Top 5 Players

[The Sean]

Five votes for Keith Miller not counted, disappointingly.

 

[ankitj]

Imran robbed here

 

[smash84]

Imran robbed here

 

[kyear2]

Fun exercise, Thinking of doing the same thing with an all time team with no restrictions. I was thinking that we could use the cricinfo formula where each person picks two teams with 5 pts for a first team selection and two for a second team pick. As with this exercise one vote per person and we can get a forum concensus team. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[ankitj]

I was partly serious actually. Imran should be a lock-in in top 3 (or top 4 if Grace is in the consideration set) as much as Bradman is a lock-in at the top. What else could Imran possibly have achieved?

 

[kyear2]

I must respectably disagree about Imran, no one doubts that he is a great player, but most do not consider him in the same class as Bradman and Sobers. When the Cricinfo experts slected their team, he had I believe 19 votes and compared with 60 for Sobers, Warne and Bradman, and over 50 for Sachin. A great player deserving of a spot, yes, lock in for top 3, no.

 

[smash84]

I must respectably disagree about Imran, no one doubts that he is a great player, but most do not consider him in the same class as Bradman and Sobers. When the Cricinfo experts slected their team, he had I believe 19 votes and compared with 60 for Sobers, Warne and Bradman, and over 50 for Sachin. A great player deserving of a spot, yes, lock in for top 3, no.

I would agree with Ankit on Imran's achievements and also due to the fact that I rate bowling all rounders very highly. Although a definite lock in for number 3 for some he might not be.

Although for PEWS he is a definite lock-in for number 1 (something that even I do not agree with ..)

For a 10 year period Imran led a pretty ordinary side extremely well. Almost beat one of the greatest test sides of all time in their backyard. Beat England in England, India in India, SL in SL (although SL was a minnow then). Didn't lose any series at home and at the same time averaged 52 with the bat and 19 with the ball. This article sheds some light on his achievements as a player so I always put it forward. You might be able to gauge a bit about him from this article.

Stats analysis: Imran Khan | Specials | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

From the article

"In the 1980s, Imran was in his pomp, and he was easily among the top five players in the world during this period. Till the end of 1988, both his batting and his bowling were in fine fettle: he averaged almost 40 with the bat and less than 18 with the ball, numbers which indicate quite emphatically just how dominant he was. He was even more lethal in the 14 months between November 1981 and January 1983: in 16 Tests during this period he averaged almost 48 with the bat, and took 104 wickets at an incredible average of 14.87, with eight five-wicket hauls."

 

[subshakerz]

I rank Imran very highly, but for some reason he is remember more as a captain. His bowling (which for me makes him a lock in a top ten bowler list) is rarely highlighted exclusively. And for some reason, all-rounders, Sobers aside, are just not rated as high as they should be by pundits for the overall package. Hadlee should technically be rated higher than Marshall due to his batting skills, but he rarely will be. I might be guilty of this as well.

 

[smash84]

I rank Imran very highly, but for some reason he is remember more as a captain. His bowling (which for me makes him a lock in a top ten bowler list) is rarely highlighted exclusively. And for some reason, all-rounders, Sobers aside, are just not rated as high as they should be by pundits for the overall package. Hadlee should technically be rated higher than Marshall due to his batting skills, but he rarely will be. I might be guilty of this as well.

awta

 

[robelinda]

Imran was simply amazing. WAY underrated, and his captaincy is WAY overrated. As a player he was magic.

Harsh to leave Viv out of any all time list, but Marshall or Imran are worthy replacements. I think over the next 20 or so years Gilchrist just may well be in that sort of company.

 

[smash84]

Imran was simply amazing. WAY underrated, and his captaincy is WAY overrated. As a player he was magic.

His bowling is under rated I feel but given what has gone on since he retired I doubt his captaincy is over rated.

 

[Xuhaib]

Saleem Malik,Cronje,Azharuddin,Jadeda,Salman Butt

 

[smash84]

Saleem Malik,Cronje,Azharuddin,Jadeda,Salman Butt

I always suspected you were a bookie