How great was David Gower at his best and overall?

[Harsh Thakor]

Arguably there has never been a batsmen who posessed the feline touch or grace of David Gower who simply took bating aesthetics or artistry to regions of the divine.No batsmen could send deliveries of the fastest men to the boundary like Gower merely caressing the ball like the touches of a painters brush.Sadly he did not do true justice to his ability and averaged around 44.Very similar to Martin Crowe .Dennis Lille rated Gower only behind Viv Richards ,Sobers and Barry Richards.


I have never seen a left-hander play genuine pace as effortslessly as Gower even if he did not equal the technical skill and power of Sobers or the domination and creativity of Brian Lara or the abilty to bat for your life like Alan Border.


Gower was outstanding against Australia in 1985 when compiling 732 runs and prolific down under in 1982-83 and 1986-87.In West Indies his unbeaten 154 against also a class act in Pakistan in 1983-84 averaging close to 100.In ODI's amongst the top 5 left-handed batsmen of all topping the run aggregate and averages in 1983 world cup .Strangely his highest score was only 215 and he only scored 2 double hundreds.


Arguably he may not rank as a true great or amongst the all-time greats but still writers who place him in that pedestal like Cristopher Martin Jenkins rank him even a shade above Clive Lloyd,Martin Crowe ,Zaheer Abbas,Mark Waugh etc.Confronting genuine pace at his best to me Gower could overshadow the great Greg Chappell or Greame Pollock and almost join the likes of Gary Sobers,Lara or Viv.

I feel at his best he was close to the top dozen batsmen of all time and may have even joined that club. On fast tracks or genuine pace he would rank a notch above Zaheer Abbas or Mohamad Azharrudin .In term s of pure talent he was almost the equal of Lara and could rank amongst the top half dozen naturally gifted batsmen of all.Almost certainly in the top dozen of all in criteria of pure natural ability.To me David would have averaged above 50 and scored 10 more centuries if he did true justice to his enormous natural talent.

Overall I may place Gower just above Mark Waugh, Zaheer Abbas,Majid Khan ,Gundappa Vishwanath ,Inzamam etc.A photo finish with Martin Crowe.

Gary Sobers did not bracket Gower as a true 'great' but John woodcock and Michael Holding did ,with the later choosing Gower in his all-time xi.

 

[Junaids]

He was a lovely elegant batsman, at his peak in the 1983 World Cup.

I would add that he had a certain lack of discipline which meant that he only reached the level of a Laxman when he could have been a Lara.

 

[Junaids]

I would bracket him with Mark Waugh, Michael Slater, Zaheer Abbas and Inzamam, but a clear level below Martin Crowe.

 

[barah_admi]

I did not see him live but have read a lot about him and seen a lot of highlights. As graceful as he was, it was also his curse. He loved the aesthetics of the game, he loved getting forward and caressing a cover drive. That led to him not quite having the grit to grind out big scores, again and again and again. If there was a ball to be hit, he'd try and hit it as purely as possible, even if it meant edging it to slip. The curse of elegant left handers was exaggerated in Gower.

Then again, the question is raised, is batting greatness merely a number of 50? I have never held that to be true.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

He was a lovely elegant batsman, at his peak in the 1983 World Cup.

I would add that he had a certain lack of discipline which meant that he only reached the level of a Laxman when he could have been a Lara.

great answer.Infact at his best V.V.S. could have been his equal.Infact Laxma at his bset arguably surpased Tendulkar nad joined Lara.in 4th innings VVS was better than Sachin.Do you feel Gower was marginally ahead of Greg Chappell at his best?At their best perhaps a dead heat between Majid,V.V.S and Gower.Zaheer was susceptible aginst genuine pace but much better against spin.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I would bracket him with Mark Waugh, Michael Slater, Zaheer Abbas and Inzamam, but a clear level below Martin Crowe.

At their best perhaps a dead heat between Majid,V.V.S and Gower.Zaheer was susceptible aginst genuine pace but much better against spin.

Why you rank Crowe ahead? Gower to me was a left-handed Rohan Kanhai.

 

[Bilal7]

I did not see him live but have read a lot about him and seen a lot of highlights. As graceful as he was, it was also his curse. He loved the aesthetics of the game, he loved getting forward and caressing a cover drive. That led to him not quite having the grit to grind out big scores, again and again and again. If there was a ball to be hit, he'd try and hit it as purely as possible, even if it meant edging it to slip. The curse of elegant left handers was exaggerated in Gower.

Then again, the question is raised, is batting greatness merely a number of 50? I have never held that to be true.

Of course not. The average of 50 is one of the indicators of a great batsman. However, it is not the only indicator.

 

[jnaveen1980]

He was not known for his averages or anything. He was not known for his flair. He was one of the most attractive batsman to watch in the 80s. Gooch, Gatting were plain ugly to watch. Boycott Boring. Cricket fans imitated his shots even at schools, colleges. I am talking about India. ONe of the most loved English cricketer in India. Closest to Gower as far as flair goes was Marcus Trescothik who often would stand and deliver. England lost a great batsman in Marcus.

 

[barah_admi]

Of course not. The average of 50 is one of the indicators of a great batsman. However, it is not the only indicator.

Precisely my point.

 

[Ab Fan]

Not seen him but with what heard, he was one of the best English batsmen alongside Gooch, Stewart, KP and Cook in last 30 years.

 

[Junaids]

great answer.Infact at his best V.V.S. could have been his equal.Infact Laxma at his bset arguably surpased Tendulkar nad joined Lara.in 4th innings VVS was better than Sachin.Do you feel Gower was marginally ahead of Greg Chappell at his best?At their best perhaps a dead heat between Majid,V.V.S and Gower.Zaheer was susceptible aginst genuine pace but much better against spin.

Actually, I place great emphasis on Packer performances, which tell me that Greg Chappell was on a significantly higher plane.

I would rate the batsmen I’ve watched 1975-2018 as follows (in alphabetical order) in Tests and SuperTests:

Top Level: Barry Richards and Viv Richards

Second Level: Greg Chappell, De Villiers, Kallis, Lara, Sangakkara, Ponting and Tendulkar

Third Level: Martin Crowe, Rahul Dravid, Javed Miandad

 

[Robert]

Averaged 40 at home and 50 overseas.

The most elegant England batter I ever saw. He hardly seemed to move and off the ball would go for four.

Excellent against spin bowling. Not so great against WI except the Barbados 150, but deflectors like him seemed to do less well than stand-and-deliver types like Gooch and Lamb.

 

[khan-92]

Averaged 40 at home and 50 overseas.

The most elegant England batter I ever saw. He hardly seemed to move and off the ball would go for four.

Excellent against spin bowling. Not so great against WI except the Barbados 150, but deflectors like him seemed to do less well than stand-and-deliver types like Gooch and Lamb.

I remember his last innings against Pakistan 1992 I think he scored 50 in that Test Match.
Then he was dropped for the India Tour which was quite surprising.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Actually, I place great emphasis on Packer performances, which tell me that Greg Chappell was on a significantly higher plane.

I would rate the batsmen I’ve watched 1975-2018 as follows (in alphabetical order) in Tests and SuperTests:

Top Level: Barry Richards and Viv Richards

Second Level: Greg Chappell, De Villiers, Kallis, Lara, Sangakkara, Ponting and Tendulkar

Third Level: Martin Crowe, Rahul Dravid, Javed Miandad

Sunil Gavaskar nowhere?or Alan Border?what about Ian Chappell?

 

[Justcrazy]

very elegant player , good timer .

Never reaching that consistency level , but very very pleasing on eyes.

 

[PakLFC]

Great timer of the ball was Gower saheb. Fair enough, with his natural attacking instincts probably not an ideal man in a crises situation like a Miandad or Dravid would be. For sheer entertainment value he has to be in category A, no doubt about it. One of the best English batsman of all time. Still trying to figure out who gave him a black eye that he carried for so long? David Gower means elegance, flair and stroke play. Having seen some old video's he was Mudassar Nazar's bunny in the 1982 series.

 

[giri26]

Apart from watching some old videos on Youtube, I haven't seen much of him. But have heard great things about David Gower.

 

[Junaids]

Earlier I classified various batsmen as follows:......
Top Level: Barry Richards and Viv Richards

Second Level: Greg Chappell, De Villiers, Kallis, Lara, Sangakkara, Ponting and Tendulkar

Third Level: Martin Crowe, Rahul Dravid, Javed Miandad

Sunil Gavaskar nowhere?or Alan Border?what about Ian Chappell?

I'd put Gavaskar alongside Crowe and Dravid at the Third Level: I'm tempted to put him in the second level but he was so flawed psychologically that I just can't.

Allan Border would fit into the Third level too: terrific at times, but a class beneath those Second Level players.

Ian Chappell is nowhere for me. Superb captain, and worth a place in the team for that, but as a batsman I'm not sure that he was better than the likes of Allan Lamb, Robin Smith, Virender Sehwag in a Fifth Level.

 

[Sadevdesai]

By far, one of the most stylish left handed Batsman !!!!!

 

[jnaveen1980]

Apart from watching some old videos on Youtube, I haven't seen much of him. But have heard great things about David Gower.

Growing up in the 80s i imitated shot for shot of Gower with Tennis ball. Back then i would play with my flat mate in a compound. I would be England often.My friend would be India. Basically each has to play as all 11 batsman for 10 overs or so. I would make sure Gooch and Chris Broad or Bill Athey get out early so that Gower in come in early. As Gower i would bat rest of the overs. He had a huge fan club in India.

 

[Robert]

I remember his last innings against Pakistan 1992 I think he scored 50 in that Test Match.
Then he was dropped for the India Tour which was quite surprising.

He got 70, drawing gasps from the crowd as he caressed Wasim and Waqar for effortless fours.

We missed the last two years of him through management intransigence - rather like KP.

 

[Hasan123]

Very elegant batsmen.

 

[Abdullah719]

David Gower: England Test cricket great out of Sky Sports commentary team after Ashes

Former England Test captain David Gower will leave Sky Sports after the ongoing Ashes Test series, as the British broadcaster moves towards a different coverage plan.

Gower, 62, has been part of Sky’s commentary team for 20 years. During this time, his expertise in calling games of cricket across the globe has been well-appreciated and his rapport with fellow former England skippers Nasser Hussain, Mike Atherton and Ian Botham, as well as David Lloyd, particularly memorable.

Speaking to Sportsmail, he said that the end of his contract with Sky had come suddenly and that he was saddened by the broadcaster’s decision.

“I am — and I have to pick a word carefully — unhappy that it’s ending,” said Gower. “However people try to explain the reasons, the times they are a changin’. I actually do love the job. Some people suggest I don’t — or maybe I have moments off. We all have days off. But I do love being around it. It’s my environment and I feel comfortable there. If there’s a way of staying in it, that would be wonderful.”

Since he retired from cricket after 14 years as an England player – including 32 Tests as skipper – Gower has worked with the BBC’s Test Match Special, Channel 9 in Australia and Sky. He joined Sky in 1999 on a full-time contract.

He said that the end of his association with Sky came about as the channel started to ponder a new direction.

“The gist of it is they want to move on and change style,” said Gower. “It’s that dreaded start to a sentence: ‘We think you’re doing a great job, but…’ That, of course, leads to where we are now. I’m aware that our demographic for Sky cricket is kind of my demographic. Their research proves that. The main part of our watching public for Test matches is of a certain age and probably white males. So it’s a shame I can’t keep appealing to them and keep them happy.”

Elegance personified when batting at the crease, Gower was England’s twinkle-toed, blue-eyed boy wonder who ended his Test career with 8231 runs at an average of 44.25.

The final Ashes Test at The Oval from September 12 will be Gower’s last as a commentator for Sky Sports. “I have no intention of retiring to a hilltop in Peru yet,” he said.

https://www.cricketcountry.com/news...sky-sports-commentary-team-after-ashes-879729

 

[Robert]

I always liked him as Sky anchor. Personable and knowledgable. But the cry is always for youth and maybe they will promote Nasser.

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Probably was the most popular English cricketer among the older generation of Indian cricket fans.

 

[Firebat]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">"He always left you wanting a little bit more because he was that pleasing on the eye to watch.”<br><br>Next up on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICCHallOfFame?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICCHallOfFame</a>, we have the graceful David Gower &#55357;&#56573;️ <a href="https://t.co/92OUjy7pSj">pic.twitter.com/92OUjy7pSj</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1398285435290275843?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[King_Kohli]

On This Day in 1992: Former England Cricket Skipper David Gower Retires From Test Cricket

Hailed as one of the most stylish batsmen of his era, David Grover captained the England cricket team during the 1980s. The left-handed batsman represented England in 117 Test matches followed by 114 One Day Internationals. Gower enjoyed an illustrious cricket career as he smashed a massive 8231 Test and 3170 ODI runs. It was on August 9, 1992, that the former English skipper walked in the middle for the last time in international cricket.

Throughout his Test career, Gower produced a lot of match-defining performances. However, the batsman failed to work his charm in his last international outing. The 64-year-old returned with figures of 27 and 1 against Pakistan in what was his last match in the purest format of the game.

Gower’s last game was the last Test of the five-match series between England and Pakistan in August 1992. The match was a crucial one as the Test series was levelled at 1-1. Batting first in the game, England posted a score of 207. Mike Atherton was the top scorer for the hosts with 60 runs. Wasim Akram was the main man behind the collapse of the English team as he picked as many as six wickets.

Talking about the man of the hour, Gower, he was clean bowled by right-arm seamer Aaqib Javed. In response to 208, Pakistan posted 380 runs on the board. Shoaib Mohammad, Javed Miandad, and Asif Mujtaba were responsible to take the team towards a respectable total as they smashed a half-century each. For England, Devon Malcolm was the pick of the bowler with his five-wicket haul.

England were expected to deliver a better batting performance in the third innings. However, the team collapsed at 174 for ten. Robin Smith played a remarkable knock of 84 runs but the batsman was deprived of support from other members of the team. This time around, Gower could manage just one run as he lost his wicket to Waqar Younis.

With England collapsing at a below-par total, Pakistan needed just five runs in the fourth innings to secure a victory in the match. Aamer Sohail smashed a boundary while England gave an extra run in the form of a wide to help Pakistan win by ten wickets.

https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/news/on-this-day-in-1992-former-england-cricket-skipper-david-gower-retires-from-test-cricket-4061585.html