The batsmen who make batting look the most effortless and simple.

[Athlai]

Chanderpaul would be an unusual nomination here for me. While he looks insane at the crease that moment a second before he hits the ball he is always in perfect position without fail. It's like he stands how he feels comfortable before only getting ready at the last moment despite always having time somehow.

 

[Teja.]

Azhar, the most stand-out name in this regard, IMO.

Waugh and Tendulkar deserve mentions as does Sanga.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Azhar, the most stand-out name in this regard, IMO.

Waugh and Tendulkar deserve mentions as does Sanga.

The wrist play undoubtedly honed from practising the waiters tip hand on the sly.

 

[Daemon]

Inzi from the little I saw of him

 

[Lostman]

Inzi from the little I saw of him

Ha that is what I thought.
Seemed like he was always after a nap, was so calm and easy.
(didn't always help when running between the wickets, but that's another story.)

 

[Zinzan]

Mark Richardson - close thread

 

[robelinda]

You would shave to say Jonathan Trott's stroke play is very easy on the eye, never hits a ball in anger, especially on the leg side, all timing.

 

[honestbharani]

Sachin

 

[sunilreddy]

Dhoni!

 

[sunilreddy]

Mark Waugh, Saeed Anwar, Laxman, Inzy, Mahela, Azharuddin, Damien Martyn, Mohammed Hafeez

 

[vic_orthdox]

Martyn used to seem like he was just redirecting the ball, rather than hitting it.

Brad Hodge when in is a bit the same, although you don't see as much of it now with him only playing short forms.

Vaughan also, even through his method of play - pull anything short of a length to make them bowl fuller, then I'll cover drive you for four.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I think there's a distinction between "elegant" and "effortless". A lot of overlap in the Venn diagrams I'd guess, but some chaps who wouldn't necessarily make the first circle fit into the second.

Sehwag maybe the obvious name. I don't think one could really say he's an elegant batsman, but he has such a good eye and wonderfully simple MO that he definitely makes batting look effortless when he's in the zone. Dispatches the ball to all corners with the air of a man who the thought of playing any other way has never occurred to.

 

[Tricia McMillan]

Brendan Taylor

 

[Turbinator]

Sehwag
Tim Paine
Kallis
Dravid

 

[slowfinger]

Greg Chappell, David Gower and Mark Waugh probably my top 3.

EDIT - 6k up. Woot.

Grats on the 6k. Strauss makes things generally look pretty easy, as does Inzi.

 

[Burgey]

Another batsman who made it look effortless was Saeed Anwar

Saeed Anwar 119 vs Australia 1999 GABBA - YouTube

He was a top player.

 

[wellAlbidarned]

Chris Martin. Makes getting your stumps knocked out of the ground look like the most natural thing in the world.

 

[Faisal1985]

Inzy made hitting boundaries look so easy that even I could do it.

awta...He was quite lazyish batsman yet a successful one...

 

[Spark]

Very surprised Lara didn't get a mention in this thread on the "effortless" ratings. Ponting at his peak too.

I guess Cape Town and SCG would bump a certain batsman waaay up on this scale too.

 

[zaremba]

I think there's a distinction between "elegant" and "effortless". A lot of overlap in the Venn diagrams

Spot on.

It's impossible to look past Gower on either front though. He was certainly elegant, but it was the apparent effortlessness of his batting which was particularly striking. He really didn't seem to be trying. Obviously he was trying, of course, bloody hard, and was quite capable of playing long knocks in adversity; and he found the constant comments that he was "laid back" grating - hence his irritated remark in a press conference that "it's hard work making batting look effortless" - but the impression that it all required precisely zero effort from him was overwhelming.

Those who never saw him play have really missed something. Happily there are now, at last, a few clips of his innings on YouTube, for which we have robelinda to thank.