I think Smith was marginally better than Pollock but it's a tight call, and I do think I probably rate Smith higher than any other regular poster on the entire forum. Both definitely better than Kirsten (who I also rate a bit higher than a lot of people here, but wasn't in their class).Yeah, fair enough. Kirsten wasn't really all that great in the grand scheme of things and Smith had his issues so G Pollock is still comfortably #1.
Cook > Leyland > Gower IMO.Gower behind Cook for me.
You've got Paynter thereabouts too don't you, or am I misremembering?Cook > Leyland > Gower IMO.
I had actually forgotten him, but yeah also better than Gower. I find it hard to split those top three and tend to just go for Cook because I think there was a real 'opener tax' in his era (especially playing half his game in England). Gower would be a clear fourth.You've got Paynter thereabouts too don't you, or am I misremembering?
Or his piloting skillsNot sure Cook can emulate Gower's three hundreds against Hadlee at no3 in seaming conditions
who is no. 1? Aasif Karim's kid?Hitesh Modi
Yeah I've been through this theory on here a few times. Almost all of Australia's left-hand bats are actually right handed.Off the top of my head
Michael Clarke rhb/lhb
Adam Gilchrist lhb/rhb
Mike Hussey lhb/rhb
Matthew Hayden lhb/rhb
That is surely a disproportionate amount from the same team and they were all in the junior system more than 2 decades ago
If he had started his career in the 00's he would averaged 50 in Test Cricket , born in the wrong eraYeah, fair enough. Kirsten wasn't really all that great in the grand scheme of things and Smith had his issues so G Pollock is still comfortably #1.
Graeme Pollock was also right-handed. So the list of great batsmen who bat left-handed and are actually left-handed seems to be quite a short one.Probably a lot from other countries too. Off the top of my head the obvious (ie most prolific) ones are Lara, Graeme Smith, Chanderpaul, Cook, Kirsten, Sangakkara, Ganguly and probably a whole bunch more. Like probably most of them.
Same with PollockIf he had started his career in the 00's he would averaged 50 in Test Cricket , born in the wrong era
Yepwho is no. 1? Aasif Karim's kid?
Lara as well.Graeme Pollock was also right-handed. So the list of great batsmen who bat left-handed and are actually left-handed seems to be quite a short one.
Yep, Sanga too.Lara as well.
Not sure about Sanga.
That's really interesting. I haven't really seen him and I imagine it would be hard to judge given how little Kenya get faced with strong opposition these days.