Who is currently the best all-rounder at international level?

[social]

Afridi is a slogger ..simple as..a very talented slogger, but still a slogger. If Flintoff is inconsistant, Afridi is more so, and the difference is,Flintoff, because he is a 'proper' batsman, will always be more consistant...Afridi, by the very nature of his play, will always be inconsistant,and so will not be a reliable test batsman.

On the bowler side of things, Flintoff is a much bigger threat than Afridi could ever dream of being.

There is no improvement by Afridi, he either comes off or he doesnt.

How, then, do you account for his superior career record?

 

[greg]

I think in test cricket he must be considered as being a bit better than a simple slogger.

 

[Swervy]

How, then, do you account for his superior career record?

batting: he has played 19 tests in 6 and a half years. Each innings has a bigger effect on his average than it will for Flintoff (who has played more). The hundred Afridi scored vs WI bumped his ave by 3. It isnt really a worthwhile thing to be comparing averages of a player who has batted 35 times and a player who has more than double that....Flintoff averages 43 in 27 tests in the last 2 years...Afridi averages 41 in the last two years but has only played 5 tests. 27 vs 5 tests....can Afridi be considered to be a viable test allrounder having played 5 tests in two years?????
Over time Afridi will be so hit and miss because of his style

bowling: again how can you compare the two players when Afridi has played so little, but ask players around the world who would be a bigger bowling threat. If anyone would suggest Afridi is, then they are lying

 

[social]

batting: he has played 19 tests in 6 and a half years. Each innings has a bigger effect on his average than it will for Flintoff (who has played more). The hundred Afridi scored vs WI bumped his ave by 3. It isnt really a worthwhile thing to be comparing averages of a player who has batted 35 times and a player who has more than double that....Flintoff averages 43 in 27 tests in the last 2 years...Afridi averages 41 in the last two years but has only played 5 tests. 27 vs 5 tests....can Afridi be considered to be a viable test allrounder having played 5 tests in two years?????
Over time Afridi will be so hit and miss because of his style

bowling: again how can you compare the two players when Afridi has played so little, but ask players around the world who would be a bigger bowling threat. If anyone would suggest Afridi is, then they are lying

Much of what you say is of course correct.

However, like Flintoff, Afridi is undeniably talented (even more so than Flintoff IMO) and there have been signs of late that he has begun to harness that talent.

Should he add consistency to his vast repertoire, you'll see one of the greatest cricketers ever.

 

[Swervy]

Much of what you say is of course correct.

However, like Flintoff, Afridi is undeniably talented (even more so than Flintoff IMO) and there have been signs of late that he has begun to harness that talent.

Should he add consistency to his vast repertoire, you'll see one of the greatest cricketers ever.

I think this is overstating his worth..he has been playing international cricket for the best part of a decade..I havent seen that many signs that he is able to play the game in a way that matches the game situation...he has two gears, 6's and 4's or walking back to the pavilion...at least Flintoff has something in between.

I agree that he has a great eye , like most big hitters, but he will never be considered a great batsman because he cannot distinguish between his team being in a good position and being in a bad position..and he has had years to prove otherwise, but never has.

I can guarantee that he will NEVER add consistancy to his somewhat limited repertoire of smack, smack, out (he will sometimes up his performance to smack, smack, smack, smack, out however!!!!!..)

A great talent sure, but a hell of a lot of this game is played in the mind, and without a brain, he is relativley useless in test cricket

 

[luckyeddie]

British newspapers

Paid for by brits

Produced by a migrant workforce

OWNED by Australians

Sound familiar

Yes indeed.

So how's Brett going on in one of our wonderful hospitals?

I understand the following conversation took place:

<Registrar> Now then Mr Lee. I understand you've a bit of a problem...
<Brett> Strewth, sport. Have you been looking at me dong?
<Registrar> No, Mr Lee, you misunderstand me. This patella of yours....
<Brett> Who told on me? That drongo Warney, I shouldn't wonder...
<Registrar> (oh dear). Your streptococcal infection...
<Brett> Me whatacocky? You HAVE been looking at me dong!
<Registrar> Nurse - bring the MRSA, please
<Brett> Now we're talking. Will that sort me knee out, doc?

 

[marc71178]

British newspapers

Paid for by brits

Produced by a migrant workforce

OWNED by Australians

Sound familiar

No, because you put owned rather than stolen.

 

[tooextracool]

LOL! gayle deserves his spot.. he is a very talented batsmen and he just needs to work on his bowling a little more .. but still does his job well when asked of as a part time bowler..

if you ask me gayle is more of a slogger than an actual batsman, and the fact that hes almost always been found out on even a slightly bowler friendly wicket shows that. if ti werent for the 317 hed be averaging in the mid 30s, which in this era isnt all that good.

 

[tooextracool]

Idiocy of the highest order.

yes, and well done in coming up with such brilliant reasons as to why that is the case. no wait he scored 317 at antigua, therefore im supposed to think otherwise.

 

[Shane Warne]

if ti werent for the 317 hed be averaging in the mid 30s, which in this era isnt all that good.

Flintoff's not very good then.

 

[tooextracool]

Flintoff's not very good then.

except that flintoff from 2003 onwards averages 43.50 with the bat. there isnt much doubt though that flintoff wasnt a good enough test batsman before 2003.

 

[Piper]

There are a lot of great all-rounders in the world but im going for Adam Gilchrist... great wicket-keeper and a fantastic batsman

 

[social]

No, because you put owned rather than stolen.

I'm not even going to try and work that comment out.

They bought them and they now own them.

 

[marc71178]

I'm talking back to the way modern Australia was founded

 

[Zinzan]

I'm with Richie Benaud on this one ...Gilchrist is the best all-rounder in the world. Flintoff is definately improving but unfortunately like Daniel Vettori he's better than his test record suggests.

 

[tassietiger]

except that flintoff from 2003 onwards averages 43.50 with the bat. there isnt much doubt though that flintoff wasnt a good enough test batsman before 2003.

Every time Gilchrist scores over 100 he has an average better than Bradman's career average. Means nothing though.

 

[luckyeddie]

I'm with Richie Benaud on this one ...Gilchrist is the best all-rounder in the world. Flintoff is definately improving but unfortunately like Daniel Vettori he's better than his test record suggests.

You not alone in thinking that, then, seeing as his 'record' is dragged down by a huge number of throwaway performances during the early part of his career when anyone would think that he were sponsored by McDonalds or Pukka Pies.

 

[irfan]

in agreeance with zinzan here, gilchrist is simply world-class in both the keeping and batting departments and is the currently the best allrounder (13+ centuries, don't think he gave away a bye to warne's bowling in edgbaston) in the world. I reckon Flintoff is closing the gap and could assume that mantle in couple of years time.

dissapointed ajit agarkar wasnt in the poll! i mean he's got 5 consecutive ducks and a century at Lords to boot

 

[marc71178]

Every time Gilchrist scores over 100 he has an average better than Bradman's career average. Means nothing though.

The difference being this is a consistent period without any matches being knocked out.

Just picking good scores from throughout a career is something completely different.

 

[tooextracool]

Every time Gilchrist scores over 100 he has an average better than Bradman's career average. Means nothing though.

umm what?
no averages dont always mean something, but i think its glaringly obvious that flintoff has at least deserved a place in the england side for his batting since 2003.