Great Players Who Are Difficult To Compare With Other Great Players

[ImpatientLime]

poor herbert.

 

[Francis]

• Wasim Akram - Such a skillful bowler; no one I have seen beats him on sheer skill. Gets very high praise from contemporaries, but take an objective look at stats, especially in tests, and it is difficult to regard him as the greatest fast bowler ever as he appears to naked eye.
• Viv Richards - Similar reasoning to Wasim Akram's

What's wrong with Wasim's stats? His bowling average of 23.62 is incredible and comparable with the greatest bowlers ever. His stats look immaculate to me.

I once had a pedantic argument with someone who tried arguing that McGrath was a better bowler than another cricketing great (I forget who), because McGrath had a better bowling average than him BY ONE RUN. Think about it... McGrath averaged just under five wickets per Test - how many Tests did McGrath play in that were decided by less than five runs? It's more important to take wickets, and even better if you can take them at important times in the Test.

This is one of the reasons I rate Anil Kumble so much higher than anybody else here at CW. Who cares if his average was close to 28? It doesn't matter that he bowled long marathon spells and took a while to get wickets. He got the wickets other cricketers couldn't get - eventually! And he won more Tests for India than any cricket except bar Sachin Tendulkar. I rate greats based on their ability to win Tests for their countries, and if it took them a little bit longer to get the wickets nobody else could get, who cares? They won you the Test. Steve Waugh said the worst thing about facing Kumble was that he was as good in his 40th over as his first. He never got dejected.

When people say that McGrath was better than Wasim because he had a better average by about two runs, then we're splitting hairs. There are hundreds of variables to consider (pitch conditions, bowling partners, team-strength etc) and so few Tests are decided by less than 20 runs or so.

Obviously if a cricketer averages 21 and another one 26 or 27, then stats become a good guide. But there's nothing about Wasim's stats, in comparison to say McGrath's, to suggest he was miles ahead of him. Wasim's stats look immaculate to me.

Wasim, for me, is a serious contended for an all-time XI. And if he doesn't quite make it, he's still the most entertaining fast bowler I've ever seen. To me, he was like a fast bowling version of Warne. Some of his stuff was just magic. His two deliveries in the World Cup final are like two Gatting Balls to me!

Aaaaaannnnnddddd he is, for me, easily the best ODI bowler of all time.

 

[karan316]

Players from different era are hard to compare. But we still do, because we want to glorify some of the guys from the past eras.

 

[Coronis]

lol

 

[karan316]

BOB WILLIS v JOHN SNOW

Mad King vs Joffrey Baratheon

 

[grecian]

poor herbert.

Indeed, along with Barrington, their stodgy play seems to have destined them to also-rans despite their incredible records.

Hasn't happened to Boyks and Gavaskar yet, but feel it wiil with Kallis, but he will just be considered a great all-rounder.

 

[kingkallis]

JACQUES KALLIS v GARRY SOBERS

 

[marc71178]

Not at all difficult to compare those 2 - Sobers wins every day of the week by quite some margin.

 

[andruid]

Who do you compare to Bart King?

 

[Coronis]

Indeed, along with Barrington, their stodgy play seems to have destined them to also-rans despite their incredible records.

Hasn't happened to Boyks and Gavaskar yet, but feel it wiil with Kallis, but he will just be considered a great all-rounder.

I think we will be waiting a very long time to see another player like Jacques Kallis.

 

[kingkallis]

Not at all difficult to compare those 2 - Sobers wins every day of the week by quite some margin.

Naah! Not that easily

 

[grecian]

Players from different era are hard to compare. But we still do, because we want to glorify some of the guys from the past eras.

Or, of course, as we're living in the present, people want to say how much better the modern era players are, as you seem to be suggesting.

 

[fredfertang]

Who do you compare to Bart King?

George Hirst?

 

[Red]

Naah! Not that easily

Sobers wins sooooo easily.

 

[akilana]

JACQUES KALLIS v GARRY SOBERS

Why do you say so? Sobers is not a bad player. He was clearly inferior to Kallis in all formats but you can put up an argument like he bowled fast on the opening day of a test and spin on the fourth innings. "He was my favorite player in my childhood" works too.

 

[the big bambino]

Dear me. Putting words into people's mouths and then mocking them for something you actually said. Whatever works for you.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Why do you say so? Sobers is not a bad player. He was clearly inferior to Kallis in all formats but you can put up an argument like he bowled fast on the opening day of a test and spin on the fourth innings. "He was my favorite player in my childhood" works too.

I dunno, Sobers has an unblemished T20 record

 

[mukeshkumar]

Sachin Tendulkar, Wasim Akram, Shane Warn they are the Great Players for all the Format of the Cricket. We can't Compare these players with new youngster because they play such a long cricket.