I disagree - statistical analysis can quite easily be used to "legitimise" bias, with careful selection of what tests and what weightings you used. Give me an hour or two and I could create you something "rigorous" that proved virtually anything - heck, giving "quality of wickets taken" a greater rating could quite easily whip Gilo up to the realm of all time greats.
My favourite statement here is this one - "Muralitharan again amazes us. In the 157 spells he has bowled, he has gone wicket-less only 6 times. That is consistency."
Possibly some of the all-time great specious logic - for me, second in the all-time list to this gem:
"There's not a single bear in sight-the 'Bear Patrol' is working like a charm"
"That's specious reasoning," Lisa retorts
"Thanks, honey," Homer says to her, adoringly
"According to your logic," she says, picking up a stone from their lawn, "this rock keeps tigers away"
"Hmmm. How does it work?"
"It doesn't."
"How so?" Homer asks further
"It's just a rock," she says. "But I don't see a tiger, anywhere."
"Lisa," concludes Homer, while pulling out his wallet, "I want to buy your rock."