CW decides the top 45 ODI Batsmen ever: The countdown thread

[Red]

Post 5 names at least every day if possible.

EVERY day.

 

[mr_mister]

Equal #43. Virender Sehwag (8 points)

Lists featured on: 3/28
Top 5 finishes: 0
Highest finish: 17th (1 time)

Highest ODI score: 219(149) v WI in ‘11
Highest WC score: 175(140) v Ban in GS of ‘11
Highest WC KO score: 82(81) v Aus in F of ‘03

World Cups played at: 3
World Cup finals played in: 2
World Cups won: 1

WC innings per 50+ score: 4.4 (equal 37th/45)
Career innings per 50+ score: 4.62 (43rd/45)


Viru is an interesting case. I feel he didn’t achieve his full potential in this format considering his test resume. Despite at one stage owning the highest ODI score, despite perfectly acceptable stats(career avg + s/r at least) for an opener in the range of Gilly, Dilshan and Jayasuriya, he wasn’t as consistent as he should have been. Having one of the worst 50+ ratios on this list is quite telling especially since he was an opener. He went missing a bit in world cups, the lone stand in the ‘03 final and the explosive start to the ‘11 campaign not withstanding. There were plenty of failures on the biggest stage.

Still, it’s a testament to his test batting that his ODI career can be considered wasted potential. A lack of footwork was made up for with a great eye, and he was happy to take on any bowler at any time. His work as an opener definitely felt influenced by his hero Sachin who in the ‘90s raised the bar for explosive openers which Sehwag did his best to reach. There were even similarities in the way they played certain shots. But unlike Sachin, Sehwag didn’t have a lower gear and would happily go down swinging rather than waste balls. He averaged a mere 21 against the best bowling side of his era, Australia, from 29 digs with no tons and only 3 fifties. A bit damning.

 

[CricAddict]

A bit surprising that Sehwag has featured in 3 lists out of 28.

 

[ankitj]

I get top scores and 50+ in world cups. People put emphasis on that here. What is the point of number of world cups played or world cups won in this?

 

[TheJediBrah]

What is the point of number of world cups played or world cups won in this?

Haven't you heard? They are the only games that matter

 

[mr_mister]

I get top scores and 50+ in world cups. People put emphasis on that here. What is the point of number of world cups played or world cups won in this?

Dunno. Just to show how long their career was or how many 'rings' they won.

Edit - I remember being really impressed as a kid that Miandad played the first 6 world cups. I've always thought it was a nifty little stat

 

[marc71178]

Dunno. Just to show how long their career was or how many 'rings' they won.

Edit - I remember being really impressed as a kid that Miandad played the first 6 world cups. I've always thought it was a nifty little stat

Works for me.

I do however demand that we get 20 a day from here on in so that it can be finished by the end of the weekend. I don't care that you're spending hours on each one, you must deliver more!

 

[ankitj]

Haven't you heard? They are the only games that matter

Never. Tell me about it.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Haha. Today for example due to work I left the house at 9am and I won't get back home til 11pm. That's an extreme example of my work hours but yeah.

I have plenty of spare time to make sporadic **** posts mind you but I'd prefer to sit down at home with something better than a phone for these write ups

I'll have some days where I can pump through a lot though

That's fine , thought it would have been more interesting for comparisons and discussions.

 

[mr_mister]

Never. Tell me about it.

I'm not lending to the theory that WCs are the only thing that matter, not at all. Just that they're the most important type of ODIs

 

[Second Spitter]

If Borevan is voted number 1, I will leave this forum forever.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

If Borevan is voted number 1, I will leave this forum forever.

Viv
Sachin
Kohli

First 3

 

[Logan]

Viv, Sachin and Kohli are the top 3.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Unfair to ABDV though

 

[mr_mister]

Equal #42. Yuvraj Singh (8 points)

Lists featured on: 2/28
Top 5 finishes: 0
Highest finish: 15th (1 time)

Highest ODI score: 150(127) v Eng in ‘17
Highest WC score: 113(123) v WI in GS of ‘11
Highest WC KO score: 57*(65) v Aus in QF on ‘11

World Cups played at: 3
World Cup finals played in: 2
World Cups won: 1

WC innings per 50+ score: 2.63(equal 10th/45)
Career innings per 50+ score: 4.21(38th/45)

Yuvraj Singh, when all is said and done, had an amazing ODI career. I won’t dwell on the cancer battle but having to have dealt with that negatively affected his record as he was diagnosed during his peak and couldn’t regain the magic afterwards consistently. The first thing that may grab your attention is his WC record where he averaged 52 and struck at 90. He also the cracked the top 10 for the 50+ ratios in that category, revealing how vital he was in all 3 of the campaigns he took part in. Of course the 2011 victory was his masterpiece, where he hit 4 fifties, a ton and claimed 15 wickets to make the player of the tournament award an easy decision.

He was a fast scorer and when in form he could carefully balance between big hitter and stroke maker like few others. Nothing displayed his ability to hit a long ball better than the 6 sixes in an over he hit in the t20 WC in ‘07, despite coming in a different format it’s very memorable.

In 2017, 17 years after his ODI debut he hit his first and only 150, a nice little achievement to sign off on for sure.

 

[mr_mister]

A slight error: Sehwag and Yuvrag are equal 42nd together. Can no longer edit the Sehwag post though

 

[Logan]

Is the special mentioning of “Highest WC Knockout Score” only to knock down Kohli?

Just asking.

 

[mr_mister]

Equal #40. Allan Lamb (9 points)

Lists featured on: 4/28
Top 5 finishes: 0
Highest finish: 16th (1 time)

Highest ODI score: 118(121) v Pak in ‘82
Highest WC score: 102(105) v NZ in GS of ‘83
Highest WC KO score: 45(55) v Aus in F of ‘87

World Cups played at: 3
World Cup finals played in: 2
World Cups won: 0

WC innings per 50+ score: 4.25 (equal 34th/45)
Career innings per 50+ score: 3.93 (equal 32nd/45)


Just a heads up that there’s a lot of ties in the early part of this countdown. Lambie, who was 28 when he made his ODI debut due to having to move to the UK from a barred SA, made a massive splash at the beginning of his ODI career. A 99 in his second game, followed by a ton in his third, ninth(which was also his first WC game) and 18th helped him reach an average of over 50 after 30 matches, this in a time when hardly anyone produced those numbers in the format. His career avg of around 40 and S/R of around 75 mirrored Fairbrother’s ‘overachieving’ stats but 10 years earlier. Lamb of course was a more traditional and orthodox player, but similar to Fairbrother and Hick had more success in ODIs then tests so isn’t always given due credit for how much of a stalwart he was for his country.

It was considered fact that he was better against pace than spin like other South African born players from the era. 6 of his 14 test tons came against the WI, but in the ODI format he seemed to handle spin and pace with equal competence. He averaged 46 and struck at 86 in Asia, and overall averaged over 45 against SL, Pak and India combined while averaging at least 40 against all of them individually.

Arguably his most famous moment and one of the earliest examples of a clutch ODI finish came in an ‘87 ODI series against Australia where he clobbered 18 runs off the final over of a chase, bowled by the highly regarded Bruce Reid, to give his side a shock victory. He was on 59 off 97 at the beginning of the final over and had hit just the one boundary til that point. Talk about taking it deep!

 

[mr_mister]

Is the special mentioning of “Highest WC Knockout Score” only to knock down Kohli?

Just asking.

Nope. I put Kohli second on my personal list. Stop overthinking things

 

[CricAddict]

Equal #42. Yuvraj Singh (8 points)

Lists featured on: 2/28
Top 5 finishes: 0
Highest finish: 15th (1 time)

Highest ODI score: 150(127) v Eng in ‘17
Highest WC score: 113(123) v WI in GS of ‘11
Highest WC KO score: 57*(65) v Aus in QF on ‘11

World Cups played at: 3
World Cup finals played in: 2
World Cups won: 1

WC innings per 50+ score: 2.63(equal 10th/45)
Career innings per 50+ score: 4.21(38th/45)

Yuvraj Singh, when all is said and done, had an amazing ODI career. I won’t dwell on the cancer battle but having to have dealt with that negatively affected his record as he was diagnosed during his peak and couldn’t regain the magic afterwards consistently. The first thing that may grab your attention is his WC record where he averaged 52 and struck at 90. He also the cracked the top 10 for the 50+ ratios in that category, revealing how vital he was in all 3 of the campaigns he took part in. Of course the 2011 victory was his masterpiece, where he hit 4 fifties, a ton and claimed 15 wickets to make the player of the tournament award an easy decision.

He was a fast scorer and when in form he could carefully balance between big hitter and stroke maker like few others. Nothing displayed his ability to hit a long ball better than the 6 sixes in an over he hit in the t20 WC in ‘07, despite coming in a different format it’s very memorable.

In 2017, 17 years after his ODI debut he hit his first and only 150, a nice little achievement to sign off on for sure.

If there is someone who deserved to be in this list, it is him. Always came to the fore when it mattered. When he was in form, there was no one better to watch. Loved watching him at his prime. A utility player too for India with his wickets and fielding. India actually still misses him in that middle-order.