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How do Williamson/Root/Smith compare to Tendulkar/Ponting/Lara?

Who will history remember as the 3 greatest? [Pick 3]


  • Total voters
    63

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
I think Norcross already made that joke once, before Howe even joined CW, so I refuse to give ***** any credit.
 

Howe_zat

Audio File
I think Norcross already made that joke once, before Howe even joined CW, so I refuse to give ***** any credit.
I remember those days, impressing middle aged blokes with statsguru-fu. Got known for it enough to get a signed book from Jarrod Kimber on the 2009 Ashes. Fun times
 

Furball

Evil Scotsman
Surely Williamson's (relatively speaking) dire start in Test cricket satisfies whatever criteria Jmay is looking for?
 

Slifer

International Captain
Have the utmost respect for what the young lads are doing atm, but they're no way close to being in the Bcl/srt category.
Firstly, their careers are far from over so as yet, no one knows just how they're final stats will look.

Secondly, and most importantly imo, through no fault of their own, the kw/root/smith etc group have all faced some pretty dire attacks. Case in point, when Steve Waugh was at his peak in the 90s, he faced: rsa : Donald, Pollock (90s Pollock was outstanding), De Villiers, WI: Amby, Walsh, Bishop, the Benjamins. Smith a fellow aussie has faced who dale Steyn and maybe philander. No comment on the wi attack he's had to face; I think my point is clear. Imo, with the exception of maybe NZ, attacks now are a few classes below those faced by Bcl and srt in the 90s.
 

91Jmay

International Coach
Have the utmost respect for what the young lads are doing atm, but they're no way close to being in the Bcl/srt category.
Firstly, their careers are far from over so as yet, no one knows just how they're final stats will look.

Secondly, and most importantly imo, through no fault of their own, the kw/root/smith etc group have all faced some pretty dire attacks. Case in point, when Steve Waugh was at his peak in the 90s, he faced: rsa : Donald, Pollock (90s Pollock was outstanding), De Villiers, WI: Amby, Walsh, Bishop, the Benjamins. Smith a fellow aussie has faced who dale Steyn and maybe philander. No comment on the wi attack he's had to face; I think my point is clear. Imo, with the exception of maybe NZ, attacks now are a few classes below those faced by Bcl and srt in the 90s.
Since Smith has been great Anderson/Broad isn't that far off Donald/Pollack as a duo.
 

Flem274*

123/5
Have the utmost respect for what the young lads are doing atm, but they're no way close to being in the Bcl/srt category.
Firstly, their careers are far from over so as yet, no one knows just how they're final stats will look.

Secondly, and most importantly imo, through no fault of their own, the kw/root/smith etc group have all faced some pretty dire attacks. Case in point, when Steve Waugh was at his peak in the 90s, he faced: rsa : Donald, Pollock (90s Pollock was outstanding), De Villiers, WI: Amby, Walsh, Bishop, the Benjamins. Smith a fellow aussie has faced who dale Steyn and maybe philander. No comment on the wi attack he's had to face; I think my point is clear. Imo, with the exception of maybe NZ, attacks now are a few classes below those faced by Bcl and srt in the 90s.
our first old man post

styen, philander, morkel, anderson, broad, harris, scary johnson, hazlewood, starc, pattinson, southee, boult, wahab, and even roach usually are all between good to all time great bowlers. the quality is there.

their problem is they don't have the pretty end of career statistics or 15 years of nostalgia yet.

and of course half the players (batsmen and bowlers) aren't as distinguished as 90s players yet, they're all about 25.
 

Slifer

International Captain
In the bcl/srt/Waugh era we had the following: Amby, Walsh, Bishop, Donald, De Villiers, Pollock, Mcgrath, Fleming, Gillespie, Waqar, Wasim, Shoaib, Fraser, Gough, Caddick, Srinath, Vaas, Bond (occasionally). That's just the pacers. With all due respect the likes of Smith and co have not remotely faced attacks approaching the excellence of above. Steyn is the only atg pace man atm. The likes of Boult and Hazelwood etc are in the Gillespie category...
Very good but unfortunately very good bowlers these days are very few and far between relative to the srt era. Needless to say that the spinners from the era were also head and shoulders above what we have today.
 

Pratters

Cricket, Lovely Cricket
Disagree Slifer. 2000s did see flat tracks and bowlers being dominated. However, they have adjusted now. Bowlers don't bowl as many bad balls any more. We have had some tremendous bowling over the past few years. Ryan Harris, Wahab, Johnson, Anderson, Steyn, Morkel, Boult and various spinners. It's not particularly easy to score runs against testing bowling. I have loved the quality of test cricket over the past 2-3 years.
 
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Flem274*

123/5
In the bcl/srt/Waugh era we had the following: Amby, Walsh, Bishop, Donald, De Villiers, Pollock, Mcgrath, Fleming, Gillespie, Waqar, Wasim, Shoaib, Fraser, Gough, Caddick, Srinath, Vaas, Bond (occasionally). That's just the pacers. With all due respect the likes of Smith and co have not remotely faced attacks approaching the excellence of above. Steyn is the only atg pace man atm. The likes of Boult and Hazelwood etc are in the Gillespie category...
Very good but unfortunately very good bowlers these days are very few and far between relative to the srt era. Needless to say that the spinners from the era were also head and shoulders above what we have today.
you haven't addressed my point you've just repeated your first post.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Surprised nobody claimed he is not English.

Guys not getting a jokey dig in are missing a trick there.
I'd walk from Jo'burg to Lord's to watch Pietersen bat. Just reckon he was that good when he was on song that it was ridiculous.
 

Slifer

International Captain
you haven't addressed my point you've just repeated your first post.
Not sure about Waugh but I'm pretty certain SRt and Bcl were well on their way to a time greatness even around age 25, and they did so against much better bowling. I can't believe people here are seriously comparing Roach and Jerome Taylor or Johnson and Starc to Mcgrath/Gillespie.

As for the nostalgia point, well I'm going to use Jim my Anderson as example. He's probably the second best bowler atm or maybe it's Mitchell Johnson. Neither one is remotely close to the likes of Donald et al. Both bowlers mentioned have quite a few tests behind them.
 

Slifer

International Captain
Disagree Slifer. 2000s did see flat tracks and bowlers being dominated. However, they have adjusted now. Bowlers don't bowl as many bad balls any more. We have had some tremendous bowling over the past few years. Ryan Harris, Wahab, Johnson, Anderson, Steyn, Morkel, Boult and various spinners. It's not particularly easy to score runs against testing bowling. I have loved the quality of test cricket over the past 2-3 years.
I'm confused, what exactly do u disagree with?? That bowling now is better than it was in the bcl/srt era??
 

Flem274*

123/5
You're being very selective. How do the records of the 90s greats at age 25 compare to Starc, Hazlewood, Boult, Southee et al? The current young eneration is taking over from the bowler drought of the 00s so we're now in a period that will be looked upon as far greater by future fans than it is seen by current fans. Youtube is going to show '10s bowlers with nice cricinfo averages hooping it at good or even express pace on roads.

Btw, Anderson isn't as good as Donald but as we are all hopefully aware his career record does not reflect his quality.

I'm going to end with a hand grenade. The great bowlers of the 90s had far easier pitches to bowl on than modern bowlers and it inflates their records. Look at the ****ing **** heaps in Australia Ryan Harris, Mitchell Johnson and now Hazlewood and Starc take all those wickets on. The touring bowlers who do well there now deserve a lot of credit too.

Even New Zealand and England roll out Roady McRoads more often than not these days.

I look forward to hurrrring at the next generation when Kane Williamson and Steve Smith are old, fat and hated commentators. "This young batsman looks ok but he's not doing it against Steyn, Hazlewood, Starc or Boult. Now those guys were real bowlers!"
 

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