Where will Steve Smith end up being ranked?

[Johan]

Smith after 110 games averages 56.40 while batting mostly at #4

Ponting after 112 games averaged 59.42 while batting mostly at #3

ngl, replace Ponting with Marnus and give them the exact same conditions and Marnus probably averages 55

 

[Johan]

No doubting his peak was incredible, but he didn't dominate attacks the way Lara, Richards, Ponting & Tendulkar (slightly lesser extent) did & you just said it yourself, you'd take their overall careers. We all have an overall calculation for rating batsmen, and I do think 'peak' should be factored but it ain't the be or and end all for me to suddenly project Smith ahead of Lara and Tendulkar.

Never saw Ponting or Lara do to an attack away from home what Smith did in Ashes 2019.

 

[honestbharani]

Even if his decline gets worse from here, reckon he has an argument to be ranked above Sachin and Lara purely for how amazing his peak was. Maybe not an argument I'd make but I wouldn't dismiss it either.

Its what I meant when I said he is in that tier. I certainly think he will be clearly lower than Lara and Sachin by the time he is done with his career but once you are in that tier, it can always be arguable either way about who is better than whom within that tier.

 

[honestbharani]

Never saw Ponting or Lara do to an attack away from home what Smith did in Ashes 2019.

your fault for not watching Lara in SL in 2001.

 

[Johan]

your fault for not watching Lara in SL in 2001.

You got me

 

[Johan]

BUUUUUUT, Smith in India BGT 2017

Smith — 2

 

[honestbharani]

BUUUUUUT, Smith in India BGT 2017

Smith — 2

Lara anywhere between 1993 and 1995 .

Beats everything tbh.

 

[Johan]

Lara anywhere between 1993 and 1995 .

Beats everything tbh.

same can be said for the monster Smith was between 2013 SA series and 2019 Ashes tbh

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Peak Smith was the best batsman ever bar Bradman. Kinda like Waqar though Waqar had a disastrous downfall unlike Smith. Almost Smith peak was more sustained.

 

[honestbharani]

same can be said for the monster Smith was between 2013 SA series and 2019 Ashes tbh

No... coz I dont think you watched Lara's great series.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

same can be said for the monster Smith was between 2013 SA series and 2019 Ashes tbh

Eh, he had quite a quiet 2018.

 

[Johan]

Peak Smith was the best batsman ever bar Bradman. Kinda like Waqar though Waqar had a disastrous downfall unlike Smith. Almost Smith peak was more sustained.

Both of them also like Sandpapers and bottle caps

 

[kyear2]

I'll take him well over those two due to peak, below Tendulkar, same level as Lara

Basically this

 

[kyear2]

No doubting his peak was incredible, but he didn't dominate attacks the way Lara, Richards, Ponting & Tendulkar (slightly lesser extent) did & you just said it yourself, you'd take their overall careers. We all have an overall calculation for rating batsmen, and I do think 'peak' should be factored but it ain't the be or and end all for me to suddenly project Smith ahead of Lara and Tendulkar.

Without having as yet read the last few pages.

Part of the reason I rate Lara and Sachin ahead of the names mentioned was their performances in the 90's, yeah they both had their issues but was a net positive in a difficult era. They also had moments of absolute dominance against some of the greats of the game, and I'll always maintain Lara has been the best bat I've ever seen.

Smith has had his moments as well and accordingly belongs in that conversation, but the difference being that he initially built his towering numbers in the "easier" era first.

He did have a few advantages over both, and so I have him a hair below Sachin and about on par of Lara.

But yeah, easily and well ahead of the 2000's guys.

 

[kyear2]

Peak Smith was the best batsman ever bar Bradman. Kinda like Waqar though Waqar had a disastrous downfall unlike Smith. Almost Smith peak was more sustained.

This will be controversial and roundly disparaged.

But I think peak Smith was almost / just below Bradman.

Factoring in the modern game, increased travel and variance of conditions and the modern attacks... the ruthless machine like scoring, what must have been the feeling of inevitability every time he came to the crease, the monster series.

It felt like the maximum that could be achieved.

 

[Qlder]

Probably end up batting 4 in the Australia ATG 2nd XI

 

[sayon basak]

Probably end up batting 4 in the Australia ATG 2nd XI

This is too much.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

This is too much.

...batting 5?

 

[Qlder]

This is too much.

Why, I already have Bradman, Ponting and Chappell as my 3-5 in the first ATG XI and Smith is not getting any better

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

This will be controversial and roundly disparaged.

But I think peak Smith was almost / just below Bradman.

Factoring in the modern game, increased travel and variance of conditions and the modern attacks... the ruthless machine like scoring, what must have been the feeling of inevitability every time he came to the crease, the monster series.

It felt like the maximum that could be achieved.

I think the difference of matches in a series would probably be the biggest challenge for Bradman if he was to swap Smith from 2014-2019. In order for him to post much higher numbers than Peak Smith. In his days it was all 5 match series, that pretty much favours a guy that far ahead of the pack.

If Smith could have done that for say 10 years he would be unarguably the best batsman ever bar Bradman easily. That imho would give say someone like Sobers a run for his money for being the 2nd best ever cricketer spot imho.