3rd Greatest Cricketer - The Poll

[TumTum]

Warney. A real match winner and on/off field personality.

 

[R_D]

It was well and popular before him. Refer to Kapil Dev and India's WC win.

Yeah perhaps...
But i think Tendulkar took it too new levels maybe it was due to the fact that cricket was televised much more in India during his time i guess.

 

[bagapath]

Sir Alex. Grace developing backfoot and frontfoot play to expand batsmanship is more relevant to me as a cricket fan than sachin filling up (with the help of others) BCCI's coffers. Cricket existed before BCCI and WG was one of the prime reasons for it

 

[Shri]

WG Grace - in a history class on cricket.

Sachin - for any Indian fan and some world fans who don't know or care much about the history of the game

 

[GotSpin]

While you make points I all agree with (besides the last paragraph) I think it is important to ask how much of this is because of the world's ability to watch it on the internet and TV. If Grace lived in an era like we do know with television and radio, would he not contribute in ways Sachin did as well, especially since Grace played before Test Cricket and in Test Cricket's infancy?

Yeah Alex manages to completely ignore the roll Bradman played in both Australia and England during the Great Depression and the aftermath of WWII

 

[Sir Alex]

Sir Alex. Grace developing backfoot and frontfoot play to expand batsmanship is more relevant to me as a cricket fan than sachin filling up (with the help of others) BCCI's coffers. Cricket existed before BCCI and WG was one of the prime reasons for it

I don't wish to compare across eras, esp when it is 100s of years apart. It's my personal opinion that I don't think Grace has done anything which Tendulkar hasn't done. Whatever you said, it is hard to accept that he was the only reason why cricket is now in this format. But let's leave it here.

 

[Sir Alex]

Yeah Alex manages to completely ignore the roll Bradman played in both Australia and England during the Great Depression and the aftermath of WWII

I haven't ignored him and that's why I have rated in no.1 isn't it??

 

[honestbharani]

I am not sure if I wanna rate this question by the effect the players had on the game in general. I am more looking at who seemed to be the best cricketer (as in batting, bowling, fielding and captaincy) and from what I read up on him, Wally Hammond seems worth the honour.

 

[GotSpin]

Sachin almost by himself turned BCCI from an also ran organisation into the richest cricket board in the world. Perhaps the only cricketer to claim a pan=Indian appeal across all strata of society. And perhaps where he is treated as a god, and one who controls the string of perhaps millions' Gross Daily Happiness Index.

Remember how a factionlised and divided country is India, boasting of a 100,000 cultures, languages, dialects etc. But if there is one unifying factor, that is cricket, and if a face can be assigned to that, it'd be undoubtedly Sachin Tendulkar.

As to the poll, purely on cricketing merits, I'd rank Murali the 2nd best after Don Bradman, and Tendulkar following that. But if you consider more than cricketing merits alone (ie, contribution in changing the face of the game etc), then it'd be Sachin 1st, Grace 2nd and Bradman 3rd.

I haven't ignored him and that's why I have rated in no.1 isn't it??

I don't equate greatness with filling the BCCI coffers either.

 

[GotSpin]

I don't wish to compare across eras, esp when it is 100s of years apart. It's my personal opinion that I don't think Grace has done anything which Tendulkar hasn't done. Whatever you said, it is hard to accept that he was the only reason why cricket is now in this format. But let's leave it here.

TBF, Grace was the innovator of actual cricketing strokes

 

[honestbharani]

I don't wish to compare across eras, esp when it is 100s of years apart. It's my personal opinion that I don't think Grace has done anything which Tendulkar hasn't done. Whatever you said, it is hard to accept that he was the only reason why cricket is now in this format. But let's leave it here.

Not to mention there possibly might not have been a BCCI whose coffers Sachin could fill up, if it were not for the doc playing this great game.

 

[Sir Alex]

I don't equate greatness with filling the BCCI coffers either.

I've rated Bradman 3rd in that.

BCCI doesn't get it's coffers automatically filled. There is a reason why people watch cricket, and that's because of superstars like Sachin.

 

[Sir Alex]

Not to mention there possibly might not have been a BCCI whose coffers Sachin could fill up, if it were not for the doc playing this great game.

Or there wouldn't be a certain WG, had some shepherd folk didn't decide to toss a ball and try to hit it with a broad stick.

 

[honestbharani]

Or there wouldn't be a certain WG, had some shepherd folk didn't decide to toss a ball and try to hit it with a broad stick.

lol.. if that is the criteria, then Kapil >>> Sachin too. There is inventing cricket, and there is making it what it is as an international sport and then there is filling one board's coffers.

 

[Sir Alex]

lol.. if that is the criteria, then Kapil >>> Sachin too. There is inventing cricket, and there is making it what it is as an international sport and then there is filling one board's coffers.

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/48032-3rd-greatest-cricketer-poll-3.html#post2311892

 

[bagapath]

BCCI doesn't get it's coffers automatically filled. There is a reason why people watch cricket, and that's because of superstars like Sachin.

grace filled up cricket stands in his days, too. but it is silly to take that route to judge greatness. that would make salman khan a greater actor than naseeruddin shah. or stallone greater than de niro.

 

[Slifer]

sachin almost by himself turned bcci from an also ran organisation into the richest cricket board in the world. Perhaps the only cricketer to claim a pan=indian appeal across all strata of society. And perhaps where he is treated as a god, and one who controls the string of perhaps millions' gross daily happiness index.

Remember how a factionlised and divided country is india, boasting of a 100,000 cultures, languages, dialects etc. But if there is one unifying factor, that is cricket, and if a face can be assigned to that, it'd be undoubtedly sachin tendulkar.

As to the poll, purely on cricketing merits, i'd rank murali the 2nd best after don bradman, and tendulkar following that. But if you consider more than cricketing merits alone (ie, contribution in changing the face of the game etc), then it'd be sachin 1st, grace 2nd and bradman 3rd.

lol !!!

 

[fredfertang]

WG - at his peak he was even more dominant than Bradman

 

[The Hitcher]

Kevin Pietersen

 

[honestbharani]

http://www.cricketweb.net/forum/cricket-chat/48032-3rd-greatest-cricketer-poll-3.html#post2311892

linkin to the same thread?