Prince Lara vs King Viv

[Xuhaib]

I still remember that yoker Waqar bowled to Lara.He was floored,quite literally.

The ODI thing is correct.5 of his 19 centuries were made against Pakistan,and one of Wasim or Waqar,or both,played in 4 of those century making games.

Yeah but its a shame the 93-94 Pak-WI series was not given huge coverage still reckon its Waqar's finest hour as test cricketer despite some shocking umpiring he still finished with 20 wickets @ 19 being the best bowler in a series that had Wasim,Walsh,Ambrose and Bishop.I am not saying the results would have been different had umpiring been better because all the Pakistani batsman barring Basit Ali went AWOL but Waqar would have had even more awesome figures.

 

[Shri]

Would rate the greatest West Indian batsmen in this order:

George Headley
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Garfield Sobers

 

[smash84]

I think he rates Viv Richards higher.

I think so too but I don't recall where I heard him say that (if he did)

 

[Blaze 18]

I think so too but I don't recall where I heard him say that (if he did)

He doesn't address it directly here, but it does seem to answer the question.

 

[smash84]

He doesn't address it directly here, but it does seem to answer the question.

Ahan

 

[hang on]

headley was undoubtedly a great batsman but the quality of his renown perhaps doesn't take into account the fact that some of the english teams he played against were not exactly first 11s. while noblesse oblige resulted in the sending of mcc teams, it didn't compel the sending of the best. if memory serves, there used to be, at times, as many as 3 mcc teams touring concurrently. thus some easy runs were to be had by the fortunate...

sobers, lara and richards would, to my mind, always place in a category marginally higher than the one that contained headley.

of course, against this argument can be laid the 'he lost his best years to the war' one.....causing a hasty retirement of yours truly to the pavillion for some emotional and argument-buffering succour.

 

[Xuhaib]

met Wasim back in 2002 at a private dinner someone on the table opened up the discussion regarding best batsman he's ever bowled too quite sure he said Lara,Sachin, Martin Crowe and David Boon never mentioned Richards though he had high praise for Sunil Gavaskar.

 

[smash84]

in the article that Blaze brings in quotes Wasim as saying Richards was very good.

 

[Maximus0723]

headley was undoubtedly a great batsman but the quality of his renown perhaps doesn't take into account the fact that some of the english teams he played against were not exactly first 11s. while noblesse oblige resulted in the sending of mcc teams, it didn't compel the sending of the best. if memory serves, there used to be, at times, as many as 3 mcc teams touring concurrently. thus some easy runs were to be had by the fortunate...

sobers, lara and richards would, to my mind, always place in a category marginally higher than the one that contained headley.

of course, against this argument can be laid the 'he lost his best years to the war' one.....causing a hasty retirement of yours truly to the pavillion for some emotional and argument-buffering succour.

Yea, I don't know if Headley was more or less skillful and/or talented then those three. Sometimes you just gotta go by the records and it sucks that he didn't play against stronger teams like Lara and Richards.

As a test batsman, as of now, Viv/Lara then Sobers then Headley.
If push comes to shove then I will pick Viv over Lara.

Though it's very close between those four. Top three are quite interchangeable.
With Headley, I just don't know enough except some common knowledge and his stats.

 

[MrIncredible]

Yea, I don't know if Headley was more or less skillful and/or talented then those three. Sometimes you just gotta go by the records and it sucks that he didn't play against stronger teams like Lara and Richards.

As a test batsman, as of now, Viv/Lara then Sobers then Headley.
If push comes to shove then I will pick Viv over Lara.

Though it's very close between those four. Top three are quite interchangeable.
With Headley, I just don't know enough except some common knowledge and his stats.

Well this notion that he somehow Headley made hey vs 2nd English attack is so off base.

He also faced full strength English teams and made runs. Also he faced Grimmett and

Oreilley in Oz (averaging 37). He was intially terrorised by these 2 early on in the only serie

that he played vs them but later on once he got the measure of them he scored 2 sumptu-

ous hundreds. Inspiring a unlikely WI win in the final test. HEadley for the most part faced

the two best teams of his time (didnt face a single minnow). Never had the luxury of facing

the light weights of his time on hs home tracks like several of the other greats of his time.

This is (and other reasons) are y i believe he is worthy of his outstanding record and

reputation..."Black Bradman"

 

[hang on]

mr incredible,

not 'off base' at all. he did face weaker english teams.and i haven't claimed that he faced the weaker ones exclusively at any point. now, to have him only marginally lower than 3 of the greatest batsmen to have played the game is hardly militating against his quality. don't forget, he is still being rated ahead of weekes and walcott, 2 other great west indian batsmen, who did 'feast' against the minnows somewhat.

 

[MrIncredible]

mr incredible,

not 'off base' at all. he did face weaker english teams.and i haven't claimed that he faced the weaker ones exclusively at any point. now, to have him only marginally lower than 3 of the greatest batsmen to have played the game is hardly militating against his quality. don't forget, he is still being rated ahead of weekes and walcott, 2 other great west indian batsmen, who did 'feast' against the minnows somewhat.

I think Headley's 20 test career (thank u WW2) is one of those great tragedies of cricket.

Would have loved to see the man face the likes of Grimmett and Oreilley in a return series

in the WI, NZL, India, and South Africa as well. My gut just tells me that had he had the

chance, the argument of who the 2nd best batsman of all time would have been well and

truly settled.

 

[Ferraz]

Didn't Lara score a century against WW in 1993 when Pak toured WI?

Scored 96 in Trinidad iirc, was bowled by Asif Mujtaba

 

[ankitj]

I think Headley's 20 test career (thank u WW2) is one of those great tragedies of cricket.

Yes. Very similar to the tragedy of losing best years of Graeme Pollock, who is a batsman I have come to rate very very highly based on what I saw of him in the ESPN Legends of Cricket feature.

 

[MrIncredible]

Yes its such a shame how politics can some times rob us of the things we take so much pleasure in.

 

[joels344]

Viv Richards is mighty close to Gary Sobers, in terms of favorite batsman for me. While Lara was an incredible batsman, I still prefer Richards.

 

[kyear2]

Near to impossible to separate the top for West Indian batsmen of all time, but Lara (along with Roger Federer) are my two favourite athletes to watch of all, and so must go with Brian Charles, just for the pure beauty (similar to Roger) of his stroke play.
But substantively nothing to separate Sobers, Viv, Headley and Lara, four of the top nine middle order batsmen of all time and each a member of the discussion (along with Tendulkar, Hammond, Chappell and possibly, maybe Pollock) of the best after Bradman.

 

[Athlai]

Has to be Runako

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Lara is by far my favorite batsman of all time. But if I had to choose a West Indian to bat for my life

(after George Headley) that would be the original and only "Master Blaster" !!

Yeah for me that is the exact opposite

 

[jaideep]

If anyone says that they have seen a better batsman than Lara(except Bradman) in their lifetime then they are either crazy or biased.