Who are the top 5 test cricketers of the 1970s and 1980s?

[DrWolverine]

Only test cricket

 

[Johan]

Viv Richards
Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Dennis Lillee/Sunil Gavaskar
Malcolm Marshall

fairly simple

 

[DrWolverine]

Hadlee. Imran. Richards. Marshall.
Top 4 easily in my opinion.
5th would be Gavaskar imo.

 

[Johan]

for fifth you can argue between Gavaskar, Border and Lillee.

 

[Thala_0710]

Marshall, Hadlee, Imran and Viv are certainties.
Gavaskar and Lillee is a very close battle for 5th

 

[ma1978]

for fifth you can argue between Gavaskar, Border and Lillee.

or botham

 

[kyear2]

for fifth you can argue between Gavaskar, Border and Lillee.

Gentle reminder than Lillee was the best fast bowler of the 70's and during that period was considered the GOAT by many.

Marshall, Viv and Lillee, likely Imran and Botham

 

[Thala_0710]

Gentle reminder than Lillee was the best fast bowler of the 70's and during that period was considered the GOAT by many.

Marshall, Viv and Lillee, likely Imran and Botham

No Hadlee? And I'm not sure about Botham over Gavaskar too tbh

 

[ankitj]

Voted for Imran, Hadlee, Richards, Marshall and Botham.

You still leave out so many lengeds which is a testament to how much amazing cricketing talent was going around in that era.

 

[subshakerz]

Viv Richards
Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Dennis Lillee/Sunil Gavaskar
Malcolm Marshall

fairly simple

Yeah agreed.

 

[DrWolverine]

You still leave out so many lengeds which is a testament to how much amazing cricketing talent was going around in that era.

Cricket is a 150 year sport.

But 1970 to 1995 arguably produced the richest crop of legends or atleast the most iconic and widely loved names in the game’s history.

 

[Coronis]

Cricket is a 150 year sport.

But 1970 to 1995 arguably produced the richest crop of legends or atleast the most iconic and widely loved names in the game’s history.

In another 30 years people will say that about 96 til now.

 

[DrWolverine]

Gavaskar and Lillee is a very close battle for 5th

While Dennis Lillee was hailed as the face of modern fast bowling in his era, Sunil Gavaskar has stood the test of time as the greatest post-war opener. His consistency, longevity and record against the fastest and fiercest attacks give him the edge in the long run.

 

[DrWolverine]

In another 30 years people will say that about 96 til now.

I do not think so.

There’s a certain myth and aura that surrounds cricketers of the past perhaps because they played in an era with limited footage, leaving more to imagination and nostalgia.

In contrast, today’s players are constantly dissected on video which can sometimes take away the mystique and soften their legacy.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Procter
Gavaskar
Hadlee
Viv
Imran

 

[Coronis]

I do not think so.

There’s a certain myth and aura that surrounds cricketers of the past perhaps because they played in an era with limited footage, leaving more to imagination and nostalgia.

In contrast, today’s players are constantly dissected on video which can sometimes take away the mystique and soften their legacy.

There’s a ton of 70’s and 80’s footage though, that was the whole turning point of the 70’s. (also a part of why people are reluctant to rate players from before then)

 

[DrWolverine]

There’s a ton of 70’s and 80’s footage though,

Cricketers from the 70s and 80s have been mythologised partly because the footage was limited, not absent. There is a ton of archive material but it’s not comprehensive like today’s ball-by-ball HD coverage. That incompleteness actually helped builds their mystique. You would hear dramatic stories, read glowing accounts and saw just enough to be intrigued but never enough to fully demystify them.

 

[Johan]

Cricket from 70s and 80s is a bunch of overrated overmytholized hogwash.

 

[Swamp Witch Hattie]

This post of mine can be regarded as a continuation of what @subshakerz wrote in another thread:



Here, I'm going to make a comparison between Hadlee's and Viv's Test contributions, per Test, to their teams during the 1970s and 1980s, and I'm going to do it by bringing in Imran.

I will look at batting and bowling only and I will remove Hadlee's and Imran's SL data from the analysis.

Hadlee:



Hadlee's RPM = 35.6
Hadlee's WPM = 4.92

Viv:



Viv's RPM = 72.7
Viv's WPM = 0.30

Imran:



Imran's RPM = 43.1
Imran's WPM = 4.28

Viv's - Hadlee's RPM = 37.1
Hadlee's - Viv's WPM = 4.62

I think it can be said without fear of contradiction from those amongst us who are sane that Imran's contributions with the bat, while important, pale compared to his contributions with the ball.

We thus have the following inequality:

V - H RPM of 37.1 < Imran's RPM of 43.1 <<< Imran's WPM of 4.28 < H - V WPM of 4.62

So if we can say that Imran contributed far more with the ball than with the bat then we can conclude that Hadlee contributed in Tests, per Test, even more than far more than what Viv did to their respective teams during the 1970s and 1980s.

I'll put it another way (perhaps not as rigorously) without invoking Imran: do you think that Viv's extra 37.1 RPM (admittedly, scored at a very brisk clip) is worth as much as Hadlee's bowling? (since Viv's WPM of 0.30 at an average of 56.56 is of more or less negligible average value)

 

[subshakerz]

This post of mine can be regarded as a continuation of what @subshakerz wrote in another thread:

View attachment 48447

Here, I'm going to make a comparison between Hadlee's and Viv's Test contributions, per Test, to their teams during the 1970s and 1980s, and I'm going to do it by bringing in Imran.

I will look at batting and bowling only and I will remove Hadlee's and Imran's SL data from the analysis.

Hadlee:

View attachment 48448

Hadlee's RPM = 35.6
Hadlee's WPM = 4.92

Viv:

View attachment 48449

Viv's RPM = 72.7
Viv's WPM = 0.30

Imran:

View attachment 48450

Imran's RPM = 43.1
Imran's WPM = 4.28

Viv's - Hadlee's RPM = 37.1
Hadlee's - Viv's WPM = 4.62

I think it can be said without fear of contradiction from those amongst us who are sane that Imran's contributions with the bat, while important, pale compared to his contributions with the ball.

We thus have the following inequality:

V - H RPM of 37.1 < Imran's RPM of 43.1 <<< Imran's WPM of 4.28 < H - V WPM of 4.62

So if we can say that Imran contributed far more with the ball than with the bat then we can conclude that Hadlee contributed in Tests, per Test, even more than far more than what Viv did to their respective teams during the 1970s and 1980s.

I'll put it another way (perhaps not as rigorously) without invoking Imran: do you think that Viv's extra 37.1 RPM (admittedly, scored at a very brisk clip) is worth as much as Hadlee's bowling? (since Viv's WPM of 0.30 at an average of 56.56 is of more or less negligible average value)

I think you can make a case that Botham has more match impact than Viv.