Kapil vs Shaun Pollock in Tests

[Victor Ian]

I know Pollock averaged more.. Like Imran.. Way better average than deserved.
Kapil's case is opposite, his avg is at least 4 points lower than deserved.

If you adjust era and conditions,
Kapil is 26-27 avg bowler and 35-37 avg batsman
Pollock is 24-25 avg bowler 30-32 avg batsman

How on earth do you move Pollock's bowling average upwards? And how on earth do you move the batting and bowling averages of the same player in different directions? You have entered the dimension of absurd.

 

[Victor Ian]

Ok. On thinking about it, Kapils moustache is an adjustment of -1 to bowling average and +1 to batting average. And his smile is worth another +-1. I'd still pick Pollock.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

ICC rankings and averages both show Kapil had no special prowess with the bat compared to Imran, Miller, Pollock, Klusener and Shakib.

Imran, Miller and Pollock are way better bowlers than Kapil. So they are way better all rounders. Kapil is a better bowler than Shakib, so he is a better AR than Shakib.

Also Cairns was a better batsman than Kapil and it was very close in bowling. Kapil was better in longevity and consistency though.

Oram was also a better batsman, but couldn't take wickets away from NZ so Kapil was a MUCH better bowler.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Klusener averaged 32 in tests (the same as Pollock).

Klusner scored 4 centuries in 65 innings.
Pollock played 3 times more matches.. And scored 2 centuries ?

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

ICC rankings and averages both show Kapil had no special prowess with the bat compared to Imran, Miller, Pollock, Klusener and Shakib.

Imran, Miller and Pollock are way better bowlers than Kapil. So they are way better all rounders. Kapil is a better bowler than Shakib, so he is a better AR than Shakib.

So.. Pollock is Miller league batsman now ?

 

[harsh.ag]

Would have Kapil's batting ahead of Pollock's in most situations, unless it's to play out 20 overs to salvage a draw. Pollock obviously a better bowler and a better overall package. There are some ifs and buts wrt to how much better Kapil would have been if given better support, and obviously it took someone like Imran who was much more sophisticated and privileged to be able to make use of good support available internationally and become Asia's first truly world class pacer (with due deference to Fazal Mahmood and Khan Mohammad and Mohammad Nisaar).

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

ICC rankings and averages both show Kapil had no special prowess with the bat compared to Imran, Miller, Pollock, Klusener and Shakib.

Imran, Miller and Pollock are way better bowlers than Kapil. So they are way better all rounders. Kapil is a better bowler than Shakib, so he is a better AR than Shakib.

Kapil best ranking 22, Klusner 21
Pollock 37 ?

 

[Migara]

Kapil best ranking 22, Klusner 21
Pollock 37 ?

Best ranking tells very little. Average ranking is the one to look at. Point of career vs whole career. If rank is taken in to account Botham (3) >>> Kapil with the bat.

This doesn't end well for Kapil which ever way to take.

 

[ankitj]

It's amazing how even top all rounders struggled to attain and maintain rating of 600+ in their secondary discipline. But Botham attained 800+ in both disciplines!

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Best ranking tells very little. Average ranking is the one to look at. Point of career vs whole career. If rank is taken in to account Botham (3) >>> Kapil with the bat.

This doesn't end well for Kapil which ever way to take.

Botham was clearly better batsman than Kapil especially in first half of the career.

Kapil has 4 times more centuries than Pollock.. Thats not a Small difference.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Kapil best ranking 22, Klusner 21
Pollock 37 ?

There were more top batsmen in Pollock's era than Kapil's as Sri Lanka had worldclass batters as did SA who'd returned to test cricket, Australia's batting stocks were much stronger (although WI's were weaker) and Zim had A Flower amongst others.

Vettori's highest batting ranking was 25th (should've been higher but affected by starting as a no 11), while Cairns got to no 11.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

There were more top batsmen in Pollock's era than Kapil's as Sri Lanka had worldclass batters as did SA who'd returned to test cricket, Australia's batting stocks were much stronger (although WI's were weaker) and Zim had A Flower amongst others.

Vettori's highest batting ranking was 25th (should've been higher but affected by starting as a no 11), while Cairns got to no 11.

Klusner played in the same era

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Kapil Dev will be remembered as a true giant in cricket history.

Most wickets in ODIs
Most wickets in tests
Highest Strike rate in ODIs
Highest strike rate in tests
Highest score in ODIs
WC winning captain
Highest ratings as ODI Allrounder
Bowling and batting performances in wisden 100
Only player to achieve 5000 runs and 400 wickets combo

Pollock's stats will make him a premium great in the future which he wasn't.

 

[Migara]

Botham was clearly better batsman than Kapil especially in first half of the career.

Kapil has 4 times more centuries than Pollock.. Thats not a Small difference.

 

[Migara]

There were more top batsmen in Pollock's era than Kapil's as Sri Lanka had worldclass batters as did SA who'd returned to test cricket, Australia's batting stocks were much stronger (although WI's were weaker) and Zim had A Flower amongst others.

Vettori's highest batting ranking was 25th (should've been higher but affected by starting as a no 11), while Cairns got to no 11.

As I said, what ever Metric @Pap Finn Keighl takes, it doesnj't look good on Kapil.

 

[rtramdas]

Both formats combined and the contexts they played in, it is neck and neck.... still I would go for Pollock as the slightly better all rounder because of his convincingly better bowling credentials in main format, tests

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Highest Strike rate in ODIs

No, he didn't. Lance Cairns and Ian Smith were both much higher.

 

[Victor Ian]

No, he didn't. Lance Cairns and Ian Smith were both much higher.

I presumed he meant during Devs time, but I guess Smith counters that. Need to fact check all those facts now.

 

[ankitj]

Only player to achieve 5000 runs and 400 wickets combo

Hate those combos when they don't respect the proportions. Every wicket is 25-30 runs. So you either set 5000 runs+200 wickets or 10000 runs+400 wickets as benchmark

 

[TheJediBrah]

Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to achieve 18000 runs and 45 wickets combo