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The greatest South African batter of all time?

Hasan123

Hasan123

Test Star
Joined
Mar 25, 2016
Runs
38,432
A country that has produced many great batters.

Barry Richard's
Jaques Kallis
Graeme Pollack
AB De Villiers
Graeme Smith

In your opinion who is the greatest South African batter?
 
It's clearly Kallis, can't argue with that record.

It's so damnably difficult trying to rank Pollock and Richards due to the ban, but I believe they should be in the top 5 South African batsmen at least.

A somewhat arguable list could be as follows:

1. Kallis
2. Pollock
3. de Villiers
4. Richards
5. Amla
6. Smith
7. D. Nourse
8. G. Kirsten
9. Barlow
10. Mitchell
 
1. Kallis
2. Pollock
3. Richards
4. de Villiers
5. Amla
6. Smith
7. D. Nourse
8. G. Kirsten
9. Barlow
10. Mitchell
 
It’s a two horse race between Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock.

Richards averaged 72 in Tests and 79 in SuperTests.

Pollock averaged 61 in Tests.

Kallis was a more valuable cricketer because he also took 297 Test wickets.

But Richards and Pollock were better batsmen.
 
Junaids said:
It’s a two horse race between Barry Richards and Graeme Pollock.

Richards averaged 72 in Tests and 79 in SuperTests.

Pollock averaged 61 in Tests.

Kallis was a more valuable cricketer because he also took 297 Test wickets.

But Richards and Pollock were better batsmen.
Click to expand...

What about Pollock in SuperTests?
 
Since re-admission,

Smith(c)
Kirsten
Amla
Kallis
ABDV
QDk(wkt)
Macmillan
Pollock
Rabada
Steyn
Donald
 
It's sad to see no Cullinan on that list,he was one of the talented batsman during that time but always be remember as Warne's bunny.
 
Most older Saffers say Pollock.

I suppose since readmission either Smith or Kallis.
 
Bhaijaan's Top 5 South Africans who ever bated :-

1. G. Pollock, also a Top 10 level batsman ever
2. B. Richards, also a Top 15 level batsman ever
3. G. Smith, also a top 10 level test opener
4. AB de Villiers, also a Top 50 level test batsman
5. Jaques Kallis, also a top 50 level test batsman
 
Last edited:
Min 2000 test runs and 40+ average

[table=width: 500, class: grid, align: center]
[tr][td]Player [/td][td]Span [/td][td]Mat [/td][td]Runs [/td][td]Ave [/td][td]100 [/td][td]50 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]RG Pollock [/td][td]1963-1970 [/td][td]23 [/td][td]2256 [/td][td]60.97 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]11 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]JH Kallis [/td][td]1995-2013 [/td][td]165 [/td][td]13206 [/td][td]55.25 [/td][td]45 [/td][td]58 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AD Nourse [/td][td]1935-1951 [/td][td]34 [/td][td]2960 [/td][td]53.81 [/td][td]9 [/td][td]14 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AB de Villiers [/td][td]2004-2018 [/td][td]114 [/td][td]8765 [/td][td]50.66 [/td][td]22 [/td][td]46 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]B Mitchell [/td][td]1929-1949 [/td][td]42 [/td][td]3471 [/td][td]48.88 [/td][td]8 [/td][td]21 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]GC Smith [/td][td]2002-2014 [/td][td]116 [/td][td]9253 [/td][td]48.7 [/td][td]27 [/td][td]38 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HM Amla [/td][td]2004-2019 [/td][td]124 [/td][td]9282 [/td][td]46.64 [/td][td]28 [/td][td]41 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]EJ Barlow [/td][td]1961-1970 [/td][td]30 [/td][td]2516 [/td][td]45.74 [/td][td]6 [/td][td]15 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]G Kirsten [/td][td]1993-2004 [/td][td]101 [/td][td]7289 [/td][td]45.27 [/td][td]21 [/td][td]34 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]DJ Cullinan [/td][td]1993-2001 [/td][td]70 [/td][td]4554 [/td][td]44.21 [/td][td]14 [/td][td]20 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]DJ McGlew [/td][td]1951-1962 [/td][td]34 [/td][td]2440 [/td][td]42.06 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]10 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HH Gibbs [/td][td]1996-2008 [/td][td]90 [/td][td]6167 [/td][td]41.95 [/td][td]14 [/td][td]26 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]AG Prince [/td][td]2002-2011 [/td][td]66 [/td][td]3665 [/td][td]41.64 [/td][td]11 [/td][td]11 [/td][/tr]
[tr][td]HW Taylor [/td][td]1912-1932 [/td][td]42 [/td][td]2936 [/td][td]40.77 [/td][td]7 [/td][td]17 [/td][/tr]
[/table]
 
I'll go with
1. Kallis
2. De Villiers
3.. G Pollock
4. Smith
5. Amla
 
Graeme Pollock was the best, Kallis is the most established.
 
G. Pollock, what an outrageous batting talent. Back in the day, with those small bats he used to whack huge sixes with mere flicks to leg side. YouTube footage is available for his 250 knock against South Africa.

Nice little rivalry in that team between Pollock and Barry.
 
freelance_cricketer said:
G. Pollock, what an outrageous batting talent. Back in the day, with those small bats he used to whack huge sixes with mere flicks to leg side. YouTube footage is available for his 250 knock <B>against South Africa</B>.

Nice little rivalry in that team between Pollock and Barry.
Click to expand...

What??
 
Graeme Pollock
Barry Richards
Graeme Smith
Kallis
Hashim Amla
AB de Villiers

Graeme Smith over Kallis purely bcoz Smith was more of a clutch player - those 2 epic 4th innings knocks against England (Edgbaston ) & Australia ( Perth ) in 2008 . Kallis was always more of a run accumulator - never really match winner
 
NishanKonar said:
Graeme Pollock
Barry Richards
Graeme Smith
Kallis
Hashim Amla
AB de Villiers

Graeme Smith over Kallis purely bcoz Smith was more of a clutch player - those 2 epic 4th innings knocks against England (Edgbaston ) & Australia ( Perth ) in 2008 . Kallis was always more of a run accumulator - never really match winner
Click to expand...

Hmm. I don’t think it is that clear cut, I remember the Vaughan tour of SA when Hoggard had the wood on Smith, but Kallis hit three centuries IIRC against the powerful Harmison-Hoggard-Flintoff-Jones attack.

There were plenty of matches where Kallis had to dig in and stop batting collapses.
 
Nourse being very underrated here, would still be considered a better test bat than ABdV, Amla for me
 
AB reminds me of Sangakkara. It was only when he wasn’t keeping in 2017-18 that I realised how great a batsman he was.
 
Junaids said:
AB reminds me of Sangakkara. It was only when he wasn’t keeping in 2017-18 that I realised how great a batsman he was.
Click to expand...

ABDV is the closest player I have seen to Viv Richards.
 
Robert said:
ABDV is the closest player I have seen to Viv Richards.
Click to expand...

Kevin Pietersen for me. That innings at Oval 2005 - hooking red hot Brett Lee repeatedly for six. also the the 91 of 68 balls in ODI against Australia earlier that summer where he was hitting Gillespie for sixes over his head so effortlessly
 
Robert said:
Hmm. I don’t think it is that clear cut, I remember the Vaughan tour of SA when Hoggard had the wood on Smith, but Kallis hit three centuries IIRC against the powerful Harmison-Hoggard-Flintoff-Jones attack.

There were plenty of matches where Kallis had to dig in and stop batting collapses.
Click to expand...

Kallis was good in stonewalling bowling attacks . Remember his hundred at Capetown 2011 against India that stopped us from winning the 3rd test & series

But Smith was match winner - those 4th innings knocks edges him ahead of Kallis for me
 
NishanKonar said:
Kevin Pietersen for me. That innings at Oval 2005 - hooking red hot Brett Lee repeatedly for six. also the the 91 of 68 balls in ODI against Australia earlier that summer where he was hitting Gillespie for sixes over his head so effortlessly
Click to expand...

Lee wasn’t great that series. Bouncer-yorker-bouncer-yorker all day. Averaged 45 in England. He leaked runs so fast that England got into positions to win quicker. Tres and Strauss smashed him.
 
Robert said:
ABDV is the closest player I have seen to Viv Richards.
Click to expand...

AB was actually different from Viv, in a way. Don't think Viv would be willing to block all day to save a test match. ABD did it on three occasions in test matches as per my memory- Two vs Australia and one in India. He batted as per team requirement, if he had to play supporting role, he will do it.

AB, however, didn't had the swagger of Viv. That was there in KP though.
 
Last edited:
Ab Fan said:
AB was actually different from Viv, in a way. Don't think Viv would be willing to block all day to save a test match. ABD did it on three occasions in test matches as per my memory- Two vs Australia and one in India. He batted as per team requirement, if he had to play supporting role, he will do it.

AB, however, didn't had the swagger of Viv. That was there in KP though.
Click to expand...

I don’t think Sir Viv needed to save a match often. WI didn’t lose many in his time.
 
Robert said:
I don’t think Sir Viv needed to save a match often. WI didn’t lose many in his time.
Click to expand...

Even if he had to, he won't have gone for blocking, which means Viv maybe a genius in his own right but clearly he can't match AB in terms of versatility atleast.
 
Ab Fan said:
Even if he had to, he won't have gone for blocking, which means Viv maybe a genius in his own right but clearly he can't match AB in terms of versatility atleast.
Click to expand...

A lot better at his strength though. Viv >>>> ABdV in terms of hitting ability in test cricket. Also, the aura
 
Ab Fan said:
Even if he had to, he won't have gone for blocking, which means Viv maybe a genius in his own right but clearly he can't match AB in terms of versatility atleast.
Click to expand...

The Windies didn’t as a rule. While England, NZ and SA dig in when they get in trouble, WI (and Australia and India) counterattack.
 
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