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Is Moeen Ali the best ever test no-rounder?

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
195 wickets, 5 centuries, yet averaged 36 with the ball and 28 with the bat.

Must be close right?
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah, I must be one of the few in these parts who thought he was a bloody good cricketer. His batting fell away badly, of course, and he was always more of a support bowler than a number one Test spinner, but for several years there he added a lot of value to the team.
 

Immenso

International Vice-Captain
Klusener?

BTW. I'd have taken Moeen in my team (NZ) gladly, almost the whole course of his career.

One man's (or nation's) no-rounder is another's handy looking spinner.
 

Teja.

Global Moderator
195 wickets, 5 centuries, yet averaged 36 with the ball and 28 with the bat.

Must be close right?

Ravi Shastri ?
I was going to say this but Shastri was a pretty high quality cricketer who would add value to most teams in history tbh. Feels harsh to call him a no rounder. He was more of a utility cricketer who could average 35-40 batting anywhere from 1-7 with the bat and also be a consistent holding spinner/fifth bowler.

He had 11 test centuries and 150+ wickets in 80 tests which is a sweet record.
 

sunilz

International Regular
Daniel Vettori and Ravi Shastri name came to my mind . I will leave it to Kiwi fans about what they felt about Vettori
 

Pup Clarke

Cricketer Of The Year
Vettori is definitely a better cricketer than Moeen Ali. Better spinner and more reliable with the bat

I think Moeen did everything he could as a bowler and probably surprised himself by how effective he was. Remember he was very much a part-time option for Worcestershire in the early years.
With the bat it's definitely a case of wasted potential. Delightful player to watch and capable of match-turning innings, but ultimately he didn't deliver anywhere near consistently enough
 

Dendarii

International Debutant
If by no-rounder we mean someone who was ostensibly an all-rounder but didn't provide enough of either discipline to justify it, then Derek Pringle takes some beating.
Nicky Boje and Pat Symcox would be worthy challengers.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Mooen certainly managed his share of influential performances for someone who turned in rather poor figures over a long career. Him twice diddling India at Southampton will forever be a highlight.

If by no-rounder we mean someone who was ostensibly an all-rounder but didn't provide enough of either discipline to justify it, then Derek Pringle takes some beating.
Pringle hardly even qualifies, considering he only averaged 15 with the bat. Never realised his record was so bad, only one fifty in thirty tests.

The amazing thing about Symcox and Boje is how seamlessly SA managed to replace someone who churned out rather crap figures with someone who was practically identical in that regard.
 
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The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Pringle hardly even qualifies, considering he only averaged 15 with the bat. Never realised his record was so bad, only one fifty in thirty tests.
Yeah, it's genuinely awful. A nominal Test all-rounder who was (at best) a barely middling bowler and effectively a tailender with the bat.
 

Starfighter

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yeah, it's genuinely awful. A nominal Test all-rounder who was (at best) a barely middling bowler and effectively a tailender with the bat.
The most amazing thing was the way they managed to spread his career fairly evenly over ten years. One of those 'oh we've got a spot to fill' picks.
 

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