short wicketkeepers

[Richard]

Wicketkeepers are traditionally short people - all the best ones have been, and not many wicketkeepers anywhere, in any game, are ever that tall.
Robert Turner is about the only "tall" wicketkeeper who is playing in the English game ATM. Though there might be some who I haven't seen.
WRT to short batsmen, it just goes to show that you don't need height and strength and heavy bats to generate power. You can accomplish so much through a high backlift and fast bat-speed (Stephen Waugh and Lara being two of the best examples), and IMO it's much more aesthetically pleasing than a big, tall, four-pound bat-swinger.
Of course, there are those who can make heavy bats look good (Tendulkar) and those who can lift heavy bats without looking like they're built for it (Sehwag, Klusener).
And Arjun, I really must dispute this:

Still, very efficient and can do the job well, unlike Dravid. He's also the most effective batsman in Tests and ODI's today.

There are many, many better players, especially in ODIs.
Still, I'd dispute this more:

And arguably the best keeper in the world at present - Tatenda Taibu - who's about four foot three...

Very arguably indeed - I'd say there are several as good, and probably hundreds more that we don't know about because they're not good enough batsmen to come near international cricket.
I'd also dispute the four-foot-three part, but that's another story... birds-of-a-feather, and all that, as you should know, Neil...

[lord_of_darkness]

i think short keepers would do really well against spinners aswell..

[Arjun]

There are many, many better players, especially in ODIs.

Are there really any?

i think short keepers would do really well against spinners aswell..

Nayan Mongia was a little taller than some other wicketkeepers, yet he kept well to Kumble. It is not at all easy keepign to Kumble- ask him of his experiences with Deep Dasgupta, Parthiv Patel and Rahul Dravid.

[Arjun]

WRT to short batsmen, it just goes to show that you don't need height and strength and heavy bats to generate power. You can accomplish so much through a high backlift and fast bat-speed (Stephen Waugh and Lara being two of the best examples), and IMO it's much more aesthetically pleasing than a big, tall, four-pound bat-swinger.
Of course, there are those who can make heavy bats look good (Tendulkar) and those who can lift heavy bats without looking like they're built for it (Sehwag, Klusener).

Short batsmen have to put in a lot more effort to make the ball travel far. Sanath and Lara were short, but had hit the big shots from their arms. Gilchrist and Hayden just play normal, clean textbook shots and hit their sixes.

Six-hitting also requires a special technique, which the likes of Aravinda de Silva had, but a little extra muscle can help too.

[lord_of_darkness]

Nayan Mongia was a little taller than some other wicketkeepers, yet he kept well to Kumble. It is not at all easy keepign to Kumble- ask him of his experiences with Deep Dasgupta, Parthiv Patel and Rahul Dravid

Certainly they do need talent to add to that too ofcourse.. but im just sayin in general conveniece wise i would think it would be easier for a shorter keeper to keep to a spin bowler../

[Neil Pickup]

Originally Posted by Richard

Very arguably indeed - I'd say there are several as good, and probably hundreds more that we don't know about because they're not good enough batsmen to come near international cricket.
I'd also dispute the four-foot-three part, but that's another story... birds-of-a-feather, and all that, as you should know, Neil...

You know full well what I meant...

[GermanShepherd]

Originally Posted by luckyeddie

Whereas Gilchrist is tall by wicketkeeping standards, he is still under 6 feet.

I think you might be wrong there, Luckyeddie. I saw Gilchrist in the Taj Samudra in Colombo earlier this year and he was a little taller than me.
I'm 5"11 myself.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Arjun

Are there really any?

Plenty have higher averages than 35.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Arjun

Short batsmen have to put in a lot more effort to make the ball travel far. Sanath and Lara were short, but had hit the big shots from their arms. Gilchrist and Hayden just play normal, clean textbook shots and hit their sixes.

Six-hitting also requires a special technique, which the likes of Aravinda de Silva had, but a little extra muscle can help too.

Look, Arjun, even if hitting sixes mattered that much (very seldom can you take the sixes away from the scores of both sides and change the match-result) the fact of the matter is, you don't need strength and heavy bats to hit the ball for six, not if you go about things the right way.
A good backlift and a gift for timing is all you need. And, of course, the technique to play the right shots in the neccessary manner.

[Arjun]

Plenty have higher averages than 35.

It's not just the average. Even the strike rate and conversion rate count. Not to mention how many matches have been won when he has got a lot of runs.

very seldom can you take the sixes away from the scores of both sides and change the match-result

The Indian team lacks the big shots. Look at who defeated them in the World Cup final and tournaments that followed. Six-hitting opposition, and a side who bowled and fielded well. Even in the NatWest Challenge, they were outdone by six-hitters.

you don't need strength and heavy bats to hit the ball for six, not if you go about things the right way.
A good backlift and a gift for timing is all you need. And, of course, the technique to play the right shots in the neccessary manner.

Not always that Hayden build, but a little extra muscle helps. That's why Parthiv Patel cannot hit a six, while Aravinda and Lara can.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by Arjun

It's not just the average. Even the strike rate and conversion rate count. Not to mention how many matches have been won when he has got a lot of runs.

At the end of the day, you don't become the best player in a game-form averaging 35.
Some players can play Gilchrist-like innings and average much higher (Bevan, for instance, and of course Lehmann).

The Indian team lacks the big shots. Look at who defeated them in the World Cup final and tournaments that followed. Six-hitting opposition, and a side who bowled and fielded well. Even in the NatWest Challenge, they were outdone by six-hitters.

Because there were too many poor strokes from the top-order.
By the time there was a six or two, the game was over.
You don't need to emulate the Australians at the big-shot game, it's perfectly possible to beat them by hitting the ball on the ground.

Not always that Hayden build, but a little extra muscle helps. That's why Parthiv Patel cannot hit a six, while Aravinda and Lara can.

Even if Patel could hit a six, it wouldn't make him into an especially good player.