Who's the greatest left handed batsman of alltime?

[PhoenixFire]

Now there is an interesting question, I wonder how Langer would have gone in the early 70s and 60s when the players did not wear helmets. I can't think of any cricketer that has been hit in the head as much as the little fella

Indeed, but you'll find that players like that would have learnt how to play to short ball much earlier, because of no helmets. They would see things earlier and duck faster, rather than todays players who sometimes get a bit lazy when it comes to watching the short ball.

 

[Perm]

Now there is an interesting question, I wonder how Langer would have gone in the early 70s and 60s when the players did not wear helmets. I can't think of any cricketer that has been hit in the head as much as the little fella

I'd still back him to score more runs.

 

[The Sean]

I'd still back him to score more runs.

Than Hayden? Or than he did himself in the 90s/00s?

 

[Perm]

Than Hayden? Or than he did himself in the 90s/00s?

Than Hayden.

 

[archie mac]

Than Hayden.

Hard to score them from hospital

 

[Richard]

I wonder how AB would feel about not getting a single vote when there have been votes for both Gower and Haydos...

Could only have been voting for them due to fondness for irrelevant-option picking TBH.

 

[Richard]

Now there is an interesting question, I wonder how Langer would have gone in the early 70s and 60s when the players did not wear helmets. I can't think of any cricketer that has been hit in the head as much as the little fella

As Sam said, it's likely he'd have developed a better technique.

On the other hand, he may have been struck in his first game and never picked-up a bat again - we won't know.

However, had Langer played in the 1980s and 1990s, I'd reckon he'd probably outperform Hayden. Wouldn't neccessarily have scored the runs he did 1998\99-2006\07, because he did have flaws in his game that might have been exploited. But it's less likely IMO that his would be than that Hayden's would be - which, as we all know, I think it's near enough certain they would.

Hard to score them from hospital

Hard to score 'em from the pavilion too.

 

[Matt79]

Now there is an interesting question, I wonder how Langer would have gone in the early 70s and 60s when the players did not wear helmets. I can't think of any cricketer that has been hit in the head as much as the little fella

Langer has a great story about the first time he met Kerry Packer. Packer looked him up and down and said "I saved your life. WSC led to players wearing helmets and without helmets you'd be dead. You get hit so much"

 

[The Sean]

Never one to mince words, our KFBP.

 

[Richard]

Langer has a great story about the first time he met Kerry Packer. Packer looked him up and down and said "I saved your life. WSC led to players wearing helmets and without helmets you'd be dead. You get hit so much"

So he himself even believed WSC was the only reason helmets arrived.

 

[Matt79]

Never one to mince words, our KFBP.

there might have been a few more four letter words mixed in as well.

 

[archie mac]

Langer has a great story about the first time he met Kerry Packer. Packer looked him up and down and said "I saved your life. WSC led to players wearing helmets and without helmets you'd be dead. You get hit so much"

Yes I heard that, by all reports he had a good sense of humour

 

[SJS]

Its interesting to see the voting pattern here. I would have thought the three who really belong in this listwere Sobers Lara and Pollock. The other two with due credit are nor in the same league.

I voted for Sobers but I really never saw Pollock. I think he is the one who could claim to be as good as if not better than Sobers in this list. Its cricket's great loss that he did not play more than he did and a terrible tragedy that politics kept us in the sub-continent from seeing this master batsman.

One hasnt had much opportunity to talk to people who have seen him play so all one knows of him is through one's reading.

I do remember Bedi once talking in Delhi in extremely glowing terms of him and Barry Richards. Bedi also thought the world of Sir Garfield. I have no clue how he rated between them.

Maybe the next time I am in Delhi, I should try and find out

 

[SJS]

There was a very interesting discussion sometime back on cricinfo between Manjrekar, Ian Chappell, Tony Greig, John Wright and Ravi Shastri.

They were asked to pick the greatest batsmen they had seen. Ian Chappell picked Sobers, Pollock and VivRichards. He did not rank them.

Grieig, the only other one who had seen them also named Sobers and Pollock. He ranked Sobers slightly above Pollock.

Its a worthwhile read.

 

[gettingbetter]

Do you think that Pollock gets those 'what would have been' points to his credit?

 

[neville cardus]

I voted for Sobers but I really never saw Pollock.

For that you've earnt my sympathy. Had I the means (and the inclination), I'd send you some footage.

 

[Richard]

YouTube.com?

VCR--->AVI\MPEG isn't actually that difficult (and DVD--->AVI\MPEG is even easier), and all CWers (let alone millions of others) will always greatfully receive anything of note.

 

[neville cardus]

YouTube.com?

VCR--->AVI\MPEG isn't actually that difficult (and DVD--->AVI\MPEG is even easier), and all CWers (let alone millions of others) will always greatfully receive anything of note.

I was born in the Nineteenth Century; it is difficult.

 

[Perm]

Do you think that Pollock gets those 'what would have been' points to his credit?

No, I don't think so. While he was regarded as the best batsman in the world for several years of his career when South Africa were banished from Test cricket I find it hard to rank players who never had enough of a chance to prove themselves at Test level. For all we know he could've played another handful of Tests and performed absolutely woefully, in which case he may have been labelled as a choker who couldn't perform at the highest level. Therefore, since he didn't put enough performances in at Test level, you will be hard pressed to convince me he was better than a proven Test batsman.

 

[Ikki]

No, I don't think so. While he was regarded as the best batsman in the world for several years of his career when South Africa were banished from Test cricket I find it hard to rank players who never had enough of a chance to prove themselves at Test level. For all we know he could've played another handful of Tests and performed absolutely woefully, in which case he may have been labelled as a choker who couldn't perform at the highest level. Therefore, since he didn't put enough performances in at Test level, you will be hard pressed to convince me he was better than a proven Test batsman.

You have a point, to which I agree with to a very large extent, but what about Headley? The Black Bradman? Pollock played 1 more test than he did.