Who would you rather have in your team as a batsman - Hussey or Kallis

[pup11]

I would have Hussey for the Odi's and Kallis for the tests, tough i would be tempted to have Hussey in the test team too for his ability to bat with the tail and turn a potential average score into a very good score, but the thing is he hasn't done that enough in test matches to match the sheer weight of runs Kallis has compiled in test cricket(though if one matches Hussey's test record since his debut in international cricket to Kallis's in test matches then also one will see Hussey has done better than Kallis), since Matt is asking us to pick either Kallis or Hussey on their recent performances and form then that would pretty much rule-out Kallis the bowler out of the equation.
In Odi's i think Kallis's batting subdued or lets say has lacked the flair which has cost games to his team, but Hussey has done a great job as the finisher in Odi cricket and rescued Australia from dire situations.

[The_Bunny]

Originally Posted by Goughy

Is this a serious question?

Kallis has over 100 Test matches compared to 16 from Hussey and Kallis is younger as well

Hussey has a brilliant average but 16 Tests is no basis for drawing any conclusions. It isnt a large enough sample size to sugest it will continue.

In fact there is more evidence to suggest it will decline. Consider after 32 ODIs Hussey averaged over 100, yet now after 72 games it has almost halfed to 58.

As good a player as Hussey is, a freak average over a small number of games doesnt prove anything.

Though I agree that 58 is a far more acurate average than the ridiculous amount he averaged early in his career, The run of low scores he has had recently is even further from the truth for mine.
I would like to see his Odi average stabilise before I make any judgements

[Athlai]

NZ needs Kallis more than Hussey. Middle order King.

[Richard]

I presume Hussey's average will come down, hopefully fairly soon () as Kallis' similar average between 2001\02 and 2004\05 did.

Kallis has done pretty much every bit of note as Hussey has recently, and he did it over a slightly longer time, too.

[Richard]

I should add: I think Fuller puts it best:

Originally Posted by FaaipDeOiad

In all absolute seriousness and candor, in my opinion the only two players in world cricket who would be selected in a test side ahead of Michael Hussey right now are Murali and Ponting. I suppose you could argue about Asif and Clark depending on what the side actually needed, but I think most teams in the world would rather have Hussey right at this stage than Kallis.

Kallis is obviously the superior player based on his record though, and Hussey has a lot to prove. In an all-time team or whatever it'd be Kallis by a mile, but if I was a selector right now and could have one or the other, I'd take Hussey in either form of the game.

[Tomm NCCC]

Jaques Kallis - Twice the player and half the age - not quite, but would still rather have him than Hussey

[Jamee999]

Hussey - but not by that much.

[funnygirl]

Hussey

[Sanz]

Kallis, Any day.

[silentstriker]

Kallis, and it wouldn't be all that close. Hussey hasn't done it long term, and I would be much more confident in Kallis to come in and do the job tomorrow regardless of the situation as he's seen and done it all.

So even though the post asks who we want 'right now', I think I'd always take experience even if the experienced had a less than exemplary record. Considering Kallis record is in fact exemplary, it makes the decision very easy.

If you take the whole package, Kallis is probably the most important player in world cricket. If you take only the batting and batsmen, he is still not too far off (behind Ponting, Dravid).

[honestbharani]

Kallis...


Going with the devil I know than the one I don't know well as yet.

[Sanz]

Michael Hussey averages 20 in his last 10 ODIs, 25 in last 20 ODIs. Kallis is 52 in last 10 ODIs, 82 in last 20 ODIs. In Tests, Hussey is 37 in 2007, Kallis is 51.

So yes, As of now, I know who I want in my team.

[The_Bunny]

Originally Posted by Sanz

Michael Hussey averages 20 in his last 10 ODIs, 25 in last 20 ODIs. Kallis is 52 in last 10 ODIs, 82 in last 20 ODIs. In Tests, Hussey is 37 in 2007, Kallis is 51.

So yes, As of now, I know who I want in my team.

Unless I am very wrong this is only tests, and I think Hussey has onley played one test in 2007.

[Woodster]

While both are recognised as being quality batsmen in their own way, I would go with Kallis, and without too much debate aswell.
Jacques Kallis hsa batted consistently well for a whole number of years, and that cannot be underestimated when he is compared to a man with only 16 Tests to his name. The fact you are selecting between the two for tomorrow makes Kallis's case stronger because of all the experience he has gathered in all different kinds of situations, that he may need to rely on tomorrow. If a number of years down the line, Hussey has remained as consistent as his record suggests now, it may be a different story, whether he will have the time is another story.

Kallis comfortably for me, for sheer longevity purposes mainly.

[Matt79]

Oh well, I'm happy that it wasn't a laughable suggestion to take Hussey over Kallis, judging by the relatively even split of opinion.

RE: Hussey's 2007 average, yeah, he played one test in 2007 - his season 2006/7 average is pretty damn good.