Most difficult country to bat for individual batsman in ODIs

[Joseph Gomes]

There are a lot of people who brush aside stats of batsmen for scoring in Sri Lanka, however I found that it's extremely difficult to score runs for individual batsman in Sri Lanka. In fact, it's probably the hardest.

Top 5 batting average for batsmen by country (Qual: Min 500 runs)

Sri Lanka

1. M Azharuddin - 56.76
2. MS Dhoni - 51.66
3. V Kohli - 47.31
4. A Ranatunga - 46.53
5. Arvinda Silva - 44.57

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

Just 2 players with 50+ average in Sri Lanka. It's hard to score in Lanka for any batsman, even for the Lankans. Both past and present. Now let's look below and see how easy it is to score for individual batsmen in other countries.

Australia

1. AB De Villiers - 75.33
2. G Boycott - 63.37
3. M Bevan - 55.86
4. D Chandimal - 55.00
5. SPD Smith - 53.47

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 4 more with 50+ average in Aus (Rohit, Fairbrother, Lehmann and Kohli)

Bangladesh

1. V Kohli - 80.83
2. Ijaj Ahmed - 71.85
3. S Anwar - 66.87
4. MS Dhoni - 55.45
5. S Raina - 53.20

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 4 more players with 50+ average in Bangladesh (U Akmal, Sangakkara, Tendulkar and Samuels)

England

1. S Dhawan - 71.33
2. J Bairstow - 69.75
3. Viv Richards - 64.04
4. K Williamson - 62.69
5. G Turner - 58.00

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 13 more players with 50+ average in England (too many to list, please click on the link above to see)

India

1. A Matthews - 121.60
2. G Greenidge - 73.85
3. AB De Villiers - 70.31
4. M Hussey - 64.87
5. M Bevan - 59.88

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 11 more players with 50+ average in India (too many to list, ^^)

New Zealand

1. AB De Villiers - 119.00
2. MS Dhoni - 90.16
3. M Hussey - 80.71
4. M Hayden - 74.37
5. J Root - 69.50

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 4 more batsmen with 50+ average in New Zealand (Sehwag, Taylor, Turner and Rameez Raja)

Pakistan

1. MS Dhoni - 136.50
2. H Cronje - 64.76
3. Yuvraj Singh - 64.20
4. Z Abbas - 58.85
5. G Kirsten - 58.69

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 6 more batsmen with 50+ average in Pakistan (Inzamam, Sangakkara, Atapattu, Yousuf, Ranatunga and Dravid)

South Africa

1. V Kohli - 87.70
2. K Pietersen - 84.33
3. A Ranatunga - 59.77
4. D Warner - 59.77
5. Q De Kock - 59.20

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 5 more batsmen with 50+ average in South Africa (Amla, Klusener, AB De Villiers, Ponting and Rossouw)

United Arab Emirates

1. B Azam - 89.11
2. Basit Ali - 57.00
3. S Gavaskar - 52.80
4. Inzamam U Haq - 50.64
5. S Tendulkar - 48.05

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

West Indies

1. D Haynes - 67.71
2. S Styris - 65.90
3. M Clarke - 65.72
4. H Amla - 64.30
5. J Kallis - 59.40

http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/en...0;qualval1=runs;template=results;type=batting

There are 4 more players with 50+ average in West Indies (Symonds, Hayden, Gibbs and Shakib)

Zimbabwe

1. M Yousuf - 182.33
2. S Tendulkar - 81.85
3. F Du Plessis - 77.25
4. C Gayle - 64.83
5. T Dilshan - 60.33

Thoughts?

 

[madhusudansarkar]

Scoring runs, historically tough in Sri Lanka due to the slow, low and sluggish pitches they often prepared for ODIs which often resulted in lower ODI scores in Sri Lanka, though the trend has been changed in the past few years. People often underrate the runs scored in Sri Lanka, due to their supposedly weak bowling attack which seems a bit unfair for the batsman in the difficult batting conditions in SL. SL has also aided seam and swing bowlers more than India and Pakistan. One could check out several low scores in ODIs in the period 2008 - 2014.

 

[msb314]

Babar killing it in the UAE

 

[msb314]

Subjectively SAF, SL and the UAE have been tough for subcontinental batsman.

 

[DRsohail]

Wi???

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Scoring runs, historically tough in Sri Lanka due to the slow, low and sluggish pitches they often prepared for ODIs which often resulted in lower ODI scores in Sri Lanka, though the trend has been changed in the past few years. People often underrate the runs scored in Sri Lanka, due to their supposedly weak bowling attack which seems a bit unfair for the batsman in the difficult batting conditions in SL. SL has also aided seam and swing bowlers more than India and Pakistan. One could check out several low scores in ODIs in the period 2008 - 2014.

Why do people underrate batting performances in Sri Lanka so much? Is it because they routinely get molested in India? The only players outside SC to have 40+ average in Lanka are Kallis and Ponting. I have no clue why anybody thinks batting in Lanka is easy.

Let's have a look at the strike rates too. Only 4 batsmen have 90+ strike rate in Lanka (all have >40 average). It's not just hard to score big innings, it's also hard to score quick runs.

1. S Afridi - 136.88
2. Thisara Perera - 114.65
3. V Sehwag - 104.43
4. Kusal Perera - 97.99
5. Umar Akmal - 89.09

For comparison, Aus has 15, Ind has 21, Eng has 18, SAF has 17, NZ has 17, WI has 12, UAE has 7, Pak has 13, Ban has 10 and even Zimbabwe has 5 batsmen with 90+ Strike Rate in ODIs (min 500 runs).

 

[Varun]

India is quite difficult for a test match batsman, but it is probably last on the list when it comes to ODIs, along with Australia.

 

[Dead Ball]

On PP, the hardest place to bat is wherever Kohli fails.

 

[asfandyar]

You don't have to look far to realize this. Just look at their domestic cricket. I could hardly find a 40+ averaging batsman there last I checked. If the locals who know the conditions well cannot manage good averages, I doubt international players, no matter how good they are, can.

 

[Bilal7]

Why do people underrate batting performances in Sri Lanka so much? Is it because they routinely get molested in India? The only players outside SC to have 40+ average in Lanka are Kallis and Ponting. I have no clue why anybody thinks batting in Lanka is easy.

Let's have a look at the strike rates too. Only 4 batsmen have 90+ strike rate in Lanka (all have >40 average). It's not just hard to score big innings, it's also hard to score quick runs.

1. S Afridi - 136.88
2. Thisara Perera - 114.65
3. V Sehwag - 104.43
4. Kusal Perera - 97.99
5. Umar Akmal - 89.09

For comparison, Aus has 15, Ind has 21, Eng has 18, SAF has 17, NZ has 17, WI has 12, UAE has 7, Pak has 13, Ban has 10 and even Zimbabwe has 5 batsmen with 90+ Strike Rate in ODIs (min 500 runs).

Hashim Amla boasts an average of 70 with a SR of 90, including two centuries and a fifty, in Sri Lanka.

He also played a superb innings there back in 2014, scoring a hundred while the rest of his team failed and the second highest score was 29.

 

[Bilal7]

Before 2014, it was quite tough to score runs in the UAE as well. Especially for overseas batsmen who had to deal with the brilliance of Saeed Ajmal. South Africa and England were the same at that time, with most subcontinent batsmen failing to make a mark there.

Since the last World Cup, however, pitches all around the world have tended to favor the batsmen more than ever before.

 

[IndianFan2018]

Before 2014, it was quite tough to score runs in the UAE as well. Especially for overseas batsmen who had to deal with the brilliance of Saeed Ajmal. South Africa and England were the same at that time, with most subcontinent batsmen failing to make a mark there.

Since the last World Cup, however, pitches all around the world have tended to favor the batsmen more than ever before.

On hindsight, actually destroyed many batsmans career with dubious action. Not his fault though, ICC woke up late to clamp down chucking from world cricket !

 

[madhusudansarkar]

Runs have been quite difficult to score in ODIs in Australia up to 2012-13 but the trend began to change after that period. Just for the sake of comparison, one may check out the scorecards before 2013 and after 2013. Talking about India, we have generally provided batting pitches for ODIs throughout our history. The 2013 ODI series vs Australia was a snoozefest of runs. But of late, we have observed tough ODI pitches where runs have not been that easy to score. The recent ODI series vs Australia comes to memory. Even the 2016 ODI series vs New Zealand was exciting where non of the teams scored 300. ODI pitches in India is actually a mixed bag this days. On the other hand, pitches have considerably flattened out in South Africa and England while WI still continues to give slow and low wickets to opposition teams.

 

[sshakir411]

Scoring runs, historically tough in Sri Lanka due to the slow, low and sluggish pitches they often prepared for ODIs which often resulted in lower ODI scores in Sri Lanka, though the trend has been changed in the past few years. People often underrate the runs scored in Sri Lanka, due to their supposedly weak bowling attack which seems a bit unfair for the batsman in the difficult batting conditions in SL. SL has also aided seam and swing bowlers more than India and Pakistan. One could check out several low scores in ODIs in the period 2008 - 2014.

Good post. Also with the humidity and tropical weather in SL it makes it even more challenging for the batsmen. I think most people on PP discount runs scored in SL because they automatically assume "batting in the sub continent is easy" because of the pitches in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh.

 

[troodon]

Babar killing it in the UAE

He should be nicknamed "Desert Bradman" or May be "Sandman".

89 is an unbelievable average for any player to have.

 

[babajee]

UAE Azam - confirmed

 

[Justcrazy]

He should be nicknamed "Desert Bradman" or May be "Sandman".

89 is an unbelievable average for any player to have.

He needs to move out of that shell

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Hashim Amla boasts an average of 70 with a SR of 90, including two centuries and a fifty, in Sri Lanka.

He also played a superb innings there back in 2014, scoring a hundred while the rest of his team failed and the second highest score was 29.

Amla didn't qualify due to sample size. He hasn't scored enough runs in Sri Lanka.

 

[Bilal7]

Amla didn't qualify due to sample size. He hasn't scored enough runs in Sri Lanka.

Why the threshold of 500 sample?

On hindsight, actually destroyed many batsmans career with dubious action. Not his fault though, ICC woke up late to clamp down chucking from world cricket !

Yeah, he was ruthless with exposing some overhyped batsmen, Sachin Tendulker included.

 

[jnaveen1980]

If we are talking about last 5 or 6 years i would say none. SOme pitches are going to be harder some team.

 

[Joseph Gomes]

Why the threshold of 500 sample?



Yeah, he was ruthless with exposing some overhyped batsmen, Sachin Tendulker included.

Sample size too small to be significant. Average can be skewed with low amount of matches.

 

[Hasan123]

Most ODI pitches are flat now days . When pitches were more balanced I would say England was a difficult place for top order batsmen. And pitches were the ball doesn't come on to the bat and slow.

 

[shaz619]

10-20 years ago England/Australia for asians and India/Pakistan for non-asians. These days though, every wicket is flat, technique's against a little bit of movement is poor and bowlers generally have to put in a real good shift.