5 cricketers of the century and a bit?

[0RI0N]

iamallowedtochoose7_don'tlikeit_dealwithit.exe

 

[Shri]

I don't speak bot.

 

[ankitj]

Five seems too small a number to fit in some great cricketers whose personalities towered over the sport of cricket, and achieved magnificent feats. I would probably have have these 5:

1. Don Bradman
2. Gary Sobers
3. Imran Khan
4. Muttiah Muralitharan
5. Richard Hadlee

Viv Richards has fallen out of my top 5 slowly. At one time I would have had him ahead of Hadlee. But what Hadlee consistently achieved for a fairly mediocre side over more than a decade seems to have no parallel in the Test history. If there ever was a proverbial Atlas in the game of cricket, it was him.

Still feel bad for leaving out Viv Richards, Marshall, Barnes, Hobbs, Tendulkar from that elite list. They will complete my top 10.

 

[smash84]

Five seems too small a number to fit in some great cricketers whose personalities towered over the sport of cricket, and achieved magnificent feats. I would probably have have these 5:

1. Don Bradman
2. Gary Sobers
3. Imran Khan
4. Muttiah Muralitharan
5. Richard Hadlee

Viv Richards has fallen out of my top 5 slowly. At one time I would have had him ahead of Hadlee. But what Hadlee consistently achieved for a fairly mediocre side over more than a decade seems to have no parallel in the Test history. If there ever was a proverbial Atlas in the game of cricket, it was him.

Still feel bad for leaving out Viv Richards, Marshall, Barnes, Hobbs, Tendulkar from that elite list. They will complete my top 10.

Why is Hobbs rated so highly? Unfortunately I have never read anything on him so I have never been able to bring him even into my consideration set even though he has one of the most outstanding records ever

 

[vcs]

I don't speak bot.

This. What kind of annoying filename extension-speak is that, FFS?

 

[cnerd123]

Why is Hobbs rated so highly? Unfortunately I have never read anything on him so I have never been able to bring him even into my consideration set even though he has one of the most outstanding records ever

He was the ultimate run-machine of his era. Perfect technique, couldn't get him out, scored loads of run everywhere and anytime he played. And considering his era was that of no helmets, uncovered pitches, poor bats, poor protective gear, it makes it that much more awesome.

Was considered second to Bradman till guys like Viv, Sachin, Lara, Dravid showed up. And George Hedley, the Black Bradman, but I think I'm messing up my timelines with that one.

 

[ankitj]

Why is Hobbs rated so highly? Unfortunately I have never read anything on him so I have never been able to bring him even into my consideration set even though he has one of the most outstanding records ever

***** said most of what I would like to say too. Actually, it's only recently that I have started fully appreciating magnitude of Hobbs's achievement. Just go to statsguru (pretend HB doesn't exist ) and check test batting averages of batsmen before world war I, arguably the hardest period for batsmen. You will notice that Hobbs is the only one to average 50+ and he is about 10 points clear of the next best.

No batsman, other than Bradman and Grace, has towered over his contemporaries to the extent that Hobbs did. I can totally see, therefore, why he is rated as the 2nd best after Bradman by many a good judges even if I may not do that myself.

 

[smash84]

***** said most of what I would like to say too. Actually, it's only recently that I have started fully appreciating magnitude of Hobbs's achievement. Just go to statsguru (pretend HB doesn't exist ) .

 

[Migara]

I'd be loath to replace Warne with another batsman, so if one were minded to bring Sachin in it'd realistically be Sir Jack or Sir Viv who'd face removal.

Could see an argument for Murali ahead of Warne, but I think the latter's personality and the rectitude of his action make up for his undoubted personal shortcomings.

So basically telling Murali don't belong there because he chucked?

 

[Migara]

Warne at 5. Rescued the fine art of LBG bowling and took it to new heights

Greatest myth of all time.

 

[Migara]

20 guys ahead of imran as a bowler , off the top of my head:
Hadlee, marshall, holding, ambrose, walsh, garner, croft, roberts, wasim, waqar, lillee, thomson, miller, alderman, mcgrath, donald, pollock, trueman, botham, larwood,

lmao

 

[ankitj]

lmao

I agree with your emotion, but you shouldn't have put Donald in bold

 

[Migara]

I agree with your emotion, but you shouldn't have put Donald in bold

Agree. That was a mistake.

 

[weldone]

5 cricketers: Bradman, Sobers, Hobbs, Murali, Marshall.

Good list, very good list...

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

20 guys ahead of Imran as a bowler , off the top of my head:
Hadlee, Marshall, Holding, Ambrose, Walsh, Garner, Croft, Roberts, Wasim, Waqar, Lillee, Thomson, Miller, Alderman, McGrath, Donald, Pollock, Trueman, Botham, Larwood,

Joginder Sharma is a better bowler than Imran Khan. And Pappu's mom bowls a meaner reverse swinging yorker than any of the trundlers in that list! You heard it here first.

 

[smash84]

yeah it was a pretty ridiculous statement he made which he was asked to back up

 

[sumantra]

Don Bradman
Garry Sobers
Vivian Richards
Sunil Gavaskar
Shane Warne

 

[Vijay.Sharma]

Imran Khan
Garfield Sobers
Sachin Tendulkar
Donald Bradman
Malcolm Marshall / Muthiah Muralitharan / Shane Warne (sorry for the cheat)

 

[Vijay.Sharma]

Greatest myth of all time.

Totally agreed! Unless of course your perspective is limited to England-Australia-NZ view coz as I understand leg spin was healthy enough around the world with wizards ploughing around. Of course none of them were as good as Warne but definitely good enough to keep the art thriving in the cricketing world.

 

[kyear2]

Donald Bradman
Gary Sobers
Malcolm Marshall
Sachin Tendulkar
Shane Warne/Viv Richards/Len Hutton/Imran khan/Adam Gilchrist