Viv Richards vs Sunil Gavaskar

[HouHsiaoHsien]

Probs Sobers and Akram for Gavaskar. Akram I am confident rated Crowe ahead of Lara and Tendulkar, and rated Gavaskar as the best he played against.

No Akram has called Viv the best ever many many times

 

[HouHsiaoHsien]

Akram ranks Viv as the best

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, has given his verdict on the top five batsmen that he either bowled to or played along.

www.thedailystar.net

 

[HouHsiaoHsien]

Also Lillee said as a pure bat, he rated Viv above Sobers, B Richards et al because of the former’s brutality combined with consistency

 

[DrWolverine]

Akram ranks Viv as the best

Former Pakistan captain Wasim Akram, has given his verdict on the top five batsmen that he either bowled to or played along.

www.thedailystar.net

1. Richards
2. Crowe
3. Lara
4. Inzamam
5. Sachin

 

[capt_Luffy]

No Akram has called Viv the best ever many many times

He has also called Gavaskar his most prized wicket.

 

[Johan]

That’s why I said 1970s Gavaskar.

In 1970s he only had Vishwanath who was good but highly inconsistent. Similar to Lara having only Chanderpaul in the second half of his career.

Amarnath & Vengsarkar became regulars only from late 1970s. Kapil made his debut in 1977 or 1979.

iirc Vishi was around for that huge Windies tour, tho I don't think scoring on such wickets against such a lineup requires support but moreso the ability to not give your wicket away, which Sunny had.

Both Vishwanath and Amarnath were certainly around for the 76 Windies tour too.

and frankly other than that 70s Gavaskar wasn't impressive until late 70s when he smashed 3 hundreds against Thompson, and the four were together by that point, so Gavaskar didn't really have to pull any one man army performances.

 

[capt_Luffy]

1. Richards
2. Crowe
3. Lara
4. Inzamam
5. Sachin

Man Akram was hella inconsistent......

 

[Johan]

If you get out, team will collapse.

Viv never had to face that pressure.

Not saying he can’t. But with his style, it is tough.

all of Viv's great knocks come when others fell apart lol, he looked bored and disinterested when the openers already won the game.

 

[capt_Luffy]

iirc Vishi was around for that huge Windies tour, tho I don't think scoring on such wickets against such a lineup requires support but moreso the ability to not give your wicket away, which Sunny had.

Both Vishwanath and Amarnath were certainly around for the 76 Windies tour too.

and frankly other than that 70s Gavaskar wasn't impressive until late 70s when he smashed 3 hundreds against Thompson, and the four were together by that point, so Gavaskar didn't really have to pull any one man army performances.

Vishi wasn't there in 71. Gavaskar's effort was really solitary.

 

[DrWolverine]

He has also called Gavaskar his most prized wicket.

He changes his opinion many times.

Very smart especially for someone from his country

 

[Johan]

Vishi wasn't there in 71. Gavaskar's effort was really solitary.

Vishi was around for 3 out of the 5 matches iirc and didn't Sardesai support him that tour and averaged really high?

 

[DrWolverine]

Man Lara was hella inconsistent......

I am not exactly sure on how to define talent.

But if I have to name one batsman who made batting look effortless and graceful, it’s Lara.

I would rank Kallis ahead of him in terms of consistency but not sure if I would place him ahead of Brian

 

[DrWolverine]

Vishi was around for 3 out of the 5 matches iirc and didn't Sardesai support him that tour and averaged really high?

Sardesai? Lol.

If that is the level of support he is, Sunny should be ranked higher

 

[capt_Luffy]

I am not exactly sure on how to define talent.

But if I have to name one batsman who made batting look effortless and graceful, it’s Lara.

I would rank Kallis ahead of him in terms of consistency

Lol. I typed wrong. I meant to say Akram was hella inconsistent with his rankings.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Vishi was around for 3 out of the 5 matches iirc and didn't Sardesai support him that tour and averaged really high?

Scored a 200, but in the 1st Test Gavaskar missed.

 

[DrWolverine]

Lol. I typed wrong. I meant to say Akram was hella inconsistent with his rankings.

I wanted to say peer acclaim is not really that important. Batsmen who are destructive and flamboyant would rated ahead who play defensive or boring cricket.

 

[Johan]

Sardesai? Lol.

If that is the level of support he is, Sunny should be ranked higher

checking numbers

Sardesai made 642 runs in 8 innings, averaging 80.25 with three tons that series, also made a hundred in the second test where it was the test that provided decisive I think, first was also a lowscoring test and he made 200 and forced Windies to save the test, saying he wasn't great that series reeks of agenda.

regardless, Sunny wasn't alone that series.

you want a series where someone was alone? West Indies tour of Pakistan, 1980 where Viv scored 364 runs in 6 innings against Imran/Qasim/Qadir while the next best Windies batsmen was Larry Gomes who averaged 29 and made 145 runs in 5 innings.

 

[Johan]

Scored a 200, but in the 1st Test Gavaskar missed.

impressive series.

 

[subshakerz]

It is largely due to his style of play

Style of play, greatest peak ever, no holes in record, almost unparalleled peer reputation among opponents faced as best of the era.

 

[subshakerz]

The following have been named by fellow players (and an umpire) as the best batsman they have seen. Since 1945 only. Additional names/nominators welcome.

Viv Richards: Botham, Robin Smith, Thorpe, Willis, Merv Hughes, Dujon, Hunte, Marshall, Richie Richardson, Roberts, Shastri, Vengsarkar, Saeed Anwar, Imran, Inzamam, Mohd Yousuf, Zaheer Abbas, Aravinda de Silva

Tendulkar: Harvey, Hayden, Warne, Donald, Hadlee, Kapil Dev, Hanif, Qadir, Muralitharan, Flower

Hutton: Appleyard, Cowdrey, John Edrich, Graveney, Trueman, Waite, Ramadhin

Barry Richards: Gooch, Bob Taylor, Dicky Bird, Lillee, Graham McKenzie, Graeme Pollock, Procter

Sobers: Illingworth, Underwood, Greg Chappell, Walters

Gavaskar: Hutton, Asif Iqbal, Mudassar Nazar

Lara: Alec Stewart, Herschelle Gibbs, Wasim Akram

Greg Chappell: Thomson

Harvey: Davidson

Weekes: Sobers

Akram called Crowe the best bat.

To add to Tendulkar list, Anderson, Donald, Gillespie, Damien Fleming, Warne, Benaud, Lara, Gavaskar, Ponting, several others.

To add to Sobers, Ian Chappell.

To add to Lara, MacGill, Sanga.