Best South African to play test cricket for England ?

[Rssll]

Havent checked but I doubt he won many POS awards. You think of his most iconic series and there was a better performing England player than him in it. Off the top of my head 2005 Ashes Flintoff, 2010/11 Ashes Cook, India 2012 Cook.

You could say the same thing about a lot of players though - POS are quite rare and lots of great players don't have many. Pietersen won 2 and by way of comparison Tendulkar won 5, Ponting 4, Sangakarra 4, Lara 4, Kallis 9, and Chanderpaul 7. As a measure of success its a bit hit-and-miss and Pietersen's record isn't much worse than his contemporaries considering the number of games he played.

 

[Bolo]

I'm not sure who the best was, but seeing as nobody has mentioned him yet, I want to give a shout out for D'Olliviera. He moved to England in his 30s and debuted at 34 or 35, when most other players are retiring, but still managed to average above 40 with the bat. He may not have the best international record, but he was probably at his best when not actually playing international cricket.

Bonus points for not being a whiny bitch in his migration like Pietersen, and extra bonus points for getting RSA banned in cricket.

 

[the big bambino]

Dolly could bowl so he’s closer to the top than the op would suggest

 

[S.Kennedy]

Pietersen was a frustrating player. Too many reckless heaves to a fielder at long on. And then he finished his career as a twenty20 merchant.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Lol @ the angry Poms not picking KP for personal reasons. Greig was great, but it's really not even a contest.

It is physically impossible for me to select Pietersen. I can not do it. Too much the wanker. Greig it is.

At least you're honest about why haha

 

[Jumno]

I'd pick KP.

 

[fredfertang]

Lol @ the angry Poms not picking KP for personal reasons. Greig was great, but it's really not even a contest.



At least you're honest about why haha

Nothing to do with that, well not in my case anyway - Greig batting against Lillee and Thomson was a bloody sight more thrilling than KP against Mitchell Johnson

.......... and Greigy drove a really classy white Jag

 

[OverratedSanity]

Nothing to do with that, well not in my case anyway - Greig batting against Lillee and Thomson was a bloody sight more thrilling than KP against Mitchell Johnson

.......... and Greigy drove a really classy white Jag

Well if you're ranking them by thrill and entertainment value, surely nothing Greig did tops KP at Headingley treating Steyn like a club bowler.

 

[SeamUp]

KP, Lamb and Greigy all had a bit of genius about them.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Greig's stats really stack up for a top all-rounder. Better with the bat than Botham, Imran and Hadlee and still bowled at about 32. Seemed adept at getting Doug Walters out.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Greig's stats really stack up for a top all-rounder. Better with the bat than Botham, Imran and Hadlee and still bowled at about 32. Seemed adept at getting Doug Walters out.

Think Greig is under rated simply because Botham followed him and was better. Only way I can say is similar is people forget how good Healy was because Gilchrist followed him.

 

[fredfertang]

Think Greig is under rated simply because Botham followed him and was better. Only way I can say is similar is people forget how good Healy was because Gilchrist followed him.

He was under rated because the stuffed shirts at Lord's and most of their generation treated him like a pariah for his involvement in World Series Cricket

 

[harsh.ag]

Personality wise, Greig > KP no doubt. Calming influence, steady, pillar of strength and composure for everyone. Fantastic person to have in the side for positive externality effects.

 

[cnerd123]

KP only ended up averaging 7 more than Grieg and without the bowling ability

I get he was great to watch and all, but he was very firmly a 'player of great innings' rather than a 'great player'
Tony Grieg was a great player. Should be a straightforward choice.

 

[Adders]

Lol @ the angry Poms not picking KP for personal reasons. Greig was great, but it's really not even a contest.

**** post. Others have already demonstrated why Greig is a perfectly good choice for purely cricket reasons so to say it is "not even a contest" is a lack of knowledge from you.

And yeah I am angry at KP, asides from what he did to English cricket a summer of listening to him commentate would be enough to make Mother Teresa's blood boil. But I'd still pick Greig before him regardless.....people seem to forget how **** he was at the end and just remember his crazy good innings.

 

[YorksLanka]

KP for me..would have gone on to smash records for England of he was still playing. Huge shame for SA to lose a great player like him..

 

[Fuller Pilch]

KP for me..would have gone on to smash records for England of he was still playing. Huge shame for SA to lose a great player like him..

He would've hated playing for South Africa as wouldn't have been a superstar; imagine KP having to play 2nd (or 5th) fiddle to Kallis, Smith, AB, and Amla

 

[akilana]

He would've hated playing for South Africa as wouldn't have been a superstar; imagine KP having to play 2nd (or 5th) fiddle to Kallis, Smith, AB, and Amla

How do you know this? In that line up nobody was playing second fiddle to anyone and he would haVe been fine. He is also friends with most of the southafrican players. The english players he had problems with were mostly dicks and universally hated.

 

[TheJediBrah]

**** post. Others have already demonstrated why Greig is a perfectly good choice for purely cricket reasons so to say it is "not even a contest" is a lack of knowledge from you.

And yeah I am angry at KP, asides from what he did to English cricket a summer of listening to him commentate would be enough to make Mother Teresa's blood boil. But I'd still pick Greig before him regardless.....people seem to forget how **** he was at the end and just remember his crazy good innings.

Even cope-ier than I expected

 

[Adders]

How do you know this? In that line up nobody was playing second fiddle to anyone and he would haVe been fine. He is also friends with most of the southafrican players. The english players he had problems with were mostly dicks and universally hated.

Yeah KP was fine and everyone else were dicks. WTF? Those same players don't seem to be having any issues now he's gone mate.

The only thing I thought was "universally accepted" was that after KP's recent forays into the comms box we all can see him for the massive dick that he is and it is little wonder no one would want that in their change room given the choice.

South Africa dodged a bullet where he is concerned and I doubt there are many that really wish he stayed with them.