Harsh Thakor
First Class Star
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2012
- Runs
- 3,514
- Post of the Week
- 2
Here I am choosing in order of merit my best ever cricketers in peak period in Test cricket.I have not fixed the exact no of tests but randomly reflected on the peak times.I have considered not only runs ,wickets and averages but also strength of opposition,strike rate,impact in games and conditions.
1.Ian Botham
Sorry if controversial but no cricketer turned the complexion of game so dynamically as Ian .Ian in this period arguably eclipsed any cricketer as a match winner or in ressurecting a side from the grave as an all-round cricketer.His stupendous performances in the 1980 Jubilee test at Mumbai and 1981 home Ashes to cricketing glory to heights of the sublime.True he benefited from playing weaker sides during Packer era and failed as a skipper.Still he tore apart the likes of Dennis Lillee or Kapil Dev with the bat and made Sunil Gavasakar his prize scalp ,in addition to taking the most stunning catches in the slips.In that period no fast bowler was equally intelligent or posessed a better oustwinger.In terms of pure flamboyance he matched the great Garfield Sobers.To score a century and take 5 wickets I may have backed Botham marginally more than even Sobers.From 1977-82 Botham captured over 5 wickets per test a and averaged over 37 with the bat.
2.Sir Garfield Sobers
Took all-round cricketing talent to a scale or regions unexplored .Sobers averaged around 63 with the bat and around 27 with the ball taking around 4 wickets apiece per test.Arguably the best batsman in the world and without doubt the most versatile bowler.At his best in 1970 series for rest of the world in 1970 taking 21 wickets and scoring 583 runs and on 1966 England tour scoring 722 runs and taking 20 wickets.
3.Don Bradman
Redefined cricketing law of averages leaving mathematicians astounded or puzzled.No cricketer will statistically ever scale the height of Bradman who traversed regions of the divine. It would take psychic powers to analyse how he averaged so much more than the likes of Hammond ,Compton or Hutton.No sporting figure was so head and shoulders above his contemporaries or took sporting excellence to such a pinnacle .
4.Imran Khan
Combining achievements as a skipper,fast bowler and all-rounder Imran took cricketing performance whereby he could have sat with the Gods of Olympus.No cricketer in a single era did as much to shape a cricketing nation's destiny to achieve glory as Imran.Under his leaders his Pakistan won the title of test unofficial world champions and official ODI champions.Pakistan beat India in India and England in England for the 1st time and dubious umpiring decisions cost them the unofficial world test champion crown.
As a paceman he averaged around 17.7 with a strike rate of around 40,which was better than Hadlee or Marshall.No pace bowler performed better against the West Indies at it's best ,which is remarkable.In the manner of Muhammad ali ressurected Imran captured 7-40 at Leeds in 1987 and 7-80 at Georgetwon in 1988.
His batting played an instrumental role in saving many tests for Pakistan as well as a series win in India.For pre responsibility he even eclipsed Ian Botham in England in 1982 and in Australia in 1984.
5.Viv Richards
No batsman emulated Sir Don Bradman more or reflected such vibration s of vengeance as Viv did.It wouldbe hard to envisage Bradmamn or later Tendulkar or Smith surpass the domination of Richards agaisnt the like sof a Lille,Imran ,Willis or Botham.Adding WSC cricket from 1975-76 to 1977-78 he averaged close to 90 ,giving great bowlers shivers down their spine as no batsman ever.Averaged 86.2 in 1sy year in WSC cricket,118.42 in 4 tsets in England and 0ver 92 in a home series v India.Failed against Pakistan averaging around 42 in 1977.The manner Viv batted in 1976-81 one envisaged he would break ever batting record.
6.Jack Hobbs
In the most testing conditions averaged 62.90 which I challenge even modern greats to emulate In 44 tests Hobbs averaged around 65 ,scoring over 4000 runs and 15 centuries.
7.Waqar Younus
In terms of 5 wicket hauls and strike rate in his peak Waqar was the best pace bowlers ever.No paceman was a better exponent of the swinging yorker Above all he championed the sow sub-continent tracks.
8.Sunil Gavaskar
May have benefited from playing 2nd string bowling attacks as a result of Kerry Packer WSC but still mastered the likes of Imran,Willlis,Botham,Thomson,Sylvester Clarke etc like no batsman in test history.In pure stats to me 2nd to only Bradman from 1977-78 to 1979-80 averaging over 86 and a century every third test.
9.Brian Lara
Made some of the most staggering runs in individual innings and series playing for one of the weakest batting sides.No batsman had a better avergae percentage score out of the total innings score or a better penchant for turning game or registering a mammoth score.
10.Sachin Tendulkar
Other cricketers were more head and shoulders above their contemporaries but few ever surpassed the phenomenal consistency of Tendulkar who averaged around 67 for a period playing allround the world.Lara was abetter match-winner but still I would back Sachin to score a century in game more than Lara/
11.Richard Hadlee
Carried the brunt of one of the weakest bowing attacks taking close to 6 wickets per test and 5 and 10 wicket hauls at a phenomenal frequency.
12.Greg Chappell
When one considers level of opposition of bowling in WSC cricket when he averaged 69 in the Carribaen in 1979 with 3 centuries and had scores of 174 and 246 in 1977-79 ,Greg is close to the top of the tree.
13.Ricky Ponting
For a period averaged 71.4 better than Lara or Sachin did in peak, and won many more games.However benefited from playing for a great team and not master in such diverse conditions.
14.Mohammad Yousuf
At his best gave glimpses of a Viv,Lara or Sachin who championed cause of a lone crusader like very few batsman ever.Has the record run aggregate of 1788 for a calendar year.
15.Malcolm Marshall
Overshadowed great paceman in the best pace quartet ever averaging around 19 wit the ball at a strike rate under 40.Not so many 5 or 10 wicket hauls but a phenomenal strike rate and average in test wins.
1.Ian Botham
Sorry if controversial but no cricketer turned the complexion of game so dynamically as Ian .Ian in this period arguably eclipsed any cricketer as a match winner or in ressurecting a side from the grave as an all-round cricketer.His stupendous performances in the 1980 Jubilee test at Mumbai and 1981 home Ashes to cricketing glory to heights of the sublime.True he benefited from playing weaker sides during Packer era and failed as a skipper.Still he tore apart the likes of Dennis Lillee or Kapil Dev with the bat and made Sunil Gavasakar his prize scalp ,in addition to taking the most stunning catches in the slips.In that period no fast bowler was equally intelligent or posessed a better oustwinger.In terms of pure flamboyance he matched the great Garfield Sobers.To score a century and take 5 wickets I may have backed Botham marginally more than even Sobers.From 1977-82 Botham captured over 5 wickets per test a and averaged over 37 with the bat.
2.Sir Garfield Sobers
Took all-round cricketing talent to a scale or regions unexplored .Sobers averaged around 63 with the bat and around 27 with the ball taking around 4 wickets apiece per test.Arguably the best batsman in the world and without doubt the most versatile bowler.At his best in 1970 series for rest of the world in 1970 taking 21 wickets and scoring 583 runs and on 1966 England tour scoring 722 runs and taking 20 wickets.
3.Don Bradman
Redefined cricketing law of averages leaving mathematicians astounded or puzzled.No cricketer will statistically ever scale the height of Bradman who traversed regions of the divine. It would take psychic powers to analyse how he averaged so much more than the likes of Hammond ,Compton or Hutton.No sporting figure was so head and shoulders above his contemporaries or took sporting excellence to such a pinnacle .
4.Imran Khan
Combining achievements as a skipper,fast bowler and all-rounder Imran took cricketing performance whereby he could have sat with the Gods of Olympus.No cricketer in a single era did as much to shape a cricketing nation's destiny to achieve glory as Imran.Under his leaders his Pakistan won the title of test unofficial world champions and official ODI champions.Pakistan beat India in India and England in England for the 1st time and dubious umpiring decisions cost them the unofficial world test champion crown.
As a paceman he averaged around 17.7 with a strike rate of around 40,which was better than Hadlee or Marshall.No pace bowler performed better against the West Indies at it's best ,which is remarkable.In the manner of Muhammad ali ressurected Imran captured 7-40 at Leeds in 1987 and 7-80 at Georgetwon in 1988.
His batting played an instrumental role in saving many tests for Pakistan as well as a series win in India.For pre responsibility he even eclipsed Ian Botham in England in 1982 and in Australia in 1984.
5.Viv Richards
No batsman emulated Sir Don Bradman more or reflected such vibration s of vengeance as Viv did.It wouldbe hard to envisage Bradmamn or later Tendulkar or Smith surpass the domination of Richards agaisnt the like sof a Lille,Imran ,Willis or Botham.Adding WSC cricket from 1975-76 to 1977-78 he averaged close to 90 ,giving great bowlers shivers down their spine as no batsman ever.Averaged 86.2 in 1sy year in WSC cricket,118.42 in 4 tsets in England and 0ver 92 in a home series v India.Failed against Pakistan averaging around 42 in 1977.The manner Viv batted in 1976-81 one envisaged he would break ever batting record.
6.Jack Hobbs
In the most testing conditions averaged 62.90 which I challenge even modern greats to emulate In 44 tests Hobbs averaged around 65 ,scoring over 4000 runs and 15 centuries.
7.Waqar Younus
In terms of 5 wicket hauls and strike rate in his peak Waqar was the best pace bowlers ever.No paceman was a better exponent of the swinging yorker Above all he championed the sow sub-continent tracks.
8.Sunil Gavaskar
May have benefited from playing 2nd string bowling attacks as a result of Kerry Packer WSC but still mastered the likes of Imran,Willlis,Botham,Thomson,Sylvester Clarke etc like no batsman in test history.In pure stats to me 2nd to only Bradman from 1977-78 to 1979-80 averaging over 86 and a century every third test.
9.Brian Lara
Made some of the most staggering runs in individual innings and series playing for one of the weakest batting sides.No batsman had a better avergae percentage score out of the total innings score or a better penchant for turning game or registering a mammoth score.
10.Sachin Tendulkar
Other cricketers were more head and shoulders above their contemporaries but few ever surpassed the phenomenal consistency of Tendulkar who averaged around 67 for a period playing allround the world.Lara was abetter match-winner but still I would back Sachin to score a century in game more than Lara/
11.Richard Hadlee
Carried the brunt of one of the weakest bowing attacks taking close to 6 wickets per test and 5 and 10 wicket hauls at a phenomenal frequency.
12.Greg Chappell
When one considers level of opposition of bowling in WSC cricket when he averaged 69 in the Carribaen in 1979 with 3 centuries and had scores of 174 and 246 in 1977-79 ,Greg is close to the top of the tree.
13.Ricky Ponting
For a period averaged 71.4 better than Lara or Sachin did in peak, and won many more games.However benefited from playing for a great team and not master in such diverse conditions.
14.Mohammad Yousuf
At his best gave glimpses of a Viv,Lara or Sachin who championed cause of a lone crusader like very few batsman ever.Has the record run aggregate of 1788 for a calendar year.
15.Malcolm Marshall
Overshadowed great paceman in the best pace quartet ever averaging around 19 wit the ball at a strike rate under 40.Not so many 5 or 10 wicket hauls but a phenomenal strike rate and average in test wins.
