2015 Final Test Rankings - Steve Smith #1, Williamson #2, Voges #11

[Shri]

Cant wait for the return of the jedi

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW MURALI IS A CHUCKER!!!
z

 

[SuperMurali]

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW MURALI IS A CHUCKER!!!
z

silly.

His bowling action is within the 15 degrees so it's legal.

Also, Murali has the world record for most ODI and Test wickets. Absolute legend

 

[Adders]

 

[Gob]

silly.

His bowling action is within the 15 degrees so it's legal.

Also, Murali has the world record for most ODI and Test wickets. Absolute legend

lol this guy

 

[Furball]

FROM MY POINT OF VIEW MURALI IS A CHUCKER!!!
z

Wrong film.

 

[Adders]

Also, Murali has the world record for most ODI and Test wickets.

What?? When did that happen......can't be serious surely??

 

[TheJediBrah]

lel this thread still going strong

 

[Gob]

lel this thread still going strong

 

[burr]

I know I'm very late to the party on this but I just saw on The Verdict that Williamson only has an average of 49ish. I'm very surprised given he's scored 13 hundreds and seems so talented. Did he take a while to get going in test cricket (ala Steve Waugh)? I'm sure someone can be kind and explain without me having to trawl through 24 pages of this thread. Thanks

 

[hendrix]

I know I'm very late to the party on this but I just saw on The Verdict that Williamson only has an average of 49ish. I'm very surprised given he's scored 13 hundreds and seems so talented. Did he take a while to get going in test cricket (ala Steve Waugh)? I'm sure someone can be kind and explain without me having to trawl through 24 pages of this thread. Thanks

Picked very young, had to take a lot of the batting responsibility in a weak batting lineup, and struggled with it initially. Also was thrust into the deep end at number 3 relatively early on. The (relatively few) weaknesses he had as a young batsman were magnified by these factors.

I wouldn't say he took a while to get going because he still scored centuries occasionally (including on debut), and he certainly looked the goods - was never at risk of being dropped or anything. Just the natural teething process for a young batsman was exposed. I don't know whether he's better for it now or if he would've matured anyway. I'm inclined to say the latter.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, it's a bit different to Waugh because Waugh wasn't really justifying his spot as a batsman; he was holding his place based on potential and the value his bowling added. Williamson wasn't killing it but he was still contributing and clearly better than the alternatives; I don't think anyone suggested dropping him. It was just a case of him being young and not world class yet.

If you split his career so far into two, he averaged 33 for the first half and has averaged 68 for the second half.

 

[Flem274*]

before his third test ton in Sri Lanka (which imo kicked him off as a consistent batsman in test cricket) he was averaging less than 30.

 

[honestbharani]

Didn't Martin Crowe have a very similar beginning to his career as welll? Pretty sure I have heard him state on interviews that he wished he was not picked that young and that it kinda messed up his stats a bit.

 

[kiwiviktor81]

It's a Kiwi thing. Vettori had it as well. Basically we don't have a lot of depth so if you're talented enough we'll put you in the side at 18 or 19.

Contrast this with Mike Hussey. If Mike Hussey had been a Kiwi he probably would have made the team at age 17, or about 10 years earlier than he debuted for Australia.

Crowe averages about 50 if you take out his early years, which is probably a better reflection of how good he actually was.

Guys that good are wasted in our domestic set-up so we put them in the team early. In a way I think it actually helps us as we can make a mediocre player fairly good by giving him enough international experience.

 

[Furball]

Who's in the top 3 just now? Noticed on the highlights yesterday Root is at 4.

 

[91Jmay]

Root's hundred yesterday was the best he has played I think. His winter has confirmed he is a world class batsmen, as there were some justifiable questions about him scoring runs overseas.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Root up to 2 today then. Not a lot between him Smith and Williamson just 10 ranking points so they may all get a go as number 1 in the coming weeks with the NZ v Aus series coming up.

 

[Captain_Cook]

Root's got a dead rubber coming up and if The Oval was anything to go by then he may be #4 by the end of the series...

 

[honestbharani]

Is it going to be Root's thing to play amazing knocks and get to #1 and then flop the next game or two and go back to the line?

 

[mr_mister]

so is Kohli the clear number 4 now for some reason? It seems that Smith, KW and Root are being talked about way more often nowadays by this forum