Cricketweb decides the second best batsman ever. 32 player bracket, Contest Thread!

[OverratedSanity]

Richards might beat Hobbs, but surely Sachin won't beat Sobers.

Why 'surely'?

 

[mr_mister]

yeah I think Grace could have given Sobers a run for his money just as he did Viv but I doubt Sachin has a chance. Though I'll vote him.


For the upcoming bowlers tournament, should it be 32 or 64? There is such a wide field of bowlers who could be placed on the highest tier IMO, just looking at the bowling averages list there is so little between sooooo many names.

It's weird though I think it'd be a fairly pace dominated contest, with maybe Warne, Murali, Laker, O'Reilly, Verity, Tayfield, Gibbs and Grimmett the only guys likely to make the top 32... with maybe Ironmonger and Mailey scraping in... again due to the romanticism surrounding the pre war players.

Would be interesting to see how many Windies quicks would get nominated for the 32.

I'd say def Ambrose, Marshall, Holding, Roberts and Garner, most likely Walsh, and Croft or Hall wouldn't surprise me either. Sylvester and Bishop if there is 64 entrants. I'm excited

 

[Lillian Thomson]

In a poll a couple of months ago for 2nd best batsman Tendulkar got 17 votes to Sobers 15 with other votes dotted around.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Yeah weird posts from Coronis and Mr mister. Tendulkar's great and has lots of Indian fans here. No reason why he can't beat Sobers. Same for Lara. I don't think Sobers is close to being the sort of runaway favourite the way they're making it out to be.

 

[mr_mister]

I haven't fully figured out where everyone is from yet on this site.

Sobers got his #1 seed from that Days of Grace top 100 batsmen list I dug up which placed Sachin @ 10 and Sobers @ 2(behind Bradman). I know that's just one guy and his list but he went into huge detail and I figure that's a big enough gap to justify him as favourite. I took into account Sachin's longevity and the fact all the users have seen him bat and bumped him up as 4 seed tho

 

[Victor Ian]

Garry Sobers vs George Headley
Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara
Jack Hobbs vs Sunil Gavaskar
Viv Richards vs Len Hutton

 

[Saint Kopite]

Garry Sobers vs George Headley.

Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara.

Jack Hobbs vs Sunil Gavaskar.

Viv Richards vs Len Hutton.

 

[Noble One]

Garry Sobers
Brian Lara
Jack Hobbs
Viv Richards

 

[honestbharani]

Can't ever choose between them (even though I just did)

On a side note, I am never keen on calling anyone the best batsman or the best after Bradman etc. Because 'best' has to do a lot with style of play, for example, among other factors, and saying Lara is a better batsman than Bradman is not bollocks. Greatest is more apt. It's not perfect either. Perhaps accomplished is even more appropriate.

Yeah I actually think Lara is a 'better' batsman than Tendulkar, in terms of what the heights he could achieve with the bat. Tendulkar had a better overall career though in terms of the ridiculous span and remarkable consistency across conditions.

I'm going to vote for Viv over Sachin even if he does beat Lara here though.

Well, the way I tend to look at it is, if I am choosing a team, I would pick the guy who can reach higher in his discipline but if I am choosing the best in a poll like this, I will choose the guy who has had the better career. Mind you, there is little in it either way when we are discussing guys as good as these 8.

 

[ankitj]

Sobers
Sachin
Hobbs
Viv

 

[kyear2]

yeah I think Grace could have given Sobers a run for his money just as he did Viv but I doubt Sachin has a chance. Though I'll vote him.


For the upcoming bowlers tournament, should it be 32 or 64? There is such a wide field of bowlers who could be placed on the highest tier IMO, just looking at the bowling averages list there is so little between sooooo many names.

It's weird though I think it'd be a fairly pace dominated contest, with maybe Warne, Murali, Laker, O'Reilly, Verity, Tayfield, Gibbs and Grimmett the only guys likely to make the top 32... with maybe Ironmonger and Mailey scraping in... again due to the romanticism surrounding the pre war players.

Would be interesting to see how many Windies quicks would get nominated for the 32.

I'd say def Ambrose, Marshall, Holding, Roberts and Garner, most likely Walsh, and Croft or Hall wouldn't surprise me either. Sylvester and Bishop if there is 64 entrants. I'm excited

64 entrants. 16 seeds.

Marshall, McGrath, Warne, Muralitharan, Hadlee, Barnes, Steyn, Lillee, Ambrose, Akram, O'Reilly, Donald, Holding, Davidson, Imran, Lindwall/ Trueman/ Garner

 

[mr_mister]

maybe Waqar can squeeze into the 16 too? But you're right 64 would be best. Maybe Round 1 can be split so people don't have to vote 32 times in one go lol.

 

[Slifer]

Marshall
McGrath
Steyn
Ambrose
Donald
Lillee
Hadlee
Imran
Warne
Murali
Trueman
Barnes
Wasim
Waqar
Holding
Lindwall

Maybe swap Garner or O'Reilly for one or two of the above, but that would be my 16 seeds, in no particular order.

 

[mr_mister]

O'Reilly over Lindwall IMO

but hey... there will be a nominations thread so we'll get a good idea of public opinion

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Maybe start a new thread chaps.

 

[AndrewB]

Garry Sobers vs George Headley
Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara
Jack Hobbs vs Sunil Gavaskar
Viv Richards vs Len Hutton

 

[Prince EWS]

Garry Sobers vs George Headley
Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara
Jack Hobbs vs Sunil Gavaskar
Viv Richards vs Len Hutton

 

[Chrish]

Marshall
McGrath
Steyn
Ambrose
Donald
Lillee
Hadlee
Imran
Warne
Murali
Trueman
Barnes
Wasim
Waqar
Holding
Lindwall

Maybe swap Garner or O'Reilly for one or two of the above, but that would be my 16 seeds, in no particular order.

Am I the only one to think McGrath > bowler X?

Anyways don't agree with comparing spinners with paceman.. Different roles

 

[Coronis]

Sobers
Tendulkar
Hobbs
Richards

Changing vote to Hutton, not sure why I put Richards.

 

[a massive zebra]

Garry Sobers vs George Headley
Sachin Tendulkar vs Brian Lara
Jack Hobbs vs Sunil Gavaskar
Viv Richards vs Len Hutton