Best Cricketer: Gary Sobers
Best Batsman: Don Bradman
Greatest Cricketer (most influential): WG Grace/Don Bradman
I am happy to defend any of those assertions - with relative ease I think.
Here is some really nice footage of Sobers bowling in 1973;
Gary Sobers, Keith Boyce, Bernard Julien great bowling, 1973 1st Test - YouTube
And batting;
Sir Gary Sobers 150* vs England 1973 - YouTube
Fully agree on all counts.
Don't understand why we are comparing Sobers to full out specialist bowlers when he is a specialist batsman who is a fantastic fifth bowler. Sobers has won matches with bat and ball, and on occasion in the same game. In 93 tests he has 6 fifers and 8 four wicket hauls, more than Kallis has achieved in 162 tests, and thats not a problem, because they play different roles and the W.I were much more dependent on Sobers and particularily as a stock bowler.
Besides Botham and Miller no other All Rounder has performed with the bat and ball and in the field consistently at the same time like Garry has, and Botham had a very short peak (regrettably) and half of Miller's hundreds came in one series vs us in '55 (but his bowling performance was even more impresive considering the flat pitches and batting attack he faced). Imran's batting and bowling peaks were at different ends of his career and the batting didn't come on until he couldn't bowl and started focusing on it. Sobers in the mid '60's was at his batting and bowling peak and his All Rounder combined rating both for peak and career are unbeliveable.
I.Khan - Batting - highest rating: 650 V SL 1991. spent 2 of his 88 Tests (2.3%) rated above 650.
Bowling - highest rating: 922 V Ind 1983. spent 71 of his 88 Tests (80.7%) rated above 650.
Best Simultaneous rating: 1483 v Ind 1983. (Batting-562, Bowling-921).
K.Miller - Batting - highest rating: 681 V WI 1952. spent 4 of his 55 Tests (7.3%) rated above 650.
Bowling - highest rating: 862 V SA 1953. spent 35 of his 55 Tests (63.6%) rated above 650.
Best Simultaneous rating: 1522 v WI 1952. (Batting-681, Bowling-841).
G.Sobers - Batting - highest rating: 938 V Ind 1967. spent 77 of his 93 Tests (82.8%) rated above 650.
Bowling - highest rating: 715 V Ind 1966. spent 19 of his 93 Tests (20.4%) rated above 650.
Best Simultaneous rating: 1651 v Ind 1966. (Batting-936, Bowling-715).
Batting AR - J.Kallis - Batting - highest rating: 896 V Eng 2005. spent 78 of his 107 Tests (72.9%) rated above 650.
Bowling - highest rating: 742 V Eng 2003. spent 21 of his 107 Tests (19.6%) rated above 650.
*
Best Simultaneous rating: 1574 v Pak 2002. (Batting-848, Bowling-726).
Bowling AR - I.Botham - Batting - highest rating: 811 V Ind 1982. spent 35 of his 102 Tests (34.3%) rated above 650.
Bowling - highest rating: 911 V Ind 1980. spent 55 of his 102 Tests (53.9%) rated above 650.
Best Simultaneous rating: 1620 v Ind 1980. (Batting-709, Bowling-911).
Kallis's numbers needs to be redone as these numbers are circa 2007. That being said, there are no perfect All Rounders (save Botham) but I belive Sober's came the closest and numbers alone cannot be compared to watching the grrat man teaing up at attack in full flow. I may be a bit bias, as Sober's in Barbados is literally a National Hero and in school we actually watched clips and highlighs of the man's exploits, but from watching him on your own you can see the magic that he brought to the field especially with the bat and in the field. To me as a total cricketer the man was in comparable and from the eye ball test after watching Kallis (and by far his best performances have come againts us, batting wise at least) there is for me no comparrison. He is great and he is ireplaceable for S.A, no doubt, but
I would take Sobers.
Apologies for the ramble.