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Sunil Gavaskar vs Graeme Pollock

Who would have been the better test batsman if Pollock had a full test career?

  • Total voters
    15
kyear2

kyear2

Hall of Fame Member
sayon basak said:
Assuming that you saw both Pollock and Barry bat, what's your personal perception? Do you feel like there was a big gap between them?
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Not live sadly, but think Barry ability wise was up there with Sachin, Viv, Sobers, Smith and Lara.

Pollock I have just below Gavaskar, Hammond, Chappell, Ponting etc. if not in the lower part of the same tier.

I think Barry was easily better. His record against the best bowlers of his era, in tour matches, WSC etc is ridiculous. The only thing that exceeded it was his peer rating.
 
sayon basak

sayon basak

Cricketer Of The Year
kyear2 said:
Not live sadly, but think Barry ability wise was up there with Sachin, Viv, Sobers, Smith and Lara.

Pollock I have just below Gavaskar, Hammond, Chappell, Ponting etc. if not in the lower part of the same tier.

I think Barry was easily better. His record against the best bowlers of his era, in tour matches, WSC etc is ridiculous. The only thing that exceeded it was his peer rating.
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But wasn't he clearly inferior to Pollock in the Rebel tours?
 
Johan

Johan

International Coach
By the time of Rebel Tours, Barry Richards was not the batsman he once was. Barry started playing FC in 1964/65, his first season of averaging 50+ came in 1966-67, his last season of averaging 50+ came in 1975-76, after that it was a steady decline, he averaged 49 in 1976 English Season, 42 in the 1977 English Season, 30 in the 1978 English Season and that concluded his first FC career, he came back to South Africa for two seasons in 1980s but didn't manage to average 40 in either.

Graeme Pollock made his debut in the 1960-61 South African season, averaged 48, his first 50+ Domestic season came in 1962-63, his final season of averaging over 50 in FC came in 1985-86 and 1986-87, his actual final seasons, therefore by the time the Rebel tours were out, there was objectively no comparison between Barry and Pollock.
 
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capt_Luffy

capt_Luffy

Hall of Fame Member
Johan said:
By the time of Rebel Tours, Barry Richards was not the batsman he once was. Barry started playing FC in 1964/65, his first season of averaging 50+ came in 1966-67, his last season of averaging 50+ came in 1975-76, after that it was a steady decline, he averaged 49 in 1976 English Season, 42 in the 1977 English Season, 30 in the 1978 English Season and that concluded his first FC career, he came back to South Africa for two seasons in 1980s but didn't manage to average 40 in either.

Graeme Pollock made his debut in the 1960-61 South African season, averaged 48, his first 50+ Domestic season came in 1962-63, his final season of averaging over 50 in FC came in 1985-86 and 1986-87, his actual final seasons, therefore by the time the Rebel tours were out, there was objectively no comparison between Barry and Pollock.
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I mean, yeah. Barry really failed to maintain that elite level for long, something Pollock did for 23 long years. Barry was more like Kohli, but left the game at the right time, Pollock just kept pushing like Tendulkar.
 
Johan

Johan

International Coach
What are laughing at? Pollock beat Barrington 15-3 in their poll, ranked higher in both 2022 and 2024 and was seen as better during their time, it's the majority opinion, has been for 6 decades.
 
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P

peterhrt

First Class Debutant
Johan said:
I think I remember @peterhrt having a list of Pollock's performances
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Might have been this:
=============================================================================================
Some of the bowlers Graeme Pollock scored hundreds against in first-class cricket, including Tests and unofficial representative matches:

Fast: Wes Hall, Lillee, Snow (3), Procter (3), le Roux (3), Sylvester Clarke (2), Franklyn Stephenson (2), Ezra Mozeley, Rodney Hogg (2), Rackemann

Fast-medium: McKenzie (8 including 3 doubles), van der Bijl (3), Cartwright (on a greentop), Max Walker, Gary Gilmour, Alderman

Spin: Benaud (5 including 1 double), Tayfield, Underwood (a double), Mallett (3), Hobson (6 including 1 double)
=============================================================================================
 
Coronis

Coronis

Hall of Fame Member
peterhrt said:
Might have been this:
=============================================================================================
Some of the bowlers Graeme Pollock scored hundreds against in first-class cricket, including Tests and unofficial representative matches:

Fast: Wes Hall, Lillee, Snow (3), Procter (3), le Roux (3), Sylvester Clarke (2), Franklyn Stephenson (2), Ezra Mozeley, Rodney Hogg (2), Rackemann

Fast-medium: McKenzie (8 including 3 doubles), van der Bijl (3), Cartwright (on a greentop), Max Walker, Gary Gilmour, Alderman

Spin: Benaud (5 including 1 double), Tayfield, Underwood (a double), Mallett (3), Hobson (6 including 1 double)
=============================================================================================
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Heh, looks like he was the real reason for McKenzie’s fall.
 
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