Do we throw around the 'All Time Great' tag too freely these days?

[CleverSir]

Over the past few years I've been seen ATG status thrown around a lot. Just the other day there were names being thrown out (Hayden, Bevan, MoYo, Anderson, etc). I think that ATG tag should be applied to the absolute upper echelon players. Of note recently I think you have Y.Khan, Dhoni, Steyn, and a few others like Sangakara. I keep seeing Kholi in the conversation or Afridi or a number of others. No doubt good players but too early for ATG talk yet.

What are your thoughts? Should the ATG status be used more reservedly?

 

[idrizzy]

Agreed. Same can be said in football where the term 'world class' or 'legend' is spouted freely amongst above average players.

Really there's about 2-3 players in the world at the moment who are ATGs, or are nearly an ATG.

 

[Plumb]

reminds me of ATG Akmal .... have seen mostly in pakistan, couple of 50s and we label them as next big thing. Hopefully with the new lot of players and serfi Incharge that attitude changes first in the players and then in fans. I really don't have good feeling about Babar in this regards. We have already labeled him as the greatest ever. Hopefully he stay grounded and work hard.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

No one calls Hayden, Yousuf, Anderson all time greats. Bevan is only called ATG in ODIs for his ability to finish games.

Younis is not an ATG except by his diehard fans. Dhoni is another hyped by his fans though he's a cricketer that will be remembered for his feats as captain and chasing ability in India.

Steyn and Sanga are genuine ATGs. Though Steyn doesn't seem to be rated very highly by his peers because of his lack of performances on the big stage.

 

[Hasan123]

I don't think it is. Mostly people will say a player has potential to be an ATG.

 

[Executioner]

Sangakkara is a bonafide ATG

He was a good player in all formats

 

[Sachin136]

Over the past few years I've been seen ATG status thrown around a lot. Just the other day there were names being thrown out (Hayden, Bevan, MoYo, Anderson, etc). I think that ATG tag should be applied to the absolute upper echelon players. Of note recently I think you have Y.Khan, Dhoni, Steyn, and a few others like Sangakara. I keep seeing Kholi in the conversation or Afridi or a number of others. No doubt good players but too early for ATG talk yet.

What are your thoughts? Should the ATG status be used more reservedly?

Bevan, Dhoni, Steyn, Sangakkara, and Kohli are universally considered ATGs.

 

[PakLFC]

Yes we do. Posters here don't know what a "legend" or "great" is.

 

[Square Drive]

Yes. We have posters claiming that Holder, Brathwaite etc. will end up as ATGs. [MENTION=137148]Rayyman[/MENTION]

 

[Rayyman]

Yes. We have posters claiming that Holder, Brathwaite etc. will end up as ATGs. [MENTION=137148]Rayyman[/MENTION]

Somebody mark this post. We will revisit it in 10 years.

 

[kingusama92]

Someone called Afridi an ATG?

)

 

[Square Drive]

Somebody mark this post. We will revisit it in 10 years.

Yeah, hopefully the WI team is not dissolved by then.

 

[Suleiman]

Nope, just that certain fans overstate achievements of players pre 2000s to an insane standard at times, and then judge the current generation to said standard. If you do that then yes it will look the ATG tag is thrown around too freely.

 

[Varun]

Someone called Afridi an ATG?

)

OP also mentions that it's too early to do that. He's right too, an ATG tag for somebody aged 16 is pushing it.

 

[Blitz]

In what world is Matthew Hayden not an all time great.

One of the greatest openers ever, for the greatest team ever. He set the platform for that team and was incredible in both Tests and ODI's.

If anything, he's one of the most underrated players on these forums. He is what people think Sehwag was. The latter being highly overrated.

 

[Billy1999]

Yes some people call Babar and Hassan Ali ATG or GOATS

you don't realise how much cricket has changed back in the 1990s batsmen were afraid of bowlers and actually the bowlers had more skill set these days I don't see many fast bowlers bowling with consistency

E.G
Amir
Boult
Sometimes Starc
Rabada
Mustafizur(Truddler but he's called a good bowler)
Bumrah(Good but inconsistent)
Shami(Tests)
Yadav(Tests)
Gabriel
Holder(getting better)
Wahab(Hit me machine)
Cummins(On and off)
Pradeep(Decent)
Malinga
Lakmal(Contains then gets belted at the end)
Wood(Stats show he's mediocre but he is inconsistent)
Woakes(Purple patch)
Willey(Nothing bowler)
Morkel(Only good against poor batsmanship)
Taskin
Masrafe mortaza
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Southee
Adam Milne
Matt Henry (Tests)

There are very few bowlers who are good every match,Hassan if he can carry on will be a great bowler no doubt

 

[Ab Fan]

No because none of those names are considered ATG except Sanga and Steyn who are bona fide ATGs.

Bevan and Dhoni are odi ATGs without any doubt.

Throwing names doesn't mean we all start considering them ATGs but its the potential one talks off.

For the likes of Smith, Kohli, Root we still talk of potential although two of them in a single respective format are close to it and would be shame if they dont become all time greats in that very form.