Once in a Generation Players

[aussie tragic]

I found it interesting that there appears to always be one player of each generation that is clearly above all the rest…..

.....So, I thought I’d list the Aussie Batsmen who have passed the “baton of greatness”

1899-1912: Victor Trumper (debut at age 21)
1907-1926: Charles Macartney (21)
1924-1934: Bill Ponsford (24)
1928-1948: Donald Bradman (20)
1948-1963: Neil Harvey (19)
1964-1980: Ian Chappell (21)
1970-1984: Greg Chappell (22)
1978-1994: Allan Border (23)
1985-2004: Steve Waugh (20)
1995-2007: Ricky Ponting (20)

And the once in a generation Aussie Pace Bowlers....

1946-1960: Ray Lindwall (24)
1953-1963: Allan Davidson (23)
1961-1971: Graham McKenzie (19)
1971-1984: Dennis Lillee (21)
1984-1996: Craig McDermott (19)
1993-2007: Glenn McGrath (22)

I’m sure all countries are the same, so I’d be interested in seeing them listed….

[stumpski]

Sounds interesting, I'll give it a go for England:

Batsmen

1911-1928 Jack Hobbs
1927-1946 Walter Hammond
1937-1955 Len Hutton or
1937-1956 Denis Compton (take your pick)
1951-1961 Peter May
1964-1981 Geoff Boycott
1978-1992 David Gower
1993-2005 Graham Thorpe
2005- Kevin Pietersen


Bowlers

1901-1913 SF Barnes
1924-1935 Maurice Tate
1926-1933 Harold Larwood
1946-1955 Alec Bedser
1947-1958 Jim Laker
1966-1976 John Snow or
1966-1981 Derek Underwood
1977-1992 Ian Botham

Hard to think of an outstanding bowler since then, though. Gough, Caddick and Hoggard maybe the best, but none really stands out.

[Perm]

Shouldn't be limited to just pace bowlers. Australia have been so special lately because they have had two "once in a generation" bowlers, a once in a generation batsman and a once in a generation wicket-keeper batsman.

[Beleg]

Pakistan

Bowlers:

Fazal Mahmood
-
Imran Khan
Wasim Akram - Waqar Younis
Shoaib Akhtar

Batsmen:

Hanif Mohammad
-
Zaheer Abbas - Javed Miandad
Inzamam
-

[Pup Clarke]

Mitchell Johnson

[godofcricket]

Mohammad Sami....

You guys missed the point.

[Lillian Thomson]

When you talk about once in a generation players I think of it as referring to players who are extra special like Viv Richards, Lara, Tendulkar, Botham, Greg Chappell, Warne, Sobers, Javed Miandad, Marshall, Hadlee etc. A lot of the players listed are great players but not really special and not necessarily outstandingly the best during their career.

[burr]

I wouldn't say Ian Chappell, Allan Border or Steve Waugh were once in a generation players. That term to me implies a once in a generation talent - a wonder kid who comes along and stands head and shoulders above the rest, who makes the whole cricketing fraternity sit up and take notice.

[Beleg]

going by that criteria the only 'once-in-a-generation' cricketer I have seen is Muralitharan.

edit: and perhaps Wasim Akram.

[Julian87]

Originally Posted by burr

I wouldn't say Ian Chappell, Allan Border or Steve Waugh were once in a generation players. That term to me implies a once in a generation talent - a wonder kid who comes along and stands head and shoulders above the rest, who makes the whole cricketing fraternity sit up and take notice.

I agree with this. Steve Waugh was hardly a once in a generation type batsman. He could have easily fizzled out as an ok bowling all rounder. Was hard work as much as natural talent that led him anywhere. Mark Waugh is more of a once in a generation cricketer. Had the grace and natural talent that most die for.

[aussie tragic]

Originally Posted by burr

I wouldn't say Ian Chappell, Allan Border or Steve Waugh were once in a generation players. That term to me implies a once in a generation talent - a wonder kid who comes along and stands head and shoulders above the rest, who makes the whole cricketing fraternity sit up and take notice.

I agree about Ian Chappell and I think he could be replaced by Doug Walters who debuted at 19 and was definitely classified as a wonder kid, just like Don Bradman, Neil Harvey, Ricky Ponting and lately Michael Clarke......

As for Border and Waugh, I agree that they couldn't be considered wonder kids, however they were both definitely considered the best batsman in their team and if I needed someone to bat for my life, they'd be two of my first choices.....

[aussie tragic]

West Indies Batsmen (Only 4 required to cover 76 years)

1930-1954: George Headley
1954-1974: Gary Sobers
1974-1991: Viv Richards
1990-2006: Brian Lara

[pup11]

Originally Posted by Pup Clarke

Mitchell Johnson

Sure why not who knows what future holds for him he seems to growing as a bowler with every international outing and he might just get better and better with time surely has all the toys to be one of the quickies of his generation.

[pup11]

Originally Posted by Julian87

I agree with this. Steve Waugh was hardly a once in a generation type batsman. He could have easily fizzled out as an ok bowling all rounder. Was hard work as much as natural talent that led him anywhere. Mark Waugh is more of a once in a generation cricketer. Had the grace and natural talent that most die for.

Nah... don't agree with this, Steve Waugh is one of the all time greats in my book agreed he wasn't the most gifted batsman to play the game but he surely was one of the strongest individuals mentally and he had nerves of steel, with his grit and determination to succeed he more than made up for his lack of natural batting talent or whatever weakness he had as a batsman, he bailed Australia out of trouble on so many occasions and he was also a very good thinker of the game so surely he can be highlighted as a once in a generation player.

[Migara]

Sri Lanka - only needs 3 names to do that

Muralitharan - best bowler in test history after Sydney Barnes.
Kumar Sangakkara - could we see another wicket keeper batsman this good for a while?
Aravinda de SIlva - best of the players in producing the match winning performance in big matches.