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Bradman vs Hypothetical Player

Greater Batsman


  • Total voters
    12

DrWolverine

International Debutant
Let’s us assume a scenario where we are going to see a batsman in the next 20 years who will easily surpass the likes of Sachin, Smith, Viv & Sobers. He is going to average 20+ runs more than them and score runs and centuries at an even faster rate and as usual 2nd best will be averaging 55.

Bradman(1928-1948)
52 Tests
80 innings
Avg of 99.94
29 centuries(A century per 2.7 innings)

Hypothetical player(2025-2045)
100 Tests
160 innings
Avg of 85
47 tons(A century per 3.4 innings)

For reference : Smith and Sachin score one century for every 6 innings.

Will you consider him better than Bradman because he played in the modern era?

Or is Bradman still the greatest because he is significantly ahead of this new guy?
 
Last edited:

sayon basak

International Captain
Let’s us assume a scenario where we are going to see a batsman in the next 20 years who will easily surpass the likes of Sachin, Smith, Viv & Sobers. He is going to average 20+ runs more than them and score runs and centuries at an even faster rate and as usual 2nd best will be averaging 55.

Bradman(1928-1948)
52 Tests
80 innings
Avg of 99.94
29 centuries(A century per 2.7 innings)

Hypothetical player(2025-2045)
100 Tests
160 innings
Avg of 85
47 tons(A century per 3.4 innings)

For reference : Smith and Sachin score one century for every 6 innings.

Will you consider him better than Bradman because he played in the modern era?

Or is Bradman still the greatest because he is significantly ahead of this new guy?
Does the hypothetical player plays only against BAN/ZIM?
 

sayon basak

International Captain
Bradman is still farther ahead of his peers than the 85 average player right?
Hammond averaged 58. Don averaged 100.

The hypothetical player averages 85. Let's say, the second best player will average 50.

Not enough gap difference to lean towards anybody by this metric. We'd have to look for match by match or series by series performance. As Wolverine said that he averages 80 vs everybody (Don didn't manage that somehow), and assuming he plays against the strong opponents of his time for more than 69% of his career, I guess the hypothetical player has a good shout.

It'd still be close either way tho.
 

DrWolverine

International Debutant
Is it possible for the mods to close this thread and have a discussion in this thread?


Looks like a better battle
 

ataraxia

International Coach
This is really close IMO and reflecting that, I think this poll will end up closer than the other one. This hypothetical superhuman has a few points in his favour:
  • Bradman was a massive outlier in an era in which it was moderately easier to be a massive outlier than today
  • It's particularly difficult to establish longevity for modern players compared to 100 years ago – besides Mushfiqur, the last 20-year batting career was Chanderpaul and he was something of an outlier himself
  • Bradman played in a flatter era than most
 

Fanboy375

U19 12th Man
We don't know how batting friendly the pitch will be in future.But if pitches will be similar to now and Bradman played there will be likely to average at best 68-70.
 

Migara

International Coach
Hammond averaged 58. Don averaged 100.

The hypothetical player averages 85. Let's say, the second best player will average 50.

Not enough gap difference to lean towards anybody by this metric. We'd have to look for match by match or series by series performance. As Wolverine said that he averages 80 vs everybody (Don didn't manage that somehow), and assuming he plays against the strong opponents of his time for more than 69% of his career, I guess the hypothetical player has a good shout.

It'd still be close either way tho.
Statistically when the number of players increase, smaller gaps become more significant. The averages are in a exponential / Poisson distribution. When n (number of players increase) the gap that needs to be significant shrinks by 1/ sqrt(n).
 

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