Pietersen vs Sangakkara

[Plumbinfront]

I had an argument with a friend of mine yesterday. Bloke is admanant that Sangakkara is ''streets ahead'' of Pietersen and he used overall aggregate stats to back up his claim and something about dual duties. Sangakkara's record is bit of a red herring for mine. He has done jack diddly squat in many major test playing countries....crap in India, South Africa, England, West Indies. He has a fair record in Aus but that is the exception rather than the norm. Even Tamim Iqbal bashed England in England (who are a comfortably better proposition to Australia in Australia), doesn't make him greatBeats up his fav Bangers and other mediocre attacks on Galle type pitches. Pietersen on the other hand is an absolute God when he is in. He can destroy any attack anywhere and unlike Sanga doesn't depend only on conditions or beat up crap attacks. Funnily enough, it is the crap attacks that are his undoing more often than not. Also, someone good with statsguru...can you guys please tell me how much Sanga averaged when Mcgrath played and also his overall away average minus Bang.

[hendrix]

I have seen Sangakkarra score runs on genuine greentops in NZ against pretty useful seam bowlers. He's scored runs in England too, as well as Aus IIRC.

Streets ahead of Pietersen is true IMO. Yes, Pietersen when in can destroy an attack, but Sangakkarra when in just looks immovable.

[Plumbinfront]

Even the likes of Sehwag and Jayawardene who are reknowed FTB's have scored runs outside the SC at some point especially the latter. Sanga was tripe in England...australaia has been acknowledged (kp destroyed attacks in Aus Sanga can dream of.....Sanga was bollocks against Mcgrath and Warne when he played them).

[Jono]

Lol at the phrase streets ahead:

[hendrix]

Originally Posted by Plumbinfront

Even the likes of Sehwag and Jayawardene who are reknowed FTB's have scored runs outside the SC at some point especially the latter. Sanga was tripe in England...australaia has been acknowledged (kp destroyed attacks in Aus Sanga can dream of.....Sanga was bollocks against Mcgrath and Warne when he played them).

Looking at his record, you're correct that he's been poor in England and has been average in South Africa. However, there are wickets in the subcontinent, particularly Sri Lanka, where the ball does swing a lot. Galle etc is not actually that easy to score runs on when there's some humidity. He's also scored runs against the likes of Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar in Pakistan. While Waqar was admittedly at the end of his career, I don't think you'd ever call that a poor attack.

There are also innings like this one:
1st Test: New Zealand v Sri Lanka at Christchurch, Dec 7-9, 2006 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Scoring 100 out of 170 against a bowling attack of Bond, Martin and Franklin in New Zealand is a very, very good effort. Martin and Franklin might not exactly strike fear into the hearts of batsmen, but that was at a time when they both swung the ball prodigiously and were very good bowlers at home.

Moreover, he's a far better player of spin bowling that Pietersen and has scored runs against bowlers like Kumble, Harbhajan in his prime, Kaneria, Saeed Ajmal, Graeme Swann etc etc.

In summary, he's just a more complete player. He's scored runs on seaming wickets, against good bowling attacks, against reverse swing, against quality spinners etc etc.

[kyear2]

K.P for me, can destroy any attack anywhere and Sanga just benefits massively for some of those run fests in Sri Lanka. Both ATG batsmen though

[Viscount Tom]

Depends where the team is playing, If its in England or Aus go KP easily. Sanga's never really flourished in England.

[Challis]

Originally Posted by Plumbinfront

Sangakkara's record is bit of a red herring for mine. He has done jack diddly squat in many major test playing countries....crap in India, South Africa, England, West Indies. He has a fair record in Aus but that is the exception rather than the norm.......................... also his overall away average minus Bang.

Anyone can pick and choose certain stats and manipulate them to strengthen pretty much any argument:

Pietersen's record is a bit of a red herring for mine. He has done diddly squat in many major test playing countries....crap in Pakistan, New Zealand, terrible in South Africa and Abysmal in the UAE (against Pakistan). In fact Pietersen's average in the UAE (against Pakistan) is 11 compared to Sangakarra's average of 86... etc, etc

See what I did there.

Also if you minus Bangladesh from both players' away average then Sangakarra's overall away average would increase whilst Pietersen's would decrease.

[smalishah84]

Originally Posted by Challis

Anyone can pick and choose certain stats and manipulate them to strengthen pretty much any argument:

Pietersen's record is a bit of a red herring for mine. He has done diddly squat in many major test playing countries....crap in Pakistan, New Zealand, terrible in South Africa and Abysmal in the UAE (against Pakistan). In fact Pietersen's average in the UAE (against Pakistan) is 11 compared to Sangakarra's average of 86... etc, etc

See what I did there.

Also if you minus Bangladesh from both players' away average then Sangakarra's overall away average would increase whilst Pietersen's would decrease.

[Arachnodouche]

Never rated him or his partner in crime. Pietersen has played legendary innings; sure, there has been the romance of the mercurial character associated with them that has enhanced their intrinsic worth. But even removing that, Pietersen is in a league all his own as far as modern players go. Sangakkara, other than the 190 in Hobart, has nothing I can recall.

[centurymaker]

Personally I have never rated Mahela nor Sanga too highly for obvious reasons, so KP is ahead imo.

The guy just recently single-handedly turned two games in his country's favour in alien conditions! freak! (one of them turned the series around)

[akilana]

Lol single-handedly

[centurymaker]

Originally Posted by akilana

Lol single-handedly

LOOOOOOOOOL
single-handedly TURNED the game around
TURNED!!

[Himannv]

Sanga seems the obvious answer despite my bias against him.

[Cricketismylife]

Sangakkara is streets ahead and I fail to see how it's even close. He's a far more consistent batsman over a longer period of time and has had the added difficulty of having to keep for 47 tests. As a pure batsman he averages around 68 which is phenomenal.

Also he's played as many matchwinning/match saving innings as KP which have slipped under the radar due to playing for a small team like Sri Lanka. A prime example of such an innings is the 211 against Pakistan in the UAE. He was facing an attack similar to the one that Pietersen was unable to handle and averaged 10 against, and managed to save the game when at one point SL were 5 wickets down in second innings and still 120 runs behind. But this innings generated very little media attention.