Best #3 between 1986-2006 (Preliminary Vote)

[Matteh]

Voted Lara and it was between him and Ponting for me.

Lara has done some incredible things like 501* (admittedly not in a test) as well as 375 (in a test).

 

[silentstriker]

Voted Lara and it was between him and Ponting for me.

Lara has done some incredible things like 501* (admittedly not in a test) as well as 375 (in a test).

400* in a test.

 

[shankar]

Lara

 

[Matteh]

400* in a test.

Was pretty sure he'd hit 400, so i checked the latest Wisden i have (2003) and it said 375 so i put that down.

 

[Anil]

lara without a doubt...ponting and dravid come next, the others in this particular list are irrelevant...

 

[Benny2k1]

Lara due to his incredible achievements

 

[silentstriker]

Lara and its not even close...

Lara would actually make an ideal #5, but the he hasn't played that many innings there in his career, as he was more needed earlier up the order.

But as a player, he is clearly head of Dravid and Ponting, in my opinion. Lara would compete for an all time XI, whereas Ponting and Dravid are not there yet.

 

[silentstriker]

By the way, why are David Boon, Kumar Sangakarra, Younis Khan, VVS Laxman, Andrew Jones, Dean Jones, Richie Richardson, and Stephen Fleming even in this poll? If they have 0% chance of wining, they shouldn't be there.

 

[grecian]

Why do birds suddenly appear every time you are near............

 

[Matteh]

By the way, why are David Boon, Kumar Sangakarra, Younis Khan, VVS Laxman, Andrew Jones, Dean Jones, Richie Richardson, and Stephen Fleming even in this poll? If they have 0% chance of wining, they shouldn't be there.

Because they fall into the specified range of 40+ average + more than 20 tests since 1986. Just so happens that Ponting/Dravid/Lara are so much better.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Shall we just put those three into the team and be done with?

 

[silentstriker]

Shall we just put those three into the team and be done with?

No, because Tendulkar needs to get in with Lara, and so does Sir Viv. Though I don't know if you want to include Sir Viv, since his best years were not after 86.

I would still put him in though, due to the sheer weight of his brilliance.

 

[adharcric]

Sir Viv Richards had 44 matches at an average of 44 post-1986, so let's reserve Tendulkar and Lara for #4 and #5. Keep it between Dravid and Ponting, folks.

Following my own advice, I go for Dravid but if I was an Aussie, I'd probably go for Ponting. Very, very close.

 

[silentstriker]

Sir Viv Richards had 44 matches at an average of 44 post-1986, so let's reserve Tendulkar and Lara for #4 and #5. Keep it between Dravid and Ponting, folks.

Following my own advice, I go for Dravid but if I was an Aussie, I'd probably go for Ponting. Very, very close.

THis isn't where we'd put someone, this is where they were best at. Lara will not even be in the poll for #5, because he did not bat enough there.

By casting him out now, you are bascially saying that he does not belong in this team, as there won't be another time to vote for him. And Lara not making the XI of past twenty years is so absurd that this entire excercise would become quite pointless.

I've argued against Lara many times, especially in that Tendulkar vs. Lara thread...but get a perspective folks. Ponting scores as much as Dravid, but does it faster. Lara scored as much as either of them, have been doing it longer, and he has done it against much better bowlers, and did it on pitches that weren't batting paradises.

This poll isn't 'Pick your best XI', its a poll regarding the 'best player at each position', not best player, but we get to decide his position.


It really isn't all that close.

 

[Beleg]

and he has done it against much better bowlers, and did it on pitches that weren't batting paradises.

I'm a big big fan of Lara but the quoted bit is worthless bit of fancy generalization unless you have done a detailed schematic analysis of both Lara's and Ponting's careers with a pre-defined criteria of excellence and keeping in mind things like first-chance average, luck, skill involved in playing every single ball etc etc etc.

 

[Jono]

Did... did... did you just say first chance average?

 

[aussie tragic]

THis isn't where we'd put someone, this is where they were best at. Lara will not even be in the poll for #5, because he did not bat enough there.

By casting him out now, you are bascially saying that he does not belong in this team, as there won't be another time to vote for him.

If you read the first post, you'll see that the 3 runner ups automatically go into the next batting position Poll, so I'm sure Lara will be in the # 4 Poll and even the # 5 Poll if he misses out on # 4 against Sachin.

 

[Natman20]

Ponting for me. It is close between Lara and Ponting as they are both very good but I have preffered watching Ponting.

 

[andyc]

THis isn't where we'd put someone, this is where they were best at. Lara will not even be in the poll for #5, because he did not bat enough there.

By casting him out now, you are bascially saying that he does not belong in this team, as there won't be another time to vote for him. And Lara not making the XI of past twenty years is so absurd that this entire excercise would become quite pointless.

I've argued against Lara many times, especially in that Tendulkar vs. Lara thread...but get a perspective folks. Ponting scores as much as Dravid, but does it faster. Lara scored as much as either of them, have been doing it longer, and he has done it against much better bowlers, and did it on pitches that weren't batting paradises.

This poll isn't 'Pick your best XI', its a poll regarding the 'best player at each position', not best player, but we get to decide his position.


It really isn't all that close.

Mate, just because you think someone has to be in it, doesn't make it law. That's why it's a vote, everyone has a chance to vote on it, so it represents the opinions of the CW community as a whole.

 

[adharcric]

THis isn't where we'd put someone, this is where they were best at. Lara will not even be in the poll for #5, because he did not bat enough there.

By casting him out now, you are bascially saying that he does not belong in this team, as there won't be another time to vote for him. And Lara not making the XI of past twenty years is so absurd that this entire excercise would become quite pointless.

I've argued against Lara many times, especially in that Tendulkar vs. Lara thread...but get a perspective folks. Ponting scores as much as Dravid, but does it faster. Lara scored as much as either of them, have been doing it longer, and he has done it against much better bowlers, and did it on pitches that weren't batting paradises.

This poll isn't 'Pick your best XI', its a poll regarding the 'best player at each position', not best player, but we get to decide his position.


It really isn't all that close.

Uhh, actually Lara will be in the list for the #5 spot. Read the format before you comment about what this poll does and doesn't represent. If it's strictly the best #3 batsman and the best #4 and so on ... that's a different story but the way things are going, it seems like people here are a little confused about what this poll really represents. Is it strictly position-related, or are middle-order batsmen adjustable?