Where will Steve Smith end up being ranked?

[govinda indian fan]

For me smith would end up as good as lara tendulkar and ponting. Personally i have started watching cricket since 2007 never saw lara or ponting at his peak saw sachin at his second peak from 07-11. For me smith alongside sachin are best i have seen

 

[subshakerz]

second greatest all rounder after gary sobers. It is universally agreed

Nope

 

[Coronis]

Nobody says bumrah is better then botham. Bumarh is fast bowler while sir ian was all rounder cant compere Apple with oranges and yes botham is atg and second greatest all rounder after gary sobers. It is universally agreed

Tell that to the 100 recent meaningless batsman vs bowler threads

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

For me smith would end up as good as lara tendulkar and ponting. Personally i have started watching cricket since 2007 never saw lara or ponting at his peak saw sachin at his second peak from 07-11. For me smith alongside sachin are best i have seen

Above Ponting.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Here's an example. People are fanboying over how much of an ATG Bumrah already is.

Bumrah has 41 Tests, 181 wkts @ 20.06, 11 5fers, 0 10fers

Botham at 41 Tests, 202 wkts @ 21.20, 17 5fers and 4 10fers. He also had 1977 runs @ 32.40 with 8 centuries

You tell me who should be considered greater?

After 41 tests Botham was challenging Sobers and Bradman not Bumrah.

 

[govinda indian fan]

Above Ponting.

Never saw ponting at peak sorry

 

[govinda indian fan]

People sort downplay smith 17 bgt but he was facing two great spinners who have atg record on sub Continental pitches at their peak at their home on absolute minefields. Those pitches were turning so much that even indian batsmen bar sachin and gavskar could have scored.Smith scored 600 runs on them if that is not atg performance wonder what would be

 

[kyear2]

Ponting only topped 60 average in one innings from memory but definitely Ponting and Viv were thought of as brutal high 50's batting gods for most of their career, nothing like their low 50's averages they ended up with because of age

At 35 it's all down hill for Smith from here. Even now at the same number of innings Smith averages 56.40 whereas Ponting was averaging 58.72

Correct, yet Punter is dismissed by a some on the forum.

 

[Coronis]

Correct, yet Punter is dismissed by a some on the forum.

Lets be real, Smith is ahead for multiple other reasons than overall average.

 

[kyear2]

Lets be real, Smith is ahead for multiple other reasons than overall average.

Didn't say otherwise, to me he's a little better than Ponting.

But he's still better than his final average which is rated by many by.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

So? Is all you do judge by raw averages? Sachin after 110 games averaged 55. Does that make him worse?

Sachin has like a 157 game stretch averaging 60

 

[centurymaker]

Why not? Smith is the top bat of his era and doesn't have the weaknesses that Lara has but does have his strength in terms of ATG series.

Smith does have an obvious weakness. He covers his stumps and makes himself a LBW candidate. His super reflexes used to bail him out.

On pitches that seam, it's not a good technique at all. Plus Australian pitches didn't use to seam in his prime 2014-19. Similar situation to Ponting in his prime 2001-07. If pitches had been more balanced between 2014-19, Smith's average would be low 50s easily right now and falling. It's not a surprise that his record in SA (where the ball seams) is middling. And he hasn't played there since 2018 either or else it'd look worse.

 

[Daemon]

It’s funny how a couple of bad years and Smith is no longer being rated alongside Tendulkar and Lara and instead being shoved below Ponting, Waugh, Chappell etc.

 

[honestbharani]

It’s funny how a couple of bad years and Smith is no longer being rated alongside Tendulkar and Lara and instead being shoved below Ponting, Waugh, Chappell etc.

That is an over correction too. I stand by what I said about him when he was at his best.

I didn't see him overtaking Lara and Sachin then, I do not see it now. But he is definitely in that tier below Bradman where all these batters stand.

 

[centurymaker]

Same thing happened with other greats, their rating fell somewhat as they declined.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

That is an over correction too. I stand by what I said about him when he was at his best.

I didn't see him overtaking Lara and Sachin then, I do not see it now. But he is definitely in that tier below Bradman where all these batters stand.

I suspect he'll suffer in the long run from simply not being as aesthetically pleasing a batsman as your Laras and Tendulkars. In terms of effectiveness, it shouldn't matter but we know that they do.

 

[honestbharani]

I suspect he'll suffer in the long run from simply not being as aesthetically pleasing a batsman as your Laras and Tendulkars. In terms of effectiveness, it shouldn't matter but we know that they do.

Possibly but I think Lara and Sachin were just better batsmen in terms of quality. Aesthetics has nothing to do with it. And I kinda enjoy watching the quirky technique and mid match changes that Smith does to his batting. Actually, I think those are what makes me rate him in the genius tier, not his runs.

 

[subshakerz]

I suspect he'll suffer in the long run from simply not being as aesthetically pleasing a batsman as your Laras and Tendulkars. In terms of effectiveness, it shouldn't matter but we know that they do.

I think that's the real reason. If he was aesthetically pleasing, he would have had his position locked.

Otherwise I don't see a reason for him to be below Lara.

Tendulkar yes given his longevity.

 

[subshakerz]

Smith does have an obvious weakness. He covers his stumps and makes himself a LBW candidate. His super reflexes used to bail him out.

On pitches that seam, it's not a good technique at all. Plus Australian pitches didn't use to seam in his prime 2014-19. Similar situation to Ponting in his prime 2001-07. If pitches had been more balanced between 2014-19, Smith's average would be low 50s easily right now and falling. It's not a surprise that his record in SA (where the ball seams) is middling. And he hasn't played there since 2018 either or else it'd look worse.

I myself have pointed out that issue. But I think his problems with seam now are also coinciding with a.genuine decline.

 

[GotSpin]

Ponting only topped 60 average in one innings from memory but definitely Ponting and Viv were thought of as brutal high 50's batting gods for most of their career, nothing like their low 50's averages they ended up with because of age

At 35 it's all down hill for Smith from here. Even now at the same number of innings Smith averages 56.40 whereas Ponting was averaging 58.72

It’s interesting how Ponting completely dominated shield cricket still as well. Don’t think Smith could do the same