The Greats

[roseboy64]

Ashes-No
Laxman's 281-Yes
Imran Khan-Yes
G.D.McGrath-Yes
A.C.Gilchrist-Yes
S.R.Waugh-No
I.V.A.Richards-Yes
M.Marshall-No
D.Lillee-No
J.Kallis-No

 

[yohanna]

Ashes - Yes

Laxman's 281 - yes

Imran Khan - Yes

G.D.McGrath - yes

A.C.Gilchrist - No

S.R.Waugh - yes

I.V.A.Richards - Yes

M.Marshall - Yes

D.Lillee - yes

J.Kallis - No

 

[Sanz]

Its such a pointless thread.. How can players like Marshall, Dennis Lillee & SR Waugh not be great especially when people are saying Gilchrist is great or Ponting is great

 

[Son Of Coco]

Ashes - Yes
Laxman's 281 - Yes
Imran Khan - Yes
G.D.McGrath - Yes
A.C.Gilchrist - Yes
S.R.Waugh - Yes
I.V.A.Richards - Yes
M.Marshall - Definately yes
D.Lillee - Yes
J.Kallis - no

 

[Disgorge]

Mark Taylor

 

[marc71178]

That's the point - no-one in history has come close to being as devastating with the bat whilst being a top keeper.

Did any of the keepers of yesteryear play in a period with so few good bowlers?

 

[social]

Its such a pointless thread.. How can players like Marshall, Dennis Lillee & SR Waugh not be great especially when people are saying Gilchrist is great or Ponting is great

The good thing about this site is that we have a huge range of age and experience levels contributing. This promotes lively discussion and can only further interest in the game.

However, some people's knowledge (and Im not saying that theyre wrong all the time as too much "knowledge" can be a dangerous thing) is naturally confined to recent events.

As an example, we see a number of people question Lillee's ability due to question marks over performances on the sub-continent and other purely statistical measures. However, people should be asking why, despite these holes in his record, he is consistently ranked at or near the top of the pile by greats of the game.

Likewise, W.G. Grace would be lucky to make a club side today but his standing as a great remains unquestioned amongst these so-called experts.

As an aside, it will be interesting to see whether anyone nominates Jeff Thomson as a great. His overall statistics are not "great" (200 wickets @ 29) but before his shoulder injury in 76-77, he was the fastest and probably most feared fast bowler ever.

 

[social]

Did any of the keepers of yesteryear play in a period with so few good bowlers?

Ahh, try anyone who played the game between the invention of the game and the late 70s.

 

[Jason_M]

YES:

-Ashes
-Imran Khan
-Viv Richards
-Malcolm Marshall
-Dennis Lillee

NO:

-Laxman 281
-McGrath
-Gilchrist
-Waugh
-Kallis

 

[social]

YES:

-Ashes
-Imran Khan
-Viv Richards
-Malcolm Marshall
-Dennis Lillee

NO:

-Laxman 281
-McGrath
-Gilchrist
-Waugh
-Kallis

Adopting the "rose tinted glasses" method, I see.

 

[Jason_M]

I'd like to nominate Lara's 277, an innings he regards as his finest.

 

[thierry henry]

Sobers is above voting. Kallis has virtually reproduced his record and everyone votes no.

Ponting is about 2 or 3 years away from almost inevitably reproducing Tendulkar and Lara's record and people still vote no. Blah.

 

[thierry henry]

How can McGrath not be a great. I'm assuming the "there are no good bowlers today" and "the pitches are so good for batting today" arguments has been used to decry the feats of some modern day batsman. How then can one deny McGrath, whose record is the equal of any seamer in the last 50 years (to pick an arbitrary number) of test cricket? And how can Lillee be a great but not McGrath? It boggles my mind.

And one last comment on Kallis- he is one of the best batsman of his era, over a long period of time, and also happens to be a genuine all-rounder! If that doesn't make him a great than I don't know what does. I won't directly compare him to Sobers lest I offend you all (the stats do a good enough job of comparing them anyway), but what other cricketer bar Sobers has ever been able to do the job that Kallis has?

 

[archie mac]

How can McGrath not be a great. I'm assuming the "there are no good bowlers today" and "the pitches are so good for batting today" arguments has been used to decry the feats of some modern day batsman. How then can one deny McGrath, whose record is the equal of any seamer in the last 50 years (to pick an arbitrary number) of test cricket? And how can Lillee be a great but not McGrath? It boggles my mind.

And one last comment on Kallis- he is one of the best batsman of his era, over a long period of time, and also happens to be a genuine all-rounder! If that doesn't make him a great than I don't know what does. I won't directly compare him to Sobers lest I offend you all (the stats do a good enough job of comparing them anyway), but what other cricketer bar Sobers has ever been able to do the job that Kallis has?

I don't think his bowling in anything great,especially recent form. I would never rate him a strike bowler.

I don't think his batting is going to win too many Test matches, he can certainly save them, with his dour batting. Sobers on the other hand could and did take attacks apart. To be quite honest he (Kallis) bores me.

 

[SteveG]

I have watched and played cricket since the mid-70's when Lillee and Thomson routed the Windies 5-0. I rate Lillee as one of the best I've ever seen, but I read with total bewilderment the comments made in this thead about McGrath.

I ask myself the question, who would I want to be bowling when I needed 10 wickets to win a match in a tight situation, Lillee or McGrath?

Lillee was a great, but Glen McGrath is the one I would give the ball to...his record speaks for itself. Most top line batsman have trouble with the consistancy of his line and length and his outfielding is superior to Lillee's.

Lillee was and always will be my hero, but McGrath is a true great.

 

[Zinzan]

Imran Khan-Yes
G.D.McGrath-Yes
A.C.Gilchrist-Yes
S.R.Waugh-No
I.V.A.Richards-Yes
M.Marshall-No
D.Lillee-No
J.Kallis-No

Really depends on how many players in the history of cricket could be considered as "alltime greats" Is it 5 players 10, 20, 30 or 50??

All the above players would probably make my 50 greatest players of all time so I'm not sure how to answer this.

If it was based on a top 20-25 then.....

YES
Imran
Mcgrath
Gilchrist
Richards
Marshall
Lillee

NO
Kallis
Waugh

 

[Jono]

How can McGrath not be a great. I'm assuming the "there are no good bowlers today" and "the pitches are so good for batting today" arguments has been used to decry the feats of some modern day batsman. How then can one deny McGrath, whose record is the equal of any seamer in the last 50 years (to pick an arbitrary number) of test cricket? And how can Lillee be a great but not McGrath? It boggles my mind.

And one last comment on Kallis- he is one of the best batsman of his era, over a long period of time, and also happens to be a genuine all-rounder! If that doesn't make him a great than I don't know what does. I won't directly compare him to Sobers lest I offend you all (the stats do a good enough job of comparing them anyway), but what other cricketer bar Sobers has ever been able to do the job that Kallis has?

Agree with half of that.

Do you honestly think Kallis is still a good bowler?

 

[Snippie]

Agree with half of that.

Do you honestly think Kallis is till a good bowler?

That's why I also decided on a not yet for him. He is just too inconsistent at present, one game he will be hit out of the park, with an ER rate I wouldn't want to wish on my greatest enemy, the next he takes three wickets at a rate Shaun Pollock would be proud of!

His batting also haven't really fired as of late, he is injury riddled at present, but for now, he isn't one of the greatest ever, hope to see him become great! That being said, he is a great guy, who brings a lot of maturity into our team, and nobody can replace him, does that make him great? Not yet anyway...

 

[Jono]

Agree with all of that. Kallis is one of my favourite batsman to watch. But its far too premature to call him a great.

 

[Slats4ever]

any results on the last 24 hours and who's great?