Best in the world title belt history

[OverratedSanity]

Since everyone was talking about when teams changed hands of the "no.1 team", was thinking what's been the history of the title for best player in the world? As in, during a stretch, that player was generally considered by almost everyone as the best in the world.

Post WWI Best batsmen in the world:

1918-1930: Hobbs
1930-1948: Bradman
1948-1953: Hutton
1953-1958: Weekes? May? Walcott?
1958-1970: Sobers
1970-1975: Chappell/Gavaskar
1976-1982: Viv
1983-1987: Border
1987-1990: Crowe
1990-1992: Gooch
1992-1995: Lara/Waugh
1996-2002: Tendulkar
2002-2006: Ponting
2006-2008: Sangakkara
2008-2011: Tendulkar
2011-2013: Amla
2014- Present: Smith

Sound about right?

 

[Adders]

My cricketing history knowledge is not as strong as some, so I'll stick with recent years.......but surely Cook, Clarke, Kallis etc should feature in this list?

 

[OverratedSanity]

My cricketing history knowledge is not as strong as some, so I'll stick with recent years.......but surely Cook, Clarke, Kallis etc should feature in this list?

I didn't know where to fit them in tbh. Clarke in 2012 definitely a shout though as he was definitively the best in the world even if it wasn't for too long.

 

[Spark]

Reckon there would be a ton of turnover between 2010 and 2014.

 

[StephenZA]

My cricketing history knowledge is not as strong as some, so I'll stick with recent years.......but surely Cook, Clarke, Kallis etc should feature in this list?

As a pure peak Kallis probably misses out...

 

[vcs]

Smith kind of crept up on people. Even when he was flaying teams at home over the last 3 summers, I kept thinking "**** attacks, flat pitches" etc. Not that I didn't think he was very good, but only after the India series, he became clearly the best for me.

I would also say Kallis was very close around 2009-11, and Clarke in 2012.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Reckon there would be a ton of turnover between 2010 and 2014.

Amla, Clarke, Cook and AB all had their patches where they were considered number 1 during that stretch I think. But I think Amla's run was a little longer. Made vital runs in big series throughout that period.

Certainly a weird few years since it was between the old guard retiring and the fab four hitting their stride. Kind of like the late 80s/early 90s which fell between Viv/Border and Lara/Sachin/Waugh.

 

[OverratedSanity]

As a pure peak Kallis probably misses out...

I think Kallis, Dravid and Lara's second peak all took place during that 2002-2006 phase but they were just unlucky that Ponting existed at the time.

 

[cnerd123]

We need separate belts for Batsmen and Bowlers.

Could have a unified, undisputed belt too, but definitely shouldn't be acknowledging the top batsman and bowler each individually

 

[morgieb]

I didn't know where to fit them in tbh. Clarke in 2012 definitely a shout though as he was definitively the best in the world even if it wasn't for too long.

I'm obviously biased but I feel like he was the best in the 2011-13 period than Amla.

EDIT: As evidence, the records of batsmen for that 3 year period between the 2011 World Cup and the Big 4 breaking out in 2014 - Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo

Chanderpaul clearly has the highest average. Clarke with the most runs and centuries, though Amla's average is very slightly higher.

So the best in that period was probably one of Clarke, de Villiers, Amla, Chanderpaul and Sangakkara.

 

[morgieb]

As a pure peak Kallis probably misses out...

He probably has a case around 2007-2011. Close with Tendulkar, Sangakkara, Chanderpaul and Younis anyway.

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo gives cases for Jayawardene, Laxman and Sehwag too.

 

[_00_deathscar]

He probably has a case around 2007-2011. Close with Tendulkar, Sangakkara, Chanderpaul and Younis anyway.

Batting records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo gives cases for Jayawardene, Laxman and Sehwag too.

Bloody hell - Sehwag there...he was an opener too and a 'risky' player so not many not outs relatively speaking. Averaging nearly 59 with a 90+ strike rate.
A 90+ strike rate in ODIs would be pretty bloody good.

 

[Daemon]

Gambhir averaging 57 during that period too. Big part of why that side was successful.

 

[a massive zebra]

Simon Wilde wrote a book on this very subject titled Number One: The World's Best Batsmen and Bowlers. I have it at home but not to hand at the moment as I'm in Asia for several months.

Essentially the book includes around 50 mini biographies of all the players Wilde considers to have been the best batsman or bowler in the world at any one time, from the late eighteenth century to the end of the twentieth century.

 

[oblongballs]

Since everyone was talking about when teams changed hands of the "no.1 team", was thinking what's been the history of the title for best player in the world? As in, during a stretch, that player was generally considered by almost everyone as the best in the world.

Post WWI Best batsmen in the world:

1918-1930: Hobbs
1930-1948: Bradman
1948-1953: Hutton
1953-1958: Weekes? May? Walcott?
1958-1970: Sobers
1970-1975: Chappell/Gavaskar
1976-1982: Viv
1983-1987: Border
1987-1990: Crowe
1990-1992: Gooch
1992-1995: Lara/Waugh
1996-2002: Tendulkar
2002-2006: Ponting
2006-2008: Sangakkara
2008-2011: Tendulkar
2011-2013: Amla
2014- Present: Smith

Sound about right?

lol kinda similar to what I've just done with my thread.

I agree with a lot of it but Miandad has to have a place somewhere in the 80s, above Border and Crowe. I know those 2 are favourites on here but he was one of the absolute best durin parts of the 70s and 80s and few scored as heavily with as much consistency.

I also believe Ponting's streak should be longer, as he was definitely better than Sanga till about 07/08. Maybe even longer.

AB should have a spot alongside Tendulkar and Amla. Boycott deserves a shout in the 70s as well, along with a couple others. Don't forget how good Lloyd and Kanhai were.

This is the start of something though, like a lineal heavyweight title list haha

 

[Coronis]

Since everyone was talking about when teams changed hands of the "no.1 team", was thinking what's been the history of the title for best player in the world? As in, during a stretch, that player was generally considered by almost everyone as the best in the world.

Post WWI Best batsmen in the world:

1918-1930: Hobbs
1930-1948: Bradman
1948-1953: Hutton
1953-1958: Weekes? May? Walcott?
1958-1970: Sobers
1970-1975: Chappell/Gavaskar
1976-1982: Viv
1983-1987: Border
1987-1990: Crowe
1990-1992: Gooch
1992-1995: Lara/Waugh
1996-2002: Tendulkar
2002-2006: Ponting
2006-2008: Sangakkara
2008-2011: Tendulkar
2011-2013: Amla
2014- Present: Smith

Sound about right?

Despite only being about one series... going into the 1930 Ashes after the previous series Hammond was the best batsman in the world... 905 runs in 28-29 marked him as Hobbs' successor.

 

[GIMH]

Flintoff definitely breaks Ponting’s reign up around 04-05

 

[Burgey]

Steve Waugh’s reign could arguably be longer too.

To be purely objective, TOTAB’s run is probably about 1978-1994

 

[fredfertang]

Steve Waugh’s reign could arguably be longer too.

To be purely objective, TOTAB’s run is probably about 1978-1994

Rubbish - it can't be any longer than 79-94 at most, as it was still Barry Richards in 78

 

[S.Kennedy]

I think you'd have to have months if you were going to have shorter reigns (if doing that, I'd be tempted to insert Kohli just before Smith). An excellent idea for a thread, a sort of equivalent of boxing's lineal champion.