Best young Batsman in World Cricket today

[Richard]

Shoaib Malik!....my fav. player have done recently well & seems like a promising player in the near future for Pak.

Thing about Malik is, he's been around for absolutely ages now and seems to be a different player whenever I see him. One minute he's a bowler, next his bowling is illegal and he's a batsman.
I've always thought his batting had potential at the top of the order in the one-day game and I think his record justifies that, but I don't rate him as a bowler and I don't rate his batting in the longer game.

 

[aussie]

Hmmm, if faced with the choice, I'd rather have TB than SARS...

haha

 

[steds]

I've always thought his batting had potential at the top of the order in the one-day game and I think his record justifies that, but I don't rate him as a bowler and I don't rate his batting in the longer game.

On the money, Richo

 

[Beleg]

None of Sarwan, Gayle, Sehwag, Smith and Malik (borderline) qualify as young batsmen. They maybe young in terms of age, but they have sufficent experience behind them now to regarded along with the veterans.

 

[Richard]

Exactly - young is often misleading, as it's inexperienced that really counts for being "upcoming".
And so many of the mentioned have been around for ages.

 

[PY]

Hmmm, if faced with the choice, I'd rather have TB than SARS...

Welcome back mate, there's your coat, there's the door and there's a taxi for McNamara waiting outside.

 

[Pratters]

What's special about him? The fact that he's young-ish and plays lots of strokes?
'Cos there sure ain't much else.

Clarke is talented for one.

 

[greg]

You'd rather tuburculosis than face Sarwan?

Better luck next time...

 

[Pratters]

Sure.

But if you look around and see how many young players could be in contention in a world XI (not necessarily in your team for the world XI) you will get a very short list of those who are in contention.

A way at looking at the best young batsmen in the world is trying to gauge into the future and see which batsmen could make the world XI 5-7 years from now. Wisden Asia cricket made a lis tof 25 or some young players (bowlers and batsmen) some time back.

If we look at it that way there can be many players and not just a handful.

 

[C_C]

None of Sarwan, Gayle, Sehwag, Smith and Malik (borderline) qualify as young batsmen. They maybe young in terms of age, but they have sufficent experience behind them now to regarded along with the veterans.

Experience has to be balanced with age - age brings maturity as well as a better developed physique ( from a really young age) to improve performance.
You could give a 14 year old Test debut and he could play 50 tests between 14 and 20 but even after 50 tests, he would be considered a young and upcomming player. Simply because a teenager rarely has the maturity or the physique to reap the full benifit of their potential

 

[Beleg]

Your point is valid to a large extent, but how does it apply in case of the players mentioned, specially Sehwag, Sarwan, Gayle and Smith?

 

[marc71178]

A way at looking at the best young batsmen in the world is trying to gauge into the future and see which batsmen could make the world XI 5-7 years from now.

The problem with that is it is impossible to pick even 12 months in advance with any real degree of certainty.

 

[C_C]

Your point is valid to a large extent, but how does it apply in case of the players mentioned, specially Sehwag, Sarwan, Gayle and Smith?

I think it applies to Sarwan and Smith - i am not 100% sure but i think they are 22-23 year olds.....pretty young IMO and not extremely experienced either.

 

[greg]

I think it applies to Sarwan and Smith - i am not 100% sure but i think they are 22-23 year olds.....pretty young IMO and not extremely experienced either.

If Smith has not yet reached physical maturity then I worry about what he will look like in the future

 

[C_C]

If Smith has not yet reached physical maturity then I worry about what he will look like in the future

Its Physical and/or mental maturity, chum !

 

[greg]

Its Physical and/or mental maturity, chum !

An international captain at 22, has now been in the job for 3 years. I suspect he is wise beyond his years, chum!

 

[Craig]

you don't score 3 consecutive half centuries against the best Aussie attack (and THAT is pretty good, lol) without talent. I think he will be a good solid middle order bat for India but he is currently standing out to accomodate a man who thinks he still belongs in the side when he actually doesn't.

I wasn't suggesting that he doesn't to be fair, I was posting a reason why he isn't picked in the middle order in Test cricket and I offered up another possibility to cover my tracks.

 

[Craig]

I think the criteria ( 26 years and younger) is a bit misleading - 26 is approaching the golden years of a person's career and i would say Best Young batsman should be no older than 24.

So all those who are just turned 24 or younger, i think the best batsman so far is Gayle.

Gayle seems like one of those cricketers who are so young and yet have been around a long time and you wouldn't think he is so young. A bit like Boucher (think he is 29?).

IIRC didn't Gayle debut at 20/21?

 

[Craig]

A list of people below the age of 24 or 25 should be drawn up - arond 20-25 players and then a better discussion can take place.

Sehwag should not qualify in the list considering he is around 27.

I am very impressed by AB Devilliers. He has the technique and the talent. In time he can become more mature (already looks quite mature) to make some thing good to look back on.

Salman Butt (how old is he?) is a genuine talent. He can be a quality player for Pakistan for quite a while if he doesnt get a sack mysteriously which I am always afraid of when I see some good player.

Hamish Marshall is promising and some one to watch out for.

What Smith has achieved at such a young age is quite amazing. He has a good career ahead of him but will always disgruntle a lot of people because of his outspoken nature.

Clarke is special but does he have the temperament for tests? I think he does and the Ashes will be a big learning curve for him.

Pieterson has had a superb start to his career but that does not mean he will have a great career. Sure he will end up a decent batsman but I have to see more of him to pass an educated verdict.

I'm a huge Graeme Smith even when people like Marc and Neil were saying he wasn't as good as he is hyped out to be (and before you say so, yes I can remember the reason why), it is one thing to be a sort of person is that you shouldn't go having a cry in the media.

If you are going to dish it then you must like it. That is the one flaw about him (although his missus is not bad at all).

 

[C_C]

An international captain at 22, has now been in the job for 3 years. I suspect he is wise beyond his years, chum!

Look - Smith is no great shakes as a camptain -rather average. And to be honest, who else was there for captaincy ? Kallis didnt want it and they chopped Pollock and Gibbs has a spotty disciplinary record.
He still has ways to go before he matures - not everyone is a Sachin Tendulkar, ie, very very few people are mature beyond their years at that age.

Gayle seems like one of those cricketers who are so young and yet have been around a long time and you wouldn't think he is so young. A bit like Boucher (think he is 29?).

IIRC didn't Gayle debut at 20/21?

I think Gayle is 25 or so- correct me if i am wrong.

Infact, given the modern trend ( going back to almost late 90s) of players struggling in their late teens or early 20s- nomatter how talented - i would on second thought, define the 'new and upcomming' generation as anyone below or around 27 years old.
In a sense, a lot of these 26-27 year olds like Flintoff, Jones, Sehwag, Gayle etc. have ways to go and thus can be counted as up-n-comming players - they are either not experienced enough or they have started performing over the last 1-2 years or so at an 'excellent' level.
I think the days of 19-20 year old 'boy-wonders' have passed.