Goughy
Hall of Fame Member
There is a point to what I am doing as well as a challenge, so no apologies if someone has done similar before.
Point A lot of people tell us how much better cricket has become and how the older guys dont stack up.
Whilst the game has evolved and may have improved I have no belief that it is due to players getting better. Player just adapt.
Take for example Tendulkar and Gooch. Tendulkar has been one of the all time greats. When he first met up with Gooch, it was when Gooch was at the top of his game towards his career. Gooch debuts in the mid 70s and was a little out of his depth. No doubt the game had changed in 15/16 years but the players had adapted and changed.
Gooch played against Tendulkar and with Boycott. A gap from Boycotts debut to now of nearly 45 years. They all seem to fit together nicely, and played well in their eras and adapted to different ones. Gooch played with or against players whos combined careers lasted for a massive span of over 45 years and he competed against all. With Gooch as the barometer its clear that there were not massive differences between the players at the beginning compared to those at the end.
My point, Cricketers now are not more talented just more adapted to the current version of an ever changing game. I have no doubt that older cricketers would have adapted in the same way.
Challenge- Using the careers of 6 players who, in a chain, have played with or against each other I have managed to go from the present to 1927. I've only tried a few combinations so Im sure it can be beat. Can anyone beat it?
2006-1928
Tendulkar
played against http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1990/IND_IN_ENG/IND_ENG_T1_26-31JUL1990.html
Gooch
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1975/AUS_IN_ENG/AUS_ENG_T1_10-14JUL1975.html
I. Chappell
played against http://content-rsa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4560.html
Hanif Mohammad
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1952-53/PAK_IN_IND/PAK_IND_T1_16-18OCT1952.html
Amarnath
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1933-34/ENG_IN_IND/ENG_IND_T3_10-13FEB1934.html
Jardine
Who made his debut in http://content-rsa.cricinfo.com/england/content/match/62559.html
2006 to 1928 in the careers of 6 players who have played against each other.
Heres another
Ok a quick go again to see if I can beat it.
Using Tendulkar and Gooch again. So
2006-1927
Tendulkar
played against see above
Gooch
played against http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1980/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_PRT_ODI1_28-29MAY1980.html
Clive Lloyd
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1976/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_T3_08-13JUL1976.html
Brian Close
played with http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1940S/1949/NZ_IN_ENG/NZ_ENG_T3_23-26JUL1949.html
Len Hutton
played with http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1937/NZ_IN_ENG/NZ_ENG_T1_26-29JUN1937.html
Wally Hammond
Who debuted in http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1920S/1927-28/ENG_IN_RSA/ENG_RSA_T1_24-27DEC1927.html
2006 to 1927 in 6 players who have played with or against each other.
Anyone do better?
Point A lot of people tell us how much better cricket has become and how the older guys dont stack up.
Whilst the game has evolved and may have improved I have no belief that it is due to players getting better. Player just adapt.
Take for example Tendulkar and Gooch. Tendulkar has been one of the all time greats. When he first met up with Gooch, it was when Gooch was at the top of his game towards his career. Gooch debuts in the mid 70s and was a little out of his depth. No doubt the game had changed in 15/16 years but the players had adapted and changed.
Gooch played against Tendulkar and with Boycott. A gap from Boycotts debut to now of nearly 45 years. They all seem to fit together nicely, and played well in their eras and adapted to different ones. Gooch played with or against players whos combined careers lasted for a massive span of over 45 years and he competed against all. With Gooch as the barometer its clear that there were not massive differences between the players at the beginning compared to those at the end.
My point, Cricketers now are not more talented just more adapted to the current version of an ever changing game. I have no doubt that older cricketers would have adapted in the same way.
Challenge- Using the careers of 6 players who, in a chain, have played with or against each other I have managed to go from the present to 1927. I've only tried a few combinations so Im sure it can be beat. Can anyone beat it?
2006-1928
Tendulkar
played against http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1990/IND_IN_ENG/IND_ENG_T1_26-31JUL1990.html
Gooch
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1975/AUS_IN_ENG/AUS_ENG_T1_10-14JUL1975.html
I. Chappell
played against http://content-rsa.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4560.html
Hanif Mohammad
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1950S/1952-53/PAK_IN_IND/PAK_IND_T1_16-18OCT1952.html
Amarnath
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1933-34/ENG_IN_IND/ENG_IND_T3_10-13FEB1934.html
Jardine
Who made his debut in http://content-rsa.cricinfo.com/england/content/match/62559.html
2006 to 1928 in the careers of 6 players who have played against each other.
Heres another
Ok a quick go again to see if I can beat it.
Using Tendulkar and Gooch again. So
2006-1927
Tendulkar
played against see above
Gooch
played against http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1980S/1980/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_PRT_ODI1_28-29MAY1980.html
Clive Lloyd
played against http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1970S/1976/WI_IN_ENG/WI_ENG_T3_08-13JUL1976.html
Brian Close
played with http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1940S/1949/NZ_IN_ENG/NZ_ENG_T3_23-26JUL1949.html
Len Hutton
played with http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1930S/1937/NZ_IN_ENG/NZ_ENG_T1_26-29JUN1937.html
Wally Hammond
Who debuted in http://rsa.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1920S/1927-28/ENG_IN_RSA/ENG_RSA_T1_24-27DEC1927.html
2006 to 1927 in 6 players who have played with or against each other.
Anyone do better?
Last edited: