Sourav Ganguly or Graeme Smith, who is the better captain and better overall batsmen?

[Hasan123]

Both are brilliant batsmen and are very good leaders.

In tests I'll take Smith as player and captain.


In LO I'll take Sourav as player and captain.

Who do you rate higher overall as player and skipper?

Discuss

 

[The_Odd_One]

A very tough comparison:

Both had amazing test teams.
Both failed to win a world cup.

Smith was a better test batsman for sure.
Ganguly was a superior ODI batsman.

Ganguly has a bigger legacy as captain. So, I will give this one to Ganguly.

 

[soso_killer]

If we're talking Test cricket then there's no debate, either batsmanship or captaincy.

Smith resurrected a team in turmoil into a team that went over a decade without losing a series away from home. His legacy will live on forever, a captain who led from the front. The fact that all his centuries never came at a losing cost is testament to that. A great of the game who had to overcome obstacles to be the great that he was. To captain one of the most politicised country in world cricket is no mean feat. He's got my respect.

 

[desirous of desire]

Graeme smith, because I didnt like Ganguly and Dravid biting their nails in matches against Pakistan in tense situations though it was very satisfying.

 

[anuk]

smith obviously in both batting and captaincy.

 

[Buffet]

Smith was surely better in the test format. In ODI, I will take Ganguly.

 

[Hasan123]

I know in the OP I wrote who is better in each format but I want to know who in your opnion is the better captain and better batsmen with there odi,test, and icc tournament performances being taken into consideration.

 

[Justcrazy]

Grame Smith is better batsman , Ganguly was better captain.

 

[Bilal7]

Smith in tests, Ganguly in ODIs and Smith overall because the South African was a better test player than Ganguly was an ODI player.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Graeme Smith was the better captain in all formats. Smith was the better Test batsman. Ganguly was the better ODI batsman

 

[street cricketer]

Smith in Tests.

Ganguly in ODIs.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Graeme Smith in both Tests and ODIs.

 

[jamie smith fan]

graeme smith in both formats

 

[jnaveen1980]

What a bump for no reason lol 8 year old thread

 

[sweep_shot]

Smith was the better captain and better overall batter.

 

[pratiktc]

Smith is a bit underrated ODI batter. He has some gun innings like 90 in 438 chase and CT 141 vs Eng.
Some days when mood took him he could make 70(50) type scores which in 2000s was very rare

 

[chinaman00]

Not even a debate. While Ganguly revived Indian cricket and made them competitive; Graeme Smith was a class above both in captaincy and as a player. Was the only captain to dominate and bully the mighty Australians in their home ground.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Ganguly is one of the greatest captains and in my opinion ahead of Smith as a leader.

Some of the highlights of Ganguly’s captaincy

• He took a bottom tier team to the Top 2/3 levels during his reign.
• Under his captaincy we made the finals of 3 ICC tournaments back to back in 2000, 2002 & 2003. Before that our last appearance in an ICC tournament final was in 1983.
• In 2001 when we won a test match in Zimbabwe under his captaincy, it was our first test victory outside the subcontinent in 15 years. Our 2nd away test victory in 7 years.
• He followed the above with :-
  • West Indies 2002 : First test victory in West Indies in 27 years
  • England 2002 : First in 16 years
  • Australia 2003 : First in 23 years
  • Pakistan 2004 : First ever
• Took over reigns of Bharatiya cricket during the match fixing saga and after Tendulkar gave up captaincy. Kicked all the fixers and non performers of the 1990s out of the team, made the bold decision of selecting 19-21 years group of players like Harbhajan, Yuvraj, Kaif, Nehra, Sehwag etc all of whom became stars and tournament winners for our country in the years to come.
• Ganguly’s leadership in the 2001 Border-Gavaskar series and the historic triumph of ours over the Aussie juggernaut laid the foundations for the mega series that BGT has become today.
• Under Ganguly’s captaincy after ages it felt like our team played as a unit. The team huddle became a thing during the 2003 World Cup and it was a memorable campaign till the final.
• Most people believe that the success in the Dhoni year was on the foundation laid by Ganguly. Ganguly is credited with building the team mentality of winning. Under his captaincy our cricket truly turned many pages.