SL_Fan
Senior ODI Player
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2012
- Runs
- 22,652
- Post of the Week
- 1
What about him? 

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WI have been rubbish for the most part post Ambrose/Walsh. Since then against the top seven WI have averaged 43 overall with the ball - breaking that down further 38+ at home and 48 away/neutral. Those are minnowish numbers fair to say significantly poorer than the worst of the top seven in all aspects. A definite outlier.
What about him?![]()
But in Odis, Smith isn't great either and Amla is as good as him in tests.
How is Smith an ATG but not either of Amla or De Villiers?
Do you rate Bevan as an ATG chow?
Bevan?
de Villiers can definitely end his career as an ATG. He needs a couple of series where he is the main man for South Africa, instead of always playing second fiddle to Amla or Kallis, like he has done thus far. For that to happen, he absolutely needs to start batting at #4.
In ODIs, he's already there. Now it's just a matter of ending his career on a good note in that format.
Is Bevan in the same league as Gavasker? No. An ODI ATG who isn't very good in the test format won't be rated as highly as someone who is a great in the test format. Dhoni and Bevan illustrate this perfectly. Saqlain and Lee as well.
Yes! Only after Kohli! I will put him above Kohli when he can win matches for his team by chasing totals!
Yes he is an ATG.
ATM,he is best batsmen of this generation.Kohli should overtake him but doubt players like Smith,Root,Williamson would overtake ABD.
[MENTION=132270]SL_Fan[/MENTION] , [MENTION=132715]Varun[/MENTION] , [MENTION=139975]The_Odd_One[/MENTION]
Apart from Viv in terms of pure all-round skill can’t say that I’ve seen a better bat in any form of the game. In terms of output however he still has a few things left to prove in Test cricket for mine. I mean as of now he’s averaging a bit over 50 with just 22 Test tons in 191 outings. Now compare those numbers with say Smith who is averaging 61+ with 23 Test tons in 117 innings or Kohli who is averaging 53+ with 21 Test tons in 112 innings and it’s quite apparent that it’s more a case of him under-achieving than being under-rated. Even though he has lost ground still got at least another good 3 or so years left in him to get himself back up there. The question is whether he’s up for it or not. Only time will tell I guess.
Overrated as a batsman .
Some call him an average test batsmen who had an underwhelming test career while others call him an ATG.
Where would you rank AB among his contemporaries in the longer format? He has 8700 odd runs at avg of 50.66 over 114 tests. Remember he kept gloves too at its peak which restrained his batting.
GoAT contender in ODIs. Somehwat overrated in Tests though. His conversion rate is terrible, and was always a second fiddle to Kallis, Amla and Smith. No ATG is below 3 batsmen in his own team
Personally think his counter attack was the reason that SA won the Tests against India.
Where would you put him among players debuted in 2000s?
GoAT contender in ODIs. Somehwat overrated in Tests though. His conversion rate is terrible, and was always a second fiddle to Kallis, Amla and Smith. <B>No ATG is below 3 batsmen in his own team</B>
Not too sure of that. What about Marshall, Garner, Holding and Roberts?
To me he is the Wasim Akram of batting. Better in white ball than red ball and a magician but someone who should have better stats for the skills he possesses.
Only Marshall is an ATG among them
I have hardly seen ABD perform when there is a hint of pressure. He may do well in setting a target but not great when chasing in a big game.
Choker can't be an ATG
ATG in an incredible team yet no trophies, only humiliating losses in tournaments. ATG retires before the WC ,when his country needed him, to not have to face another embarrassment.![]()
He left you a year out from the WC, how are you not livid? You basically have zero chance winning the WC now. Would be hilarious to see SA win without the coward.Good thing he wasn't a choker.
On the topic: Yes, absolutely. I'm biased, however![]()
I bet you're the same type of person who criticizes Sachin for never winning a WC until 2011 or scoring runs in knockouts/pressure matches.The second greatest ODI batsman of all-time. However, not an ATG in test cricket.
Good thing it's not up to you otherwise Gayle would still be playing for Windies since they need him so much![]()
He probably knew another failure would hurt his legacy and got out.If it was up to me Hafeez, Azhar, and Malik would not be any where near our ODI team.
AB is far superior ODI batsman than Gayle. Gayle is 38 while AB is 34. One would understand his retirement decision if he was out of form or just declining as a cricketer but it has been the opposite. The kind of fielding and batting form he has shown recently would surely have been a great help to SA in the WC. But he wasn't mentally strong enough.
He left you a year out from the WC, how are you not livid? You basically have zero chance winning the WC now. Would be hilarious to see SA win without the coward.
Doesn't matter mate, he's in good form and can't stick it out for one more year after 2015? That's a load of croak, he was shattered after 2015 and any player in that position would want another crack. This is 100% him chickening out.I'm would have liked for him to stay, sure. Who doesn't want to see AB bat? Not up to me though. If it was up to me many players would still be playing. If AB says he's done and tired, I believe him. He's given more to South African cricket and cricket in general than most players ever do or will do. 2015 was our best chance and we blew it. I was livid back then about it.
Change is a natural and good thing.
He probably knew another failure would hurt his legacy and got out.
People criticized Messi for retiring, but that was in the moment of pain of losing a third straight final. He came back and carried his country to another WC, he's now going into a WC with a far weaker side unlike AB who still has a strong side who can win the WC if they fire.
What AB is doing here is gutless, but watch hypocrites like [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] celebrate him when he left his country high and dry a year out from the WC.
True, I'm use to seeing the Black Caps bomb out lol. I'm expecting nothing next year and I probably wont have any expectations in them until we have a golden generation with a couple of ATGs and 3-4 world class players.Perhaps he'll pull a Messi. That would be awesome.
Ag, I've learned take ODIs, and sport in general, less serious. Watching the Proteas fail so much kind of desensitizes you
Rugby though, that's another story...
He probably knew another failure would hurt his legacy and got out.
People criticized Messi for retiring, but that was in the moment of pain of losing a third straight final. He came back and carried his country to another WC, he's now going into a WC with a far weaker side unlike AB who still has a strong side who can win the WC if they fire.
What AB is doing here is gutless, but watch hypocrites like [MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] celebrate him when he left his country high and dry a year out from the WC.