• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Overrated by CW XI and Underrated by CW XI

kyear2

International Coach
I accept your point re Ponting but to rate Kallis so highly as an all-rounder when his bowling is (as described by you) "useful". There are plenty of top batsmen who were "useful" bowlers but they rarely get mentioned in all-rounder discussions.

Chanderpaul? Receives plenty of support here. (See Chanderpaul v Barrington thread)

Steyn? I've watched him in 3 series in Australia where his 31 wickets @ 28.77 was "fair". In England his 2 series produced 23 wickets @ 31.65. Enough said?
There's a double standard that we propagate when discussing all rounders.

No one compares Imran or Hadlee with specialists batsmen, they are compared to lower order batsmen, but Kallis is often compared to specialists bowlers.
 

Adorable Asshole

International Regular
Looking back on my underrated XI, I'd replace Gower with Clive Lloyd and Laker with Lance Gibbs.

The beauty of a thread such as this is there is no right and wrong. A player perceived as underrated by one may be seen as overrated by another.

Having said that, here is my overrated XI comprised of players I don't right as highly as many others do.

G.Smith
Simpson
Sangakarra
Ponting
Kallis
Chanderpaul
A.Flower
Jadeja
Steyn
Waqar Younis
Swann
Why Steyn?
 

Coronis

International Coach
I accept your point re Ponting but to rate Kallis so highly as an all-rounder when his bowling is (as described by you) "useful". There are plenty of top batsmen who were "useful" bowlers but they rarely get mentioned in all-rounder discussions.

Chanderpaul? Receives plenty of support here. (See Chanderpaul v Barrington thread)

Steyn? I've watched him in 3 series in Australia where his 31 wickets @ 28.77 was "fair". In England his 2 series produced 23 wickets @ 31.65. Enough said?
lol. Which non-Sobers top batsmen are anywhere near the bowler Kallis was?
 

Coronis

International Coach
I thought I answered that earlier when I posted this:

Steyn? I've watched him in 3 series in Australia where his 31 wickets @ 28.77 was "fair". In England his 2 series produced 23 wickets @ 31.65. Enough said?
He did play more than 3 series and in more than Australia and England, shockingly.
 

Adorable Asshole

International Regular
I thought I answered that earlier when I posted this:

Steyn? I've watched him in 3 series in Australia where his 31 wickets @ 28.77 was "fair". In England his 2 series produced 23 wickets @ 31.65. Enough said?
This is the definition of cherrypick. McGrath has similar stats in Pak and SL. Can we call him overrated?
 
Last edited:

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
This is the definition of cherrypick. McGrsth has similar stats in Pak and SL. Can we call him overrated?
Rubbish. It's not cherry picking. It's based on what I have seen live. Almost ordinary in Australia and, to support my observations, very ordinary in England.

McGrath had a much longer (and more distinguished career) and had a total of 3 series in Pakistan and Sri Lanks. That's cherry picking.

In contrast Steyn, in far fewer Tests than McGrath, played in 5 series in Australia and England. You can't ignore those performances and judge him solely on his home track record (where he played 56% of his Tests) and on the sub-continent (where I admit he was dominant).
 

Coronis

International Coach
Kallis as a bowler is "useful" at best. Hammond, Steve Waugh and Dexter I would rank in that category. Not quite as good but, looking at averages, close.
What a joke. When did Ted Dexter become a “top” batsman? And you’re calling blokes who averaged more, bowled significantly less (~1 WPM for Hammond/Dexter, closer to 0.5 WPM for Waugh) close to Kallis in bowling quality? Take a break mate.

Rubbish. It's not cherry picking. It's based on what I have seen live. Almost ordinary in Australia and, to support my observations, very ordinary in England.
Try rereading this.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I don't know how anyone can have watched Steyn bowl some of the spells he did in Australia and say he was ordinary there.
Yeah I don't rate Steyn as highly as some here but the idea that he was somehow meh in Australia is insane and totally devoid of context. Even just on the numbers alone his record here is awesome when you account for the pitches during that period that probably should have be illegal.
 

capt_Luffy

International Captain
A number of people? Seems excessive.

There used to be a time when PEWS thought he was the greatest test cricketer, but he's come around to putting him at 2 now. So I don't know where you get a "number of people"?

He gets underrated in most other places. Seems fairly rated on CW.
I think Imran's bowling as a little bit overrated...... He had a magnificent peak from '80-'86; but outside of that, he had spells of brilliance mixed bit a fair few decent ones. Also, no one almost talks about his batting here. I think most all-rounders are a bit overrated in CW; like Imran, Keith, Kallis, Shakib, Jadeja, Ashwin etc. The only ones I could think of as underrated are Wilfred Rhodes, Tony Greg and probably Shaun Pollock, Richie Benaud and a little bit Kapil Dev.
 

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
What a joke. When did Ted Dexter become a “top” batsman? And you’re calling blokes who averaged more, bowled significantly less (~1 WPM for Hammond/Dexter, closer to 0.5 WPM for Waugh) close to Kallis in bowling quality? Take a break mate.
Ted Dexter averaged 47.89 in 62 Tests. I've seen batsmen with less impressive averages ranked as "top" (eg Boycott, Greenidge, Kanhai, May). With regard to wickets, quantity doesn't always mean quality.

I've re-read what I posted and fail to see your point.

My opinions are based mainly on what I have seen over many years. I'm not stating them as fact (no opinions are) but I try to support what I have seen by adding statistical facts.

Just because I see Kallis as being overrated on CW doesn't mean I don't recognise him as an ATG. His batting was great but I still only rate his bowling as "useful".
 

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
Steyn bowled 1 of the greatest spells I've ever seen in Australia. It must've been 2008/9
That would have been his match figures of 10-154 at the MCG. I watched that on TV and it was first class. On the other hand, over here in the West he disappointed with 4-162 at the WACA.
 

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
Hammond was decent (and in my mind did enough to be seen as an all rounder), but not close to Kallis
Hammond more than matches Kallis in the batting and fielding departments.
Kallis was a better bowler but neither were "great" in that area. Kallis wins that all-rounder aspect
 

ma1978

International Debutant
Here is my hastily prepared CW Underrated XI

Lawry
Morris
Harvey
Barrington
Miandad
Mohinder Amarnath
Kapil Dev
Evans
Lillee
Statham
Laker

An overrated XI is harder as there are always members quick to put down players highly rated by others. I'll work on it and run the risk of leaving myself open for criticism.
I actually agree with all of these names except Barrington where I think people see the average without context. Don’t get me wrong he was a fine player and from what I hear a wonderful man, just wasn’t in that elite level.
 

Top