Players you most like to watch

[open365]

What cricketers have had to most influence on you as a person/cricketer?

Who was the most inspirational player you've ever seen?

Who would you cut your right arm off just to see score a 100?

For me,Graeme Smith's 2 double hundreds against England in 2003(i think) were my first real memories of watching test cricket and i've tried to follow him ever since. Technique wise he is different to most players, favouring bottom handed strokes most of the time but to me this is what i like most about him. He was 22 years old,captaining south Africa and opening the batting-and scoring 200s-despite being technicaly flawed. It made me admire his concentration and fighting spirit and showed me the importance of mental strength in sport.

 

[Adamc]

Well he's had no influence whatsoever on me as a cricketer (read: I still can't bat), but BC Lara is easily my favourite player to watch, for reasons which should be pretty obvious to anyone who's seen him bat. Never been at the ground for a Lara century unfortunately, though I saw him make a 58 in an ODI earlier this year. I'm sure he would've made a century at the PM's XI game a few weeks ago had it not been rained out.

 

[Kimbo]

i'm gutted i missed the era of west indian dominance because those players were fantastic to watch..

some time i'll collect a load of dvds and videos of those matches and lock myself in a room for a weekend watching them

 

[BoyBrumby]

In total agreement with Adam there, Brian Charles is such a joy to watch when he's in full-flow. He's the one (non-English) player I'm always disappointed to see go cheaply.

I'm a bit of a sucker for real pace too, so enjoy Ahktar & B Lee steaming in a lot as well. There may be more consistent seamers, but yer real speed-freaks are rarely dull.

 

[Slow Love™]

Off the top of my head...

Most inspirational: Definitely Steve Waugh, he was my idol.

Enjoy centuries the most (currently): Lara for his finesse, and Inzy for his attitude. Gilly, too.

Most exciting: apart from anyone already mentioned, probably The Shoaib when he's on fire. And Warne in match-turning mode. I'd love to see more of Murali. I guess I favor bowlers a bit in this category because pressure and wickets can maintain excitement for me more than pure hitting, which can sometimes leave me a little jaded.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Brian Lara - unbelievable when in full flow, simply breathtaking
Shahid Afridi - compulsive viewing, you don't dare leave your seat when he walks out to bat
Muttiah Muralitharan - just to see the ball spin so much and to see the batsmen so bemused

 

[Beleg]

Jonty Rhodes - He redefined awesome.

Allan Donald - attitude paired with ability is a killer combination

Wasim Akram - In the 90's, everyone in Pakistan was a Wasimomaniac. Stands to reason I am too.

Muralitharan - eyes narrowed into slits, black as coal-pits and infused with the vigour of a thousand hearth-fires as he zero'es in on the crease just about sums up his attitude towards cricket. That along with a wicked sense of humor makes him one of my favorite cricketers.

Shoaib Akthar on song is also a treat to watch. Specially when he is mixing it up - believe it or not, toe-crushing yorkers can become monotonous after a while.

 

[howardj]

Off the top of my head...

Most inspirational: Definitely Steve Waugh, he was my idol.

.

So you can confirm that, as a kid, you had a mullet, and you tried to mentally dis-integrate your neighbours!

Anyway, my favourite modern day player is Jacques Kallis. He's got the perfect technique, and he's really a throwback to earlier times when Test cricket batsmanship was about run accumulation. He can up the ante, but primarily he looks to guard his fortress first and foremost. His concentration is unmatchable.

Honourable mentions go to Atherton and Slater.

 

[foe]

Laxman's 281 was an inspirational innings

i was always a fan of Laxman and had seen him amass huge scores in domestic cricket but he couldnt really perform anywhere as well on the international stage...until that knock in Kolkatta

Anil Kumble is another player who i follow closely

 

[Pothas]

I have seen Lara bat twice live he scored 8 and 5
I have seen Tendulkar bat once live he scored 12

The first test hundred i saw Cronje and cant really see him as inspiration.

Glen Mcgrath i didnt enjoy watching at lords this yeat but it was superb, always enjoyed watching gough and caddick bowl together most memorably when they got West Indies out for 54

 

[Tom Halsey]

Shoaib, Freddie, Warne, Murali, Steve Waugh, Tendulkar, Lara. Off the top of my head.

 

[ClownSymonds]

Clown, Clown, and Clown. Just watching him stand there is enjoyable enough.

 

[Zinzan]

from the past ..........Martin Crowe - so elegant at the crease



Lately I've really enjoyed watching Lou Vincent

 

[Barney Rubble]

Personally, in terms of players I take inspiration from (and those I like watching, incidentally) as an attacking opening batsman, I'd say Trescothick is a major one - in the way he's made the best of limited natural suitability for the game (he's hardly got the centre of gravity of a Ponting, a Tendulkar or a Lara - just like me), and the way he approaches his batting. No frills, no fuss, just do what the team needs you to do.

To a lesser extent, as attacking openers in today's game, you'd have to look at Sehwag, Smith, Gayle, Jayasuriya (well, maybe not any more!) and Gibbs as the major ones to watch.

It's convenient that I mention Gibbs there, as he was also the scorer of the first Test century I ever saw live - I was at the Oval for his 183 there in 2003, and it was one of the most superb exhibitions of batting I've ever seen. I honestly thought he was going to make 300 that innings, he just was totally dominant. The other Test centuries I've seen were Vaughan's second at Lord's in 2004 against WI - he's certainly an inspiration in terms of captaincy - and of course, KP's little knock of 158 at the Oval (I couldn't post in this thread without mentioning that, now, could I? ), and he's an inspiration in terms of being a general legend.

 

[marc71178]

Clown, Clown, and Clown. Just watching him stand there is enjoyable enough.

As in standing there having been dismissed cheaply yet again?

 

[C_C]

Earliest 'hero' : Viv and Marshall
Players i like to watch the most : Viv, Tendulkar, deSilva(when on song), Gillchrist, Murali, Warne, Wasim, Donald, Ambrose.

 

[_Ed_]

Shoaib and Afridi when they get going, amazing to watch. Also enjoy watching Lara, Ponting and Gilchrist. McCullum in the last 10 overs of an ODI can be great to watch too.

 

[Dasa]

Donald, Wasim, Waqar, Ambrose, Shoaib and Murali for bowlers.
For batsmen, Tendulkar, Laxman, Lara and Inzy.

 

[andyc]

I've always enjoyed watching Warne leaving batsmen confused, and after seeing him in the Super Test the same goes for Murali as well and watching Shoaib when he's going is amazing.
Batting wise, Gilchrist's brute force, Steve Waugh's determination and KP and Afridi's hitting are always enjoyable

 

[Jono]

In my time of watching cricket, I'd say my top 3 bowlers I enjoy watching the most have been Shoaib, Warne and Murali.

For Batsman, Sachin and Lara comfortably head the list, and one must feel that (as someone suggested earlier) they can't leave the room when Afridi is out to bat. So he'd have to make the list, as he just defines entertainment.

In terms of players that have inspired me, Dravid would have to head that list. Every year he just adds layers to why he's my idol. This year, the way he's handled the pressure of captaincy despite all the crap surrounding it with Ganguly and Chappell is really amazing. Add that to his brilliant patience and concentration, and his ability to save India on many occasions, he defines inspiration for me. The fact that he's generally a nice guy and is so modest makes him even better.