Richards still King!

[centurymaker]

when you say it like that I am forced to repost this:



viv is excellent I get it, but it's like tendulkar is being underrated almost... the dude averages 45 since he waas 16 years old. that's 70+ odis batting as a finisher, something he wasn't even good at. thats 70+ odis without a single hundred. then all of a sudden 48 hundreds. I mean it's not even like it's a peak or something. he's averaged close to 48 for 17 years now with 16kish runs.

they are equal idk how you can say it is an absolute fact viv is better.

that's a good point you have brought up.

 

[Burgey]

if you had to pick one of the two in your all time team purely as a batsman, who would you pick?

That's very difficult. If it was right now, Dhoni. If it's based on their careers as a whole (which is hard as Dhoni is nowhere near done) then it's Ponting.

Having said that, there are others who can fulfil both their roles equally or almost as well.

It's a very tough call.

 

[Burgey]

when you say it like that I am forced to repost this:



viv is excellent I get it, but it's like tendulkar is being underrated almost... the dude averages 45 since he waas 16 years old. that's 70+ odis batting as a finisher, something he wasn't even good at. thats 70+ odis without a single hundred. then all of a sudden 48 hundreds. I mean it's not even like it's a peak or something. he's averaged close to 48 for 17 years now with 16kish runs.

they are equal idk how you can say it is an absolute fact viv is better.

I don't think being rated number two all time is under rated tbh.

 

[Sanz]

You can never ever compare legends, if you go in details and not just judge by stats, you will understand how different the situations are for all the players,each batsmen comes in a different situation to bat against different bowlers and each bowler has different situations to bowl in. Whatever conclusions that are derived out of the comparisons made are too shallow, its better to admire and enjoy their skills and learn something from the legends rather than trying to make comparisons.

I don't use stats to judge players. There are people who are pioneers who set new standards in their field, show new ways. Viv was one such Individual and the standards he set of ODI batting some 30 years ago in an era when most people were playing ODIs like they were playing test matches. No one has manged to match him even after 30 years is the reason why he is respected so much and considered in a different league.

 

[centurymaker]

You can never ever compare legends, if you go in details and not just judge by stats, you will understand how different the situations are for all the players,each batsmen comes in a different situation to bat against different bowlers and each bowler has different situations to bowl in. Whatever conclusions that are derived out of the comparisons made are too shallow, its better to admire and enjoy their skills and learn something from the legends rather than trying to make comparisons.

This is such a good post by karan316

 

[akilana]

when you say it like that I am forced to repost this:



viv is excellent I get it, but it's like tendulkar is being underrated almost... the dude averages 45 since he waas 16 years old. that's 70+ odis batting as a finisher, something he wasn't even good at. thats 70+ odis without a single hundred. then all of a sudden 48 hundreds. I mean it's not even like it's a peak or something. he's averaged close to 48 for 17 years now with 16kish runs.

they are equal idk how you can say it is an absolute fact viv is better.

You won't be wrong to say Sachin is the greatest ODI batsman ever. He has strong claim so does Viv

 

[smash84]

I think most people would agree that Viv would be the best ODI batsman but Tendulkar is close

 

[DriveClub]

No need of stats to say that Viv was the greatest ODI batsmen ever, intimidation at it's best. Tendulkar comes 2nd I guess. Sanath is an under-rated all rounder in ODIs IMO, should be up there. Bevan & Dhoni better finishers in the ODI game. Wasim, McGrath & Joel Garner would make my bowlers list. Gilly would be the keeper. Toss up between Warne & Murali for the spinners spot and Imran Khan would be the ideal No.7.

 

[abmk]

Choose another measure and you'll get someone else on top by whatever margin.

yes, what was being pointed out was that this measure doesn't take longevity into account

Richards was a long way ahead of his time tbf. Not that that may be reflected in this measure, but it's something which comes into my rating him so high

True, Viv was well ahead of his times. He just played his natural game and intimidated the bowlers.

But is must be pointed out that he had the chance to be well ahead of his time, since the ODI game was evolving. Sachin did not really have that much of a chance that way . While that is a significant plus for Viv, that should in no way penalize Sachin.

 

[abmk]

Viv Richards is the greatest ODI batsman and by quite a Distance and this is not an opinion, it is a fact. There will never be another Richards.

Posts like these is what I find ridiculous . Viv may be the best ODI bat, but he isn't the best by miles ....

Sachin is ahead of Viv in many counts in quite a few ways in ODIs and so is Bevan . I can see all 3 of them having a fair claim to being the greatest ODI batsman of all time.

 

[smash84]

No need of stats to say that Viv was the greatest ODI batsmen ever, intimidation at it's best. Tendulkar comes 2nd I guess. Sanath is an under-rated all rounder in ODIs IMO, should be up there. Bevan & Dhoni better finishers in the ODI game. Wasim, McGrath & Joel Garner would make my bowlers list. Gilly would be the keeper. Toss up between Warne & Murali for the spinners spot and Imran Khan would be the ideal No.7.

 

[hang on]

imran khan would not make an all time odi team. his bowling was good but his batting was really not up there. get klusener in there. or even dev, whose bowling was on par with khan's but his batting was far more explosive...exactly what is required lower down the order. and the spinner's spot would go to murali. or saqlain mushtaq over warne.

 

[ankitj]

No need of stats to say that Viv was the greatest ODI batsmen ever, intimidation at it's best. Tendulkar comes 2nd I guess. Sanath is an under-rated all rounder in ODIs IMO, should be up there. Bevan & Dhoni better finishers in the ODI game. Wasim, McGrath & Joel Garner would make my bowlers list. Gilly would be the keeper. Toss up between Warne & Murali for the spinners spot and Imran Khan would be the ideal No.7.

Toss up between Murali and Saqlain itbt.

 

[smash84]

imran khan would not make an all time odi team. his bowling was good but his batting was really not up there. get klusener in there. or even dev, whose bowling was on par with khan's but his batting was far more explosive...exactly what is required lower down the order. and the spinner's spot would go to murali. or saqlain mushtaq over warne.

yep. Probably the only thing Khan would bring into the ODI side would be leadership.

He was a solid batsman who could play a good innings up the order but not sure how quickly he could score down the order. Although he could whack a few uptil 86-87

 

[Burgey]

yes, what was being pointed out was that this measure doesn't take longevity into account



True, Viv was well ahead of his times. He just played his natural game and intimidated the bowlers.

But is must be pointed out that he had the chance to be well ahead of his time, since the ODI game was evolving. Sachin did not really have that much of a chance that way . While that is a significant plus for Viv, that should in no way penalize Sachin.

Love to see Viv in full flight today, on flat decks, fast outfields and with a cannon for a bat. Would be fantastic.

 

[ankitj]

Viv not only outdid batsmen of his era, he actually outdid in his era the best of current era. He has a better average as well as SR compared to Tendulkar! And there is not one batsman in any era who beats Viv on both average and SR. That's how good he was!

 

[hang on]

But is must be pointed out that he had the chance to be well ahead of his time, since the ODI game was evolving. Sachin did not really have that much of a chance that way . While that is a significant plus for Viv, that should in no way penalize Sachin.

that is an important point. while i do think that viv is ahead of tendulkar by a nose in the greatest odi batsmen stakes, it is worth acknowledging that it is easier to be ahead of the curve when a sport or field is in its infancy and/or evolving. there is no doubt that odis are far more competitive these days that during the 70s and 80s.

 

[Sanz]

Viv not only outdid batsmen of his era, he actually outdid in his era the best of current era. He has a better average as well as SR compared to Tendulkar! And there is not one batsman in any era who beats Viv on both average and SR. That's how good he was!

Viv as a top order batsman 57.57(SR 86.88) , Tendulkar 47.74 (SR 87.76)
Viv as a Middle order batsman 42.98 (SR 92), Tendulkar 35.57 (SR 80)

 

[Sanz]

that is an important point. while i do think that viv is ahead of tendulkar by a nose in the greatest odi batsmen stakes, it is worth acknowledging that it is easier to be ahead of the curve when a sport or field is in its infancy and/or evolving. there is no doubt that odis are far more competitive these days that during the 70s and 80s.

Yes Recent India/Eng ODI series are a proof that the ODIs these days are far more competitive. And this is between two top teams.

The argument you make here doesn't make any sense to me. It is like saying that it is easier to be the first one to invent something after that there is nothing left to do. Virender Sehwag changed the batting in Test matches after how many years of Test Cricket history ?

 

[Sanz]

I agree ..... Quite funny to see so many placing Viv well ahead of Sachin .....

IMO, while Viv's peak is probably a shade better, if we talk overall, don't see much of a difference ....

Viv's peak is only a shade better ? Really what world do you live in ?

Richards for the most part of his careers was averaging around mid 50s with a SR of 90+ in an era when an average of 40 with a 70+ SR was almost unheard of. Tendulkar has never gone close to 50 in ODIs and infact has massively struggled as a middle order batsman.