Waugh, Border or Ponting?

[Coronis]

Ian Bell, apparently.

Keep dreaming, England.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

lol



Ponting was the better slipper and also better at backward point and in the outfield. Border was in no way bad, just Ponting was special in the field.

Among some of the players who were ATG top tier batsmen who were also superb in the field (slips in particular) in the Punter class:
Sobers, Chappell, Hammond, Weekes, B. Richards, Lara, Kallis and Harvey.

It's so weird to read that so casually written. I grew up at the end of Border's career, but I heard so often from my father that learn to catch like Border does in the slips or anywhere else. And Border bats for your life if you need to chose someone and Clive Lloyd isn't available! But seriously I rate punters fielding as higher than border personally. But from what I've seen and had drilled into my head, Border wasn't a bad slipper to Punter or many others. I'm sure there would be an argument to put Border up against him.

 

[Tangles]

Steve, AB, Punter for Captaincy. AB gritty and tough as nails when his country needed it. Steve had a better team but just shades it because AB was too defensive and would never declare.

Batting is a close call also but AB shades it over Steve due to what he had to do solo against some gun attacks.

Punter 3rd in both. A very good bat but a very average Captain.

 

[Goughy]

Who would I rather captain me? Border
Who would I rather bat like? Ponting
Who would I rather have in my top order? Waugh

 

[Paul S]

Both Border and Waugh faced better fast bowlers than Ponting did. Ambrose, Walsh, Wasim, Waqar, Donald retired in the early 2000s, and attacks became weaker. Ponting had the more attractive strokeplay no doubt. Border was the better captain.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Who would I rather captain me? Border

That's true, except moreso I'd rather select Border as the Captain then have Captain Cranky AS my captain and on my case.

 

[Jono]

I have always loved how comparable these 3 are.

One thing that interests me the most is whether those same people that had Ponting as the #1 bat back when this thread was made in 2008 would still have him #1 now. In theory they should, but I wonder if people had him #1 then on what he had done PLUS the fact he had 3-5 years left in him, and not on his career up to that point. Really interesting whether his decline would affect people's views on him.

 

[harsh.ag]

I have always loved how comparable these 3 are.

One thing that interests me the most is whether those same people that had Ponting as the #1 bat back when this thread was made in 2008 would still have him #1 now. In theory they should, but I wonder if people had him #1 then on what he had done PLUS the fact he had 3-5 years left in him, and not on his career up to that point. Really interesting whether his decline would affect people's views on him.

I still rank Ponting ahead of the other two Always makes my first Australian XI.

 

[watson]

I have always loved how comparable these 3 are.

One thing that interests me the most is whether those same people that had Ponting as the #1 bat back when this thread was made in 2008 would still have him #1 now. In theory they should, but I wonder if people had him #1 then on what he had done PLUS the fact he had 3-5 years left in him, and not on his career up to that point. Really interesting whether his decline would affect people's views on him.

Presumerbly, if you picking someone to 'bat for you' then you are not going to pick them from a time when they are old and out of form, or straight out of Sheffield Shield cricket and naïve.

Surely the assumption is: Steve Waugh (circa 93-95), Border (circa 82-84), and Ponting (circa 99-01).

 

[uvelocity]

nah i'd wanna keep it interesting, if you picked those blokes on their peaks to bat for your life it would be pretty boring

 

[Jono]

Presumerbly

woah

 

[watson]

woah

Yeah, that's almost as bad as probly. Sorry.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ponting. All three greats, obviously but I think the reason I would prefer to have Ponting in my side is that at his peak, he could do what Border and Waugh did, which is grit out tough situations and rescue his team from trouble. But I'm not sure they would be able to do what Ponting did so frequently, which is change gears, dominate attacks and shift momentum quickly towards your team. Ponting is the more complete batsman

 

[smash84]

Ponting even at his peak was getting owned by Bhajji. I am not aware of the other two being bunnies at their peak

 

[NUFAN]

AB has mentioned on air a few times over the years that he used to keep getting out to Danny Morrison. I'm confident it wasn't Harby to Ponting in India like, but just bringing up a name.

 

[Top_Cat]

AB had a particular bunny, Marshall. Mind you, y'know, it's Marshall so don't really count but AB struggled with just about any slo-med swing bowler bringing the ball back late in his career. Ben Johnson nabbed him several times, FFS.

Don't remember Steve Waugh having any guys making him their bunny. Struggled on occasion with some great bowlers but would have taken at least one ton off Ambrose, Wasim, etc. too.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Can't have been too big of bunny comparison, given Johnson was at the very end of Border's career. He did fall to Marshall 11 times. The same amount of times Waugh fell to Ambrose. Waugh until the end of Marshall's career averaged 36, and 44 at the end of Ambrose's career. Border averaged 40 at the end of Marshall's career and 39 at the end of his own against the West Indies. Both Waugh and Border had exceptionally good series' against them at times averaging very high numbers.

 

[SeamUp]

AB The First