The Best Young Batsmen in the world?

[Richard]

Well he did get that match-saving 64...

Haha, being dropped 3 or 4 times.

 

[Xuhaib]

Well... not many do.

The point I was trying to put across was that none of our young upcoming bats are going to end up as your all-time greats (based on their assesment uptil now).

Its not a major issue since all-time greats are not born every other day just a mere observation.

 

[Richard]

OK.

Mind, Ponting never looked great material until Headingley 2001.

 

[Xuhaib]

OK.

Mind, Ponting never looked great material until Headingley 2001.

He always looked a million dollar batting on Ozzie tracks its just that his overseas game has improved considerably.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Young is how old exactly? <25? Because then I will have to say, In no particular order

. Alistair Cook.
. De Villiers
. Ross Taylor
. Upul Tharanga
. Imran Farhat

 

[Richard]

He always looked a million dollar batting on Ozzie tracks its just that his overseas game has improved considerably.

And bowling standards have dropped.

 

[Richard]

Imran Farhat

 

[Xuhaib]

Young is how old exactly? <25? Because then I will have to say, In no particular order

. Alistair Cook.
. De Villiers
. Ross Taylor
. Upul Tharanga
. Imran Farhat

You call that fisherman a rising talent?, it would look more appropriate if he uses a bait instead of a bat since all he does is go fishing outside the off stump.

 

[pup11]

I back michael clarke to emerge as really one of the greats of his time, he can be as good if not better than ponting. The age is on his side and his attitude towards the game is great, he is just going to get better and better with time.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I back michael clarke to emerge as really one of the greats of his time, he can be as good if not better than ponting.

No, no and no.

 

[silentstriker]

I back michael clarke to emerge as really one of the greats of his time, he can be as good if not better than ponting. The age is on his side and his attitude towards the game is great, he is just going to get better and better with time.

Better than Ponting? No.

 

[silentstriker]

My money is on Cook as the next big thing in cricket. Total shame that he isn't in the ODI team. Put him there, its not like England can be any worse.

 

[PhoenixFire]

My money is on Cook as the next big thing in cricket. Total shame that he isn't in the ODI team. Put him there, its not like England can be any worse.

Your money along with everyone elses

 

[silentstriker]

Your money along with everyone elses

Well my money is on Pieterson being found out pretty soon. Not saying he will stink, but will settle into a low-mid forties average.

Cook though, is destined to be the rock of that batting lineup for the next decade or more.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Well my money is on Pietersen being found out pretty soon. Not saying he will stink, but will settle into a low-mid forties average.

Cook though, is destined to be the rock of that batting lineup for the next decade or more.

Hmm, have to disagree with you there. Pietersen has a far superior technique to Cook, and I wouldn't be surpirsed if Cook got found out in Test matches pretty soon.

 

[Mahindinho]

If Kulasekura's shown promise with the bat he's on-track to be quite the all-rounder!

Bugger - forgot halfway through my post that it was just batsmen.

 

[Richard]

I back michael clarke to emerge as really one of the greats of his time, he can be as good if not better than ponting. The age is on his side and his attitude towards the game is great, he is just going to get better and better with time.

No, no and no.

Better than Ponting? No.

Seriously, who in August 2001 would have believed that Ponting would do what he has from then on?

I'd bet just about no-one.

I'm not saying Clarke is likely to emulate him, but there are certainly men who have far less chance to.

 

[Richard]

My money is on Cook as the next big thing in cricket. Total shame that he isn't in the ODI team. Put him there, its not like England can be any worse.

Hmm...

It is as though he can, though.

As with MSP, I'd really prefer neither were in the ODI side right now - not only because I don't think it suits their styles (Panesar "attacking" bowler; Cook "defensive" batsman) but because I've had just about enough of picking players for ODIs because "he's a good Test player".

And I don't think it'll do either any good to be in such an utterly useless side at this stage of their careers.

 

[PhoenixFire]

Seriously, who in August 2001 would have believed that Ponting would do what he has from then on?

I'd bet just about no-one.

I'm not saying Clarke is likely to emulate him, but there are certainly men who have far less chance to.

From the very FC innings he played, people were talking about him, saying he was going to be the next big thing. Dayle Hadlee called him 'The best 16 year old I have ever seen'.

 

[Richard]

And Rod Marsh called Chris Read one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen in The World.

Yes, people were giving that sort of hype about Ponting from a very young age, but that's not especially uncommon - witness Lillee vis-a-vis Johnson.

For the first 5 years of his Test career Ponting was nothing more than a good Test batsman, with limited aspirations to go on to anything more.

And IMO it's not complete coincidence that his spectacular average rise (in common with Dravid and Kallis') happened at the exact time that bowling standards Worldwide plummeted.