Which type of players are hardest to find ?

[Fuller Pilch]

Dishan puts his hand up. So is Asanka Gurusinha.

GP

 

[reyrey]

Wicket-keeper bowlers are a bit thin on the ground.

Clyde Walcott

 

[Coronis]

Man it’d be really cool to have a top notch keeper who was also a quality bowler.

Then it’d be really funny if you put him for a spell and the replacement keeper dropped a chance off him.

 

[Migara]

Man it’d be really cool to have a top notch keeper who was also a quality bowler.

Then it’d be really funny if you put him for a spell and the replacement keeper dropped a chance off him.

Asanka Gurusinha was a keeper to start with. Then back troubles resulted him to give up keeping. Then he was hit the pitch hard fast medium bowler. He was 6' 2" and pretty massive unit. When he bowled he looked good. Managed to average 34 with the ball. His atrocious fitness record lead to more injuries, and resulted us loosing a potential all rounder.

 

[AndrewB]

Wicket-keeper bowlers are a bit thin on the ground.

George Brown in his 612 FC matches - mostly for Hampshire - took 626 wickets and made 78 stumpings. In his 7 Tests for England in the early 20s he was picked as a wicket-keeper/batsman.

 

[The_CricketUmpire]

Australia is not a good place to bowl spin. Even Warne averages 35 in the shield. If Hogg had his opportunities against England, SAF, NZ and WI the story could have been very different.

That's right, Warney averaged nearly 35 with the ball for Victoria. Below are his stats in First-Class (red ball) cricket in all formats.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

ATG Left arm wrist spinners

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Number 3s who average 99.94

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

Probably WK-batters as you’re asking them to do two very different jobs, and they may well be asked to stop doing the former if they get too good, but we’ve also seen in recent years that batting at the top of the order is bloody hard. On a similar note, I’d also add ATG all-rounders to the list, especially seam-bowling all-rounders, you’ve got Shakib who has retired from Test cricket recently and Stokes who is having problems with injuries and whose bowling output is therefore inconsistent, who is coming to replace them?

 

[kyear2]

Since 1935

ATG openers
Hutton, Richards, Gavaskar

ATG spinners
O'Reilly, Warne, Muralitharan

ATG wicketkeeper batsmen
Ames, Knott, Gilchrist

It's literally 3 of each, Ames a bit on the border, but qualifies.

Want to throw out / float a name for keeper that I've probably only seen mentioned by one person, but... John Waite?

 

[capt_Luffy]

In practicality, Waite and Watling were hardly worse than Knott, and not than Ames.

 

[kyear2]

In practicality, Waite and Watling were hardly worse than Knott, and not than Ames.

Knott was a level above as a keeper. In the same class as Evans, Tallon, Healy etc etc.

 

[Betterpolo]

Probably WK-batters as you’re asking them to do two very different jobs, and they may well be asked to stop doing the former if they get too good, but we’ve also seen in recent years that batting at the top of the order is bloody hard. On a similar note, I’d also add ATG all-rounders to the list, especially seam-bowling all-rounders, you’ve got Shakib who has retired from Test cricket recently and Stokes who is having problems with injuries and whose bowling output is therefore inconsistent, who is coming to replace them?

I was actually thinking about the decline of the seamer all-rounder recently and wondering if it is just the natural cycle of things or a reflection of a changing sport. Historically there's also a gap in the category of Australian all-rounders, at least since Miller. I mean, they've done ok anyway but it's an interesting anomaly that I haven't seen a complete explanation for.

 

[Betterpolo]

Knott was a level above as a keeper. In the same class as Evans, Tallon, Healy etc etc.

He was excellent yes. Interesting that his weakest country for batting was England.

 

[LangleyburyCCPlayer]

I was actually thinking about the decline of the seamer all-rounder recently and wondering if it is just the natural cycle of things or a reflection of a changing sport. Historically there's also a gap in the category of Australian all-rounders, at least since Miller. I mean, they've done ok anyway but it's an interesting anomaly that I haven't seen a complete explanation for.

The role of the seam-bowling all-rounder is a very demanding one, perhaps with the amount of cricket being played these days it’s simply too much

 

[capt_Luffy]

Knott was a level above as a keeper. In the same class as Evans, Tallon, Healy etc etc.

Waite and Watling, in practicality, aren't really going to be much different in a match. Also not sure if Knott was in the Evans tier; actually not sure at all how to rate keepers without watching them at all.

 

[kyear2]

He was excellent yes. Interesting that his weakest country for batting was England.

It was the toughest places to bat. Always swing and the occasional sticky wicket.

 

[Betterpolo]

The role of the seam-bowling all-rounder is a very demanding one, perhaps with the amount of cricket being played these days it’s simply too much

That's what I'm thinking, and why risk injury etc for franchise T20 leagues. Young English batting talent appears to have decided that developing keeping skills is the way to make yourself desirable.

 

[kyear2]

Waite and Watling, in practicality, aren't really going to be much different in a match. Also not sure if Knott was in the Evans tier; actually not sure at all how to rate keepers without watching them at all.

It's moments that win tests, and those guys were less likely to bottle one of miss a stumping.

Waite I have no idea how to rate, not enough writing out there. I will continue to look though.

 

[capt_Luffy]

It's moments that win tests, and those guys were less likely to bottle one of miss a stumping.

Waite I have no idea how to rate, not enough writing out there. I will continue to look though.

I would argue very few Tests are won off of singular moments. It's a whole package of them much more often.