Andy Flower

[Dasa]

Wat are you trying to say in that list Dasa?

Just showing the difficult circumstances under which Flower made his big scores, as opposed to the relatively safe situations where Gilchrist made 100s.

 

[cricket player]

Playing for a team such as Zimbabwe you have to say there were alot of responsibilities on his shoulders that he had to do well in order to get the team in a good position,

As for Gilchrist he can play under no such a pressure as Andy Flower did basically because there were others to take care of the scoring later on,

Andy Flower for me.

 

[tooextracool]

as a batter its andy flower no contest. far better player of spin, more reliable and played for a worse team.

 

[Kweek]

Andy Flower, Better batsman then Gilchrist! keeping...i'd say about the same.
depends on which form of the game really.
ODI Gilchrist does it for me but in tests Flower.

 

[Langeveldt]

Flower is a legend, 2nd best keeper batsman of all time (after AG)

 

[Richard]

Flower was the first genuine keeping allrounder, the game has changed a lot even since he started his international career.

You've not heard of this chappie then?
Or, indeed, this one?

 

[marc71178]

How does a player who only kept in 1 Test match qualify?

 

[Shoaib]

Andy Flower is not only a better batsman but also better keeper than Gilchrist.He is a true legend and best wicket-keeper batsman of all time.If Gilly thinks he's better,he should join the current Zimbabwe team to prove his worth.I can bet that he would average less than 35 with bat & dismissals @ not more than 1.5 per match.

 

[Richard]

How does a player who only kept in 1 Test match qualify?

Because Test-cricket is not the only level of relevance - especially in the 19th-century when it was massively in the minority. Indeed, in the 1870s and 1880s Tests were so infrequent they're generally best ignored as far as individual performance is concerned.

 

[Burpey]

Just showing the difficult circumstances under which Flower made his big scores, as opposed to the relatively safe situations where Gilchrist made 100s.

The amount of times Gilchrist has saved Australia from precarious positions! In India in 2001 he had a horrible series and we lost, same in England this year. Stats don't always tell the full story. I feel his ability to bat Australia out of trouble has really helped them dominate in recent times

 

[Dasa]

The amount of times Gilchrist has saved Australia from precarious positions! In India in 2001 he had a horrible series and we lost, same in England this year. Stats don't always tell the full story. I feel his ability to bat Australia out of trouble has really helped them dominate in recent times

The thing is, a lot of those times they aren't really precarious positions...and he's always had the comfort of knowing he has two all-time greats to bowl the opposition out if he fails. Flower had no such luxury, with Zimbabwe it was either Flower makes runs (and gives them a chance), or they're thrashed.

 

[Burpey]

Don't get me wrong, I feel Flower had a much tougher job that Gilly. Sure being in the middle order for Zimbabwe is a tougher job than no. 7 behind the likes of Ponting, Hayden, Martyn, and the Waughs. But Gilly must also get a little credit, that's all I'm saying

 

[Richard]

The amount of times Gilchrist has saved Australia from precarious positions! In India in 2001 he had a horrible series and we lost, same in England this year. Stats don't always tell the full story. I feel his ability to bat Australia out of trouble has really helped them dominate in recent times

And yet for every time he's batted Australia out of trouble he's come in with the going easy twice at least.
Not to mention that coming in with your side in trouble is in it's own way an advantage, because if you fail then you're still merely doing what others have done before.

 

[Burpey]

You guys are sostubborn I give up

 

[Dasa]

Don't get me wrong, I feel Flower had a much tougher job that Gilly. Sure being in the middle order for Zimbabwe is a tougher job than no. 7 behind the likes of Ponting, Hayden, Martyn, and the Waughs. But Gilly must also get a little credit, that's all I'm saying

Yeah of course Gilly gets a little credit.. a lot actually. However, IMO, Flower was better...which doesn't make Gilchrist anything less than world-class.

 

[Burpey]

A dampener on Flower's career IMO was his stint with Sth Australia. I expected him, being the word-class batsmen he was, to thrive here. But in reality he delivered very little. This is very unfortunate, as it will always have an impact of my view on him.

Also, he and Gilly are such different players. Flower is so much more a compiler than Gilly, who is more of a destroyer. Both fine batsmen-keepers, and I'll abstain from making a judgment of who is the better of the two.

 

[Richard]

A dampener on Flower's career IMO was his stint with Sth Australia. I expected him, being the word-class batsmen he was, to thrive here. But in reality he delivered very little. This is very unfortunate, as it will always have an impact of my view on him.

Anyone surely is entitled to one bad season, especially in an unaccustomed environment with such high expectations?

 

[Burpey]

Anyone surely is entitled to one bad season, especially in an unaccustomed environment with such high expectations?

I don't disagree with this. It was a shame that he didn't perform though, it really was.

 

[Richard]

It certainly is. It is also a shame that he is likely not to get another chance, whereas the likes of Bevan, Blewett, Hayden, Hussey, Maher, Love, Hodge, Cox etc. have all had chances to come back from bad seasons.

 

[Burpey]

Is he still playing with Essex this season?