Vote for Five Cricketers of the 2000s + 2010s

[trundler]

Is Kallis really that much slower than Root or Williamson?

 

[ankitj]

That's interesting and probably shows the perception that ODI batting has moved on.

Yeah and it's unfair IMO. We retrospectively assume that his slow batting must have been a big handicap but reality is that in his playing days he was considered one of the best ODI batsmen. Lot of solidity was needed in shorter format too; they were not just mad hitting contests as they seem to have become after t20 influence.

And to say nothing of his 273 wickets.

 

[harsh.ag]

And we go on!











#4
Fourteen Votes

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Glenn Donald McGrath was the most dominant bowler I have ever seen and that would be lost on those who didn't witness his career in real time. The subtle violence in the shrug of the shoulder while walking along his runup, angry words muttered in contempt, piercing stares and cold fury - all indicative of the algorithm upstairs planning the undoing of the willow wielder involved. The joy he received from success, too, was proportional and on full grinning display.

McGrath was la grande minimalist. His repertoire of tricks kept expanding until he was the master of movements all - swing, seam, and reverse. The pitch was often taken out of the equation by his lethal combination of height, movement, accuracy, and determination.

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Through the years, he made it seem like a minor miracle when a side got through Oz's opening spell without losing a wicket. He knew which schmuck to lure into a drive, who was unsure about his off stump, whose bat and pad contained a hollow to jag in through, and so forth. He was the most important name on a teamsheet brimming with the talents of Ponting, Warne, Waugh, and Gilchrist.

His biggest accomplishment was making it all about the process, all about the battle, bringing a moneyball nous to the iterated game that is a bowler versus a batsman. He outskilled Tendulkar, outfoxed Dravid, and outzenned Kallis. He was the antithesis to the genius of Lara and theirs was the premier battle of the time.

I could go on and on and on about McGrath, the deliverer of doom, who induced in the opposition fans a fear layered with anxiety and helplessness. It was a justified emotion, borne of experience and trauma. The only reason he is at #4 is because of a career split by the turn of the century.

I will end with a snapshot of his smiling face after scoring his first and only test match fifty, possibly his favourite cricketing moment.

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[ankitj]

Superb fan tribute that write up.

 

[honestbharani]

Well deserved.

 

[StephenZA]

Yeah and it's unfair IMO. We retrospectively assume that his slow batting must have been a big handicap but reality is that in his playing days he was considered one of the best ODI batsmen. Lot of solidity was needed in shorter format too; they were not just mad hitting contests as they seem to have become after t20 influence.

And to say nothing of his 273 wickets.

You ask the opposing team whose wickets was prized more than any other when playing against SA in all formats, from late '90s to 2010, there was only one answer.

 

[stephen]

Ooh ah Glenn McGrath.

Such an unassuming look about his bowling but it was the proverbial snake in the grass. It would catch you unaware and surprise with its venom.

 

[Burgey]

**** he was awesome.

Reckon his hat trick and the clip of him bowling to warner in that T20 sum him up.

Just knew exactly what he was doing, who to do it to and when. All while calling out the opposition’s best player pre-game/ series.

GOAT.

 

[StephenZA]

Nice writeup on McGrath. @harsh.ag

 

[honestbharani]

He was the antithesis to the genius of Lara and theirs was the premier battle of the time.

Absolutely love this line coz it basically captures 90s cricket to me.

 

[honestbharani]

**** he was awesome.

Reckon his hat trick and the clip of him bowling to warner in that T20 sum him up.

Just knew exactly what he was doing, who to do it to and when. All while calling out the opposition’s best player pre-game/ series.

GOAT.

Something poetic about Lara being his 300th and Lara basically sweeping him to overtake Border as the highest run scorer at the time in tests, too.

 

[stephen]

That Warner clip is something that needs to be shown in every fast bowling academy worldwide. Fast bowling is as much about reading your opponent and having the right plans for them as anything else. Obviously execution is important too. McGrath always seemed to have a plan B, C, D and E if plan A wasn't working (Which was rare).

 

[_00_deathscar]

On the Sky Debate show after the days play today they filled the time left by the lack of cricket by picking their teams of the 21st Century. Mark Butcher was host, with Dominic Cork, Matt Prior and a journalist from Pakistan who’s name I can’t remember. None of them picked Gilchrist (all had Sanga as keeper.) One had Kallis batting at 7 and ,drum roll, one of them had Brett Lee in the side but not Dale Steyn.

And this is why 'contemporary opinions' are trash (assuming this was a test team?).

 

[indiaholic]

Excellent write up Harsh. Should replace McGrath's profile update on ESPNcricinfo.

 

[Burgey]

That Warner clip is something that needs to be shown in every fast bowling academy worldwide. Fast bowling is as much about reading your opponent and having the right plans for them as anything else. Obviously execution is important too. McGrath always seemed to have a plan B, C, D and E if plan A wasn't working (Which was rare).

The hat trick was genius though. Three different balls pitching in the perfect place each time for the individual batsman - away to the right hander, pitching tighter and moving away from the leftie then tucking Adams up in the ribs. Was just perfect.

Top write up harsh.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah and it's unfair IMO. We retrospectively assume that his slow batting must have been a big handicap but reality is that in his playing days he was considered one of the best ODI batsmen. Lot of solidity was needed in shorter format too; they were not just mad hitting contests as they seem to have become after t20 influence.

And to say nothing of his 273 wickets.

idk, from my memory he wasn't considered much of a threat in ODIs. Generally felt pretty comfortable when he was at the wicket for the opposition, like he wasn't going to hurt us. Herschelle Gibbs was a bigger wicket.

 

[trundler]

Enjoyed reading that a lot. If I close my eyes and think about fast bowling perfection it would be McGrath pitching it just slightly back of a length with a hint of movement away. Just a genius bowler.

 

[stephen]

The hat trick was genius though. Three different balls pitching in the perfect place each time for the individual batsman - away to the right hander, pitching tighter and moving away from the leftie then tucking Adams up in the ribs. Was just perfect.

Top write up harsh.

It was probably the most intelligent hat trick I've seen. Not bad batsmen to get in a hat trick either.

 

[Burgey]

Sherwin Campbell went downhill pretty badly didn't he? It looked for a while there that with Lara, Campbell and Adams the WI would still have the nucleus of a decent line up, but two of those three unfortunately fell off a cliff.

 

[trundler]

Franklyn Rose and Mervyn Dillon didn't look bad at first either. Looked like their bowling stocks would last just a bit longer than they did.