches. And Dhoni even wasn't the best keeper to come out of Asia in last 25 years.

 

[ImpatientLime]

sanga has the same amount of centuries when keeping as matt prior, bj watling and quinton de kock. he has fewer than les ames.

 

[honestbharani]

Dhoni was no where the batsman Sanga, Flower or Gilchrist were in test matches. And Dhoni even wasn't the best keeper to come out of Asia in last 25 years.

In LO cricket, he actually is.

 

[Migara]

In LO cricket, he actually is.

I never discussed ODIs

 

[honestbharani]

I never discussed ODIs

Fair enough, but if you are comparing him to Sanga, I think the context has to be LOs, surely.