• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Ranatunga vs Salim Malik?

Xuhaib

International Coach
Need a poll.

Malik was better to watch though came across as a FTB. Both had **** personalities though.
 

Sanz

Hall of Fame Member
As a batsman, Malik is miles ahead of Ranatunga. As a captain Ranatunga is miles ahead.

Match fixing ability is what seals the deal in favor of Malik. He was clearly one of the best in that department.
 

Goughy

Hall of Fame Member
Purely as a batsman, then Malik miles ahead.

Though looking at their cricketing careers other things come into play for both guys, and obviously not just positive stuff.
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
both players were fat and equally good i think, who do you prefer
Malik was far from fat. He was the better batsman and fielder. Ranatunga the better captain. Both were of dubious character though.
 

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
both players were fat and equally good i think, who do you prefer
you have obviously not seen malik when he was playing...he was not fat, was one of the fittest players and a brilliant fielder...as a batsman, malik was well ahead of ranatunga....
 

shortpitched713

International Captain
Malik clearly better as a batsman. Ranatunga though a much better team leader, and definitely a better guy than Salim.
 

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Salim Malik was an absolute star. One of my favourite Pakistani players. Harsh to write him off as just a match fixer when he's the only poor sod who was caught. He oozed class with the bat. Much more class than Ranatunga anyway. Total mismatch here, methinks.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Salim Malik was an absolute star. One of my favourite Pakistani players. Harsh to write him off as just a match fixer when he's the only poor sod who was caught.
Just because others were (probably) involved, doesn't make what Malik did any less unforgiveable.
 

Craig

World Traveller
Ranatunga I think. Perfect captain at the perfect time.
Does that last sentence have any relation to the infamous walk-off in the 98/99 season? and then a few years before hand where he was struck off the Ian Healy and Mark Taylor Christmas card list for good?

That said his call to bowl first in the 1996 World Cup was brilliant in regards to reading the weather pattern for that evening.
 

DaRick

State Vice-Captain
Salim Malik was an absolute star. One of my favourite Pakistani players. Harsh to write him off as just a match fixer when he's the only poor sod who was caught. He oozed class with the bat. Much more class than Ranatunga anyway. Total mismatch here, methinks.
Well, he was.

I don't really need to say anything more than that Salim Malik>Arjuna Ranatunga as a batsman (although Ranatunga was probably the better ODI batsman). By all accounts, Malik's 237 in Rawalpindi was a wonderful, match-saving knock. He was also renowned, IIRC, for battling successfully with Shane Warne during the 1994/95 series concerned.

On the other hand, Arjuna Ranatunga>Salim Malik, as a captain. It is hard to argue against a bloke who, despite his intrasigence and difficult personality, led a team to their first World Cup and oversaw their transistion from relative minnows into a relative power on the world stage. Salim Malik only played 12 Tests as captain - with his only win against stronger opposition being against Australia in 1994/95. Even then, Pakistan got lucky.
 

FRAZ

International Captain
Salim Malik is a known gambler . I have a friend here and Salim Malik owes him some money too ...
Ranatunga a great captain and actualy a better batsman too .......
 

deira

Banned
you have obviously not seen malik when he was playing...he was not fat, was one of the fittest players and a brilliant fielder...as a batsman, malik was well ahead of ranatunga....

actually i did see him in late part of his career (1995-1999) and he was pretty fat by then. I didn't see him playing when he was in top form in the 80's and early 90's
 

Anil

Hall of Fame Member
actually i did see him in late part of his career (1995-1999) and he was pretty fat by then. I didn't see him playing when he was in top form in the 80's and early 90's
compared to his early career, he might have been more plump by that point but while he was playing he never reached the rotund proportions of a ranatunga, not even close...
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Ironically, the only time I saw Ranatunga (post-1998) he'd shed pounds and pounds in order to be a good example to younger players.
 

Top