Mike Proctor vs Kapil Dev

[Johan]

Obviously Mike Procter is a ridiculous cricketer. If you read across his FC stats he could have been the GOAT but I don’t think those read across’s work in real life and there’s enough variance of outcome that you have to pick the person who actually had an exceptional test career

You'd find many do have Barry over Boycott. Boycott also outperformed Barry in English First class by a mile, statistically, though Barry's game was more productive for three day matches, and Boycott also had a much longer FC career, and maintained excellence for longer, Boycott in the 1980s when he was 40+ was averaging higher in english FC than Barry did at his peak.

 

[ma1978]

You'd find many do have Barry over Boycott.

and I understand why. But I’m not there yet on agreeing with it

 

[ma1978]

I mean its obviously parallel to Barry, I don’t think anyone here is calling Procter > Dev, just that if things worked out he probably would’ve been better. Like how most people wouldn’t say Barry > Boycott but if things had worked out he probably would’ve been better.

again it’s a reasonable take, I’m just on the other side of the argument though not strongly. Procter (and Barry) were freaks

 

[Himannv]

I'm sure Harry Potter would have also been a great test cricketer. He too didn't have full career.

Smacked Moldywart around with just a twig IIRC. Goat.

 

[Coronis]

Just for reference, FC stats minus tests for the 4 AR’s + Procter

Mike Procter (1965-1988*)
394 matches 657 innings 21710 @ 36.18 48 tons 109 fifties
1376 @ 19.67 SR 46.47 69 5’fers 10 10’fers
321 catches

Imran Khan (1969-1992)
294 matches 456 innings 13964 @ 36.55 24 tons 75 fities
925 @ 22.13 SR 49.48 47 5’fers 7 10’fers
89 catches

Richard Hadlee (1972-1990)
256 matches 339 innings 8928 @ 33.69 12 tons 44 fifties
1059 @ 16.42 SR 43.06 66 5’fers 9 10’fers
159 catches

Ian Botham (1974-1993)
300 matches 456 innings 14199 @ 34.13 24 tons 75 fifties
789 @ 26.65 SR 52.89 22 5’fers 4 10’fers
234 catches

Kapil Dev (1975-1994)
144 matches 200 innings 6108 @ 34.70 10 tons 29 fifties
401 @ 24.34 SR 52.65 16 5’fers 1 10’fer
128 catches

*Procter retired in 1983 and came back for 3 Currie Cup matches in 1988

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Surprisingly Boycott has significantly better non test FC stats than Viv, Gavaskar, and Chappell

 

[kyear2]

Proctor by a mile

By miles.

As it stands I still think he's better.

 

[smash84]

Born about 5 months after release

Usually kids are born 9 months after release

 

[sayon basak]

Usually kids are born 9 months after release

Once it's released, you are born. Rest is just packaging delay.

 

[Thala_0710]

Surprisingly Boycott has significantly better non test FC stats than Viv, Gavaskar, and Chappell

That's not really that surprising tbh

 

[kyear2]

I'm sure Harry Potter would have also been a great test cricketer. He too didn't have full career.

There is such a difference between who was better, and who had a better test career.

The subtle distinction seems to have misplaced here.

Procter more than proved himself.

 

[kyear2]

Lets not forget he was a great slip too. Um but yeah on that slight tangent, looking at pure batting averages to compare Procter and Imran would be a mistake. Similarish to Beefy and Imran.

Compared to the all rounders of the 80's, Procter was arguably behind only Hadlee as a bowler, on par if not ahead of Beefy as a batsman and on par if not more athletic than Botham in the slips.

 

[kyear2]

I mean its obviously parallel to Barry, I don’t think anyone here is calling Procter > Dev, just that if things worked out he probably would’ve been better. Like how most people wouldn’t say Barry > Boycott but if things had worked out he probably would’ve been better.

Many do rate Barry ahead of Boycott, the same way I easily rate Procter ahead of Kapil.

 

[kyear2]

and I understand why. But I’m not there yet on agreeing with it

again it’s a reasonable take, I’m just on the other side of the argument though not strongly. Procter (and Barry) were freaks

Ok,understood.

I can respect that.

 

[Coronis]

I mean hypothetically in my mind at least the min/max for Procter would’ve been something like Pollock/Imran. Hypothetically, I think that’s better than Kapil.

 

[kyear2]

I mean hypothetically in my mind at least the min/max for Procter would’ve been something like Pollock/Imran. Hypothetically, I think that’s better than Kapil.

Easily.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Not entirely sure how well Proctor's awkward bowling style would've fit into test cricket and whether batsmen would get more accustomed to him over time. But he was clearly a ridiculous talent, some of his all round achievements in fc are extraordinary.

 

[ataraxia]

I mean hypothetically in my mind at least the min/max for Procter would’ve been something like Pollock/Imran. Hypothetically, I think that’s better than Kapil.

Nah at a guess I don't think Procter would be as good as Pollock in tests. Maybe that's just because I rate Shaun though.

 

[kyear2]

Nah at a guess I don't think Procter would be as good as Pollock in tests. Maybe that's just because I rate Shaun though.

You think Shaun as a talent was a better batsman or bowler than Mike?

 

[ataraxia]

You think Shaun as a talent was a better batsman or bowler than Mike?

On talent? No. I'm a big Procter fan, I'm just really sceptical of the performances of anyone who didn't play tests at that level up, particularly all-rounders. I'm definitely not going to rate Procter ahead of Pollock as a bowler – he's a fair way behind van der Bijl isn't he?