Best young Batsman in World Cricket today

[FaaipDeOiad]

Nothing wrong with defensive technique, it's all shot-selection.
Drives too much, and hits the ball in the air far too much.
I see with interest that he scored 398 for once out at one point in the Pura Cup...

For once, we agree entirely. Clarke's problem isn't with technique, it's with temprament. He certainly doesn't need to become a defensive batsman, he simply needs to learn with experience and choose his attacking strokes more wisely. Clarke's major problem as a batsman in tests right now is that he doesn't seem to be able to mix defence with attack effectively. The classic example came in the fourth test in the Ashes where he played quite wonderfully in a defensive mode for a session with Katich, only to chase a wide outswinger for no apparent reason minutes before lunch and get himself out.

I think he's improved a significant amount as a batsman since he came into the test side, and when he gets back into the side he'll be a better player for his break. Let's not forget that both Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn were considered to have similar problems when they came into the test side.

By the way, that 398 for once out was this Pura Cup season, I believe... he played two matches before the ODI side dragged him away from NSW.

 

[howardj]

By the way, that 398 for once out was this Pura Cup season, I believe... he played two matches before the ODI side dragged him away from NSW.

Correct. One of the knocks that made up that aggregate was a double century against the Bichel-Kasprowicz lead Queenslanders, just after he was dropped from the Test side. To my mind, Bichel and Kasprowicz would have provided a far sterner examination of Clarke's technique than most Test attacks going around. It's a hackneyed cliche, but I think he will definitely come back a better player (in the same vein as Martyn, Hayden, Ponting, Langer etc). In fact, the only modern day guy (last ten years) who didnt come back a better player was Slater.

 

[Richard]

For players that have only recently emerged and are now making a name for themselves, rather than players who have been around for 2-3+ years now but are still young (Eg. Yuvraj, Clarke, Marshall) I'd say that Akmal tops the list. His batting in the 3rd test was absolutely phenomenal, and he has the technique and shot selection to go a long way in both forms of the game. I too am also a big fan of Salman Butt and obviously Dhoni cannot go without a mention with his ODI form been magnificent.

Dhoni looks like quite some player, as does Kamran Akmal. That knock in the Third Test must be a little overrated, as there seems little doubt he was lbw (don't know the score, by the way - if he'd already got 80 it's not much overrated).
Interesting that both are wicketkeepers.
As for Salman Butt, I'm nowhere near so convinced about him. At least not in Tests.

 

[Richard]

For once, we agree entirely. Clarke's problem isn't with technique, it's with temprament. He certainly doesn't need to become a defensive batsman, he simply needs to learn with experience and choose his attacking strokes more wisely. Clarke's major problem as a batsman in tests right now is that he doesn't seem to be able to mix defence with attack effectively. The classic example came in the fourth test in the Ashes where he played quite wonderfully in a defensive mode for a session with Katich, only to chase a wide outswinger for no apparent reason minutes before lunch and get himself out.

I think he's improved a significant amount as a batsman since he came into the test side, and when he gets back into the side he'll be a better player for his break. Let's not forget that both Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn were considered to have similar problems when they came into the test side.

Ponting, Martyn, just about everyone except Gilchrist and Mark Waugh.
Not all had similar deficiencies, of course, but all came early, went again, then came again.
Whether Clarke will do the same we will only see with time.

By the way, that 398 for once out was this Pura Cup season, I believe... he played two matches before the ODI side dragged him away from NSW.

Yes, I know it was, I was referring to that... just haven't checked recently and don't know if he's played more since.

 

[tooextracool]

Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt are huge prospects for the Pakistan team, although Salman Butt's technique is suspect against good quality swing bowling, as Irfan Pathan showed. Kamran Akmal however, could go a long way as a keeper/batsman as he can get Pakistan off to quick start at the top of the order, and can bat lower down the order in test matches when his team is struggling. He's no Gilchrist, but he can become one of the top keeper/batsmen in the future as long as Pakistan uses him properly. He may face competition by Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who can decimate opposition bowling attacks. He has the highest score ever by a wicketkeeper and has an excellent strike rate of 107. He's reasonably sharp behind the stumps as well. India has a number of hot batting prospects such as Yuvraj Singh, who has performed brilliantly against Pakistan in the current series. He has excellent technique and a very healthy strike rate. India also has Irfan Pathan, who can develop into one the the world's top allrounders, but has a weakness against short bowling, which was exploited by Pakistan.

kamran akmal has shown quite a lot of improvement technically, considering that not too long ago his technique was shattered into pieces by glenn mcgrath. he certainly looks like a fine player now. Butt has obvious weaknesses against swing, he squares himself up far too often instead of getting himself on the front foot.

 

[adharcric]

Salman Butt and Yuvraj Singh are both great players who still have a few flaws (Butt against early swing, Yuvraj against good spinners). Akmal has great temperament but he's more predictable as a batsman and needs to expand his game a little, so he doesn't caught driving at square by someone like Raina again and again. Dhoni seems so reckless, but he actually plays smartly and defends when he should ... extremely powerful strokes and the most innovative player I've seen in a while now. These two will turn out good. Add Suresh Raina, in a few months I reckon he'll be on this list.

 

[age_master]

I think he's improved a significant amount as a batsman since he came into the test side, and when he gets back into the side he'll be a better player for his break. Let's not forget that both Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn were considered to have similar problems when they came into the test side.

By the way, that 398 for once out was this Pura Cup season, I believe... he played two matches before the ODI side dragged him away from NSW.

absolutley, Martyn, Hayden, Langer have all come back into the side after being dropped alot stronger - going back abit further SR Waugh certainly came back strongly too. Brett Lee has been very impressive since his comeback too (with bat and ball).

yeah his 2 pura cup games this year he has done well, should top the averages for the season - just ahead of Lehmann and Cosgrove

 

[Richard]

Ahead of Boof and Baby Boof.

 

[SJS]

Kamran Akmal.

I wish he gave up keeping and concentrated purely on his batting - he is that good.

 

[danish]

Kamran Akmal.

I wish he gave up keeping and concentrated purely on his batting - he is that good.

Someone with his batting skills and keeping skills is a huge asset to any team. It explains why Pakistan's batting order has so much depth. Similar with India and Dhoni.

 

[Richard]

Would you say you wish Gilchrist or Stewart had given-up wicketkeeping?
Only give it up if it's undeniably having an adverse affect on your batting.
Gilchrist, early in his career, reasoned sensibly that giving-up wicketkeeping would only increase the pressure on his batting.

 

[UncleTheOne]

Would you say you wish Gilchrist or Stewart had given-up wicketkeeping?
Only give it up if it's undeniably having an adverse affect on your batting.
Gilchrist, early in his career, reasoned sensibly that giving-up wicketkeeping would only increase the pressure on his batting.

I'm sure I read somewhere that Stewart average around 31 when keeping wicket for England. So it affects people in different ways.

 

[SJS]

Would you say you wish Gilchrist or Stewart had given-up wicketkeeping?
Only give it up if it's undeniably having an adverse affect on your batting.
Gilchrist, early in his career, reasoned sensibly that giving-up wicketkeeping would only increase the pressure on his batting.

No I didnt mean that way. But I think Akmal has the potential to be Pakistan's best batsman. This is difficult to be while you are keeping wickets. Not impossible I agree.

I dont know if someone like Akmal would even strive to become the best batsman in Pakistan. If he kept wickets well and scored at say 40 runs an innings he would be more satisfied I think. But he has the potential to be a fifty plus batsman but for that he has to avoid being "satisfied" with his contributions.

I dont know if I am getting my feeling across. Its not as if keeping is bringing down his batting, its just that there is a satisfaction of contributing as an all rounder that 'tends' to lower your expectations from your percieved 'secondary' job.

 

[Richard]

I'm sure I read somewhere that Stewart average around 31 when keeping wicket for England. So it affects people in different ways.

You read lots of things in lots of places.
The truth of the matter is that, in the early days when Stewart was mostly keeping wicket only occasionally (before 1996\97 he only kept wicket for all or most of a series on 2 occasions - Australia 1993 and West Indies 1995) and in those days it did affect his batting (averaged 25.10 in his first 16 Tests as a wicketkeeper, compared to 47.44 when not keeping).
However, when he was given the gloves full-time (after The Oval 1996 there were only 10 Tests in which he did not keep wicket - the series in West Indies in 1998 and 5 consecutive Tests where he was promoted to open, and the main reason for that was the fact that he was captain when the change happened) there was little affect on his batting (he averaged 39 between the Test where he was given the gloves full-time and his penultimate series in 2002\03).
Had he been given the gloves full-stop from 1993, maybe things would've been a whole lot different.

 

[Richard]

No I didnt mean that way. But I think Akmal has the potential to be Pakistan's best batsman. This is difficult to be while you are keeping wickets. Not impossible I agree.

I dont know if someone like Akmal would even strive to become the best batsman in Pakistan. If he kept wickets well and scored at say 40 runs an innings he would be more satisfied I think. But he has the potential to be a fifty plus batsman but for that he has to avoid being "satisfied" with his contributions.

I dont know if I am getting my feeling across. Its not as if keeping is bringing down his batting, its just that there is a satisfaction of contributing as an all rounder that 'tends' to lower your expectations from your percieved 'secondary' job.

Hmm...
Akmal is undeniably a very capable batsman but I simply cannot conceive he will ever be as good as Inzamam and Younis, and probably not as good as Mohammad Yousuf either.

 

[SJS]

Hmm...
Akmal is undeniably a very capable batsman but I simply cannot conceive he will ever be as good as Inzamam and Younis, and probably not as good as Mohammad Yousuf either.

I am not talking of today. Inzamam is at the end of his career. I am talking 5 years from now.

BTW, its interesting to see the drop in Stewart's batting performance as a keeper and as a pure batsman. The figures in the brackets are when he played as pure batsman.

- Tests : 82 (51)
- Innings : 145 (91)
- Runs : 4540 (3593)
- 100's : 6 (9)
- Average : 34.9 (46.7)
- Inns per century : 24.2 (10.0)
- Inns per 50+ score : 5.0 (3.9)
- Inns per duck : 13.2 (30.0)

The difference is HUGE !!

 

[Autobahn]

I am not talking of today. Inzamam is at the end of his career. I am talking 5 years from now.

BTW, its interesting to see the drop in Stewart's batting performance as a keeper and as a pure batsman. The figures in the brackets are when he played as pure batsman.

- Tests : 82 (51)
- Innings : 145 (91)
- Runs : 4540 (3593)
- 100's : 6 (9)
- Average : 34.9 (46.7)
- Inns per century : 24.2 (10.0)
- Inns per 50+ score : 5.0 (3.9)
- Inns per duck : 13.2 (30.0)

The difference is HUGE !!

That was mostly because Illingworth and Mike Atherton where always arguing about wether russell or stewart should have the gloves and it only really got settled when illingworth quit i think.

Plus he also for a while had to wear the gloves, open the innings, be the vice-captain and stand-in captain for ages which didn't help.

 

[danish]

No I didnt mean that way. But I think Akmal has the potential to be Pakistan's best batsman. This is difficult to be while you are keeping wickets. Not impossible I agree.

I dont know if someone like Akmal would even strive to become the best batsman in Pakistan. If he kept wickets well and scored at say 40 runs an innings he would be more satisfied I think. But he has the potential to be a fifty plus batsman but for that he has to avoid being "satisfied" with his contributions.

I dont know if I am getting my feeling across. Its not as if keeping is bringing down his batting, its just that there is a satisfaction of contributing as an all rounder that 'tends' to lower your expectations from your percieved 'secondary' job.

If Pakistan played Akmal purely as a batsman, they would have to sacrifice one of Malik, Yousuf, Afridi, Younis or Razzaq, who are very valuable members of the team, and their batting attack would be without one of these very talented players.

 

[Itchy]

currently its sehwag by a mile. pieterson could be a contender when he learns more about test cricket. forget the rest - fringe players.

 

[marc71178]

Would you say you wish Gilchrist or Stewart had given-up wicketkeeping?
Only give it up if it's undeniably having an adverse affect on your batting.

In which case Stewart should definitely have never donned the gloves except in an emergency.