Forum Wide Tier List Project Interest Check

[Brian Lara]

Hello Cricketweb!

I'm very new to the forum and wondered whether anyone would be interested in conducting a forum wide kind of tier list for batsmen, bowlers, wicket keepers and fielders based on the longer formats of the game or if such a thing had been done before?

This forum seems very knowledgeable on all things cricket so I think we could make a very good stab at it!

Was thinking the tiers could go something like:

A+:

Sir Donald Bradman

A:

A-:

B+:

B:

B-:

C+:

C:

C-:

D+:

D:

D-:

E+:

E:

E-:

F:

With A representing the greatest batsmen to ever play the game scaling down to F who represent bowlers who don't know which end of the bat to hold!

And have a separate tier list for each of batting, bowling, fielding and wicket keeping!
I know its all very subjective, but...well that's the fun of it isn't it!

Any thoughts or feedback on the idea would be appreciated!

 

[Howe_zat]

I think heading down this road has a danger of endless nitpicking over the tier titles.

 

[Brian Lara]

I think heading down this road has a danger of endless nitpicking over the tier titles.

Well the tier titles aren't set in stone haha, they were just off the top of my head and I went for 10 just because I thought it was quite balanced

Could go for an A - F system, could be tidier than the named one I just posted? So for example:

A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
E+
E
E-
F

Or even a simpler A, B, C, D, E, F (but that may not be enough of a distinction)

I'm interested to hear if any other member has a better idea for the tiers, I'm very happy to listen to any other points of view because its important for everyone to be happy with the tiers before we actually start the project!

 

[The Battlers Prince]

It sounds fun until people disagree with my opinions

 

[DriveClub]

Hard to get everyone to agree, will always be difference of opinions

 

[Brian Lara]

Hard to get everyone to agree, will always be difference of opinions

Sure, but its just a bit of fun, and we can have a go on the batsmen and if it turns out that it generates no interest or people simply have to far contrasting views then we can give it up. But I think it could be fun personally!

 

[DriveClub]

Sure, but its just a bit of fun, and we can have a go on the batsmen and if it turns out that it generates no interest or people simply have to far contrasting views then we can give it up. But I think it could be fun personally!

Yeah it could work, we can give it a go!

 

[Brian Lara]

Yeah it could work, we can give it a go!

Awesome stuff!

So, does anyone have any particular preference as to how we should structure it?
I think starting with batsmen obviously is the best plan, and maybe enter batsmen by a nation at a time in chronological order perhaps?
Thoughts?

 

[mr_mister]

inb4 mahela jaywardene is considerd a tier below 10-15 batsman with inferior test records

 

[Brian Lara]

inb4 mahela jaywardene is considerd a tier below 10-15 batsman with inferior test records

I rate mahela so I'll be in your corner!

 

[Brian Lara]

Shall we start the discussion with Australia?

Just a few big names to get the ball rolling. Off the top of my head, lets rank
The Don
Ricky Ponting
Allan Border
Steve Waugh
Michael Clarke

I think it would be smarter to use the letter system ranking unless people prefer the other method?

My Thoughts:
Donald Bradman - For me, he's the unanimous greatest batsman of all time. Not saying he is miles ahead of others, but there is a noticeable gap to put him in that tier on his own. A+

Ricky Ponting - He's an unquestionable all time great, If I have Bradman in A+ (on his own), Ponting is probably A- in my opinion. You could even make an argument for A, I think after Chappell and Bradman, he is the greatest upper order batsman Australia have produced.

Allan Border - I have him more or less the same level as Ponting to be honest. He averaged 50 in a time when Australian cricket was in the toilet. Simply a brilliant batsman A-

Steve Waugh - Again, I have him around A-. I'm not sure I consider him quite as good a bat as Ponting and Border, but the difference is negligible.

Michael Clarke - Michael Clarke at B+. At his best, he completely destroys bowlers. Even good balls get put away. Not quite Lara like, but not far away.

Do people prefer to use the letter scheme for the tiers, or something else?

 

[mr_mister]

It'd be the Don and then the next 4 all on the same tier I'd say. Along with Greg Chappell and Trumper (going by this forum)

Maybe Clarke would be slightly lower but tbh he doesn't really deserve to be

 

[Brian Lara]

It'd be the Don and then the next 4 all on the same tier I'd say. Along with Greg Chappell and Trumper (going by this forum)

Maybe Clarke would be slightly lower but tbh he doesn't really deserve to be

Interesting, the gap between the tiers will probably be marginal, so you would vote for all of them on the same tier? I do think Michael Clarke was an absolutely fantastic batsman at his peak, perhaps a match for any of them, but I'm not sure he played at consistently as high a level as the other 3 for as long. But that was just my impression.

 

[mr_mister]

Well I mean you've named what are widely considered to be 5 batsman almost definitely in everyone's top 10 for Australia(with Clarke being the possible exception but I really rate him)... out of like 250 batsmen who have played test cricket for this country
so yeah. They all have 25+ test tons

 

[mr_mister]

you'd have to give Bradman an A++ as well otherwise literally no-one else can be higher than an A, from Hobbs to Headley to Viv to Sachin because literally no-one comes close to his record

 

[mr_mister]

oh after re-reading I see you want Bradman alone on A+


in that case, for me, the 4 great Windies batsmen(headley, sobers, viv, lara) plus sachin, hobbs, hutton, hammond and pollock would be the guys I give an A too for test matches.

maybe sunny as well

 

[Brian Lara]

you'd have to give Bradman an A++ as well otherwise literally no-one else can be higher than an A, from Hobbs to Headley to Viv to Sachin because literally no-one comes close to his record

I was genuinely thinking that myself. Bradman will just have to have his own tier A++ and everyone else can marker down from A.

I would still personally have Clarke a sub-tier below the likes of Ponting, S. Waugh and Border though. I see these 3 guys as peoply who could honestly make somewhat of a case at being close to an AGT cricket XI or certainly an AGT cricket XI (A). I'm not sure I could offer the same compliment to Michael Clarke, phenomenal player though he was.

For reference, in my head, I'd have Bradman at A+(+) (as you say) and then in A, Sachin, Viv, Headley, Hammond, Chappell, and A- for the 3 guys I mentioned and then B+ for Clarke.

 

[Brian Lara]

oh after re-reading I see you want Bradman alone on A+


in that case, for me, the 4 great Windies batsmen(headley, sobers, viv, lara) plus sachin, hobbs, hutton, hammond and pollock would be the guys I give an A too for test matches.

maybe sunny as well

Yes, I would be inclined to agree with that list completely. That is pretty much exactly who I would put in A. Additionally, I would say a strong argument could be made for Greg Chappell in A too and I would put Sunny Gavaskar in A.

We could put Bradman in like an A++ and split those guys in 2, but that's probably not worth it!

I'll change the OP to incorporate the letter format as I think its tidier than the titles.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

For Australia after Bradman, for me Chappell, Trumper, Border, Ponting and Harvey. Waugh isn't far behind and nor is Macartney. If you're after a top order bat for Australia.
Pup had the best purple patch I've seen from an Aussie in the last 40 years ftr. But it was scratchy at other times

 

[Brian Lara]

For Australia after Bradman, for me Chappell, Trumper, Border, Ponting and Harvey. Waugh isn't far behind and nor is Macartney. If you're after a top order bat for Australia.
Pup had the best purple patch I've seen from an Aussie in the last 40 years ftr. But it was scratchy at other times

Thanks for the feedback!
So if Bradman is A+, the pretenders for A will be I'm sure guys like Sachin, Viv, Headley, Hammond, Lara, Hobbs, Hutton, Gavaskar. Do you think any of those guys you listed deserve to be in the same breath as these greats? For me only Greg Chappell is potentially worthy of that A.

I'd rank the aussies you listed as:
G. Chappell: A/A-
Ponting: A-
Border: A-
S. Waugh: A-
Trumper: A-
Harvey: A-/B+
Macartney: A-/B+

I agree on 'Pup', I know his peak was simply fearsome, but I don't think he had the longevity of other guys that I'm looking at for A-. If guys like Ponting and Border are in A-, and especially if Greg Chappell ends up there, I can't see Clarke quite that high. B+ will still be home to some fearsome batsmen I have no doubt!