• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

2nd greatest living cricketer

Who is the 2nd greatest living cricketer (behind Sobers)?


  • Total voters
    74

kyear2

International Coach
He probably is. But we don't like bowlers before the 70's
Nothing to do with the 70's. Davidson, Lindwall, O'Reilly etc... But Barnes was from a different era , a different time all together. There is either very little or absolutely no footage of how he actually bowled, and there was a time where it was a matter of debate if he was even a pacer or spinner.
His record, while good was misleading. And there really needs to be a cutoff somewhere as to how far we go back, where we acknowledge that the game they played isn't the same as the one we played today. Either through ability, technique or more pertinently the level of competition.

For me that occured at some point mid 30's, but I acknowledge for most it goes back further, but surely it shouldn't go back to a point before there's even footage and was only 2 legitimate teams.

Just my 2 cents worth.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Nothing to do with the 70's. Davidson, Lindwall, O'Reilly etc... But Barnes was from a different era , a different time all together. There is either very little or absolutely no footage of how he actually bowled, and there was a time where it was a matter of debate if he was even a pacer or spinner.
His record, while good was misleading. And there really needs to be a cutoff somewhere as to how far we go back, where we acknowledge that the game they played isn't the same as the one we played today. Either through ability, technique or more pertinently the level of competition.

For me that occured at some point mid 30's, but I acknowledge for most it goes back further, but surely it shouldn't go back to a point before there's even footage and was only 2 legitimate teams.

Just my 2 cents worth.
So no WG Grace too, then? I agree with you. It was a very different game then.
 

Himannv

Hall of Fame Member
If you look at the limited footage of Barnes, there's something slightly off about his follow through for a pace bowler. It's like he's slightly too upright and doesn't bend his back enough to generate the kind of pace we'd see with more modern bowlers. It makes me assume that, while he certainly bowled pace, he wasn't exactly very quick when compared with modern standards, although perhaps quick enough based on the standards of his time. The footage is too fuzzy to see any sort of variations he had, but it certainly seems like he had quite a few based on interviews and reports. There are some parallels drawn with O'Reilly so I think he might be something like a medium-fast bowler with cutters or perhaps he'd bowl the odd delivery with spin here and there. So if we judge him by modern standards, I don't think he'll be completely ineffective or anything like that, but perhaps not as good as the likes of Marshall, McGrath, and Steyn.
 

Victor Ian

International Coach
Barnes' modes of dismissal. Lots of bowled and lots of caught. Batsmen had no ****ing idea.


Here's Murali for comparison.

And Warne

Bill O'Reilly


We have to factor in that Barnes' has missed a huge amount of wickets for lbw because the laws weren't as tight back then.

In Asia, or any pitch that gripped, he'd be a nightmare.


Edit: truth is I'm just spruiking without really knowing. I'm hoping those of you in the know can run with it.
 

Red_Ink_Squid

Global Moderator
I think it's fair to say that if peak Barnes were magically transported to the modern game there would be far more question marks about how successful he'd be than if the same were done for one of the 80s bowling greats, say. But in terms of being far too good for his contemporaries (which is the more important thing) he's definitely one of the greatest in history.
 

Himannv

Hall of Fame Member
Barnes' modes of dismissal. Lots of bowled and lots of caught. Batsmen had no ****ing idea.


Here's Murali for comparison.

And Warne

Bill O'Reilly


We have to factor in that Barnes' has missed a huge amount of wickets for lbw because the laws weren't as tight back then.

In Asia, or any pitch that gripped, he'd be a nightmare.


Edit: truth is I'm just spruiking without really knowing. I'm hoping those of you in the know can run with it.
The graphs made me think he's actually more similar to O'Reilly than to other bowlers so some of the articles and interviews that suggest it seem to be spot on.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I think there's greater respect for pre-30s spinners than there is for pace bowlers, with a few exceptions (Spoffoth in particular still seems to be revered).
 

Coronis

International Coach
I think there's greater respect for pre-30s spinners than there is for pace bowlers, with a few exceptions (Spoffoth in particular still seems to be revered).
An excellent nickname and a glorious moustache will do that.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Fred has decent figures, albeit a small number of matches over several years. But if you throw a strop, bowl England out when they only need 80 odd to win, and give rise to one of the most famous sporting trophies in history, you're likely to be remembered in cricketing circles.
 

Top