Most exciting batsman to watch

[Spark]

Hmmm... are we talking about our favourite players to watch, or the players we actually think were most exciting to watch in this thread?

Gilly to the latter. Mitch is pretty exciting when on song too, have fond memories of listening to his 96* where he belted Harris for 26 in an over on the radio. Flintoff 05 has to count, as does Sehwag over the last two years. Ponting too, just for sheer brilliance, especially in ODIs. Tendulkar in the last two years, ie. the 175* in the game we won (), although the test match knocks weren't so much exciting as depressing as I just couldn't see him getting out at all. Hayden never really excited me, tbh, the way he played just seemed... predictable? Not that I didn't enjoy watching him, ofc, but he didn't get my adrenaline pumping.

It doesn't need stating that this doesn't always correlate with my favourite players to watch list, obviously. The ones who you wanted to score a 100 in in every innings, and regardless of the match situation you always felt satisfied and warm inside when you saw it.

 

[honestbharani]

Hmmm... are we talking about our favourite players to watch, or the players we actually think were most exciting to watch in this thread?

Gilly to the latter. Mitch is pretty exciting when on song too, have fond memories of listening to his 96* where he belted Harris for 26 in an over on the radio. Flintoff 05 has to count, as does Sehwag over the last two years. Ponting too, just for sheer brilliance, especially in ODIs. Tendulkar in the last two years, ie. the 175* in the game we won (), although the test match knocks weren't so much exciting as depressing as I just couldn't see him getting out at all. Hayden never really excited me, tbh, the way he played just seemed... predictable? Not that I didn't enjoy watching him, ofc, but he didn't get my adrenaline pumping.

It doesn't need stating that this doesn't always correlate with my favourite players to watch list, obviously. The ones who you wanted to score a 100 in in every innings, and regardless of the match situation you always felt satisfied and warm inside when you saw it.

It is interesting you mention the "not getting out" thing about Sachin's batting. And yet he is actually scoring quicker than he did back in the 2003 to 2007 slump (relatively speaking) of his... Just another reason why I think he is more excitng to watch now than back then.


I will be honest here, I don't think the bowling attacks he has faced are anything to write home about and he has been batting on pretty friendly batting tracks for the most part but still, NO ONE has EVER looked less likely to get out than he has over such a period of time... Seriously awesome!!!


I mean Lara against Aus in 1999 and Laxman against Aus in 2001 were perhaps better in terms of stroke production but with Sachin, you might see him take a few more balls to get those runs but you know by that time he has arleady driven the opposition bowlers (and fans apparently ) to despair.. A completely different and yet equally effective morale shatterer to scoring quickly. Everyone mentions Kallis and Dravid when it comes to defence, but I think Sachin is better than both and he still manages to score quicker than them.

 

[Spark]

True, but exciting for me is when a batsman plays aggressively and tries to score runs by taking a calculated risk with the knowledge that it could lead to his downfall.

You don't get that with Tendulkar, or at least I didn't during the Tests. Had no clue how he could possibly get out before scoring a mountain.

Although I must say that young, up-and-coming players trying to carve their name into the international scene playing a fearless, inventive and generally brilliant (in the purest sense of the word) innings are pretty exciting too. Which is why although Smith's 77 against Pakistan probably wasn't as good a test innings as Clarke's 77 - no prizes for which one everyone will remember and have good memories of.

 

[TumTum]

True, but exciting for me is when a batsman plays aggressively and tries to score runs by taking a calculated risk with the knowledge that it could lead to his downfall.

But there is more to it then that, the batsmen must have style

Personally I wouldn't be all that excited about the prospect of Dravid or Kaitch playing aggressively.

 

[Spark]

But there is more to it then that, the batsmen must have style

Personally I wouldn't be all that excited about the prospect of Dravid or Kaitch playing aggressively.

Oh yeah that goes without saying. But just the difference between "good to watch" (and a few of my most favourite players to watch aren't in the "exciting" category at all) and "exciting", which obviously requires the former, is what I was getting at there.

 

[honestbharani]

True, but exciting for me is when a batsman plays aggressively and tries to score runs by taking a calculated risk with the knowledge that it could lead to his downfall.

You don't get that with Tendulkar, or at least I didn't during the Tests. Had no clue how he could possibly get out before scoring a mountain.

Although I must say that young, up-and-coming players trying to carve their name into the international scene playing a fearless, inventive and generally brilliant (in the purest sense of the word) innings are pretty exciting too. Which is why although Smith's 77 against Pakistan probably wasn't as good a test innings as Clarke's 77 - no prizes for which one everyone will remember and have good memories of.

TBH, it also puts into perspective why the likes of Richards and Lara are regarded as highly as they are (no need to even mention the Don... That is an universal thing). To have played the sort of exciting game that they do and still averaged what they did in tests against some real quality bowling shows how bloody talented they were. Genius.

 

[ankitj]

Yuvraj Singh. Can pull off some of most unbelievable shots.

 

[NUFAN]

I would have to vote for Michael Slater, he was superb. Slats career, especially the first 50 odd Tests where he was averaging 47 and got dropped was very important in Australia's dominance over England. An underrated Cricketer for my money - I loved Boon and MWaugh more than Slater, but Slater was the more exciting batsman.

 

[vcs]

hmmm... Are we talking about our favourite players to watch, or the players we actually think were most exciting to watch in this thread?

Gilly to the latter. Mitch is pretty exciting when on song too, have fond memories of listening to his 96* where he belted harris for 26 in an over on the radio. Flintoff 05 has to count, as does sehwag over the last two years. Ponting too, just for sheer brilliance, especially in odis. Tendulkar in the last two years, ie. The 175* in the game we won (), although the test match knocks weren't so much exciting as depressing as i just couldn't see him getting out at all. Hayden never really excited me, tbh, the way he played just seemed... Predictable? Not that i didn't enjoy watching him, ofc, but he didn't get my adrenaline pumping.

it doesn't need stating that this doesn't always correlate with my favourite players to watch list, obviously. The ones who you wanted to score a 100 in in every innings, and regardless of the match situation you always felt satisfied and warm inside when you saw it.

awta.

 

[Jono]

Yeah the most exciting isn't always your favourite to watch I'd say, though if often might be.

 

[vcs]

It is interesting you mention the "not getting out" thing about Sachin's batting. And yet he is actually scoring quicker than he did back in the 2003 to 2007 slump (relatively speaking) of his... Just another reason why I think he is more excitng to watch now than back then.


I will be honest here, I don't think the bowling attacks he has faced are anything to write home about and he has been batting on pretty friendly batting tracks for the most part but still, NO ONE has EVER looked less likely to get out than he has over such a period of time... Seriously awesome!!!


I mean Lara against Aus in 1999 and Laxman against Aus in 2001 were perhaps better in terms of stroke production but with Sachin, you might see him take a few more balls to get those runs but you know by that time he has arleady driven the opposition bowlers (and fans apparently ) to despair.. A completely different and yet equally effective morale shatterer to scoring quickly. Everyone mentions Kallis and Dravid when it comes to defence, but I think Sachin is better than both and he still manages to score quicker than them.

Hmm... HB, I think Tendulkar did used to score quicker even in Test cricket in the late 90's. True, it was a short-lived thing and he has always been on the whole slower than Lara but I think there would be a noticeable decrease in his strike rate in this decade. Wish there was a way to check on cricinfo.

 

[Shri]

10,000 Shrizor points for anyone who can find me videos of Vinod Kambli's double hundreds.

 

[smash84]

Hmmm... are we talking about our favourite players to watch, or the players we actually think were most exciting to watch in this thread?

Gilly to the latter.

It doesn't need stating that this doesn't always correlate with my favourite players to watch list, obviously. The ones who you wanted to score a 100 in in every innings, and regardless of the match situation you always felt satisfied and warm inside when you saw it.

GILLY it is.

 

[zaremba]

G Chappell
Gower
M Waugh
Tendulkar
Lara
Martyn
Richie Richardson
Slater
Laxman
Dravid
AB de Villiers
Azahruddin

to name but a few. Tend to prefer the effortless stylists than the fellas who give it a right lathering.

Yep, that'd pretty much do it. Vaughan too, for the same reasons.

Not that Richie Richardson was above giving it a right lathering...

 

[Altaican]

TBH, it also puts into perspective why the likes of Richards and Lara are regarded as highly as they are (no need to even mention the Don... That is an universal thing). To have played the sort of exciting game that they do and still averaged what they did in tests against some real quality bowling shows how bloody talented they were. Genius.

Yep. That is exactly how I define genius too. And that is exactly what I told in this post. Can't forget that innings of Adam Gilchrist in his first Test series, when he played against Akram/Waqar/Akhtar/Saqlain (149* off 164 balls, coming in to bat at 120+/5 while chasing 360+ in the 4th innings).

 

[smash84]

Yep. That is exactly how I define genius too. And that is exactly what I told in this post. Can't forget that innings of Adam Gilchrist in his first Test series, when he played against Akram/Waqar/Akhtar/Saqlain (149* off 164 balls, coming in to bat at 120+/5 while chasing 360+ in the 4th innings).

Man I saw that innings live. Gilly was a sight to behold. As a Pakistani fan I was quite devastated that we lost with things looking so good for us. But Gilly stole the show. I could only marvel at how he was smashing a super attack of Waqar, Wasim, Akhtar, and Saqlain all over the place.

 

[NUFAN]

I also really enjoyed watching Dean Jones in One Dayers. I remember watching (on TV) his 145 against England at the GABBA and thinking how amazing that a guy nearly scored 150!

Even still when they show the classic matches, Jones, while batting and even running between the wickets was such an exciting batsman to watch, I loved his driving straight down the ground.