Jayasuriya v Ponting in odi as cricketers

[tooextracool]

Jaya's real beauty in came in his intent. He and Kalu obviously revolutionised how ODI batting innings started off.

Why do people continue to say this even though everyone knows it isnt true? The pioneer of this was Mark Greatbatch, or really his captain Martin Crowe. you could argue that Tendulkar had already been doing this for a couple of years prior to Jayasuriya as well. Jaysuriya obviously may have taken it to a different level but he wasn't a revolutionary.

 

[smash84]

Why do people continue to say this even though everyone knows it isnt true? The pioneer of this was Mark Greatbatch, or really his captain Martin Crowe. you could argue that Tendulkar had already been doing this for a couple of years prior to Jayasuriya as well. Jaysuriya obviously may have taken it to a different level but he wasn't a revolutionary.

If greatbatch and sachin were at treetop level then Sanath and Kalu took it to the stratosphere.......revolutionary stuff for me at least as far as hitting the ball over the fielders heads consistently...........

 

[tooextracool]

I think both sides are really exaggerating the strengths of the 2 players. Ponting was and still is an amazing fielder but his fielding is nowhere close to the standard of Jonty Rhodes for example who is the only one I would consider with fielding skills good enough to make up for another bowler. The guy was super human and was doing things that even people in this era wouldnt be able to do.

On Jayasuriya's bowling, I think his bowling was certainly a very useful asset to the team and definitely makes him much more valuable as a player alone (leaving all other variables such as team balance etc out of the equation). However, I also think his record is boosted by playing a lot in the subcontinent and not being relied upon to bowl 10 overs so he was easily let off the hook if he didnt bowl 10 overs - given that SL have always had decent part timers to complement the 5th bowler option (think Dilshan, DeSilva, Arnold, Chandana).

Anyhow, Ponting is by far the better batsman, but I dont think the difference between their respective batting and fielding abilities make up for Jayasuriya's useful left arm spin bowling especially considering that he was a good death bowler.

 

[tooextracool]

If greatbatch and sachin were at treetop level then Sanath and Kalu took it to the stratosphere.......revolutionary stuff for me at least as far as hitting the ball over the fielders heads consistently...........

Well perhaps though Kalu gets way more credit than he deserves. If anything he was a failed experiment in the 96 wc, it was only after 99 (until then he was averaging in the teens) before he was really doing any sort of damage at the top of the order.

 

[Maximus0723]

I think both sides are really exaggerating the strengths of the 2 players. Ponting was and still is an amazing fielder but his fielding is nowhere close to the standard of Jonty Rhodes for example who is the only one I would consider with fielding skills good enough to make up for another bowler. The guy was super human and was doing things that even people in this era wouldnt be able to do.
.

This.

I am sorry but no one is on Jonty's lvl. The guy was a superman.
When ppl hit the bowl towards him, they though twice, no three times may be more before running.

I don't like how Migara is overstating the fact about Jayasuriya's ability to field "everywhere". Well if you are of Ponting's lvl why field anywhere but inside the ring? He is lot more valuable there. With his speed, concentration and arm, I think he would have done fine in the outfield.

 

[vcs]

Well perhaps though Kalu gets way more credit than he deserves. If anything he was a failed experiment in the 96 wc, it was only after 99 (until then he was averaging in the teens) before he was really doing any sort of damage at the top of the order.

AWTA. Jayasuriya was atleast 75% of that partnership.. Kalu was very hit and miss, mostly miss.

 

[Top_Cat]

True, Jonty was more energetic than most fielders, mainly because he didn't bat for very long.

 

[Top_Cat]

Why do people continue to say this even though everyone knows it isnt true? The pioneer of this was Mark Greatbatch, or really his captain Martin Crowe. you could argue that Tendulkar had already been doing this for a couple of years prior to Jayasuriya as well. Jaysuriya obviously may have taken it to a different level but he wasn't a revolutionary.

He said Jaya and Kalu revolutionised it, not Jaya by himself. Which is true, the template before was to have one bloke who teed-off and another bloke to rotate the strike with the intent to be going at 6/over by the end of the 15th, a steady middle and then tee-off at the death to get to 300. Where Jaya and Kalu were different was the intent to be going at 8/over by the 15th to give their excellent nick-and-nudge players a massive boost so they didn't have to tee-off at the end to get 300 but would get 330+ if they did.

 

[Lostman]

True, Jonty was more energetic than most fielders, mainly because he didn't bat for very long.

lol, was contemplating to post something along those lines.

 

[Burgey]

Where did I say they were crap? care to show please? Jaya was an all round fielder. Position specialists don't count here. Eknath Solkar / Hashan Tillekaratne / David Boon will give a run for their money even for Jonty if you consider fielding at short leg. Claiming SRT, Steve Waugh and few others better than Jayasuriya in the field is borderline farcical stuff. Obviously you have not seen Jayasuriya early in his career. All rond fielders are better fielders than specialist fielders. Especially in the ODI game.

Well when you ask me to name some good fielders, I compile a list, you quote that list and highlight certain players then reply with "lol", it's somewhat suggestive you're dismissing my assertion that those guys were good fielders .

I didn't say they were better than him, you asked me to name good fielders from that era and I gave you a list of those I thought were good. That all I did.

Anyways, this is a very hard thing to quantify. I think Ponting is a better fielder than Jayasuriya, but I've already said I'd take the latter as an ODI player, but the former purely as a batsman.

 

[Prince EWS]

 

[benchmark00]

Burgey

lol.

 

[Burgey]

 

[Prince EWS]

Murphy is suggesting you're a poor quality fielder/poster/human being, I believe.

 

[Burgey]

Well he's right about the fielding.

 

[tooextracool]

True, Jonty was more energetic than most fielders, mainly because he didn't bat for very long.

Should think that there arent that many middle order ODI batsmen with better records than Rhodes' 35 @ 80, averaging 40 odd at number 5. Jonty would have been one of the first few players in the SA side even if he was Phil Tufnell in the field.

 

[tooextracool]

He said Jaya and Kalu revolutionised it, not Jaya by himself. Which is true, the template before was to have one bloke who teed-off and another bloke to rotate the strike with the intent to be going at 6/over by the end of the 15th, a steady middle and then tee-off at the death to get to 300. Where Jaya and Kalu were different was the intent to be going at 8/over by the 15th to give their excellent nick-and-nudge players a massive boost so they didn't have to tee-off at the end to get 300 but would get 330+ if they did.

Cant disagree with that, though the template was more like 10 an over for the first 5 overs because Kalu rarely made it past the 5 over mark.

 

[honestbharani]

True, Jonty was more energetic than most fielders, mainly because he didn't bat for very long.

At least he could score in India..

 

[Eclipse]

And how many times did you watch Jayasuriya? And when was the last time Ponting consistently fielded in the outfield? You gotta trust the guys who have seen some cricket in the early 90s sometimes..

I started watching cricket in the late 80s all be it I was young and dont remember much. But I remember a lot from the 90's

 

[cnerd123]

As a cricketer, I'd pick Jaya at his peak over Ponting at his peak, but barely.

Ponting >>>> Jaya with the bat, but Jaya could bowl very well, and while Ponting may run people out as a hobby, Jaya is as good a catcher and very good in the outfield. Got great energy in the field Jaya, not that much worse compared to Ponting as a fielder.

Captaincy is a non-issue because a) Ponting skippered an amazing side (seriously, when's the last time his captaincy lead to an Australia win?) and b) if this was a hypothetical side, I'd probably put myself as captain

Or Warne.