Garry Sobers vs Jacques Kallis (as bowlers)

[shortpitched713]

The question burning in people's minds. Who was actually the better bowler?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Answer: can Kallis bowl wrist spin?

Apples and oranges

 

[shortpitched713]

I think versatility ( while important ), is only one aspect of this comparison.

 

[subshakerz]

Sobers was a proper fourth bowler over the course of his career based on his WPM and over load.

Kallis benefited in being in a team with many all-rounders and was used strategically. To be fair to Kallis though, his first 60 odd tests he was taking nearly 2 wickets a test.

 

[Coronis]

Kallis by the same gap between Hayden and Tendulkar.

 

[Prince EWS]

I think Kallis was the better batsman but Sobers was the better bowler.

I love having this edgy opinion tbh.

 

[anil1405]

I love the end date for this poll.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Sobers.Bowling Stats don’t really do justice to Sobers. Lot superior quick than Kallis and also a decent enough spinner.

 

[shortpitched713]

Sobers.Bowling Stats don’t really do justice to Sobers. Lot superior quick than Kallis and also a decent enough spinner.

Weird though, because he was bowled more consistently throughout his career than Kallis, and ended up with a worse average than him by a meaningful margin.

I have the opposite opinion. I think Kallis had a higher ceiling as a quick bowler, but just so happened to be used less in that role.

 

[shortpitched713]

Kallis by the same gap between Hayden and Tendulkar.

Nah, Kallis isn't that much better of a bowler. That's way too unfair on Hayden.

 

[subshakerz]

Weird though, because he was bowled more consistently throughout his career than Kallis, and ended up with a worse average than him by a meaningful margin.

I have the opposite opinion. I think Kallis had a higher ceiling as a quick bowler, but just so happened to be used less in that role.

Kallis was a minnow basher, thats why he has a better average. Without minnows, pretty clear Sobers is better.

 

[shortpitched713]

Kallis was a minnow basher, thats why he has a better average. Without minnows, pretty clear Sobers is better.

What did Sobers average against New Zealand, India, and Pakistan? ( Yeah I went there ).

 

[subshakerz]

What did Sobers average against New Zealand, India, and Pakistan? ( Yeah I went there ).

Sobers averaged pretty much the same without them, 34 while Kallis averages 35 without minnows, but Sobers is taking nearly twice as many wickets as Kallis per test.

 

[Prince EWS]

Trundler saying Kallis wasn't an allrounder is dumb, but Sobers was used as a frontline bowler for his whole career while Kallis only was for the first part of it. Now he was definitely capable of that standard but they didn't need him for it and wanted him to focus more on his batting so he was used more stategically. On flat pitches Sobers bowled a lot of dry spin to keep the quicks fresh, but Kallis wasn't used much at all. This doesn't mean he wasn't a real allrounder or wasn't capable of being a frontline bowler, but it does mean his average is better than it would have been if he had to bowl harder overs more regularly.

And to bring up everyone's favourite topic, standardised averages:
Sobers - 31.04
Kallis - 32.06

 

[The Sean]

Trundler saying Kallis wasn't an allrounder is dumb, but Sobers was used as a frontline bowler for his whole career while Kallis only was for the first part of it. Now he was definitely capable of that standard but they didn't need him for it and wanted him to focus more on his batting so he was used more stategically. On flat pitches Sobers bowled a lot of dry spin to keep the quicks fresh, but Kallis wasn't used much. This doesn't mean he wasn't a real allrounder or wasn't capable of being a frontline bowler, but it does mean his average is better than it would have been if he had to bowl more harder overs more regularly.

And to bring up everyone's favourite topic, standardised averages:
Sobers - 31.04
Kallis - 32.06

This, but unironically.

 

[trundler]

This doesn't mean he wasn't a real allrounder

Sure but he's the same level of all rounder as Ashwin or Worrell.

 

[shortpitched713]

And to bring up everyone's favourite topic, standardised averages:
Sobers - 31.04
Kallis - 32.06

How? Wasn't Kallis largely in the flat pitch Era? Shouldn't his already better bowling average be helped by that in comparison to Sobers?

 

[Prince EWS]

How? Wasn't Kallis largely in the flat pitch Era? Shouldn't his already better bowling average be helped by that in comparison to Sobers?

Not when he takes 57% of his wickets in South Africa - a holdout of the 'flat pitch era' - and has 38 wickets @ 14 against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, no.

 

[StephenZA]

Remember Kallis the bowler had green pitches at home... and flat pitches as a batsmen at home.

 

[Prince EWS]

Remember Kallis the bowler had green pitches at home... and flat pitches as a batsmen at home.

You know I don't believe this though lol. I think Kallis was a better batsman than Sobers partly because of his tough home pitches.