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Sir Richard Hadlee vs Sir Garry Sobers

Better cricketer?

  • Hadlee

    Votes: 5 14.7%
  • Sobers

    Votes: 29 85.3%

  • Total voters
    34

Slifer

International Captain
Isn’t many WI ATGs are? Lara, Marshall, Headley and probably Richards also.
Marshall played one series in NZ, otherwise he was excellent vs them like everyone else. Lara played I believe 5 series vs NZ and averaged 40+ in all but one series which brought his record vs/in NZ down. Small sample size did him in. Sobers on the other hand was just abysmal vs NZ.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
Marshall played one series in NZ, otherwise he was excellent vs them like everyone else. Lara played I believe 5 series vs NZ and averaged 40+ in all but one series which brought his record vs/in NZ down. Small sample size did him in. Sobers on the other hand was just abysmal vs NZ.
I'm sure he loses a lot of sleep over it too.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Watching Hadlee nearly his entire career, I always thought he was either the best bowler I've ever seen or very close to it.
To be compared to the great Garry Sobers overall as a cricketer though seems somewhat far fetched.
Think Garry is better, don't think it's by that much.
 

ma1978

International Debutant
I have a vague recollection of Hadlee (though know a couple of his contemporaries) who marvel at the man). None whatsoever about Sobers,

But isn’t a 34 bowling average the equivalent of a mid to high 20s batting.averages. I’m sure the numbers don’t tell the full story but it doesn’t appear clear cut based on the numbers
 

Chin Music

State Vice-Captain
In my mind, Hadlee was a top 3 bowler in the 80s, but you set that against Sobers being probably the best batter in 60s. Sobers by all accounts was a good quality quick bowler, who was a proficient, but nothing special practitioner of orthodox left arm spin and a useful bowler of wrist spin. Hadlee was a useful and sometimes dangerous lower order batter but nothing more than that. Sobers fairly comfortably for me.
 

h_hurricane

International Vice-Captain
I have a vague recollection of Hadlee (though know a couple of his contemporaries) who marvel at the man). None whatsoever about Sobers,

But isn’t a 34 bowling average the equivalent of a mid to high 20s batting.averages. I’m sure the numbers don’t tell the full story but it doesn’t appear clear cut based on the numbers
Just a rough reference.
Equivalent batting average = 1200/(Equivalent bowling average)
 

Coronis

International Coach
I have a vague recollection of Hadlee (though know a couple of his contemporaries) who marvel at the man). None whatsoever about Sobers,

But isn’t a 34 bowling average the equivalent of a mid to high 20s batting.averages. I’m sure the numbers don’t tell the full story but it doesn’t appear clear cut based on the numbers
No.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Voted Hadlee, as to my normal policy of voting the lesser voted when it's really close.

My intuition goes barely in favor of Sobers though. I think in his primary skillset, he's the BBB (alongside Weekes), and this would put him above a top 5 or 6 bowler all-time like Hadlee. I'm not even taking the secondary skillsets into account, which of course are useful for both, but a bit more esoteric to compare.
 

morgieb

Request Your Custom Title Now!
The best way of putting it (IMO) is that Sobers's batting = Hadlee's bowling, Sobers's bowling >> Hadlee's batting. Sobers's overall career average is a bit meh but there was an extended period where he was a legitimate 3rd/4th option in a good side with the ball, whereas unlike Imran (for example) I don't think Hadlee's batting ever got over the level of a decent #7. That's clearly enough to swing it in Sobers's favour.
 

kyear2

International Coach


Found this article this morning while looking up his fielding credentials. Think this was as good a place as any to place it.

Nothing against Paddles, who I think is ridiculously underrated and for me easily as high as top 6.

But Sobers is top 2 of not challenging Bradman for 1.

Top 3 or 4 top tier ATG batsman of all time, most versatile bowler in the history of the game and among the very best ever, mastering the premier (non keeper) fielding position in the sport.
Everyone talks about the batting and the bowling, but his fielding was also impactful and pushes him above most.
 
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shortpitched713

International Captain
Top 3 or 4 top tier ATG batsman of all time, most versatile bowler in the history of the game and among the very best ever, mastering the premier (non keeper) fielding position in the sport.
Everyone talks about the batting and the bowling, but his fielding was also impactful and pushes him above most.
Tendulkar and Hobbs, as is standard consensus, for your other picks?

Would you personally pick any of them above Sobers as batsmen?
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Eww no Weekes.

But yeah, that list is fair enough, I suppose.

Would have thought you might have a touch of homerism, as even myself being a non-West Indian rank the attacking bats of that nation as the most likely candidates for BBB.
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
I'm one of the two Hadlee voters. I always vote for the less voted one, if I think it's close enough, which in this case I think it is. (And ultimately also a very subjective, even arbitrary comparison).
 

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