Cricket Rushmores

[Goughy]

In a basic rip off of this ESPN Thread

If a Mount Rushmore was to be built for cricket for your nation/team, which 4 heads would be represented and why?

England

WG Grace- The father of the game
Jack Hobbs- Arguably the 2nd greatest batsman the world has seen
"Wally" Hammond- Top class Test and FC batsman.
Sir Ian Botham- Knighted, did the impossible and the closest England has to a modern great.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Bradman, Benaud, Lillee, Warney

 

[pasag]

Bradman, Trumper, Warne, Lillee

 

[Noble One]

Bradman, Benaud, Lillee, Warney

Agree entirely, was halfway through writing these four.

Great mix of Australian cricket greatest icons. Each would suit cricket's Mount Rushmore; all instantly recognisable, all terrific servants, each from a different era.

 

[The Sean]

Bradman, Trumper, Warne, Lillee

Agree with this. The biggest names from each of four completely separate eras of Australian cricket, with no overlap.

 

[99*]

Fleming, M. Crowe, C. Cairns, R. Hadlee.

 

[Richard]

Miller ahead of Warne and Lillee for Aus for me, without doubt.

For SA, probably:
Faulkner (not neccessarily the best of the famed wristspin trio [which put SA on the cricket map] of Schwarz, Vogler and himself and certainly not the first but the only one who could also bat);
Procter (representative of both the magnificent all-round capability that SA are so renowned for and the lost generation of players who were stripped of a decent Test career due to Apartheid);
Donald (greatest bowler) and;
Kallis (almost certainly greatest batsman and also a bowler of considerable note so thus beyond question the greatest cricketer the country has produced).

 

[Langeveldt]

RG Pollock, AA Donald, SM Pollock, B Richards

 

[Flem274*]

NZ

Hadlee, Crowe, Dempster, Cowie

phlegm Land

Fleming, Elliott, Jimmeh F, Pinga, Howitzer.

 

[pasag]

No Nourse?

 

[Richard]

Not much doubt about India:

Merchant (first truly magnificent Indian batsman and maybe the best of them all, but retaining to an extent that air of mystery due to the unfortunate lack of Test cricket India had in his day)
Gavaskar (most effective Test opener by far and the man who played probably the biggest part in the most glorious era of Indian cricket until recently);
Kapil Dev (greatest seam-bowler and very probably greatest all-rounder); and
Tendulkar (greatest Test batsman and biggest-ever national and international icon)

 

[The Sean]

Miller ahead of Warne and Lillee for Aus for me, without doubt.

Possibly as a cricketer, but I think Warney and DKL shade him as representative icons of Australian cricket.

 

[Richard]

No Nourse?

Dave or Dudley? Did think long and hard about Dave as the "father" figure but just can't bring myself to put him above any of those I named.

 

[archie mac]

Bradman, Trumper, Warne, Lillee

Bradman and Trumper are givens, the other two a very strong as well, but I might leave one out for Benaud (thinking overall contribution), not sure which one though

 

[Goughy]

RG Pollock, AA Donald, SM Pollock, B Richards

Almost the same for me. Ali Bacher for Pollock the Younger.

Bachers contribution to SA cricket means he has to be included IMO.

 

[Richard]

Sri Lanka's probably even easier:

Arjuna Ranatunga (captain who led the team for seemingly an eternity and who instilled the streetfighting look in them. Could bat reasonably well too)
Aravinda de Silva (first truly excellent batsman of the Test era even if he never achieved what he could have)
Muttiah Muralitharan (needs no explanation)
Kumar Sangakkara (will almost certainly go down as the finest batsman the country has produced for many years yet... and he could keep wicket as well )

 

[Richard]

Almost the same for me. Ali Bacher for Pollock the Younger.

Bachers contribution to SA cricket means he has to be included IMO.

Would you really not think Kallis deserves inclusion due purely to the sheer excellence of his batting and the fact he could also bowl better than most? Even if his off-field contributions have been negligable.

 

[Uppercut]

RG Pollock, AA Donald, SM Pollock, B Richards

at the thought of Polly on a Mt. Rushmore.

 

[bryce]

Grace
Hobbs
Bradman
Sobers

 

[NUFAN]

Sri Lanka's probably even easier:

Arjuna Ranatunga (captain who led the team for seemingly an eternity and who instilled the streetfighting look in them. Could bat reasonably well too)
Aravinda de Silva (first truly excellent batsman of the Test era even if he never achieved what he could have)
Muttiah Muralitharan (needs no explanation)
Kumar Sangakkara (will almost certainly go down as the finest batsman the country has produced for many years yet... and he could keep wicket as well )

I think Jayasuriya should be in there ahead of Rantunga who I always felt was a bit of a fighter and got the most out of himself but was never anything too special.

Sanath Jayasuriya has been enormous for Sri Lankan Cricket.