Mark Waugh overrated?

[Matt79]

Mark Waugh is very much a case of not just how many (although he scored heaps - 4th most by any Australian I think?), but when and how. He played a number of innings where he scored when the rest of the batting lineup was looking powerless and the bowling impossible. And he was glorious to watch in doing it beyond any Australian batsman of his time or since, IMO. What weighting those things deserve in rating him is a personal judgement. It is also a question that is separate to whether other contemporaries such as Damien Martyn are rated properly.

In any case, I don't think he IS over-rated by most. Most have him as a very good, attractive batsman, who overall fell short of greatness in the sense of a Ponting, Border or Steve Waugh, but how on his day made those three and anyone else look outclassed, which is pretty accurate.

 

[GotSpin]

Seems fair enough ^

Don't think he is overrated at all. His comparatively low average is frequently pointed out, but he is nevertheless acknowledged as a very stylish batsmen. One of my favourites for sure.

 

[archie mac]

I think he was frustrating, but he did play a couple of innings that were a class above, and saved or won Australia some Test matches. He had a great habit of scoring a ton just when he seemed likely to be dropped.

I would rather watch an innnings by him at his best more then any other batsman I have watched

 

[GotSpin]

Indeed, and not doing justice to one's ability usually gets one quite a bit over-rated. Mark Waugh could've been a great batsman, but he wasn't. I don't really care about his "incredible ability" if he simply wasn't able to perform as anything more than a decent-to-good player.

His record is odd though - for someone who's so widely thought of as not having the concentration to make big totals as often as he perhaps could have, there's a huge difference between his Test and First Class records. He played 49 First Class games for Australia that weren't Tests and averaged 71 in them to go with his average of 59 for Essex and his average of 53 for New South Wales. This doesn't suggest a player with a concentration or application problem, to me, but a player who perhaps struggled a bit with the pressure of Test cricket.

He obviously had bucket loads of talent and at FC level he could get away with a 'care free' attitude towards batting more so than at tests where he got found out for being somewhat lazy when the pressure wasn't on etc.

 

[Top_Cat]

He obviously had bucket loads of talent and at FC level he could get away with a 'care free' attitude towards batting more so than at tests where he got found out for being somewhat lazy when the pressure wasn't on etc.

Disagree it was mental, reckon his problems were technical. When he was seeing them well, his shots through the arc from mid-on to mid-wicket were to die for. When he wasn't in such hot form, was pinged playing across the line many, many times (still had to be a reasonable bowler to exploit it, though). I'd find a look at his wagon wheels interesting for his knocks at Port Elizabeth and Adelaide (any big knock of his, really) and put money on that he played more off-side shots than usual.

 

[_Ed_]

Also, looks like Bono.

I had not noticed this remarkable resemblance.

 

[Matt79]

love TC's avatar!

 

[Pothas]

It is also a question that is separate to whether other contemporaries such as Damien Martyn are rated properly.

In any case, I don't think he IS over-rated by most. Most have him as a very good, attractive batsman, who overall fell short of greatness in the sense of a Ponting, Border or Steve Waugh, but how on his day made those three and anyone else look outclassed, which is pretty accurate.

How do you rate Martyn in comparison? I do not go in for who is better arguments but always loved Martyn, probably my favourite Australian batsman and in my opinion by far the most aesthetically pleasing.

 

[Teja.]

Poor Man's Laxman ? Are you kidding I would take Mark Waugh ahead of Lax every single time.

To be honest, personally I'd take Laxman in most test-match situations.

 

[Matt79]

Pretty close in pure batting terms, with Waugh just taking it IMO. As an overall cricketer, Waugh by far.

 

[Pothas]

Pretty close in pure batting terms, with Waugh just taking it IMO. As an overall cricketer, Waugh by far.

Is strange because I can never really remember watching Waugh which means pretty much everything I know of him is built on the common perception. It is rather odd as I did watch a lot of the ashes in 2001 (think I was 13) which is the same time I saw Martyn. Either means Martyn made more of an impression or more likely I was just at school when Waugh was making his runs.

 

[Matt79]

Plus Waugh was well an truly in decline by then, whereas Martyn was entering his
prime.

 

[satyam]

Plus Waugh was well an truly in decline by then, whereas Martyn was entering his
prime.

Waugh was a mediocre player of spin bowling. It was due to Martyn Australia won a test series in India.

 

[Himannv]

Personally I always thought he was a disappointment in tests. He was awesome in ODI's though. His drives had a sort of class to it that few other batsman ever showed. He was always a much better batsman than his brother, except that Steve Waugh simply had more grit and determination which helped him suceed more than his brother.

Much like Mahela, I think he never reached the kind of heights he could have despite having obvious exceptional talent.

 

[archie mac]

Waugh was a mediocre player of spin bowling. It was due to Martyn Australia won a test series in India.

How did you decide that? Played Warne better than just about anyone in SS matches, and all other spinners better than 90% of players during his time

 

[satyam]

How did you decide that? Played Warne better than just about anyone in SS matches, and all other spinners better than 90% of players during his time

Check his record vs India and SL in test.He was most of the times troubled by Murali,kumble and Harbhajan.

 

[archie mac]

Check his record vs India and SL in test.He was most of the times troubled by Murali,kumble and Harbhajan.

Mate I watched his whole career and I can tell you he played spin as good as anyone, he may have got out to a silly shot, and did have one shocking run against SL but I can never remember him looking anything but in control against the spinners until he would do something stupid

 

[GotSpin]

Mate I watched his whole career and I can tell you he played spin as good as anyone, he may have got out to a silly shot, and did have one shocking run against SL but I can never remember him looking anything but in control against the spinners until he would do something stupid

But dude, I looked up some scorecards on cricinfo and saw he got out to spinners.

Therefore he is a bad player of spin

 

[archie mac]

But dude, I looked up some scorecards on cricinfo and saw he got out to spinners.

Therefore he is a bad player of spin

I stand corrected

 

[Cevno]

I must admit, I cannot recall any footage of his batting that I've seen. His catching though, was amazing.

From what I've heard regarding his batting, he was an aggressive strokemaker, who helped mould the modern day opening batsmen. When I'm not too busy or being entertained by other things, I might search him on YouTube and see what I can find.

Nah he just followed what Jayasuriya and Kaluwithrane started.

Sachin Was doing it before them too.

Infact despite waugh being regarded as free flowing ,Sachin has a strike rate of 10 better than him only 4 behind Jayasuriya.