Best of The Second Tier

[ankitj]

PEWS you are taking your longevity formula too literally

 

[kyear2]

Well, ESPN's legends of cricket had Pollock at #15 and Headley at #18. The Wisden all time batsmen ranking had Pollock at #17 and Headley at #19. A fair few have Pollock in their first ATXI (tried searching for a link I had read once before but no luck). Bradman classed Pollock alongside Sobers as one of the two best left handed batsmen of all time.

All that aside, what is more important is that no one spoke of Pollock in anything but superlative terms. So to put him in tier 2 seems unfair to me except on the basis of not having played too many matches (not his fault, but that's the way some people see). But then on that basis Headley would also be disqualified. Hence the question.

Same must be said of Barry Richards. No one thought of him as a level below even Viv Rchards but often is not mentioned in the league of ATGs because he played only 4 tests and fair enough to that.

To start, I have never tried to speak of Pollock in anything less than superlative tones. Secondly Barry Richards is seen as better by many out side of South Africa because of the fact that after S.A. was banned, he plyed his trade everywhere and when given the opportunity played his best againts the best, Graeme confided him self to playing inside of S.A. and that hurt his legacy. In addition to test cricket, Headley also proved his worth on those long tours and first class cricket and performed on par or just below the likes of Hammond and Bradman. Grimmett played againts some of the greatest and said Headley was the best on side player he has ever seen. But that is all besides the point, as I said earlier, I just wanted to compare mainly Pollock, Weekes and Compton and see who most though was better. I myself have Pollock as the better just ahed of Weekes, but I have spoken to some who rates Weekes as the greatest they ever saw, just wanted a comparrison btwn the players listed, didnt mean to offend.

 

[ankitj]

Not sure about Pollock's legacy being hurt. He was awarded the title of the South African cricketer of the century and is regarded by many as the greatest Saffer even after Kallis, S Pollock and Donald.

Anyway, considering those cricketers that are considered ATG but don't receive 'superlative' praise as belonging to tier 2, we'd have Suttcliffe, Barrington, Compton, Weekes, Border, Waugh, Dravid and Kallis in that category. Of these I'd consider Suttcliffe as the best. So there's my answer.

 

[Flametree]

I can live with that, if I were to go to 15 that is more or less the 15 I would choose. In your estimation though, who is better Weekes or Pollock?

I think if I were selecting all-time elevens, I'd have Pollock in the second xi, and Weekes in the third. Pollock gets a boost by being a left hander, though!

 

[JBMAC]

A few names for you to chew on for second tier:

O'Neill,Kallicharan,Kanhai,Barrington,Dexter,D'Oliviera,May,Sutcliffe,Cowdrey,Graveney,Nurse,Miandad,Engineer,Merchant

 

[kyear2]

A few names for you to chew on for second tier:

O'Neill,Kallicharan,Kanhai,Barrington,Dexter,D'Oliviera,May,Sutcliffe,Cowdrey,Graveney,Nurse,Miandad,Engineer,Merchant

So JB, who is in yout top tier, very interested in your response.

 

[JBMAC]

So JB, who is in yout top tier, very interested in your response.

Bradman( )Lara,Tendulkar,Pollock(G),Barlow,Chappell(G),Richards(V),Richards(B),Headley,Sobers,Weekes,Lloyd,Walcott (this off the top of my head....reserve the right to alter same if i think about it