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2nd greatest living cricketer

Who is the 2nd greatest living cricketer (behind Sobers)?


  • Total voters
    74

Slifer

International Captain
Ambrose and McGrath also got to routinely dine out on hapless English batting throughout their careers. Donald played half as much against ENG and was tracking along with similar returns. Like others have said, an incredibly underrated bowler and only a shade below the other two among the greatest of the era.
Ambrose also played extensively vs very very good Australian and South African lineups which were genuinely better than his. So there's that as well...
 

Coronis

Cricketer Of The Year
I'm surprised how often Donald is referred to as under-rated on CW - he seems exceptionally highly (and fairly) rated in these parts, moreso than in the outside world that I can see.

One of the more jarring examples of Donald's rating in some of the wider cricketing community is from Geoff Armstrong, who a lot of us know from his 100 Greatest Cricketers book. In that book he picked nine all-time XIs and extraordinarily didn't find a spot for Donald in any of them.
Wow really I hadn’t noticed that. Says a bit about me too I guess….
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
There was a thread on this book back in the day.

 

Teja.

Global Moderator
Interestingly Donald however got a few votes in Wisden 5 cricketers of the century poll
Recency bias was huge as evidenced by such disproportionately high votes for players who had played in the last decade.
 

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
Donald got one vote in that Wisden thing. It was a complete nonsense. The voters admitted they voted for a couple of obvious choices and then chucked in personal favourites. Only Bradman got the full 100. Even Sobers only got 90. The biggest after that was 30/100.

 

The Great One

Cricket Spectator
Hi.
Just joined this forum this morning.

An interesting poll. I am assuming we rank all rounders higher than specialists.

No doubt Sobers is the best all round cricketer of my lifetime. Could do it all. Bat, field and bowl in three different styles. No one since comes close.

Of the players listed in the poll I went for Kallis. He wasn't exactly a dynamic player but he scored a lot of runs, take vital wickets and didn't drop many in the slips. Any player who can bat at 4, bowl second change and field where he did is hard to beat. Shaun Pollock played in that team and was also pretty handy.

Best bats of my lifetime it is hard to split Tendulkar, Viv Richards and Lara. I did see Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock play in Sydney with the 1971/72 Rest of the World team but didn't see enough of them to rank them alongside the other three.

When Australia had gun sides in the 90's we had the Waugh twins and Greg Blewett who were more than useful bowlers, in the batting order at 4 5 and 6. The flexibility that provides in the side can often be so vital.
 
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kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Hi.
Just joined this forum this morning.

An interesting poll. I am assuming we rank all rounders higher than specialists.

No doubt Sobers is the best all round cricketer of my lifetime. Could do it all. Bat, field and bowl in three different styles. No one since comes close.

Of the players listed in the poll I went for Kallis. He wasn't exactly a dynamic player but he scored a lot of runs, take vital wickets and didn't drop many in the slips. Any player who can bat at 4, bowl second change and field where he did is hard to beat. Shaun Pollock played in that team and was also pretty handy.

Best bats of my lifetime it is hard to split Tendulkar, Viv Richards and Lara. I did see Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock play in Sydney with the 1971/72 Rest of the World team but didn't see enough of them to rank them alongside the other three.

When Australia had gun sides in the 90's we had the Waugh twins and Greg Blewett who were more than useful bowlers, in the batting order at 4 5 and 6. The flexibility that provides in the side can often be so vital.
Nice 1st take, and welcome. Having seen as much as you have, looking forward to your insights.
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Thank you. Started playing as an 8 year old in 1962. Finished in 1986.

Coached juniors and Junior Reps in Sydney from 1976 to 1991.

Just a spectator now, but still enjoy watching the game. Bit of an armchair selector at times.


Aren't we all?

And nice, seems to have had a good run.

We're having a discussion in one of the other threads, how do you personally rank Steve Smith compared to Richards, Tendulkar and Lara?
 

The Great One

Cricket Spectator
Aren't we all?

And nice, seems to have had a good run.

We're having a discussion in one of the other threads, how do you personally rank Steve Smith compared to Richards, Tendulkar and Lara?
I did some part time work at the indoor cricket centre in Bankstown when their winter Friday night junior comp was going early this century..

There was a curly haired little guy of 12 to 13 years of age who arrived every week at 4pm for a 615 game. It was Steve Smith. His parents both worked shifts and had to drop him off. We needed some umpires so I suggested to him that I train him to umpire the 415pm under 10's games. He learned quickly and did that for 2 winters. Really nice well brought up kid.

To answer your question I have always felt his funky technique at some point in his 30's will desert him and cause problems.

At this point it hasn't.

South Africa 2018 was really shattering. But I think it was more a case of not knowing how to handle the players involved. An error in judgement and leadership rather than corrupt.

At present one of the top 3 batters in the game.

Like Marnus his leggies are worth a try every now and then.
 

The Great One

Cricket Spectator
Not a name I expected to see in this thread!
I was just highlighting the significance of having batters who can bowl a bit like the Waugh's and Blewett who were at one stage in the same test team.
They can contribute a few overs and the odd wicket while the main bowlers are resting.

At the moment our test team needs Cameron Green to develop both with the bat and the ball to give us a better balance.
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
I was just highlighting the significance of having batters who can bowl a bit like the Waugh's and Blewett who were at one stage in the same test team.
They can contribute a few overs and the odd wicket while the main bowlers are resting.

At the moment our test team needs Cameron Green to develop both with the bat and the ball to give us a better balance.
the perpetual Australian post-2005 Ashes hunt for an all-rounder still going strong
 

The Great One

Cricket Spectator
the perpetual Australian post-2005 Ashes hunt for an all-rounder still going strong
Where an all rounder comes in handy is on the sub continent where it gets stinking hot and there is a need for 2 spinners. This is where a fast medium bowler who can bat 6 comes into play. At the moment with our attack Marnus would be our 2nd spinner and while he is good for a few overs and the occasional wicket he is not a front line bowler.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Blewett or the Waughs were not genuine allrounders though, at least in tests. They are just guys who can bowl a few decent overs in a day to relieve the main bowlers. Even that is not happening with Australia right now which means your 3 seamers are often bowled to the ground.
 

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