Kings of their castle

[Lillian Thomson]

Who is the Godfather of cricket in the Countries of the major Test playing nations?
Based on any or all of the following; performance, reputation, legend, legacy and a willingness to share the Blue Smarties with team mates...........or any other criteria that disqualifies Ian Chappell.

England - WG Grace
Australia - Don Bradman
West Indies - Garry Sobers
New Zealand - Walter Hadlee
South Africa - Graeme Pollock
Pakistan - Hanif Mohammad
India - Sunil Gavaskar
Sri Lanka - Aravinda de Silva

 

[BoyBrumby]

Think you've hit the nail on somewhere not unadjacent to the head with most of them, but for the Sri Lankans I think you have to go with Ranatunga as their "Daddy". Much as I don't like the bloke he was absolutely the right captain at the right time. His support of his, er, controversial trump card was always unflinching too.

 

[Richard]

South Africa is surely "old man" Dave Nourse.

 

[archie mac]

Who is the Godfather of cricket in the Countries of the major Test playing nations?
Based on any or all of the following; performance, reputation, legend, legacy and a willingness to share the Blue Smarties with team mates...........or any other criteria that disqualifies Ian Chappell.

England - WG Grace
Australia - Don Bradman
West Indies - Garry Sobers
New Zealand - Walter Hadlee
South Africa - Graeme Pollock
Pakistan - Hanif Mohammad
India - Sunil Gavaskar
Sri Lanka - Aravinda de Silva

I think you have Aust, Eng, NZ and Pakistan right, but the rest you could make an argument for different players

 

[Pratters]

West Indies has to be Frank Worrell.

 

[Richard]

Oh yeah - West Indies has to be George Headley or Frank Worrell IMO. EDIT: well done Pratyush.

 

[shortpitched713]

How it could be anyone besides Imran for Pakistan is strange to me.

 

[Sanz]

How it could be anyone besides Imran for Pakistan is strange to me.

Because for almost 4 decades Hanif Mohammad was Pakistan Cricket. It took two people(Imran & Javed) and a world cup win in 1992 to get out of that identity. I am not saying that Imran can not be considered as the godfather but to many Hanif Mohammad is the natural choice.

 

[Sanz]

I think you have Aust, Eng, NZ and Pakistan right, but the rest you could make an argument for different players

Yes, for India I would consider Lala Amarnath, Sir Frank Worrell for WI. SriLanka probably Arjuna Ranatunga or Duleep Mendis

 

[shortpitched713]

Because for almost 4 decades Hanif Mohammad was Pakistan Cricket. It took two people(Imran & Javed) and a world cup win in 1992 to get out of that identity. I am not saying that Imran can not be considered as the godfather but to many Hanif Mohammad is the natural choice.

'Mkay.

 

[Sanz]

'Mkay.

 

[shortpitched713]

Yes, you are right.

 

[Perm]

Spot on with New Zealand IMO (Y)

 

[BhupinderSingh]

Pakistan - Hanif Mohammad

Its Imran Khan actually.

 

[anoop4real]

Yes, for India I would consider Lala Amarnath, Sir Frank Worrell for WI. SriLanka probably Arjuna Ranatunga or Duleep Mendis

Ya sure I also go with Ranatunga for Srilanka

 

[pasag]

Yeah Frank Worrell is a certainty for WI in my book followed by Headley, Sobers and maybe even Constantine. Would have thought Kapil Dev for India, tbh.

 

[Perm]

Its Imran Khan actually.

Would like to point this post out to you. Something to mull over.

 

[Beleg]

I would postulate that the grandfather of Pakistan cricket was neither Hanif nor Imran but Abdul Hafeez Kardar.

 

[Richard]

And for India now I think about it it simply has to be Vijay Merchant. Only "Lala" Armanath could come close.

 

[Richard]

So in other words...

Who is the Godfather of cricket in the Countries of the major Test playing nations?
Based on any or all of the following; performance, reputation, legend, legacy and a willingness to share the Blue Smarties with team mates...........or any other criteria that disqualifies Ian Chappell.

England - WG Grace
Australia - Don Bradman
West Indies - Garry Sobers
New Zealand - Walter Hadlee
South Africa - Graeme Pollock
Pakistan - Hanif Mohammad
India - Sunil Gavaskar
Sri Lanka - Aravinda de Silva

England - WG Grace
Australia - Don Bradman
West Indies - George Headley or Frank Worrell
New Zealand - Walter Hadlee
South Africa - Dave Nourse
Pakistan - Hanif Mohammad
India - Vijay Merchant
Sri Lanka - Arjuna Ranatunga
Zimbabwe - Duncan Fletcher or David Houghton

Though TBH with Australia I really think you could make a case for Demon Spofforth or Warrick Armstrong.