"Don't think Virat Kohli is in the same league as Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman" : Mohammad Yousuf

[Abdullah719]

"Don't think Virat Kohli is in the same league as Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman" : Mohammad Yousuf

Former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf believes that India captain Virat Kohli is not in the league of legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.

"The quality of cricket nowadays does not match the quality we had in the past. Virat Kohli is a very good batsman and I like to watch him play but I don't think he is in the same league of Tendulkar, Dravid or Laxman," Yousuf said on a TV channel.

Yousuf, 42, played from 1998 to 2010 for Pakistan in 90 Tests and 288 One-day Internationals, scoring 39 centuries and 97 half centuries in the two formats with a combined total of 17,250 runs.

Yousuf played at a time when Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman dominated world cricket.

"Some might not agree but I don't think today we have the same quality bowlers or batsmen that we had when I played. Look at Australia's present bowling line-up they have no one to match Glenn McGrath or Shane Warne, India had Anil Kumble, Srinath and some very good bowlers. South Africa and West Indies also had strong bowling attacks while Sri Lanka relied heavily on Muralitharan," Yousuf recalled.

"The rules have also been changed to make life easier for the batters while the pitches nowadays have also become more batting friendly. In the era I played you encountered different pitches in Australia, England, West Indies, South Africa. Nowadays more or less they are same everywhere," he said.

Yousuf said this is why he considered Tendulkar or Dravid in a different league from the current Indian batsmen.

"Yes they are getting runs but against weaker opposition and on similar pitches. I think Tendulkar and Dravid are greats because they scored runs against quality bowlers and teams," he said.

"To get runs against the likes of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Shoaib Akhtar or Saqlain Mushtaq was no joke. I always thought Tendulkar and Dravid were perfectionists and spent so much time on improving their game. I learnt from them."

"I am not saying Virat is not a class act. He is, but times have changed now."

Yousuf also talked about playing against India and played down the traditional rivalry between the two teams.

"Yes we had tough matches but after the game was over we got along well. Rivalries were left on the field."

He also defended the aggressiveness of Kohli..

"Even the Indian teams and players of the past were aggressive. Saurav Ganguly is an example. When we played them our players were also pumped up but at the end of the day we always appreciated a good performance even from the opposition because the quality of cricket was high.

http://www.business-standard.com/ar...-s-league-mohammad-yousuf-117080201541_1.html

 

[Leo23]

he is in their league and 10 times better than you

yousuf continues to be a bitter and jealous person

kohli would have scored big against waqar akhtar mushtaq as well

the guy averages 50 in all formats but he is still not good enough for the legendary yousuf )

 

[Muhammad Saad]

"Don't think Virat Kohli is in the same league as Tendulkar, Dravid and Laxman" : Mohammad Yousuf

Because he is in league of his own?

On a serious note M.Yosuf does have a point the game has definitely moves heavily in favour of batsmen but I am still sure Virat would have atleast matched the trio even if he had played in the same era.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

No one is in Tendulkar's league

 

[ataullah]

Agree with yusuf. He's not bitter or jealous like most on here accuse him.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Agree with Yousuf, too many soft runs being scored these days.

He is not competing with Virat Kohli for the Top spot that he could be jealous or insecure, he is simply rating the 90s Indian players higher.

 

[Leo23]

Agree with Yousuf, too many soft runs being scored these days.

He is not competing with Virat Kohli for the Top spot that he could be jealous or insecure, he is simply rating the 90s Indian players higher.

kohli is already a billion times better than laxman and dravid in odis and he has surpassed sachin as well. in tests he is not at their level yet but he is only entering his peak now

what does he have to do to be considered at their level? average 100?

nonsense statement by yousuf

 

[ToeCrusher2]

kohli is already a billion times better than laxman and dravid in odis and he has surpassed sachin as well. in tests he is not at their level yet but he is only entering his peak now

what does he have to do to be considered at their level? average 100?

nonsense statement by yousuf

Kohli surpassed sachin? LOL what the hell are you smoking

 

[Leo23]

Kohli surpassed sachin? LOL what the hell are you smoking

i said in odis. he is not as good as sachin in tests yet

 

[Shafi]

he is in their league and 10 times better than you

yousuf continues to be a bitter and jealous person

kohli would have scored big against waqar akhtar mushtaq as well

the guy averages 50 in all formats but he is still not good enough for the legendary yousuf )

Did Yousuf claimed to be as good as Tendulkar or you just have hatred against him as well? Don't think Waqar is as bad as you claimed. If Kohli struggle against Amir in flat pitch who is much inferior than Waqar on bouncy or seaming pitch.
Kohli was more team man than Tendulkar. But Tendulkar is a better batsman so as Dravid. Laxman is nothing special.

 

[shah_1]

People have opinion, learn to respect that rather than name calling.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Agree with yusuf. He's not bitter or jealous like most on here accuse him.

Agree with you. Yousuf is right once again without being diplomatic.
We have seen how Virat struggles against lateral movement. dont think he would have same career in the 1990s - early 2000s.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Also dont think players like Steve Smith would have similar careers in 1990s - early 2000s.

 

[backfootpunch]

MoYo isn't being bitter towards top Indian batsman although I do disagree that Laxman > Kohli.

He's actually commended standard of Indian batsman and went on to mention how the average Indian batsman such as Dinesh Karthik have better technique than the majority of Pakistani ones.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

i said in odis. he is not as good as sachin in tests yet

He has not surpassed sachin even in odis

 

[Leo23]

He has not surpassed sachin even in odis

he has. better match winner and greater chaser

 

[Sachin136]

MoYo isn't being bitter towards top Indian batsman although I do disagree that Laxman > Kohli.

He's actually commended standard of Indian batsman and went on to mention how the average Indian batsman such as Dinesh Karthik have better technique than the majority of Pakistani ones.

Laxman is far better than Kohli in tests.

 

[backfootpunch]

Laxman is far better than Kohli in tests.

What Laxman did against the ATG Aussie bowling attack was special and his 281 will remain to be the greatest innings of all time but I think it's a close call atm. One thing for sure Laxman is a far superior player of spin.

If you consider LOI + Tests then Kohli has already surpassed him

 

[CricketCartoons]

Kohli is a great player when the pitch is flat and the bowler is not Amir.

 

[Rayyman]

Unfortunately everything Yousuf says makes him be seen by some people as bitter due to his appearance.

 

[DRsohail]

he is right about sachin and dravid bur laxma is way behind,,,and one of the poster say kohli is 10 times better than yousuf...which is hilarous....kohli is better but yosuf were not that ordinary like u made..

 

[DRsohail]

ets say how many hundreds kohli has scored in testing conditions????

 

[Zaz]

Typical ex player

Players were better in my day

 

[aloo paratha]

Don't think Kohli would average more than 35 in both formats had he played in the 90s and early 2000s. For once I agree with Yousaf.

 

[Leo23]

he is right about sachin and dravid bur laxma is way behind,,,and one of the poster say kohli is 10 times better than yousuf...which is hilarous....kohli is better but yosuf were not that ordinary like u made..

kohli is legendary material. yousuf was just a very good player. big gap between the two.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

I am not a big Tendu fan but when it comes to technique the guy was a legend.
Remember a series I think it was against Australia where Tendu was struggling for form and wasnt able to cover drive the ball and getting nicks.
So how he countered it in later matches is that the guy completely took cover drive off his shots and played without it and once he had some runs he started playing it again. Tht was stuff of legends. If someone has a video of that series it would be great.

Though I think Virat is a better pressure player and match winner. Every player has their own qualities but still think Virat would not have the same career in 90s and early 2000s due to superior bowling at that time and Virat's lesser game against lateral movement.

 

[Sachin136]

What Laxman did against the ATG Aussie bowling attack was special and his 281 will remain to be the greatest innings of all time but I think it's a close call atm. One thing for sure Laxman is a far superior player of spin.

If you consider LOI + Tests then Kohli has already surpassed him

In LOIs, Kohli is certainly better. In tests, Laxman is multiple levels above. Apart from his 141, Kohli doesn't have an innings even close to his 281, Mohali, Durban, Adelaide etc.

 

[DRsohail]

kohli is legendary material. yousuf was just a very good player. big gap between the two.

but 10 times bstter is like yusuf was a taliender..in tests i dont see much differnce so far altough kohli can go big,but 10 times better....

 

[DRsohail]

In LOIs, Kohli is certainly better. In tests, Laxman is multiple levels above. Apart from his 141, Kohli doesn't have an innings even close to his 281, Mohali, Durban, Adelaide etc.

some of ur indian posters will eat u if u post something against kohli and tendulkar....as i said yusuf was a very good test player .he made almost 2 k runs in a claender year for a reason....but but.....

 

[CanadianG00se]

Laxman and Dravid in ODIs were non existent whereas Kohli is on his way to be an ATG. In test however, Dravid and Tendulkar are far ahead, Laxman perhaps on par with current Kohli.

Overall, only Tendulkar out of 3 is well ahead of Kohli ATM, but Kohli will certainly catch up before he retires.

In T20s all 3 combined couldn't match up to Kohli.

 

[Sachin136]

Laxman and Dravid in ODIs were non existent whereas Kohli is on his way to be an ATG. In test however, Dravid and Tendulkar are far ahead, Laxman perhaps on par with current Kohli.

Overall, only Tendulkar out of 3 is well ahead of Kohli ATM, but Kohli will certainly catch up before he retires.

In T20s all 3 combined couldn't match up to Kohli.

Dravid has 10000 ODI runs. Kohli is better, but saying that he was non-existent in ODIs is ridiculous.

 

[Hasan123]

Kohli may not surpass Sachin but I'm certain he will surpass VVS and Dravid. Also Kohli can only be judged on what bowlers he faces now . It's not his fault the rules are against bowlers and also the quality of bowling isn't as good compared to Moyos time.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Kohli may not surpass Sachin but I'm certain he will surpass VVS and Dravid. Also Kohli can only be judged on what bowlers he faces now . It's not his fault the rules are against bowlers and also the quality of bowling isn't as good compared to Moyos time.

He had already passed Dravid and Laxman in ODIs whereas in Test only Dravid out of two is ahead.

 

[Hasan123]

He had already passed Dravid and Laxman in ODIs whereas in Test only Dravid out of two is ahead.

In odis he has surpassed them I mean in most aspects of batting he will surpass them.

 

[CanadianG00se]

In odis he has surpassed them I mean in most aspects of batting he will surpass them.

Thing about Kohli which most overlooking is that he is performing in all 3 forms of the game which is remarkable.

 

[Hasan123]

Thing about Kohli which most overlooking is that he is performing in all 3 forms of the game which is remarkable.

Good point. I think he is underated in tests. Only in England has he failed significantly. In most other countries he has a decent record and he is just entering his peak years.

 

[ExplicitAI]

Kohli hasn't even reached his 30's yet and he's already becoming an ATG given the way he's playing. He's already an ATG in T20i's which is assured but I do think he'll surpass Sachin's run tally in ODI's and Tests if he continues to play games and take minimal rest. Kohli would've survived against former great fast bowlers of the 90's too, he's scored runs against both soft teams and top teams so there's no excuse.

I've been wanting to binge watch all of his ODI tons and from watching the first ODI ton, I can see that his style of play is the same as he plays now which tells me that he's going to achieve great heights in ODI's; only difference is that he's a lot more confident and assured at the crease nowadays.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Kohli hasn't even reached his 30's yet and he's already becoming an ATG given the way he's playing. He's already an ATG in T20i's which is assured but I do think he'll surpass Sachin's run tally in ODI's and Tests if he continues to play games and take minimal rest. Kohli would've survived against former great fast bowlers of the 90's too, he's scored runs against both soft teams and top teams so there's no excuse.

I've been wanting to binge watch all of his ODI tons and from watching the first ODI ton, I can see that his style of play is the same as he plays now which tells me that he's going to achieve great heights in ODI's; only difference is that he's a lot more confident and assured at the crease nowadays.

I dont think any player would get near to 18K+ runs scored in ODIs by Tendulkar. Now a days most nations are gradually replacing some ODIs with T20Is, and also with ever growing leagues around the world, Cricketers are likely to retire in early 30s to have some years of free lancing and earning some $$$. We might not see a batsman reaching 15K runs in ODIs let alone 18K.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Thing about Kohli which most overlooking is that he is performing in all 3 forms of the game which is remarkable.

Thats the sad part of being an Asian player, fans tend to remember your failure more than your success.
Some fans till date highlights Tendulkars choke in World cup finals, totally ignoring the fact that he took the team to finals mostly on his own.

 

[shabir kham]

kohli is legendary material. yousuf was just a very good player. big gap between the two.

What kohli achieve in Tests, which yousuf didn't? remember England tour 2006 when yousuf murderer then no 1 bowler harmison and score centuries against mcgrath and warne at their home, Did kohli won India WC? You are looking more bitter to me than yousuf…

 

[Sachin136]

What kohli achieve in Tests, which yousuf didn't? remember England tour 2006 when yousuf murderer then no 1 bowler harmison and score centuries against mcgrath and warne at their home, Did kohli won India WC? You are looking more bitter to me than yousuf…

Yousuf has one century against Australia and averages 29 against them. I would rather have Kohli score 4 centuries against Harris, Johnson, Starc and Hazlewood in Australia than average 29 against them with McGrath and Warne playing.

 

[Pakistani_Legend]

Yes, certainly.

... and Asad Shafiq is better than all of them.

 

[ToeCrusher2]

he has. better match winner and greater chaser

Tendulkar at 22 years of age was the backbone of Indian line up and single handedly carried India in the 1996 world cup, Tendulkar at the age of 28 was rated as the 2nd best best Test batsman ever and the 2nd best odi batsman ever by wisden, Only idiots or ignorant little kids think that kohli has surpassed sachin, a big LOL at your cricketing knowledge, kohli isn't fit enough to tie tendulkar's shoe laces.

 

[princeuk]

You would think that ex cricketers aren't allowed to have an opinion all of a sudden? Unless it concurs with their own beliefs.

 

[The_Odd_One]

People really underrate Dravid in ODIs. His SR was comparable to his peers and he played his part in the batting line up. Played some clutch innings and scored in big tournaments.

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Yes, certainly.

... and Asad Shafiq is better than all of them.

Dude.....It's an insult to Shafiq to be put in the same sentence along with these hacks

 

[troodon]

I have to agree with Yousaf. Kohli needs to keep up his performances for another 5 years before we can start comparing to sachin and Dravid.

 

[kingusama92]

Sachin has a case.

Kohli is miles better in ODIs compared to Dravid/Laxman.

In tests, he's still a work in progress but I think he'll end up better in the long-run.

 

[Tusker]

Thats the sad part of being an Asian player, fans tend to remember your failure more than your success.
Some fans till date highlights Tendulkars choke in World cup finals, totally ignoring the fact that he took the team to finals mostly on his own.

This !! Truer words never said.

 

[Ab Fan]

He should have mentioned format to make things clear.

He should have also mentioned that he is not yet in that league in tests but can reach or surpass Laxman when his test career ends.

In odis, Kohli is yet to surpass Tendulkar no matter whatever few of his fans say and this is not happening anytime sooner.

 

[Itachi]

Kohli has a long way to go even to touch tendu. The new kids hasn't even seen who tendu was..... What was the quality of cricket in those days.

I doubt kohli would have avg 40+ in any format had he played in the 90s.

 

[Red Devil]

If he's talking about Tests then this statement has merit. Kohli is never going to be as good as Sachin and Dravid in the longest format.

 

[Suleiman]

He will surpass them all. He will surpass Inzi, Yuvi, Dhoni and others as one of the greatest matchwinners from Asia with the bat as well.

 

[Cuts_and_cuts_hard]

In tests, Kohli has not shown that he is better than Sachin and Dravid. He has a looooooong way to go.

However he does have the ability to reach their level eventually.

 

[TalhaSyed]

It's hilarious to see how sensitive some people are by Mohammad Yousuf's statements.

Lets make a couple of things clear:

1) YES Mohammad Yousuf is allowed to comment on Kohli, Tendulkar, Dravid or which ever cricketer he wants. If we have keyboard warriors sitting on internet forums who feel they are privileged enough to pass judgements on crickceters, then a player who has played close to 400 international cricket matches certainly is allowed to talk.

If you're allowed to talk man then so is Yousuf

2) Mohammad Yousuf may say a lot of silly stuff, a lot of the time, but over here it's hard to argue with some of the facts he is pointing out.

Back in the Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar era their was a wealth of high class bowlers around the world (e.g. Wasim, Waqar, McGrath, Kumble, Warne, Murali, Bond etc.) and the standard of bowlers now is not what it use to be. The likes of Kohli, AB de, Smith, Root etc. need to face some brilliant bowlers (e.g. Steyn, Aswhion in certain conditions, Anderson in certain conditions), however, it's no where what it is to be.

The pitches have also got a lot flatter around the world, specially in countries like England, Australia and South Africa.

The rules are also a lot more in favour of the batsmen now then they have ever been in the past

The above points which Mohammad Yousuf has pointed out are just facts and they cannot be denied.

3) NO - Mohammad Yousuf is not being bitter. He is not for a single second suggesting that he is better than Kohli. Heck, he is not even suggesting that Pakistani batsmen are better than Kohli. If anything he is just commending how rich the history of Indian batsmen is

"I am not saying Virat is not a class act. He is, but times have changed now."

Look at the bitterness oozing from his statements

MoYo isn't being bitter towards top Indian batsman although I do disagree that Laxman > Kohli.

He's actually commended standard of Indian batsman and went on to mention how the average Indian batsman such as Dinesh Karthik have better technique than the majority of Pakistani ones.

You are absolutely right and I completely agree. Seeing Kohli fans getting so up tight by Yousuf's statements is hilarious to see.

Kohli is a fantastic players and their is no denying that. He is one of the greatest limited over batsmen to ever play the game. However, saying that he is a better batsmen then the likes of Sachin and Dravid is a bit of a stretch. He still needs to prove himself in the Test arena and after that he can even be considered in a the same league as those kind of players.

 

[jeetu]

In test Kohli is still way behind Tendulkar , Gavaskar and Dravid. He is close level with Laxman but lacks great knocks which Laxman produced from time to time.

 

[SarfiBabarHaris]

Kohli might end his career as better batsman but right now, NO!
Kohli isnt even the best test batsman in current Indian team. He is at 4th behind Pujara, Rahul, Rahane/Vijay and I find it shocking people saying he is better than Dravid and Laxman. Dravid is the best player of lateral movement in last 25 years and Laxman was a master of tough runs.

 

[Pakistani_Legend]

I really don't understand this "X had to face better bowlers; Y had to deal with difficult pitches; Z is just playing on flat decks against trundlers".

I mean, okay, but can the batsman who's playing in this era do anything about it? Is it his problem that the bowlers today are rubbish? Should he sit just sit at home and be like, "Okay, this is enough. Bring better bowlers and prepare grassy wickets, or I am not playing"?

 

[The Googly]

Some of Moyo's points are valid. Unfortunately, they will be ignored because 99% of the time, he talks rubbish and is a bitter guy.

What cannot be doubted is that the quality of bowling when Moyo played was superior.

Also, Tendulkar and Dravid are better then Kohli. It's amazing when people say Dravid is better only in tests. Tests are the true gauge of a player's ability. If someone is better in tests, then they are the better player. Their talents are being measured under the most testing conditions without any bouncer and fielding restrictions. Gavaskar was not an ODI batsman. He played the most ridiculous ODI innings in history in the 1975 World Cup. He batted 60 overs for 36 not out. LOL. But would you exclude him from an all time great list ? Of course not.

So - forgetting the ODI and Test categorisation - who are the best 10 Indian batsmen ever :

In my opinion :

Tendulkar
Gavaskar
Dravid
Kohli
Viswanath
Laxman
Ganguly
Amarnath
Vengsarkar
Tiger Pataudi


So - Moyo does have a point.

 

[shaz619]

It's hilarious to see how sensitive some people are by Mohammad Yousuf's statements.

Lets make a couple of things clear:

1) YES Mohammad Yousuf is allowed to comment on Kohli, Tendulkar, Dravid or which ever cricketer he wants. If we have keyboard warriors sitting on internet forums who feel they are privileged enough to pass judgements on crickceters, then a player who has played close to 400 international cricket matches certainly is allowed to talk.

If you're allowed to talk man then so is Yousuf

2) Mohammad Yousuf may say a lot of silly stuff, a lot of the time, but over here it's hard to argue with some of the facts he is pointing out.

Back in the Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar era their was a wealth of high class bowlers around the world (e.g. Wasim, Waqar, McGrath, Kumble, Warne, Murali, Bond etc.) and the standard of bowlers now is not what it use to be. The likes of Kohli, AB de, Smith, Root etc. need to face some brilliant bowlers (e.g. Steyn, Aswhion in certain conditions, Anderson in certain conditions), however, it's no where what it is to be.

The pitches have also got a lot flatter around the world, specially in countries like England, Australia and South Africa.

The rules are also a lot more in favour of the batsmen now then they have ever been in the past

The above points which Mohammad Yousuf has pointed out are just facts and they cannot be denied.

3) NO - Mohammad Yousuf is not being bitter. He is not for a single second suggesting that he is better than Kohli. Heck, he is not even suggesting that Pakistani batsmen are better than Kohli. If anything he is just commending how rich the history of Indian batsmen is



Look at the bitterness oozing from his statements



You are absolutely right and I completely agree. Seeing Kohli fans getting so up tight by Yousuf's statements is hilarious to see.

Kohli is a fantastic players and their is no denying that. He is one of the greatest limited over batsmen to ever play the game. However, saying that he is a better batsmen then the likes of Sachin and Dravid is a bit of a stretch. He still needs to prove himself in the Test arena and after that he can even be considered in a the same league as those kind of players.

Good post, people needlessly are taking cheap low grade shots at Yousef; I admit, there's a lot he says which I don't agree with but he has conveyed his thoughts quiet well here and has praised Kohli as well. Virat is a good player and not a bad guy either, his fans are beyond ignorant; they are even worse then Justin Bieber fans.

Sure Virat is not playing in an era where things were tougher and can only beat whatever is put before him, that point is taken but that's not to say he can't be compared to greats so long he performs incredibly well during the moments he is presented with a significant challenge. However, any sensible cricket fan would expect something special from Kohli before he is deemed better then the likes of Sachin and Viv; why would anyone pick Kohli in their XI ahead of Sachin or Viv when they dominated during tougher circumstances. It took John Cena 15 years before he was able to get himself in a position where we could compare him to the likes of Bruno Sammartino, Hogan and Austin; he's a certified first ballot hall of famer. He always had heat for various reasons but while he was dominating not even his biggest supporters advocated his greatness immediately because it would take something special to be at the level of legends. Now you have a situation where people are already advocating the undisputed greatness of Kohli and making premature predictions when there's not a lot to go by if am honest.

So I agree with Yousef here, Virat is world class but I'll stop right there for now. The low grade garbage levelled at him speaks more of the Kohli fans and the type of people there are then anything else.

 

[Tusker]

I really don't understand this "X had to face better bowlers; Y had to deal with difficult pitches; Z is just playing on flat decks against trundlers".

I mean, okay, but can the batsman who's playing in this era do anything about it? Is it his problem that the bowlers today are rubbish? Should he sit just sit at home and be like, "Okay, this is enough. Bring better bowlers and prepare grassy wickets, or I am not playing"?

Exactly !!

 

[CricketCartoons]

It just shows how much the standard of cricket has deteriorated that players like virat kohli are counted among greats. This guy has played a few good innings in ODIs, but has mostly scored easy runs. The less said about his captaincy the better. In fact I cancelled my cricket pack TV subscription because of him.

 

[Haz95]

Back in the Dravid, Laxman, Tendulkar era their was a wealth of high class bowlers around the world (e.g. Wasim, Waqar, McGrath, Kumble, Warne, Murali, Bond etc.) and the standard of bowlers now is not what it use to be. The likes of Kohli, AB de, Smith, Root etc. need to face some brilliant bowlers (e.g. Steyn, Aswhion in certain conditions, Anderson in certain conditions), however, it's no where what it is to be.

Give it 5 years and the so called experts who use 'logic, reasoning and their wonderful eye' to prove how Alan Donald never bowled above 135, Wasim was against mediocre sissy batsmen, McGrath was a trundler and that it's purely 90s nostalgia. This current aggressive era who hit 1km 6s is professional and advanced, therefore Kohli is automatically the greatest batsman ever.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

No one can disagree that the pitches now are batsmen friendly, bigger bats , T20 has given them greater 360 arc to play shots.. Due to the game shifted to batsman favorite, bowlers are now look to be like toothless and not comparable upto the standards of Murali, Warne, Mcgrath, Wasim, Waqar and Ambrose. If it remained an even contest like it was in the 90s then surely Steyn, Harris, Starc, Philander, Amir, Boult, Southee, Yasir, Ashwin would have achieved more and the batsmen wouldnt be scoring any easy runs/easy 100s.

Having said all that Kohli is yet to play an inns like laxman's 281 and the adelaide one of dravid and laxman from down under and Rahul Dravid 148 Johannesburg was his first century.

 

[TalhaSyed]

Good post, people needlessly are taking cheap low grade shots at Yousef; I admit, there's a lot he says which I don't agree with but he has conveyed his thoughts quiet well here and has praised Kohli as well. Virat is a good player and not a bad guy either, his fans are beyond ignorant; they are even worse then Justin Bieber fans.

Sure Virat is not playing in an era where things were tougher and can only beat whatever is put before him, that point is taken but that's not to say he can't be compared to greats so long he performs incredibly well during the moments he is presented with a significant challenge. However, any sensible cricket fan would expect something special from Kohli before he is deemed better then the likes of Sachin and Viv; why would anyone pick Kohli in their XI ahead of Sachin or Viv when they dominated during tougher circumstances. It took John Cena 15 years before he was able to get himself in a position where we could compare him to the likes of Bruno Sammartino, Hogan and Austin; he's a certified first ballot hall of famer. He always had heat for various reasons but while he was dominating not even his biggest supporters advocated his greatness immediately because it would take something special to be at the level of legends. Now you have a situation where people are already advocating the undisputed greatness of Kohli and making premature predictions when there's not a lot to go by if am honest.

So I agree with Yousef here, Virat is world class but I'll stop right there for now. The low grade garbage levelled at him speaks more of the Kohli fans and the type of people there are then anything else.

Absolutely.

Kohli is a class act and theres no doubt about it, however, Yousuf makes some very valid points and he has every right to state his opinion.

Kohli has done a lot and proven to be a great asset for his team, however, he still has a long way to go before being compared to the all time greats of the game.

 

[TalhaSyed]

Give it 5 years and the so called experts who use 'logic, reasoning and their wonderful eye' to prove how Alan Donald never bowled above 135, Wasim was against mediocre sissy batsmen, McGrath was a trundler and that it's purely 90s nostalgia. This current aggressive era who hit 1km 6s is professional and advanced, therefore Kohli is automatically the greatest batsman ever.

What?

 

[sshakir411]

Yousuf got it right this time around.

 

[Arham_PakFan]

If he's talking about tests he's spot on.Tendulkar is above Kohli in LOIs for now.

 

[Leo23]

Some of Moyo's points are valid. Unfortunately, they will be ignored because 99% of the time, he talks rubbish and is a bitter guy.

What cannot be doubted is that the quality of bowling when Moyo played was superior.

Also, Tendulkar and Dravid are better then Kohli. It's amazing when people say Dravid is better only in tests. Tests are the true gauge of a player's ability. If someone is better in tests, then they are the better player. Their talents are being measured under the most testing conditions without any bouncer and fielding restrictions. Gavaskar was not an ODI batsman. He played the most ridiculous ODI innings in history in the 1975 World Cup. He batted 60 overs for 36 not out. LOL. But would you exclude him from an all time great list ? Of course not.

So - forgetting the ODI and Test categorisation - who are the best 10 Indian batsmen ever :

In my opinion :

Tendulkar
Gavaskar
Dravid
Kohli
Viswanath
Laxman
Ganguly
Amarnath
Vengsarkar
Tiger Pataudi


So - Moyo does have a point.

temperament is not the only measure of a batsman. this is just out dated test cricket propaganda. dravid is better than kohli in tests but that does not make him a better batsman overall because kohli is much superior in 2 out of 3 formats

yes dravid has better defense and temperament but kohli has :

better range of shots

better timing

better strike rotation

better ability to switch gears

as a result kohli is a superior batsman who has an excellent record in all formats unlike dravid who was a mis fit in odis and t20s

a batsman who is legendary in tests but mediocre in limited overs is a one dimensional batsman but a batsman who is class in all formats is a complete batsman and will always be superior

 

[jusarrived]

Kohli has a long way to go even to touch tendu. The new kids hasn't even seen who tendu was..... What was the quality of cricket in those days.

I doubt kohli would have avg 40+ in any format had he played in the 90s.

Like saying Tendulkar would not average 20s in any format had he played in the 70s

 

[jusarrived]

Give it 5 years and the so called experts who use 'logic, reasoning and their wonderful eye' to prove how Alan Donald never bowled above 135, Wasim was against mediocre sissy batsmen, McGrath was a trundler and that it's purely 90s nostalgia. This current aggressive era who hit 1km 6s is professional and advanced, therefore Kohli is automatically the greatest batsman ever.

on the contrary , whats normally claimed is exact opposite . Anyone who played in 90s pr before was automatically better . They all bowled 170kmp + and all had perfect techniques lol

 

[Haz95]

What?

In 5 years time, just like the 80s and late 70s is dinosaur era filled with oldies nostalgia, trundlers and poor technique'd batsmen, the 90s soon will be too to the typical modern day cricket expert due to self proclaimed brilliant analysis of 2min youtube videos.

As a result of that, this current Kohli era is the best cricket has ever been due to being so professional, modern and advanced...making King Kohli above Sachin, Viv, Lara, Ponting, Miandad, Bradman and any other dinosaur from an older era.

on the contrary , whats normally claimed is exact opposite . Anyone who played in 90s pr before was automatically better . They all bowled 170kmp + and all had perfect techniques lol

There are two sides to each extremes...Most reasoned cricket followers will understand that cricket was at its best from late 70s to early 00s, while producing the best of the best mid 80s to mid 90s due to fierce competition. To claim bowlers like Larwood bowled 150kph or Truman bowled 170kph is also a farce.

 

[TalhaSyed]

In 5 years time, just like the 80s and late 70s is dinosaur era filled with oldies nostalgia, trundlers and poor technique'd batsmen, the 90s soon will be too to the typical modern day cricket expert due to self proclaimed brilliant analysis of 2min youtube videos.

As a result of that, this current Kohli era is the best cricket has ever been due to being so professional, modern and advanced...making King Kohli above Sachin, Viv, Lara, Ponting, Miandad, Bradman and any other dinosaur from an older era.

There are two sides to each extremes...Most reasoned cricket followers will understand that cricket was at its best from late 70s to early 00s, while producing the best of the best mid 80s to mid 90s due to fierce competition. To claim bowlers like Larwood bowled 150kph or Truman bowled 170kph is also a farce.

Sorry man I'm struggling to understand.

Just to make it clear - are you claiming that in your opinion, Kohli is better than the likes of Viv, Lara, Ponting etc. or are you saying that in the future the "2 minute YouTube experts" will claim that Kohli is better than Viv, Lara, Sachin etc.?

 

[big_gamer007]

I really like Yousuf for his opinions he is generally very blunt and says what he feels.. Completely agree with everything he said here Kohli still has a way to go past Tendu or Dravid.. Probably can go past Laxman soon or is already past him that can go either way.. But with respect to Dravid and Tendu he still has a long way to go..

Big LOL @ anyone suggesting he is already better than Tendu even in ODI's.. Kids these days I tell you..

 

[big_gamer007]

on the contrary , whats normally claimed is exact opposite . Anyone who played in 90s pr before was automatically better . They all bowled 170kmp + and all had perfect techniques lol

There are lots of footage available from 90's so people can judge easily for themselves if they want..

You are confusing two different eras people who glorify Bradman, trueman, sobers etc do that without having seen them play ever however the difference between 90's era is that there are a lot more people who have followed the careers of these players by watching them rather than reading or listening on radio.. B) There is lot of footage for anyone to watch and judge for themselves..

 

[Sachin136]

This thread just goes to show how underrated Laxman is. Lots of people saying that Kohli is already past him.

 

[Haz95]

Sorry man I'm struggling to understand.

Just to make it clear - are you claiming that in your opinion, Kohli is better than the likes of Viv, Lara, Ponting etc. or are you saying that in the future the "2 minute YouTube experts" will claim that Kohli is better than Viv, Lara, Sachin etc.?

Lol, it's just me messing with the usual arguments of the self proclaimed PP experts who refuse to rate anything pre 90s.

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

Yousuf is right. Kohli is not in their league. May be in T20's he is better than those players that too because those guys didn't play T20's in their peak. In tests Dravid, Sachin and VVS are miles ahead of him. In ODI's I have yet to see an inning like Sachin played in 1998 against Australia in Sharjha from Kohli.

 

[CanadianG00se]

Yousuf is right. Kohli is not in their league. May be in T20's he is better than those players that too because those guys didn't play T20's in their peak. In tests Dravid, Sachin and VVS are miles ahead of him. In ODI's I have yet to see an inning like Sachin played in 1998 against Australia in Sharjha from Kohli.

You're right saying those 3 are ahead of Kohli in test ATM. But Kohli is just hitting his peak so he might go ahead of them except for Tendulkar.
In ODIs Tendulkar had set the benchmark so high that we might not see any player getting anywhere near his record. On the other hand, Kohli is setting a benchmark in chasing/finishing. Kohli may very well be an ATG in LOIs when he is retired. Dravid and Laxman are no where near Kohli in LOIs. Dravid was more like H. Amla scored mostly soft runs. I can't even remember any notable match winning innings by Dravid in ODIs. He couldnt even merit his selection purely as a batsman and had to be a makeshift keeper.

In T20s even Tendulkar was inferior to Kohli from whatever we saw in IPL.
Overall, except Tendulkar other two are inferior to Kohli in LOIs and ahead atm in Test.

 

[PakLFC]

It is human nature to think that their generation was the best at everything. It is not Virat's fault that he couldn't face the likes of Murli, Ambrose, Warne, Wasim or Waqar. It is plain stupidity to have a go at him for that reason, sorry for being born at the wrong time! Well Yousaf did not face the likes of Holding, Marshall, Lillee, Thompson and Hadlee either. Whose to say how well or poorly he would have done against them. Virat is brilliant today, that is all that matters.