What if - Kapil had played in a better team

[Jayro]

Say if he had played in one of the best bowling unit like Windies of 80's Or Australia of late 90s /early 2000s , hypothetically speaking how better or worse his record would have been, how much difference /no difference does it make to have all great guns around you?

 

[Burgey]

He might have struggled to make the WI side of that era tbh. They weren't big on all rounders really, save for Dujon and preferred to play four out and out quicks. He may have replaced Croft, who was arguably the weakest do the original fab four, but I'm not sure he would have got there given they liked genuine pace so much (thanks Dennis and Jeff).

But in general, I think his batting stats would have improved had he been coming in behind Gomes, Richards, Richardson and/ or Lloyd. More often than not a decent platform for a hard hitting all rounder to bat behind would be beneficial - see Gilly early career compared with in 2005.

If he did play, he may well have got the new ball because he needed it more than the others to get some swing. Their slips cordon was pretty good, and there would be no let up from the other end. So that may have helped him By contrast, he'd have been sharing spoils. Maybe the bowling side of it breaks even? Tough one.

 

[mr_mister]

I agree it's not certain he gets a gig with peak Windies.

Hell even Australia persisted with Lee over better bowlers like Fleming because the selectors were giddy over his raw pace. So even if he deserved to be there on merit even the McGrath/Dizzy/Binga trio were pretty secure in their spots from 2000-2005

 

[h_hurricane]

Kapil would have certainly benefited playing most of his cricket in West Indies and Australia. WI cricketers of that era played around 65% in these 2 countries combined. And Kapil has a tremendous record there (86 wickets in 20 tests @ 23), the best among all sub continent bowlers.

On the other hand, he would have likely struggled in England and NZ, as his career suggested.

Overall, a definite improvement over his career.

His batting would have likely benefited too. Him batting with Viv or Gilly would have been a sight to behold.

I think he improves both the great teams.

Haynes
Greenidge
Richards
Kallicharran
Gomez
Lloyd
Dujon
Kapil
Marshall
Garner
Holding

Hayden
Langer
Ponting
M Waugh
S Waugh
Martyn
Gilchrist
Kapil
Warne
Gillespie
Mcgrath

 

[Athlai]

I think Kapils batting average would probably drop with far fewer draws in his career, but he'd probably have won more matches with the bat too

 

[_00_deathscar]

Less wickets and less WPM but better average probably with the ball

Could have gone nuts with the bat with the other batsmen backing him and scoreboard pressure of bowling.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I agree it's not certain he gets a gig with peak Windies.

Hell even Australia persisted with Lee over better bowlers like Fleming because the selectors were giddy over his raw pace. So even if he deserved to be there on merit even the McGrath/Dizzy/Binga trio were pretty secure in their spots from 2000-2005

Aus had a boner for finding an all-rounder in that time so he probably would make the team, however I'm not sure he would make it stronger tbh because they would have played him instead of a batsman rather than a bowler as h_hurricane suggests, which would have been a mistake because that team didn't need 5 bowlers

 

[trundler]

I'm guessing his batting average wouldn't have improved a lot but his bowling average would've.

 

[Daemon]

Less wickets and less WPM but better average probably with the ball

Yeah my guess too.

He wouldn’t have had the same impact just due to less opportunity I suppose.

 

[Coronis]

Say if he had played in one of the best bowling unit like Windies of 80's Or Australia of late 90s /early 2000s , hypothetically speaking how better or worse his record would have been, how much difference /no difference does it make to have all great guns around you?

He’d be the original Kallis.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

He would have been disfigured in a freak yachting accident.

 

[Shady Slim]

i think that he'd do a great job for the modern day england, if we also let him be brought up in modern england - robinsonesque swing with really capable batting at eight would be exactly the sort of thing this england team could do with, and lead to even more hilarious 6-120 into 7-300 action as well i think

edit: i should say, i know that his stats in england with the ball are not great, but as an english bowler getting to feast on touring australian sides rather than a touring indian bowler seeking to uproot the blokes who grew up against medium swing, i think that would be inverted

 

[Fuller Pilch]

For Australia pre Gilchrist (Healy), Aussie could have gone Kapil-Healy-Reiffel-Warne as a strong 7-10 (Reiffel was probably Australia's best 8 since the days of Benaud and Davidson), while in the Gilchrist era it would be Gilly-Kapil-Warne as a 7-9 (with Gillespie at 10) and McGrath 11 in both sides.

Kapil (31 & 29.5) vs Reiffel (26.5 & 27) would be an interesting battle for no 8 if Gilchrist had started his test career (and done well with the bat) earlier.

 

[Shady Slim]

Kapil (31 & 29.5) vs Reiffel (26.5 & 27) would be an interesting battle for no 8 if Gilchrist had started his test career (and done well with the bat) earlier.

i am a huge pistol fan but with respect to the great man anyone who takes reiffel over dev has rocks made of soup for a brain

 

[Victor Ian]

i am a huge pistol fan but with respect to the great man anyone who takes reiffel over dev has rocks made of soup for a brain

Perhaps. But it perhaps puts paid to the idea that Kapil Dev is 10 rungs above being an average plonker.

 

[Shady Slim]

Perhaps. But it perhaps puts paid to the idea that Kapil Dev is 10 rungs above being an average plonker.

i'm waiting for fuller to start the paul reiffel vs shakib al hasan thread as we speak

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

No team ever featured more than 2-3 players better than Kapil, so he would be a lock in any team in the history.

And there is no doubt, playing in a better team makes your stats better.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

i'm waiting for fuller to start the paul reiffel vs shakib al hasan thread as we speak

I know who Burgey would vote for.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

No team ever featured more than 2-3 players better than Kapil

I don't want to anger all the Indian posters, or come across as a Kapil basher but...

Greenidge
Viv
Dujon
Marshall
Garner
(perhaps any of Lloyd, Holding, Walsh)

Hayden
Ponting
S Waugh
Gilchrist
Warne
McGrath

 

[ZK$]

I don't want to anger all the Indian posters, or come across as a Kapil basher but...

Greenidge
Viv
Dujon
Marshall
Garner
(perhaps any of Lloyd, Holding, Walsh)

Hayden
Ponting
S Waugh
Gilchrist
Warne
McGrath

I disagree with Greenidge, Lloyd, Dujon, and Hayden, but I agree with the rest.