Player of the Decade - Ponting

[stephen]

Just taking a look at Murali's stats for the 00s, I have noticed that he's a crapload better against right handed batsmen than left handed ones.

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com

He also gets almost no caught behinds.

Very strange.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

At the risk of being labelled a pedant, I'd like to point out that the decade hasn't ended yet.

 

[Pratters]

@ Stephen - Murali would have won player of the decade easily had he not declined in the past 18 months or so.

 

[stephen]

@ Stephen - Murali would have won player of the decade easily had he not declined in the past 18 months or so.

McGrath would have if he hadn't retired a few years ago.

Or at least, McGrath SHOULD have. He is the only player where there is no real competition for him in the "team of the decade".

 

[Pratters]

Or at least, McGrath SHOULD have. He is the only player where there is no real competition for him in the "team of the decade".

Murali and Gilchrist disagree.

 

[Pratters]

McGrath would have if he hadn't retired a few years ago.

Yeah, sure. McGrath wouldn't have declined as a bowler bowling deep into the sunset compared to before that?

EDIT - SS to show his performances in the T20s and try and say I am wrong of course.

 

[GotSpin]

Have a feeling that in the coming years there will be a revisionist cricket history movement that will finally recognise Ponting for the brilliant player he is rather than the criticism he has endured for the last 5 years since taking upon the Australian captaincy

 

[Ikki]

Why do you put Murali at 5? Also, both the number 1's are Aussies unsurprisingly.

Ponting is the best batsman of the decade and McGrath the best bowler, when you take into account both forms of the game. That's rather self-explanatory.

Kallis is 3rd because, frankly, even though I don't think he is as good as Ponting, he isn't that far off and his bowling and slip fielding make him one of the best all-rounders of all time.

Gilchrist is 4th because he's the best wicket-keeper batsman of all-time by a distance, and is practically an automatic in most all-time XIs these days.

Murali is 5th because when you consider Tests and ODIs he is comfortably the best spinner of the decade.

Unsurprisingly, the team that dominated the era and will go down with one of the best line-ups of all-time had a few players in my list.

 

[GotSpin]

Warne will always have a place in my heart over Murali.

I've had a few beers so i could get a bit emotional about this

 

[Pratters]

I don't agree with you ikki. How is McGrath the best bowler easily ahead of Murali which puts him at 1 and Murali at 5 when both are close..

 

[Ikki]

Warne will always have a place in my heart over Murali.

I've had a few beers so i could get a bit emotional about this

IMO Warne was the better Test player this decade, but he played very little ODIs to really compare to Murali.

 

[Ikki]

I don't agree with you ikki. How is McGrath the best bowler easily ahead of Murali which puts him at 1 and Murali at 5 when both are close..

They're close, but not close enough.

 

[GIMH]

Yeah look, I've called Ikki biased a few times here and there, but it's hardly unreasonable to have either Ponting or McGrath at the top

I'd have picked Flintoff obv (), but failing that, Ponting

 

[Pratters]

They're close, but not close enough.

Nah, not logical. Murali in a batsmen dominated era, one of the two best bowlers arguably at 5 is far too low.

 

[Ikki]

Nah, not logical. Murali in a batsmen dominated era, one of the two best bowlers arguably at 5 is far too low.

Why isn't it logical? Murali was very good, the 2nd best bowler of the decade, but far enough from the best bowler of the decade to not be equal to him. Then there are other players to consider as well.

 

[Pratters]

Kallis>Ponting because of his bowling.

Ponting at 1 is ludicrous.

Murali would be ahead of Ponting who was one of the many batsmen who did well in the decade.

 

[Ikki]

Clearly ludicrous.

 

[honestbharani]

Clearly ludicrous.

There were other contenders and tbh, I think whoever was chosen, one could make a claim that it was a controversial decision.. But the guy was gun in both formats for a really long part of the decade and for me, completely deserves the accolades... Congrats Punter!!

 

[Streetwise]

Congratulations to Ponting, easily the best of the decade.

 

[GotSpin]

IMO Warne was the better Test player this decade, but he played very little ODIs to really compare to Murali.

Yeah I agree