Best 5 Wicketkeeper Batsman Of Modern Era

[sumantra]

here we make a list without considering their wicketkeeping abilities, just purely as batsman...(since 1990)

1) Adam Gilchrist
2) Andy Flower
3) Kumara Sangakara
4) Alec Stewart
5) Mahendra Singh Dhoni

 

[BoyBrumby]

Prior above Dhoni, clearly.

Depends how broadly one wants to define it tho; if we ignore keeping Dravid has kept in ODIs.

 

[sumantra]

Prior above Dhoni, clearly.

Depends how broadly one wants to define it tho; if we ignore keeping Dravid has kept in ODIs.

let's make it test performances and keep dravid out of this...otherwise, in best openers of modern era india, he might also come in...

that 5th was the most difficult for me...dhoni, prior, boucher, moin khan...many names...

 

[Burgey]

Boucher has been a ****loads better keeper batsman at test level than Dhoni, Prior et al. Had a stellar career. If Dhoni and Stewart are considered, Healy should be too.

 

[sumantra]

Boucher has been a ****loads better keeper batsman at test level than Dhoni, Prior et al. Had a stellar career. If Dhoni and Stewart are considered, Healy should be too.

yes, fair enough
Boucher can come ahead of Dhoni if only test performances are taken into account...

 

[BoyBrumby]

I'd have Prior ahead of Boucher even at this stage. Has more test tons already.

 

[Prince EWS]

I'd have Prior ahead of Boucher even at this stage. Has more test tons already.

Yeah AWTA.

Does de Villiers count?

 

[Burgey]

I'd have Prior ahead of Boucher even at this stage. Has more test tons already.

Yeah, but Boucher has been consistently a better keeper over a long period.

I gather we're considering the whole package here, not just their batting. Hence why Healy should be in the argument. He was a handy batsman, but arguably the best keeper of any of them.

Likewise, I don't know when the "modern" era is meant to start, but PJ Dujon is worth a shout too.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, but Boucher has been consistently a better keeper over a long period.

I gather we're considering the whole package here, not just their batting.

Nah the OP says to only consider batting:

here we make a list without considering their wicketkeeping abilities, just purely as batsman

Otherwise I'd definitely agree that Boucher > Prior.

 

[Burgey]

Yes, well I probably should have read it then

 

[JBMAC]

I wonder if you could use Ponting here as he has kept for the aussies a couple of times

 

[Burgey]

I wonder if you could use Ponting here as he has kept for the aussies a couple of times

Haha. Or Boonie in the 92 World Cup.

 

[weldone]

Only keeping skills: Ian Healy, Rashid Latif, Adam Gilchrist, Jack Russell, Mark Boucher
Only batting skills: Kumar Sangakkara, Adam Gilchrist, Andy Flower, Alec Stewart, Matt Prior
Batting skills while a keeper: Adam Gilchrist, Andy Flower, Kumar Sangakkara, Alec Stewart, Matt Prior

Overall, as wicketkeeper-batsmen: Adam Gilchrist, Kumar Sangakkara, Andy Flower, Ian Healy, Mark Boucher

 

[miscer]

am i the only one who keeps putting flower a little ahead of gilchrist? maybe I just love it when guys score a ****load of runs in absolutely lost causes

 

[Prince EWS]

I think Flower was a better batsman than Gilchrist by a not insignificant margin but he was arguably the most over-rated gloveman of all time IMO. He kept wicket because Zimbabwe's batting lineup was too brittle to accommodate a specialist keeper - they wanted to create a genuine strength with a long batting lineup and bowling allrounders way down the list and Flower taking the gloves allowed that. He was barely above serviceable as a genuine keeper though.

 

[marc71178]

Matt Prior >>>>>>>>>>>> Alec Stewart using the criteria here.

 

[NasserFan207]

Nah, Stewart ahead of Prior atm (at least in terms of batting). Faced stiffer competition, and his average suffers due to playing way past his prime. Was an excellent batsman the majority of the time, ahead of Prior at least for now.

 

[robelinda]

I would say Prior is a better batsman than Boucher. Quite easily. Boucher was impressive early in his career but fell away against the best bowlers. Even in this last batting heavy decade Boucher hasn't come close to averaging near 40. Plus he's a ****.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Gilchrist
Flower
Sangakkara
Prior
Stewart

 

[weldone]

Nah, Stewart ahead of Prior atm (at least in terms of batting). Faced stiffer competition, and his average suffers due to playing way past his prime. Was an excellent batsman the majority of the time, ahead of Prior at least for now.

Agree with everything except the bolded word. England from 1995 to 2005 didn't have even one excellent batsman.

Gooch was very good overall, and excellent in the 90s (retired before 1995 IIRC). Pietersen came in around 2005 IIRC. Vaughan was good. Atherton was better than his average suggests, but way overrated. Stewart was good too, but nowhere near excellent. But yeah, he was better than Prior for sure.