Pietersen vs Cook vs Gower vs Gooch

[PlayerComparisons]

Four legendary English players. How would you rank them?

 

[BazBall21]

1) Gooch
2) Gower
3) Pietersen
4) Cook.

 

[BazBall21]

2nd v 3rd probably the hardest. KP's great knocks do elevate him. I also suspect he is a player that wouldn't suffer a major drop-off in a tough batting era (unlike Cook imo). But Gower still takes it for his moderately better away record imo.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

The next tier would probably be Bell, Thorpe, Vaughan, and Strauss

 

[BazBall21]

The next tier would probably be Bell, Thorpe, Vaughan, and Strauss

Would rank them:

1) Thorpe
2) Vaughan
3) Strauss
4) Bell.

 

[Majestic]

KP
Gooch
Cook
Gower

 

[BazBall21]

Pietersen's great innings' elevate him because they convey him as a very dangerous player. Against all opposition too. Valuable. Wasn't super consistent away from home but he has great knocks in all conditions. Don't overly mind him winning this even though I rank him 3rd, which I have my reasons for.

Cook doesn't have the same extent of quality imo. He was a very good flat wickets bat that was more limited against the best.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

The next tier would probably be Bell, Thorpe, Vaughan, and Strauss

Robin Smith was much better than Bell, Vaughan, and Strauss. Smith vs Thorpe would be close, but Thorpe might edge it.

Also Trescothick was as good if not slightly better than Bell, Thorpe, and Strauss too.

 

[BazBall21]

Robin Smith was e

Yeah good player. Him and Stewart imo for Strauss and Bell if the rule is quartets.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I forgot about Alec Stewart. Quality player. Shame he was made to keep.

 

[BazBall21]

Lending a vote to Gower is tempting. I've always been pro Gooch because of his record against quality fast bowling as an opener but Gower has a better away record. The gap between their adjusted away averages decreases but it's still a point in David's favour.

Rate Gooch over KP because he averaged more than Pietersen in his best ten-year period (not incl the excluded years) with opener tax in tougher conditions. KP played 8.5 years and most of that in physical prime years.