Best Attack

[Coronis]

How many wickets would Sobers have taken if he debuted around the time Andy Roberts debuted? Effectively a career overlapping the crop of great West Indian pace bowlers.

Assuming he plays the same amount of tests I’d say 200 or less.

 

[smash84]

How many wickets would Sobers have taken if he debuted around the time Andy Roberts debuted? Effectively a career overlapping the crop of great West Indian pace bowlers.

His batting average might also suffer facing better opposition bowling of the 70s and 80s

 

[reyrey]

How many wickets would Sobers have taken if he debuted around the time Andy Roberts debuted? Effectively a career overlapping the crop of great West Indian pace bowlers.

His pace bowling wouldn't be needed and that wouldn't actually be a bad thing for him. He'd probably end up a better spin bowler as that would become his main bowling focus and as the main/lone spin bowling option in the side he'd still end up with plenty of wickets. I'd say 250, averaging low 30s

 

[ankitj]

His batting average might also suffer facing better opposition bowling of the 70s and 80s

He faced Lindwall, Miller, Davidson from Australia; Trueman, Statham, Snow, Laker from England; Fazal Mahmood from Pakistan ; quality spinners from India. He faced enough quality overall. His case is not like Bradman's.

 

[HouHsiaoHsien]

He faced Lindwall, Miller, Davidson from Australia; Trueman, Statham, Snow, Laker from England; Fazal Mahmood from Pakistan ; quality spinners from India. He faced enough quality overall. His case is not like Bradman's.

Bowling quality in the 70s and 80s was higher overall tho. Sobers only faced Lindwall and Miller in 1954 and didn’t do well. Someone like Richards faced Lillee, Thomson in multiple series, and Imran, Sarfaraz and Qadir from Pak, Hadlee from Eng, Botham and Willis in Eng and in first series Underwood as well, and the quartet, Kapil Dev from India. However specifically for India and England agreed, and Sobers did brilliantly against both.

 

[kyear2]

Bowling quality in the 70s and 80s was higher overall tho. Sobers only faced Lindwall and Miller in 1954 and didn’t do well. Someone like Richards faced Lillee, Thomson in multiple series, and Imran, Sarfaraz and Qadir from Pak, Hadlee from Eng, Botham and Willis in Eng and in first series Underwood as well, and the quartet, Kapil Dev from India. However specifically for India and England agreed, and Sobers did brilliantly against both.

254. He was past his best and took on a young rampaging Lillee at his absolute fastest.

In 55 when he faced Lindwall and Miller at 18 years old, he wasn't nearly the batsman he would become, having batted at 9 just a few months prior, and at least two of those tests he opened the innings to give the team a jump start at the top innings, think he scored 47 his first innings opening.

He also faced Underwood and Benaud during his career.

 

[smash84]

He faced Lindwall, Miller, Davidson from Australia; Trueman, Statham, Snow, Laker from England; Fazal Mahmood from Pakistan ; quality spinners from India. He faced enough quality overall. His case is not like Bradman's.

I thought Miller retired by 1956 or something

 

[smash84]

Bowling quality in the 70s and 80s was higher overall tho. Sobers only faced Lindwall and Miller in 1954 and didn’t do well. Someone like Richards faced Lillee, Thomson in multiple series, and Imran, Sarfaraz and Qadir from Pak, Hadlee from Eng, Botham and Willis in Eng and in first series Underwood as well, and the quartet, Kapil Dev from India. However specifically for India and England agreed, and Sobers did brilliantly against both.

This

 

[HouHsiaoHsien]

254. He was past his best and took on a young rampaging Lillee at his absolute fastest.

In 55 when he faced Lindwall and Miller at 18 years old, he wasn't nearly the batsman he would become, having batted at 9 just a few months prior, and at least two of those tests he opened the innings to give the team a jump start at the top innings, think he scored 47 his first innings opening.

He also faced Underwood and Benaud during his career.

Agreed, but overall I would say someone like Viv faced higher bowling quality overall, better Aus and significantly better Pak attacks in multiple series, the quartet in two series, Botham and Willis from Eng(although Sobers faced a better Eng attack), and Hadlee from NZ.

 

[subshakerz]

Agreed, but overall I would say someone like Viv faced higher bowling quality overall, better Aus and significantly better Pak attacks in multiple series, the quartet in two series, Botham and Willis from Eng(although Sobers faced a better Eng attack), and Hadlee from NZ.

The key difference between Viv and Lara is Lara's weakness against high quality pace.

This wasn't a problem early career for Lara. Someone pointed out he developed this eye issue around the mid 90s. Since then, he had poor series against Donald, 2Ws, Bond and the English quartet.

 

[kyear2]

Agreed, but overall I would say someone like Viv faced higher bowling quality overall, better Aus and significantly better Pak attacks in multiple series, the quartet in two series, Botham and Willis from Eng(although Sobers faced a better Eng attack), and Hadlee from NZ.

But isn't that why IVA is rated as highly as he is, because he has faced and succeeded against better attacks than anyone with only Sachin and Lara and possibly Sobers and Sunny coming close.