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Alastair Cook vs AB de Villiers in Tests - Who would you pick?
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Hasan123
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Alistair Cook, batting at the top of the order and has been more consistent in tests. ABD had Smith,Amla,and Kallis building him platforms which he capitalised on. Soon as Amla declined ,Kallis and Smith retired he didn't do as well.
I'll take Cook in this format.
I'll take Cook in this format.
Ab Fan
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Cook and consistent? ?? Actually its the opposite- ABD was much more consistent but Cook used to set the base upfront.
Close, really close because you have asked a comparison between a top quality Test opener vs a top quality middle order - stats are immaterial here, because their role is different.
At his prime, I probably would have taken Cook, because he was setting English Test innings - it's almost like Cook fails, Poms fail. Now, I am not sure - probably AB.
Ab Fan
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I will take AB over Cook in all formats. Cook excels when the bowling is mediocre.
Hasan123
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He's had a couple of bad patches but he's played well over a 100 games. Furthermore he's dominated series in Australia and India.
Mamoon
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Cook. Much less talented but far more gutsier, who didn't chicken out when the going got tough. The amount of pressure he went through during the Pietersen saga, and when the team was crumbling while his own form was patchy was immense.
de Villiers would have retired three times if he would have faced that level of scrutiny and criticism.
de Villiers would have retired three times if he would have faced that level of scrutiny and criticism.
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That doesn't mean Consistency. Its the opposite.
Ab Fan
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Overall, I will take AB over any batsmen who has debuted after Sangakkara and before Kohli.
Hasan123
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If someone has played over a 100 games they will have bad patches,ABD best periods was when top order gave him the platform. Cooks best period is when he was the setting the platform,furthmore he had the burden of captaincy. ABD chickend out of tests as soon as he had to be the leader of the batting line up.
Ab Fan
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Those points are irrelevant because you were talking of the word "consistency".
And he has been carrying the odi batting from last 4-5 years. Cook has to play only one format of the game. So its much easier. Also, AB kept for his team at a time when he could achieve a lot more.
Anyways, those points are irrelevant too because you are free to pick one. I was only arguing about the consistency factor which was a wrong word you used.
Bilal7
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Cook is the better test batsman. AB smokes him overall.
Hasan123
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Why are you bringing up ABs LO performances? Did I say he's rubbish LO batsmen? The truth is be ran away from tests when burdened with the responsibility. AB fans can try to defend it but everyone who isn't biased knows he chickened away from tests.
Maybe I picked the wrong words but Cook is better than ABD in this format.
Ab Fan
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I was arguing on your argument of consistency which is not even a question. AB was far more consistent than Cook ever was. I will pick AB over Cook simply because he is a better batsmen.
Buffet
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Till the middle of 2013, I would have taken Cook. Right now I will take AB. Just taking as batsman here. If we are talking as player then AB has kept earlier. I will take AB over all if we are not talking about just batsman.
Cook setting up platform and AB coming up after a platform is a natural consequence of where they bat. Cook is a huge suspect against good pace attack and that's not the case with AB. AB can block for 300 deliveries, but he can also blast. Cook has limitations. Cook is still a top class player, but I will take AB.
Cook setting up platform and AB coming up after a platform is a natural consequence of where they bat. Cook is a huge suspect against good pace attack and that's not the case with AB. AB can block for 300 deliveries, but he can also blast. Cook has limitations. Cook is still a top class player, but I will take AB.
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The_Odd_One
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Comparing Cook with AB is like comparing Toyota Corolla with BMW.
Hitman
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Cook is mentally much tougher, more gutsy. AB is far more talented but mentally he is as fickle as anyone else. I'd rather have Cook in my team.
Buffet
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Statement is true if we were talking about the ODI format. In the test format, I don't think the gap it that much. Cook does go long many times due to having an ability to concentrate for long time. Not many batsmen can do that.
Bilal7
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ABD tried opening before and got schooled. It's easy saying that a number 4 or 5 batsman is a better player of pace than an opener but then why doesn't the number 5 open the innings?
Cook is fairly average against pace bowlers for an opening batsman but I will still pick him to face the current Aussie or Pakistani attack in the first ten overs than ABD anyday.
Not to mention that de Villiers has always batted behind three amazing test batsmen while Cook has been the one setting things up for the lower-order bats.
Cook over ABD in tests any day.
The_Odd_One
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I know and my post was not meant to degrade Cook. He's a fine test batsman but boring to watch who operates in only one mode. AB is far dynamic batsman who can adapt according to the situation.
Princejain191
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Dependent on the other 10 players. Weaker is the team, the more I'd want Cook in my team. A tough test opener lifts the entire team and is more difficult to find. In a team with really good players, AB would be more destructive. Very lethal when the team is in good position.
Chief Destroyer
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No test captain, current or retired, would choose Cook over AB.
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Cook all day every day over the money-minded mercenary/choker. Hate him.
The_Odd_One
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Lol, that T20 mercenary is a 100 tests veteran who has not retired from tests. By same logic, Viv and others were sellouts too since they participated in the WSC.
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Cook is the better test bat, ABD is the better ODI bat, ABD is better overall so I would pick ABD.
Bilal7
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Steal you money, did he? Or something more sinister? First time I ever read anyone saying they "hate" a player.
Buffet
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We have seen AB playing against hot Johnson when everyone else failed. Forget about facing hot Johnson, Cook has hardly done anything against good pace bowling. Cook simply doesn't have it in him to do well against quality pace. It has nothing to do with him being an opener. He lacks the game for it.
If you think that by being an opener Cook is always better then not much left to argue here.
During AB's playing time only Australia, South Africa, England and New Zealand probably had good pace bowlers. AB played two series against Australia when Glenn McGrath was still around, he struggled in both the series. His record against NZ is 39 and his record against England is 40. In his last series against England he averaged in teens. So AB being some sort of beast against pace bowling is a myth. Obviously he hasn't played his own bowling attack of Steyn, Philander, Rabada and Morkel.
Buffet
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AB when McGrath played was no one. That's why I said earlier in this thread that I would have taken Cook over AB before 2013.
AB after 2009 - against Aus averages 54, against NZ averages 48.
Also, Cook doesn't need ATG McGrath to go missing in series. You just need some world class pacers and Cook is virtually guaranteed to go missing.
If you are great against pace, you are great against pace. Being nobody does not mean you fail against probably the best bowler he ever faced in his career. You are basing it on just one series against Johnson. I watched the entire 2013/14 Ashes series and Cook wasn't clueless against Johnson and he played well in that series. Yeah he has poor record against SA in SA but how many people have good record there? Doesn't Dravid average 29 in SA? Does that make him poor against pace? Cook had a breakthrough series against Australia in Australia in 2010/11. I am not saying Cook is great against pace or ABD is poor against pace but I don't believe your claim of ABD being greater against pace accurate. There isn't much evidence to that claim.
Ab Fan
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Cook has never succeeded against a good pace bowling attack. Everytime when the pace bowling attack was great, Cook failed while he scored heavily when the attack wasnt great.
To elaborate things, here is Cook's record outside Asia:
SA- he averages a meagre 31
Nz- averages 34
Aus- he scored heavily in one series when the attack was much weaker
Eng- here, again he is averaging 45 which is boosted by averages against Lankan, Windies, Indian attack.
This has been the story of Cook all his career. If you think I am wrong, then please mention a few series where he has succeeded against quality pace bowling. I would disagree to my point if you could mention any series where he has done well against genuine pace attack.
You cant mention series like vs Pak in 2016 when Amir waa nothing bowler and Rahat was trundling with his inconsistent lineup and hit me balls.
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In Test, Cook is a clear choice.
Mamoon
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I don't rate de Villiers very highly in Tests, but he was very young when McGrath was still around. I don't think it can be used as an argument against him. He has had his peak years in the 2010s and there is no doubt he would have done well against McGrath as well.
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AB. He handled a peak Johnson against whom Cook went missing.
CricketTruth
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I saw both 2013/4 series in England and Australia, and Cook pretty much had no clue against Ryan Harris in both series and struggled with Johnson in Aus.
Averaged 27.7 in England (277 runs in 10 innings)
Averaged 24.6 in Australia (246 runs in 10 innings)
Against the same pace attack when SA were really struggling De Villiers scored 341 runs for 6 dismissals at an averaged of nearly 57!
De villiers clearly better at handling decent pace bowlers than Cook. Also has the ability to adapt his game i.e. when SA needed to draw at Adelaide he made 33 off 220 balls. That innings was so crucial and without it SA would have lost the test and not won the series.
How will you rate them vs spin?
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