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The most underrated and overrated players in CricketWeb

kyear2

International Coach
Overrated

Keith Miller
Sunil Gavaskar
Bert Sutcliffe
Ravindra Jadeja
Geoffrey Boycott
Ken Barrington
Garry Sobers
Steve Smith
Jacques Kallis

Underrated:

Ricky Ponting
Ben Stokes
Virat Kohli
Clive Lloyd
Gordon Greenidge
R Ashwin
Ian Botham
Javed Miandad
Don Bradman

Themes

Overrated:

Players from the 60s / Early 70s
All Rounders
Players with strong stats but no discernible match winning track record

Underrated:

Modern players and batsman from the 1980s
Strong specialists
Match winners who transcended stats
Bradman
Actually agree with most of this list, especially the overrated part.
Assuming Sobers is there for his bowling, if not I disagree (Trueman, Lindwall, Davidson, Benaud, quartet, Snow etc etc). Kallis, think he's a little under rated, especially for the cumulative all rounder crowd. When Sobers is (rightly) top 2, and other all rounders up there as well, how is Kallis at best mid teens? But yes, the over rated list is good, especially the top 2.

With regards to the lower over rated list

Yeah, the very early 70's was weak, but wouldn't diminish the entire era.

Definitely all rounders, the forum overly elevates them

For the last one, I agree, primarily for bowlers. Batsmen, lesser extent, and also very subjective to supporting class. But if you just slowly accumulated runs while the team burned around you or played for yourself, then yes.

The underated list is much more hit and miss for me, but appreciated seeing Ponting and Lloyd in there. Don't see how Bradman or Ashwin are under rated. In many ways I think they are very similar.

And yes, under rated? specialists apparently.
 
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kyear2

International Coach
Not sure Viv is underrated.

There’s a bunch of people who for no valid reason think he wasn’t that good. Then there’s all the humans who acknowledge (correctly) he was a batting god, the most fearsome batsman ever to walk the field.
For the most terrifying and genuinely difficult era for batsmen, he was the terrifying one. He changed games and helped to create a dynasty.
There was possibly only two more difficult places to bat than Pakistan and Australia in the late '70's early 80's and those were possibly his two greatest series.

The disrespect is laughable at this point. Not sure he wasn't the 2nd best batsman to have played the game, definitely on the short list.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Imran Khan is fairly rated as the 2nd greatest All rounder imo. At worst he is top 3. His prime is at least top 3 or 4 of All Time.

And I don't think anybody overrates Kapil here.
Agree Imran slots in at 2nd, at worst top 4 (I include Gilly as an all rounder), that doesn't automatically make you top 3 player ever.

Amazing allrounder, but I think Imran's bowling is a bit overrated
Definte tier below the top 3 guys, and for me clearly behind Steyn and Ambrose as well and possibly the two spinners.

Same way Kallis isn't top 3, don't see how he can be.

I will acknowledge that I have understated the impact of his lower order batting, but it's also over hyped by many, and despite the arguments there was a bit of downhill skiing and the numbers are soft.

That being said, yeah all rounder 2nd (Gilly has an argument though), all round cricketer I have him below Kallis and as an overall cricketer don't see how he's no. 3, though definitely top 10. Just my opinion obviously.
 

sayon basak

International Debutant
Agree Imran slots in at 2nd, at worst top 4 (I include Gilly as an all rounder), that doesn't automatically make you top 3 player ever.
I meant top 3 all rounders (or you might be referring to the cw's greatest cricketers list I'm not sure). But I don't see him anywhere below top 6 or 7 and an overall better cricketer than Gilchrist. Imran's numbers would be Way better if he actually played for 9 years.
 

kyear2

International Coach
I meant top 3 all rounders (or you might be referring to the cw's greatest cricketers list I'm not sure). But I don't see him anywhere below top 6 or 7 and an overall better cricketer than Gilchrist. Imran's numbers would be Way better if he actually played for 9 years.
Yeah, definitely top 3 as an all rounder.

Meant top 10 as an over all cricketer. Even though he rates ahead of Hadlee as an all rounder, Hadlee for me is well ahead as a cricketer.

And re top 6 / 7?

I have
Bradman
Sobers
Marshall
Hobbs
McGrath
Hadlee
Richards
Tendulkar

Ahead of him, Warne and him probably finishes off the top 10.
 

sayon basak

International Debutant
Yeah, definitely top 3 as an all rounder.

Meant top 10 as an over all cricketer. Even though he rates ahead of Hadlee as an all rounder, Hadlee for me is well ahead as a cricketer.

And re top 6 / 7?

I have
Bradman
Sobers
Marshall
Hobbs
McGrath
Hadlee
Richards
Tendulkar

Ahead of him, Warne and him probably finishes off the top 10.
Wouldn't rate McGrath ahead of Imran. It's close in primary discipline and Imran was a pretty good batsman.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Wouldn't rate McGrath ahead of Imran. It's close in primary discipline and Imran was a pretty good batsman.
I don't think it's close, Marshall and McGrath and quite clearly (imo) the two best bowlers ever, Hadlee comes closest, but nah. Don't think Imran's even in that conversation.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Yet Sobers>Don......
About the 5th time I'm saying this.

It changes, even in the names just listed Don was no. 1.

But even if....
Sobers is arguably the 2nd best batsman ever and definitely in that top tier of contenders.

He's also easily seen as the best all rounder and all round cricketer ever, who contributed at all 3 levels of the game.

So an absolute top tier batsman and slip fielder and close catcher in general and as a bowler he carried out every role from opening, to bowling marathon spells into the wind, every style from pace to swing to wrist and finger spin.

So yes Bradman is the greatest batsman ever, but what about the guy who's next in line, could catch flies and did everything imaginable with the ball? He's ATG at 2 disciplines and the most versatile ever in the 3rd.

With all that being said, as I said at the start, Bradman has the pole position for the spot.
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
About the 5th time I'm saying this.

It changes, even in the names just listed Don was no. 1.

But even if....
Sobers is arguably the 2nd best batsman ever and definitely in that top tier of contenders.

He's also easily seen as the best all rounder and all round cricketer ever, who contributed at all 3 levels of the game.

So an absolute top tier batsman and slip fielder and close catcher in general and as a bowler he carried out every role from opening, to bowling marathon spells into the wind, every style from pace to swing to wrist and finger spin.

So yes Bradman is the greatest batsman ever, but what about the guy who's next in line, could catch flies and did everything imaginable with the ball? He's ATG at 2 disciplines and the most versatile ever in the 3rd.

With all that being said, as I said at the start, Bradman has the pole position for the spot.
Sobers' batting is not close to Don..... I don't need to tell you that. I don't think it's really debatable whether Imran is a closer to McGrath as a bowler or Sobers to Don. That pretty much raps this whole fiasco.
 

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