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All Rounders Poll - Discussion

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
I've lodged my votes for the top 3 all rounders in Test Cricket. Some may be taken aback with the fact I have overlooked Imran. He was an excellent bowler and a fine batsman. However, these skills weren't always on display in the same era.
Others may want to define an all-rounder. There is justification for considering wicket-keeper batsmen. However, I will ask voters to only consider players who were capable with the bat and who took Test wickets.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Eek. 80-86 I'd argue it was on full display as much as any player in history, including Sobers.

Also, I stack more towards bowling as being the more impactful of the two disciplines, hence my own vote for Sobers coming at 3. If I weighted the 2 disciplines of bowling and batting equally then I'd have Sobers, Imran both tied at the top. Keith Miller might even come in above both in that world, for me.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Imran in the 1980s was in his bowling peak but also became a proper bat.

And the results are amazing, averaging 19 with the ball and 45 with the bat and scoring 5 of his 6 tons that decade.

But it's more than just numbers.

Imran played 16 series in the 1980s. He was MOS in 8 of those.

Three of those were against the no.1 team of the era WI back to back.

He was MOS in away series in WI, Australia, England twice and India.

He had batting contributions in almost all series. In fact, against India he was MOS based on batting alone.

And of course he was a successful captain.

Even if we want to argue his batting output was relatively low, there is little doubt that outside Bradman, no player in cricket history can come close to replicating this decade of all-round dominance of Imran and its sheer impact.
 

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
It can be based on anything you like, I voted Botham for his insane first half of his career. Never seen anything like it then or since
Yeah he was a freak for 2-3 years there, although even if he retired at the end of '84 instead of '91 he still wouldn't have finished up with quite as good a record as Miller's & Imran's.

1736145409648.png

Or early '82 for that matter.

1736145492396.png

Miller and Imran had peaks too & many believe Miller underperformed with the bat in Tests & was capable enough to average >40.
 
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Coronis

International Coach
Yeah he was a freak for 2-3 years there, although even if he retired at the end of '84 instead of '91 he still wouldn't have finished up with quite as good a record as Miller's & Imran's.

View attachment 44139

Or early '82 for that matter.

View attachment 44140

Miller and Imran had peaks too & many believe Miller underperformed with the bat in Tests & was capable enough to average >40.
I’d say he overperformed on Shield pitches.
 

OverratedSanity

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Imran played 16 series in the 1980s. He was MOS in 8 of those.

Three of those were against the no.1 team of the era WI back to back.

He was MOS in away series in WI, Australia, England twice and India.
Yeah these are incredible achievements honestly. The fact that Pakistan was able to hold the great WI team at bay in three consecutive series in the 80s (and came closer to beating them than any other team in that period) was primarily due to Imran's insane performances against them. Even the very last game he played against them in 1990, he took 4 wickets and batted 5 hours to save the game.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Yeah these are incredible achievements honestly. The fact that Pakistan was able to hold the great WI team at bay in three consecutive series in the 80s (and came closer to beating them than any other team in that period) was primarily due to Imran's insane performances against them. Even the very last game he played against them in 1990, he took 4 wickets and batted 5 hours to save the game.
Yup. In the 1980s, Imran Khan vs WI home and away took 51 wickets in 10 tests@16. Unbelievable.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Yes, but they didn't come closest to beating them when we actually did beat them.
Please study the 1988 series WI.

Pakistan were leading 1-0 heading into the last test and Pakistan basically were beating them on the last day but WI scraped to a 2 wicket win thanks to local umpires being patriotic, one umpire reportedly later admitted he denied Pakistan wickets because he was afraid of the crowd response.

So Pakistan effectively were at the cusp of a 2-0 win in the Caribbean.

It was so obvious even Lara who watched the series talks about it in his spirit of cricket lecture. You can watch it here.

 
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Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
Yes, but they didn't come closest to beating them when we actually did beat them.
Please study the 1988 series WI.

Pakistan were leading 1-0 heading into the last test and Pakistan basically were beating them on the last day but WI scraped to a 2 wicket win thanks to local umpires being patriotic, one umpire reportedly later admitted he denied Pakistan wickets because he was afraid of the crowd response.

So Pakistan effectively were at the cusp of a 2-0 win in the Caribbean.

It was so obvious even Lara who watched the series talks about it in his spirit of cricket lecture. You can watch it here.

I know about that series, and yes Pakistan came very CLOSE to beating the Windies but NZ actually DID beat them.

Anyway, I think this thread is about discussing all-rounders.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
I know about that series, and yes Pakistan came very CLOSE to beating the Windies but NZ actually DID beat them.
You literally just said that Pakistan didn't come close, so I am correcting you. Pakistan were literally the only team competitive against them in the WI whereas it is far easier to be competitive against them at home, as even Pakistan were. NZ were beaten comfortably in the WI. So Pakistan under Imran deserve credit for that.

Yes, but they didn't come closest to beating them when we actually did beat them.
 

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