Overrated by CW XI and Underrated by CW XI

[ma1978]

So Englands only ATG batsman since Hutton is a fraud

Nothing fraudulent about Joe Root

 

[ataraxia]

Nothing fraudulent about Joe Root

No, nothing, nothing at all...

 

[Chin Music]

I am a fan of 90s openers. Batting top 3 in a bowling era is brutal. Particularly if you have a harsh opposition schedule.

On here, I would think very few agree with my opinion that Kirsten is a similar level to Graeme Smith. Ditto Pujara being a similar level to Sehwag.

Alec Stewart was better than Cook against pace, but Cook's heroics in Asia drag him ahead overall.

Atherton obviously wasn't great, but he was certainly better than Andrew Strauss and deserved a better average than 38. The distribution of attacks he faced over the course of his career was genuinely hellish and his debilitating back condition exaceprated his decline.

Have always been a great lover of Anwar but he definitely gets his plaudits on here and he did have a very short career as already pointed out.

Love Michael's Slater batting highlights reels.

Alec Stewart averaged something like 45/46 without the gloves. Much underrated when he had to be the man for all seasons under Ray Illingworth. He struggled against spin however for much of his career, which obviously Cook didn't. I would have said there was a very significant gap between Stewart's ability to play world class pace over Cook.

 

[BazBall21]

Alec Stewart averaged something like 45/46 without the gloves. Much underrated when he had to be the man for all seasons under Ray Illingworth. He struggled against spin however for much of his career, which obviously Cook didn't. I would have said there was a very significant gap between Stewart's ability to play world class pace over Cook.

Averaged 44 batting top 3, that rose to 46 without the gloves.
Stewart was the only opener who sustained an average of above 40 against WI throughout the 90s. Those Barbados hundreds were masterful. He was outstanding against Wasim/Waqar as well. Don't see Cook matching those feats.

 

[Chin Music]

Averaged 44 batting top 3, that rose to 46 without the gloves.
Stewart was the only opener who sustained an average of above 40 against WI throughout the 90s. Those Barbados hundreds were masterful. He was outstanding against Wasim/Waqar as well. Don't see Cook matching those feats.

I would tend to suggest that Cook's 3 tons in India 2012 were in the same bracket albeit at a pinch I would say that those bowlers Stewart succeeded against were true world class bowlers, something India's weren't back at the time, although Ashwin and Jadeja (who was very new to test cricket then) would later become so.

 

[BazBall21]

I would tend to suggest that Cook's 3 tons in India 2012 were in the same bracket albeit at a pinch I would say that those bowlers he succeeded against were true world class bowlers, something India's weren't back at the time, although Ashwin and Jadeja (who was very new to test cricket then) would later become so.

Yeah it's fair to say Stewart equally isn't emulating Cook's 2012 tour of India. Cook also has a hundred against Murali in Galle.
Big fan of Alec as he was definitely the better player of pace but he probably needed a bit more good work against spin to go past Cook. England hardly ever played in Asia during his career though.

 

[Chin Music]

Yeah it's fair to say Stewart equally isn't emulating Cook's 2012 tour of India. Cook also has a hundred against Murali in Galle.
Big fan of Alec as he was definitely the better player of pace but he probably needed a bit more good work against spin to go past Cook. England hardly ever played in Asia during his career though.

Yeah, they didn't play India after 1993 debacle until circa 2001 and no Pakistan until 2005 (edit, I forgot the 2000 tour doh!

 

[BazBall21]

Yeah, they didn't play India after 1993 debacle until circa 2001 and no Pakistan until 2005.

They went to Pakistan in 2001. Stewart was past his best by then.

 

[Chin Music]

They went to Pakistan in 2001. Stewart was past his best by then.

Yep, I forgot Karachi in the dark for a moment and realised my mistake. Even so, there is a good case that as a specialist bat, Stewart was on a level with Cook.

 

[BazBall21]

Yep, I forgot Karachi in the dark for a moment and realised my mistake. Even so, there is a good case that as a specialist bat, Stewart was on a level with Cook.

If they're both opening against a strong side, I'd probably take Stewart.