Waqar sacked

[Rik]

Ganguly would make the SA middle order on merit.

I'm not so sure he would. But that's what a difference of opinion is...

 

[krkode]

I too think that Ganguly could make the SA team on merit alone. He's better than most batsmen they have right now. Maybe not 2 years ago, but definitely now.

 

[warrioryohannan]

Well, let's see how many batsman can keep an average of above 40 after playing 70 odd test matches like he has.

Let's go country by country, and please correct me if I'm mistaken. We're only looking at batsman who have played around as many matches as Ganguly has, or about 50 matches + (and averages 40+)

England: I think only Hussain averages 40+
Pakistan: Inzamam, Anwar
India: Tendulkar, Dravid
Sri Lanka: Jayasurya, Jayawardena
Austrlia: Hayden, Gilchrist, Ponting, Langer, Waugh
New Zealand: uh?
South Africa: Kirsten, Gibbs
Zimbabwe: A Flower
West Indies: Lara

It looks like there's about 16 players...If I missed some, let's say there are about 20-25 players. I wouldn't think being 1 out of 20 is THAT bad...it's recognizable...:saint:

The number you have mentioned 16 shows that an aeverage of 40+ isn't RARE these days:saint:
.

 

[warrioryohannan]

So there, Ganguly is a good batsman on slower wickets (I'd say one of the best) and the rest have their own speciality

Just because he has a preference doesn't mean he's not good :P

So from "great" you have come down to "good" .There is no denying the fact that Ganguly is a good test batsmen but he simply cannot be labelled as a great test batsman.A great test batsman is a all weather player, someone like Sachin and Hyden!

 

[masterblaster]

Average of 40+ for all nations: Test Matches (over 10 games)

Australia: Hayden, Langer, Ponting, Martyn, Gilchrist, S Waugh
England: Vaughan, Trescothick, Stewart (39.99)
India: Sehwag, Tendulkar, Ganguly, Dravid, Laxman
Pakistan: Youhana, Saeed, Inzamam, Younis Khan
Sri Lanka: Jayasuriya, Jayawardene, Tillekeratne, Sangakkara,
New Zealand: Mark Richardson
West Indies: Brian Lara, Shiv Chanderpaul, R Sarwan (I think)
Zimbabwe: Andy Flower
South Africa: Kirsten, Gibbs, Kallis, Greame Smith (Captain Smith)

Thats plenty of batsman averaging 40+

 

[krkode]

So from "great" you have come down to "good" .There is no denying the fact that Ganguly is a good test batsmen but he simply cannot be labelled as a great test batsman.A great test batsman is a all weather player, someone like Sachin and Hyden!

Now I see where you got it. When I said "Great" I really only was going along with the quality of these player captains.

I agree, He is only a "good" test batsman, but I wouldn't hesitate to judge him a great ODI batsman.

Masterblaster, 10 games to judge an average isn't enough, in my opinion. You need atleast 30-40 games to judge an average properly.

And Smith has only played 9

 

[masterblaster]

Yeah, agreed Krkode. Im just putting those up for statistical sake.

But Vaughan and Greame Smith, Sarwan, Younis Khan, I think will average 45 + in most of their career, even if they play 50 matches +.

 

[Rik]

R Sarwan (I think)

Nah mate he averages 37.39 mainly due to the fact that he has 14 50s and only 1 100. In ODIs, however, he averages 55.69 mainly due to not outs. He's exceptionally talented and I was lucky to see him play when he came over here in 2000 but so far it is ODIs in which he has made his mark as a Bevan-type finisher, which isn't such a bad alocade really

 

[Ringua]

I remember Rameez Raja once commenting that in India and pakistan the best player is the one who is suppose to be the only one capable of captaining the team, a mediocre player is hardly ever given the job.

I think often the best players aren't the best captains.We have the example of champion players like Gavaskar, Lara, Tendulkar,Saeed Anwar, Ian Botham & Walsh who fared rather poorly as captain while guys like Hansie Cronje, Hooper, Flemmings, Hussain & Jadeja did a wonderful job.


Jadeja Hardly played for India as skipper so maybe he can't be considered, but in the matches he skipped, he was brilliant.I firmly believe that had Jadeja led India in 99 WC instead of Azhar,India wouldhave done much better!

 

[Gotchya]

I remember Rameez Raja once commenting that in India and pakistan the best player is the one who is suppose to be the only one capable of captaining the team, a mediocre player is hardly ever given the job.

I think often the best players aren't the best captains.We have the example of champion players like Gavaskar, Lara, Tendulkar,Saeed Anwar, Ian Botham & Walsh who fared rather poorly as captain while guys like Hansie Cronje, Hooper, Flemmings, Hussain & Jadeja did a wonderful job.


Jadeja Hardly played for India as skipper so maybe he can't be considered, but in the matches he skipped, he was brilliant.I firmly believe that had Jadeja led India in 99 WC instead of Azhar,India wouldhave done much better!

The captains you mentioned for other teams aren't mediocres, they aren't the best either. I guess, the job is given to the one who suits it best, the performances are part and parcel of that suit.