• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Best Test Batsman since 2000

The Best Test Batsman of this century !VOTE 3 TIMES!


  • Total voters
    58

Athlai

Not Terrible
Top test batsmen of this century according to CW

1) Ponting
7276 runs @ 65.54

2) Kallis
6836 @ 62.71

3) Dravid
6794 @ 59.49

4) Hayden
7478 @ 55.80

5) Lara/Yousuf
Lara 6380 @ 54.06
Yousuf 5656 @ 62.15
 

SJS

Hall of Fame Member
Top test batsmen of this century according to CW

1) Ponting
7276 runs @ 65.54

2) Kallis
6836 @ 62.71

3) Dravid
6794 @ 59.49

4) Hayden
7478 @ 55.80

5) Lara/Yousuf
Lara 6380 @ 54.06
Yousuf 5656 @ 62.15
Well that puts things in better perspective. Good someone decided to put the idea of the other thread to vote.
 

howardj

International Coach
Ponting (he can up the ante in a way that Kallis and Dravid cannot).

Kallis (just an awesome technique and as hungry as a crocodile - player of the 2000's so far).

Dravid (a great technician and endless resolve).
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Ponting (he can up the ante in a way that Kallis and Dravid cannot).

Kallis (just an awesome technique and as hungry as a crocodile - player of the 2000's so far).

Dravid (a great technician and endless resolve).
Agree with most of that but for the bolded part - I don't think Kallis's bowling makes such a difference that he would automatically go ahead of Ponting for that accolade, and that's without even considering Murali, Warne and McGrath, all of whom I'd rate ahead as well.
 

gunner

U19 Cricketer
i wouldnt vote for kallis
his average has been bloated by scoring those big 100's against a dreadful west indies attack
 

howardj

International Coach
Agree with most of that but for the bolded part - I don't think Kallis's bowling makes such a difference that he would automatically go ahead of Ponting for that accolade, and that's without even considering Murali, Warne and McGrath, all of whom I'd rate ahead as well.
Mate, I think when you're only the second person in the history of cricket to score 5000 test runs and take 200 test wickets, you have a very strong case. Sobers is pretty good company to be in.
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Mate, I think when you're only the second person in the history of cricket to score 5000 test runs and take 200 test wickets, you have a very strong case. Sobers is pretty good company to be in.
No question about his numbers - over 8000 Test runs at 56 plus 200+ wickets at 31 places him, statistically, as one of the 3 or 4 greatest cricketers in the history of the game. I'm just of the opinion that - exceptional as he undoubtedly is - he's not quite as good as his raw numbers suggest.

One of the outstanding cricketers of his generation, for sure, but not at the very top in my books.

But that's just me. :)
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
No question about his numbers - over 8000 Test runs at 56 plus 200+ wickets at 31 places him, statistically, as one of the 3 or 4 greatest cricketers in the history of the game. I'm just of the opinion that - exceptional as he undoubtedly is - he's not quite as good as his raw numbers suggest.

One of the outstanding cricketers of his generation, for sure, but not at the very top in my books.

But that's just me. :)
It depends greatly on what numbers you look at. Kallis' is a remarkably complex career and there's any number of different breakdowns you can use to get a better picture than his overall career averages, which rarely tell you much about any player.

I'm not about to compare him as a batsman to Sobers or Tendulkar - heck, even Richards ;) - but he's done the job of bashing rubbish bowling as well as anyone the last 6 years; had shown before that that he was well capable of scoring, if not to anywhere near the same extent, against more powerful attacks (even if he never had to face his own); and has bowled well plenty of times in his career, if less in the last 3 years than he had previously.

Kallis is - has been of times at the very least - indisputably one of the greatest all-rounders in history.
 

Top