Steve Smith vs Ricky Ponting

[Spark]

It takes very basic era standardisation or even just literally watching the game to understand why Smith's peak was more impressive than Ponting's peak. It is not even particularly close.

Or, like, "who had more impressive performances away against the marquee opposition in tough away conditions", which virtually everyone agrees is the ultimate test of a great batsman

 

[ma1978]

It takes very basic era standardisation or even just literally watching the game to understand why Smith's peak was more impressive than Ponting's peak. It is not even particularly close.

I think you’re wrong here.

Watching the game, it’s not close. Ponting was breathtaking, Smith is pedestrian in his shotmaking.

Stabdradizing for eta is not enough. Australia has become considerably easier to bat in Smiths era vs Pontings era.

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Smith easily.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Smith>Border >Ponting >Waugh is the correct order.

Close. But Waugh over Ponting imo.

 

[Spark]

I think you’re wrong here.

Watching the game, it’s not close. Ponting was breathtaking, Smith is pedestrian in his shotmaking.

Stabdradizing for eta is not enough. Australia has become considerably easier to bat in Smiths era vs Pontings era.

This is absolutely, objectively untrue

 

[ma1978]

Or, like, "who had more impressive performances away against the marquee opposition in tough away conditions", which virtually everyone agrees is the ultimate test of a great batsman

only on this site. I guarantee if you askedthe top 30 Australian cricketing journalists who they rate more, they would agree with me

 

[ma1978]

This is absolutely, objectively untrue

averages excluding Smith and Pontingare like 5 points higher

 

[OverratedSanity]

Close. But Waugh over Ponting imo.

Border - Ponting is the close one for me. Both greater than Waugh.

 

[Spark]

only on this site. I guarantee if you askedthe top 30 Australian cricketing journalists who they rate more, they would agree with me

I think you're very wrong about this and it demonstrates how weak your case is that you have to come up with completely unsupportable assertions like this

 

[OverratedSanity]

I think you’re wrong here.

Watching the game, it’s not close. Ponting was breathtaking, Smith is pedestrian in his shotmaking.

What do you mean by this? Aesthetics?

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

only on this site. I guarantee if you askedthe top 30 Australian cricketing journalists who they rate more, they would agree with me

So based on this, you have Lillee easily over McGrath?

 

[capt_Luffy]

I think you’re wrong here.

Watching the game, it’s not close. Ponting was breathtaking, Smith is pedestrian in his shotmaking.

Stabdradizing for eta is not enough. Australia has become considerably easier to bat in Smiths era vs Pontings era.

Australia is easier in Smith's time than Ponting is just plain wrong. Smith's pedestrian shots worked everywhere; Ponting's only on flat beds. Are you among those people who rate Lillee over McGrath and think Trevor Gripper was an excellent batsman??

 

[capt_Luffy]

Border - Ponting is the close one for me. Both greater than Waugh.

Then let's agree to disagree. Border-Waugh is the close one for me; with Ponting not really too behind.

 

[Spark]

averages excluding Smith and Pontingare like 5 points higher

1 Jan 1995 to 31 Dec 2012, batting average in Australia was 34.41
1 Jan 2013 to today, batting average in Australia was 33.51

This comparison only becomes more favourable to the last decade if you only consider the period after Ponting became a permanent fixture in 1999, the average over the 2000s is like 35 and a bit. Those pitches in 2000s were incredibly flat, lasting until about 2015.

This doesn't even account for what was going on away from Australia where pitches have become dramatically more difficult to bat on around the world.

 

[kyear2]

I've said for years that Ponting is probably the most under rated batsman on CW, that doesn't mean that he's better than Smith. They're in different tiers, but again I wonder how many of you would jump off the bandwagon if his career has a drop off the same way Ponting's did.

As someone said, him and Border are probably close, but I would go with Ponting, and both over Waugh.

 

[kyear2]

Oh, and the thread is honestly pointless.

 

[Spark]

Ponting definitely belongs in the pantheon of ATGs, don't get me wrong. But what's transpired with pitches and the dominance of bowling around the world starting in about 2015 and only accelerating since then has really, really shown up just how easy batsman had it in the 2000s. In India and England especially so.

 

[ma1978]

So based on this, you have Lillee easily over McGrath?

Ithink there is very little between Lillee and Mcgrath which is also theconventional wisdom

 

[ma1978]

1 Jan 1995 to 31 Dec 2012, batting average in Australia was 34.41
1 Jan 2013 to today, batting average in Australia was 33.51

This comparison only becomes more favourable to the last decade if you only consider the period after Ponting became a permanent fixture in 1999, the average over the 2000s is like 35 and a bit. Those pitches in 2000s were incredibly flat, lasting until about 2015.

This doesn't even account for what was going on away from Australia where pitches have become dramatically more difficult to bat on around the world.

you can use the time they scored the most runs and the averages flip in Australia

i agree on the rest of the world but at this stage of his career Ponting was averaging 3 points higher which more than covers the variance

 

[Aidan11]

Ponting the lesser of two evils.