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Cricket's most over rated players

Line and Length

Cricketer Of The Year
I regard Victor Trumper as being somewhat over rated - especially as an opener where he averaged just 33.0
He played in an era when players such as Jackson, Ranjitsinhji and Macartney all had superior averages yet he was the only player from that era that CW rated in the 2022 Top 50 batsmen poll - coming in at 31. He and Clem Hill were the only players with sub 40 averages in that list.
I recall reading that Trumper's reputation was greatly enhanced by one photograph.

 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
I regard Victor Trumper as being somewhat over rated - especially as an opener where he averaged just 33.0
He played in an era when players such as Jackson, Ranjitsinhji and Macartney all had superior averages yet he was the only player from that era that CW rated in the 2022 Top 50 batsmen poll - coming in at 31. He and Clem Hill were the only players with sub 40 averages in that list.
I recall reading that Trumper's reputation was greatly enhanced by one photograph.

Of the many "overrated players" threads, you chose to bump the one where Jadeja was not mentioned, right?
 

trundler

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I regard Victor Trumper as being somewhat over rated - especially as an opener where he averaged just 33.0
He played in an era when players such as Jackson, Ranjitsinhji and Macartney all had superior averages yet he was the only player from that era that CW rated in the 2022 Top 50 batsmen poll - coming in at 31. He and Clem Hill were the only players with sub 40 averages in that list.
I recall reading that Trumper's reputation was greatly enhanced by one photograph.

Jackson never played outside England, Ranji only had a couple of good series and Macartney's run as a great batsman came post War. It makes sense to rate Trumper over those guys but certainly not Hill so he probably is a little overrated.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
He is definitely overrated as an opener (which is where people always try to pick him for XIs) and overrated compared to Hill. Generally by public opinion he is seen as far superior to Hill, which is not the case imo.
I think it's a case of flashy attractive players being rated higher, and the fact he was capable of producing innings of genuine brilliance, which lead people to ignore that his overall output wasn't exceptional even for the time.
 

ataraxia

International Coach
He is definitely overrated as an opener (which is where people always try to pick him for XIs) and overrated compared to Hill. Generally by public opinion he is seen as far superior to Hill, which is not the case imo.
Yes much of the public have considered opinions vis-a-vis Trumper and Hill.
 

Socerer 01

International Captain
I think it's a case of flashy attractive players being rated higher, and the fact he was capable of producing innings of genuine brilliance, which lead people to ignore that his overall output wasn't exceptional even for the time.
hmmmm where have we seen this before i wonder
 

capt_Luffy

Cricketer Of The Year
I regard Victor Trumper as being somewhat over rated - especially as an opener where he averaged just 33.0
He played in an era when players such as Jackson, Ranjitsinhji and Macartney all had superior averages yet he was the only player from that era that CW rated in the 2022 Top 50 batsmen poll - coming in at 31. He and Clem Hill were the only players with sub 40 averages in that list.
I recall reading that Trumper's reputation was greatly enhanced by one photograph.

Trumper averaged 48 in the middle order..... That's insane for the time. Jackson had one good series, MaCartney mostly scored post War and Ranji is a fair bit older (who generally gets rated higher or the same). If anything, I think he is underrated here.
 

Silver Silva

International Regular
I was also curious about that - how highly was he actually rated at the time for them to feel that way?
I had look at his stats in 2006 and 2007, he was going through a tough time which might be the cause for the overrated tag..

Between 2006 and 2007 he averaged 31.81 from 17 Tests.

Whatever misconceptions about Smith was surely put to bed the following year,
2008 would change the perception of Graeme Smith forever in the annals of Test Cricket.

World record opening partnership with Neil Mckenzie

Most test runs by an Opener in a Calender year

Captaining South Africa to series wins in England and Australia for the first time in their history.

That was Graeme Smith's greatest year.
 

howitzer

State Captain
He started his career young and very well. I can't really remember how highly he was rated, but probably very highly. Was in a big form slump at the time this thread was created.
Yeah the whole Smith thing in this thread is an excellent example of why it's dangerous to judge players whose careers are still active, particularly when they are still fairly young. Smith was only 26 at the time. If this thread had been made a year and a half later then Kallis would have just completed his only real form slump between 1999 and the end of his career and would probably have been someone getting beaten up on by the forum.
 

howitzer

State Captain
Watson a tad over-rated imo, but I think it stems from the hope (more than expectation) that he might kick on and be a solid test/ ODI all rounder.

Gonna cop some heat for this, but I seriously think Ian Bell is hugely overrated. He looks technically compact, but I just don't see him kicking on and becoming as good a player as many rate him. Unfortunately, from what I've seen of him, he just seems to find ways to get out when either things are tough or just when he's starting to blossom. For England's sake, I hope that he gets over that part of his game. I know he's scored some good runs from time to time, and I accept that my view of him is based largely on his efforts against Australia.

That comical run-out in the ODI at Brisbane this year when Clarke had his back to the stumps and back-handed them down with Bell mid-pitch, for me, sums up his career. He seems to find ways to get out.
Burgey in his more generous era.
 

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