Sunil Gavaskar vs Graeme Pollock

[PlayerComparisons]

Who do you think would have been better if Pollock had a full test career?

 

[Johan]

Probably Sunny, Pollock would not play that many games, he managed 22~ games in 7 years, assuming a similar rate maintains he'd only play Australia and England for like 30 games a decade, if he gets West Indies then I don't think he'll get 1971 or 1979 tier attacks, his home wickets would also be substantially spicier especially with Le Roux and Van Der Bijl. He also wasn't a fan of bodyline bowling.

 

[DrWolverine]

Sunny easily

 

[Coronis]

Probably Sunny, Pollock would not play that many games, he managed 22~ games in 7 years, assuming a similar rate maintains he'd only play Australia and England for like 30 games a decade, if he gets West Indies then I don't think he'll get 1971 or 1979 tier attacks, his home wickets would also be substantially spicier especially with Le Roux and Van Der Bijl. He also wasn't a fan of bodyline bowling.

I believe we’d presume here that South Africa would be playing a normal schedule.

Well you’d hope at least. The reason they were playing so few test matches was due to their policies at the time.

Anyway I reckon Pollock probably. Mainly because he was so good for so long. iirc he was still scoring tons against the rebel Aussies in his final FC year at age 42

 

[Johan]

I believe we’d presume here that South Africa would be playing a normal schedule.

Well you’d hope at least. The reason they were playing so few test matches was due to their policies at the time.

if normal schedule I can see Graeme doing relative to Gavaskar.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

I think he’d have a similar batting career/record to Sobers tbh

 

[Johan]

I think he’d have a similar batting career/record to Sobers tbh

Exceptionally improbable.

 

[Coronis]

Exceptionally improbable.

Is it though?

 

[PlayerComparisons]

He was only 26 when he played his last test and most players tend to peak in their late 20s and early 30s. At least he’d have been a top 10 batsmen imo.

 

[Johan]

Is it though?

yeah I don't see it happening tbh, I think he'd be a very strong top 10 candidate but fall slightly off of the Sobers/Sachin level.

 

[Coronis]

yeah I don't see it happening tbh, I think he'd be a very strong top 10 candidate but fall slightly off of the Sobers/Sachin level.

I mean the similarities are striking. Teen test player, left handed, only struggled against New Zealand. Plus he was still smashing runs at an age when Sobers had already retired.

 

[kyear2]

Going with Sunny here.

 

[sayon basak]

Going with Sunny here.

Why?

 

[capt_Luffy]

I believe we’d presume here that South Africa would be playing a normal schedule.

Well you’d hope at least. The reason they were playing so few test matches was due to their policies at the time.

Anyway I reckon Pollock probably. Mainly because he was so good for so long. iirc he was still scoring tons against the rebel Aussies in his final FC year at age 42

I reckon reading that Graeme had a few too many patches of form in his career for a batsman of his class.

 

[Johan]

Pollock is one of the supremely talented players of the game.

At 19, He played his first test match, went to Australia and made two hundreds, one coming in at 2-58 at Sydney where he made 122, he made a 175 alongside Eddie Barlow to win a game, all against a decent attack.

At 20, he made 137 and 77 against a weaker and lighter England with Geoffrey Boycott being the best pacer available but against two good spinners in Allen and Titmus.

At 21, he toured England and averaged 57 in first class, well ahead of the other guys, he made two hundreds against Snow and a double hundred against Derek Underwood (whom Gavaskar would later call one of the toughest to face), His one hundred at Trent Bridge would be one of the most respected hundreds by a touring batsman in England, called the best hundred any tourist has made since Bradman himself, a dominated 125 off of 145 on a greentop.

at 22, He'd make a 209 on the traditionally spicy cape town wicket when the rest of the South African team managed a pathetic 144/9, McKenzie was bowling fire and Pollock, as always, stood there and smacked him around.

at 23, He made a hundred on a very spicy Port Elizabeth wicket that would eventually lead to a South African win, once against McKenzie was breathing fire and Pollock got on top and dominated even on a pacey wicket.

at 26, he'd play this next series and made 274, the largest score made by any South African in Test Cricket upto that point, in their entire 100 year history upto that point, and it would stay until late 90s.

All that said, he also had an issue, Lillee deduced that he didn't like short pitched fast bowling, and given his technique I can see him struggling on rank turners, I won't put him ahead of Gavaskar on ability though not necessarily behind either, at the end, I think realistically Gavaskar would always have a better career, the scheduling for South Africa would be different and Pollock would likely go play World Series Cricket, or atleast, Kerry would try.

 

[Coronis]

Pollock is one of the supremely talented players of the game.

At 19, He played his first test match, went to Australia and made two hundreds, one coming in at 2-58 at Sydney where he made 122, he made a 175 alongside Eddie Barlow to win a game, all against a decent attack.

At 20, he made 137 and 77 against a weaker and lighter England with Geoffrey Boycott being the best pacer available but against two good spinners in Allen and Titmus.

At 21, he toured England and averaged 57 in first class, well ahead of the other guys, he made two hundreds against Snow and a double hundred against Derek Underwood (whom Gavaskar would later call one of the toughest to face), His one hundred at Trent Bridge would be one of the most respected hundreds by a touring batsman in England, called the best hundred any tourist has made since Bradman himself, a dominated 125 off of 145 on a greentop.

at 22, He'd make a 209 on the traditionally spicy cape town wicket when the rest of the South African team managed a pathetic 144/9, McKenzie was bowling fire and Pollock, as always, stood there and smacked him around.

at 23, He made a hundred on a very spicy Port Elizabeth wicket that would eventually lead to a South African win, once against McKenzie was breathing fire and Pollock got on top and dominated even on a pacey wicket.

at 26, he'd play this next series and made 274, the largest score made by any South African in Test Cricket upto that point, in their entire 100 year history upto that point, and it would stay until late 90s.

All that said, he also had an issue, Lillee deduced that he didn't like short pitched fast bowling, and given his technique I can see him struggling on rank turners, I won't put him ahead of Gavaskar on ability though not necessarily behind either, at the end, I think realistically Gavaskar would always have a better career, the scheduling for South Africa would be different and Pollock would likely go play World Series Cricket, or atleast, Kerry would try.

I mean Lillee faced him in 2 matches iirc and only dismissed him once. Taking that with a grain of salt

 

[kyear2]

Why?

I've watched Graeme bat, I think he's an ATG, I don't think he's Sunny's level.

Sunny's borderline top 10, that's a hair below the BAB tier, I don't have Pollock there.

 

[kyear2]

Pollock is one of the supremely talented players of the game.

At 19, He played his first test match, went to Australia and made two hundreds, one coming in at 2-58 at Sydney where he made 122, he made a 175 alongside Eddie Barlow to win a game, all against a decent attack.

At 20, he made 137 and 77 against a weaker and lighter England with Geoffrey Boycott being the best pacer available but against two good spinners in Allen and Titmus.

At 21, he toured England and averaged 57 in first class, well ahead of the other guys, he made two hundreds against Snow and a double hundred against Derek Underwood (whom Gavaskar would later call one of the toughest to face), His one hundred at Trent Bridge would be one of the most respected hundreds by a touring batsman in England, called the best hundred any tourist has made since Bradman himself, a dominated 125 off of 145 on a greentop.

at 22, He'd make a 209 on the traditionally spicy cape town wicket when the rest of the South African team managed a pathetic 144/9, McKenzie was bowling fire and Pollock, as always, stood there and smacked him around.

at 23, He made a hundred on a very spicy Port Elizabeth wicket that would eventually lead to a South African win, once against McKenzie was breathing fire and Pollock got on top and dominated even on a pacey wicket.

at 26, he'd play this next series and made 274, the largest score made by any South African in Test Cricket upto that point, in their entire 100 year history upto that point, and it would stay until late 90s.

All that said, he also had an issue, Lillee deduced that he didn't like short pitched fast bowling, and given his technique I can see him struggling on rank turners, I won't put him ahead of Gavaskar on ability though not necessarily behind either, at the end, I think realistically Gavaskar would always have a better career, the scheduling for South Africa would be different and Pollock would likely go play World Series Cricket, or atleast, Kerry would try.

From what I've read it wasn't just Lillee, and yes he lacked anything resembling even minimal movement of his feet or subtle hands.

Plus I don't think he was as extensively tested as the other greatest of the era.

Just my opinion though.

 

[sayon basak]

I've watched Graeme bat, I think he's an ATG, I don't think he's Sunny's level.

Sunny's borderline top 10, that's a hair below the BAB tier, I don't have Pollock there.

Assuming that you saw both Pollock and Barry bat, what's your personal perception? Do you feel like there was a big gap between them?

 

[Johan]

From what I've read it wasn't just Lillee, and yes he lacked anything resembling even minimal movement of his feet or subtle hands.

Plus I don't think he was as extensively tested as the other greatest of the era.

Just my opinion though.

I think I remember @peterhrt having a list of Pollock's performances against the bat.