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Which 4 heads would you put on a cricketing Mount Rushmore?

kyear2

International Coach
Bit harsh to exclude grace, innit? He was a global superstar who pretty much invented modern batting and once scored more centuries then the rest of england combined in a summer. Doesn't get much better than that.
Umm, as the game goes in, people get replaced? At some point Sobers will be I imagine.

I don't know who was the first to pioneer basketball, but I know he's not on the Rushmore.. same with football, though Lombardi has a decent shot. In tennis the big 4 are all moderns and 3 played as recently as last year.

I can obviously be wrong, but I think the 4 I named shaped the game we play today, and impacted their times as much as anyone.
 

Coronis

International Coach
Umm, as the game goes in, people get replaced? At some point Sobers will be I imagine.

I don't know who was the first to pioneer basketball, but I know he's not on the Rushmore.. same with football, though Lombardi has a decent shot. In tennis the big 4 are all moderns and 3 played as recently as last year.

I can obviously be wrong, but I think the 4 I named shaped the game we play today, and impacted their times as much as anyone.
Not the first to pioneer it but the first big NBA superstar has a shout (Mikan) - albeit a small one. Bill Russell would be on mine for sure, he and the Celtics changed the game and helped popularise it after the early stagnation - he only started playing 10 years after the league began.

I think its very important to remember and memorialize early greats of the game.

I’m not so familiar with the older tennis stuff (pre WWII) but Rod Laver as the bridge between the Amateur and Pro eras would be on my Mt Rushmore for sure.
 

Patience and Accuracy+Gut

State Vice-Captain
Similar to Grace would be The Super Genius, Paul Morphy in Chess. Morphy lived during similar time to Grace being born in 1837,11 years prior to Grace. Most of the World champion including Fischer, Kasparov all tend to believe Morphy was chess greatest genius. The current no.1 Carlsen thinks it’s Capablanca though Capa had Morphy clear no.1.

It took like 4 decade for a objectively superior player to arrive in Lasker 1896 similar to Hobbs 1911 for Grace. In most chess rankings, Morphy tends to be ranked from 7-10 with few even having him no.1. Though important to remember, Morphy retired at 23 after smashing everyone. Grace on the other hand played twice as much as cricket than Morphy’s retirement age with similar level domination to Morphy. Hence, gets lot more extra points for longevity and influence.
 

kyear2

International Coach
Not the first to pioneer it but the first big NBA superstar has a shout (Mikan) - albeit a small one. Bill Russell would be on mine for sure, he and the Celtics changed the game and helped popularise it after the early stagnation - he only started playing 10 years after the league began.

I think its very important to remember and memorialize early greats of the game.

I’m not so familiar with the older tennis stuff (pre WWII) but Rod Laver as the bridge between the Amateur and Pro eras would be on my Mt Rushmore for sure.

I don't disagree with what you're saying, and yes he was pivotal and a pioneer. It's just
1. My list is about test cricket and who influenced the game as we know it.
2. It's also about the very best at said level

Also, my mount Rushmore for the NBA would be
Jordan, Lebron, Kareem and Magic, if I wanted influence instead of just the for best, I include Bird along with Magic because they saved and elevated the gam

As far as tennis, the big 3 and Sampras, even after that probably Borg before I get to Laver

But I understand and respect your points, I would just see him more as a god father or pioneer rather than one of the four greatest, especially if speaking of test cricket.

Bradman and Sobers as I said are automatic for me, so the ones that you would likely remove are
The quartet and or McWarne

But Warne alone would make it for many and they were the greatest winners.

The quartet, in addition to what I said before, impacted the legacies and perceptions of some of the greatest personalities in the game.
The grovel statement, heads would roll, the '83 post world cup revenge tour.
Imran establishing his legacy as a leader, no one will back away ; Border displaying his toughness, Botham being exposed, some believing that Chappell retired rather than facing up against them. They were Lillee and Thompson scaled up to 11 and it was unceasing, unrelenting and terrifying.
Lloyd and Richards may have got the credit, but it was the fast bowlers that were the driving force, the reason for what was at the time the greatest team ever assembled.
 
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Coronis

International Coach
I don't disagree with what you're saying, and yes he was pivotal and a pioneer. It's just
1. My list is about test cricket and who influenced the game as we know it.
2. It's also about the very best at said level

Also, my mount Rushmore for the NBA would be
Jordan, Lebron, Kareem and Magic, if I wanted influence instead of just the for best, I include Bird along with Magic because they saved and elevated the gam

As far as tennis, the big 3 and Sampras, even after that probably Borg before I get to Laver

But I understand and respect your points, I would just see him more as a god father or pioneer rather than one of the four greatest, especially if speaking of test cricket.

Bradman and Sobers as I said are automatic for me, so the ones that you would likely remove are
The quartet and or McWarne

But Warne alone would make it for many and they were the greatest winners.

The quartet, in addition to what I said before, impacted the legacies and perceptions of some of the greatest personalities in the game.
The grovel statement, heads would roll, the '83 post world cup revenge tour.
Imran establishing his legacy as a leader, no one will back away ; Border displaying his toughness, Botham being exposed, some believing that Chappell retired rather than facing up against them. They were Lillee and Thompson scaled up to 11 and it was unceasing, unrelenting and terrifying.
Lloyd and Richards may have got the credit, but it was the fast bowlers that were the driving force, the reason for what was at the time the greatest team ever assembled.
This is where we clearly disagree on what Mt. Rushmore is supposed to represent. Obviously I may misunderstand it since I’m on the opposite side of the world.
 

kyear2

International Coach
This is where we clearly disagree on what Mt. Rushmore is supposed to represent. Obviously I may misunderstand it since I’m on the opposite side of the world.
Think everyone just has their own interpretation regardless of location, as we should.
 

Qlder

International Debutant
The Mount Rushmore heads were "chosen to represent the nation's birth, growth, development and preservation"

So I'd say WG Grace was birth, Don Bradman for growth, Tony Greig for development (Packer WSC) and Tendulker for preservation (making the world's largest population love cricket)
 

Coronis

International Coach
The Mount Rushmore heads were "chosen to represent the nation's birth, growth, development and preservation"

So I'd say WG Grace was birth, Don Bradman for growth, Tony Greig for development (Packer WSC) and Tendulker for preservation (making the world's largest population love cricket)
China didn’t love cricket back then
 

smash84

The Tiger King
The Mount Rushmore heads were "chosen to represent the nation's birth, growth, development and preservation"

So I'd say WG Grace was birth, Don Bradman for growth, Tony Greig for development (Packer WSC) and Tendulker for preservation (making the world's largest population love cricket)
Indians loved cricket much earlier than the arrival of Tendulkar. His arrival coincided with the rise of the Indian economy and liberalization.
 

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