The most perfect or complete batsmen of all time?

[Harsh Thakor]

In this list I am selecting in my subjective order of merit the most perfect or complete batsmen of all time.I am not considering statistical records.I am assessing the combination of pure technical correctness with innovative ability,level of domination of bowling attacks and artistry.The perfect batsmen posesses the quality of genius combined with power,grace and high technical skill.Few batsmen ever posessed all these components in depth.They could take an attack to the shreds but never at the cost of correct technique .Remember this list does not judge in terms of pure merit .It judges the batsmen in terms of the sum package of technique,power,artistry and creative genius.Ofcourse my order of ranking may be controversial and subjective as it was really touch and go..l.Some batsmen have been great geniuses but not been so sound technically and many vice-versa. Sorry to leave out many true 'greats.'


1.Barry Richards
Would send the best of deliveries to the fence with the most imperious power but still gave the perfect lessons for a schoolboy coaching clinic.Barry posessed the power of a bulldozer blended with the genius of a musical composer and skill of a surgeon.In full flow the ultimate batting machine.Looked like a Viv Richards and Sunil Gavaskar rolled into one.


2.Sachin Tendulkar
Posessed every ingredient of a perfect batsmen be it artistry,technical skill,creative genius and power.No batsmen ever played as well in the 'V'region or executed the straight drive better.In the first half of his career he virtually took all-round batting skill to it's highest watermark.No batsmen in full test career could dominate great bowling attacks and still display such technical perfection as Sachin.No batsmen looked more like Bradman.Sachin resembled a Viv richards and Rahul Dravid rolled into one.


3.Don Bradman

The perfect batting machine who resembled a creature coming from another planet.Although unorthodox took batting mastery to it's highest zenith.Not tested enough on turning tracks or against short-pitched fast bowling,but still undoubtedly in another league from any batting great.Subject to correction I feel Barry and Sachin by the margin of a whisker had a greater variety of strokes or all-round batting skill.This does not deny Bradman's stature as the greatest of all batsmen.



4.Greg Chappell

No Australian batsmen tore bowling attacks apart exuding such elegance and displaying such watertight technique.Whether on the seaming English tracks,turning Pakistani pitches or fast West Indian or Australian tracks Greg was equally at home.A master of the flicked on-drive.Sometimes not at ease against the bouncing ball but still overall a true master.



5.Rohan Kanhai

Batting's ultimate genius who marginally posesed even more raw abilty than Bradman.Kanhai took the art of batting in regions of superlative depth,even surpassing Bradman.He was also technically very sound and on his day could take batting domination to it's deepest depth.Above all he was also immensely artistic with a Eucharistic falling hook and flowing style.


6.Jack Hobbs

A master on wet or bad wickets with faultless technique who took the art of batting to a higher dimension.On sticky or wet tracks better than Bradman.Rated below Barry and Sachin because as many stunning shots were not executed in his era and the bowling was not as versatile.Hobbs was also not as mercurial as Barry.



7.Martin Crowe

Virtually a replica of Greg Chappell and at his best more difficult to bowl at than Lara or Sachin.Wasim Akram rated Crowe the best batsmen he ever bowled to .



8.Alvin Kalicharan

No left-hander posessed the components of a perfect batsmen in such depths of proportion.Virtually a left-handed Rohan Kanhai.Most organized technique.



9.Frank Worrell

Blended technical skill,and elegance like no other batting great.Absolutely majestic in full flow.



10.Gary Sobers

A total package of power and technical skill rolled into one.




11.Graeme Pollock

The equal of Gary Sobers as a left-handed batsmen with marginally more natural talent.In terms of raw abilty the equal of a Viv Richards or Lara.





12.Brian Lara

Not as good as Tendulkar or even the Waugh brothers technically but still the ultimate batting genius of his day with a characterize element of elegance Razor sharp footwork.


13.Walter Hammond/Viv Richards

Can hardly separate the 2 batting geniuses.Viv was not the best technically but still took batting skill to it's superlative depth.Hammond looked more refined and orthodox but still posessed Viv's awesome power.


15.Gundappa Vishwanath

Simply a batting connoisseur whose strokes posessed the creativity of a musical composer,the technical skill of an engineer and the grace of a ballad dancer.A master on bad wickets.



16.Lawrence Rowe

At his best in the league of the all-time greats,with better technique than any West Indian batsmen.



17.Mark Waugh

A master against great pace and spin who blended great strokemaking ability with high technical skill.Also posessed great elegance.




18.Aravinda De'Silva

Almost the equal of Mark Waugh and amaster of bad wickets.Posessed artistry of great depths and watertight technique.



19.Zaheer Abbas

True,there were 2-3 better Pakistani batsmen but none equalled Zaheer Abbas in terms of the total package of technical skill,grace and stroke-making ability.Zaheer's batting was reminiscent of a poet and a technician rolled into one or a ballad dancer performing.The best of balls would be caressed to the fence by Zaheer with the most delicate of touches.




20.Gordon Greenidge

On his day reminiscent of a black Barry Richards.Superbly blended technical skill with power.



21.Everton Weekes/Ricky Ponting

2 batting machines who took batting domination to the supreme level.


23.Javed Miandad

Although not so elegant posessed his own element of genius as a batsmen reminiscent of chaess player.No batsmen outfoxed or niggled oponents more.



24.Sunil Gavaskar/Len Hutton

Generally a slow scorers but technically the ultimate masters and on their day could even take apart bowling attacks.Both Masters on bad wickets.

 

[super hitter]

Its unfair to miss out the brilliant Sri Lankan's

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

Id add AB to that list, the guy has done it all, in all types of conditions. Probably the most dynamic player ever but also had superb temprement and technique

If you need one more player who could bat in any situation it would be AB. On dusty tracks, green seamers, whether you need a 100 in 10 overs or you need to block an entire day, AB has done it

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Id add AB to that list, the guy has done it all, in all types of conditions. Probably the most dynamic player ever but also had superb temprement and technique

If you need one more player who could bat in any situation it would be AB. On dusty tracks, green seamers, whether you need a 100 in 10 overs or you need to block an entire day, AB has done it

AB almost made it Juts that he wa snot so elegant or dominating andGavaskar and Hutton were marginally ahead technically.Border lacked the flamoyance of Pollock,Sobers ,Lara or even Kalicharan.Neverthless arguably amongst the 3-4 best left-handers of all time and amongst the dozen best of all batsmen.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Id add AB to that list, the guy has done it all, in all types of conditions. Probably the most dynamic player ever but also had superb temprement and technique

If you need one more player who could bat in any situation it would be AB. On dusty tracks, green seamers, whether you need a 100 in 10 overs or you need to block an entire day, AB has done it

Border or Devilliers?

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Its unfair to miss out the brilliant Sri Lankan's

None of them were as complete or perfect as the ones on this list. If anyone could make it here it's Sangakkara

 

[pakistanigoneaussie]

border or devilliers?

abdv

 

[Harsh Thakor]

None of them were as complete or perfect as the ones on this list. If anyone could make it here it's Sangakkara

close call but more pefect than Barry Richards,Tendulare or even Aravinda de Silva?Did you see Aravinda in full flow?

 

[marlonbrowndo]

AB almost made it Juts that he wa snot so elegant or dominating andGavaskar and Hutton were marginally ahead technically.Border lacked the flamoyance of Pollock,Sobers ,Lara or even Kalicharan.Neverthless arguably amongst the 3-4 best left-handers of all time and amongst the dozen best of all batsmen.

He was talking about devilliers

 

[marlonbrowndo]

close call but more pefect than Barry Richards,Tendulare or even Aravinda de Silva?Did you see Aravinda in full flow?

Yes but I've only seen highlights. It's between him and sangakkara when it comes to Sri Lankans.

 

[Ab Fan]

ABD from current era..

 

[TahirFan]

Graeme Pollock was a very poor player of spin.

I have the feeling that Joe Root will go down as a batting great

 

[Mamoon]

Sachin Tendulkar, Martin Crowe, Virat Kohli and Joe Root.

 

[Mamoon]

Id add AB to that list, the guy has done it all, in all types of conditions. Probably the most dynamic player ever but also had superb temprement and technique

If you need one more player who could bat in any situation it would be AB. On dusty tracks, green seamers, whether you need a 100 in 10 overs or you need to block an entire day, AB has done it

Yeah, except for winning any high-profile match with his batting. Keeps finding new ways to get out at the wrong time.

 

[hussain123]

Sachin tendulkar.period

 

[Protea Fan]

Sachin,Ponting,Sanga and AB

 

[Protea Fan]

Sachin Tendulkar, Martin Crowe, Virat Kohli and Joe Root.

Yeah, except for winning any high-profile match with his batting. Keeps finding new ways to get out at the wrong time.

I would like to know how many high-profile matches Kohli and Root won with their batting

 

[thelandofthebravepeople]

Hafeez is good in all facets of the game.

Kamran And Umar Akmal comes to mind.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Id add AB to that list, the guy has done it all, in all types of conditions. Probably the most dynamic player ever but also had superb temprement and technique

If you need one more player who could bat in any situation it would be AB. On dusty tracks, green seamers, whether you need a 100 in 10 overs or you need to block an entire day, AB has done it

Mentally weak.

Won't win a WC and retired from Tests effectively.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Graeme Pollock was a very poor player of spin.

I have the feeling that Joe Root will go down as a batting great

Not sure. Too many pretty 50s.

Smith is twice the player.

 

[Mamoon]

I would like to know how many high-profile matches Kohli and Root won with their batting

More than de Villiers. Mentally weak and cowardly player.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Sachin Tendular, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, and AB Devilliers

Skills wise there is a tie between Tendulkar and AB. Have not seen a better batsman than them against any type of bowling and in any condition.

 

[Mobashir]

90's ownward no one is as complete as Ricky Ponting, not even ABDV!

 

[Hasan123]

Sachin and Lara. I'm sure Kohli will join this list.

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

as a child, i looked at cricket and cricketers and assumed that they were good or bad. as is the case with maturity, overtime you learn about things and understand that basic metrics rarely serve a final definitive answer. it hit me somewhere during the youtube era that cricket as a sport is totally dependent on the underlying conditions.

derek underwood would become deadly as soon as it would sprinkle on the pitch or the 5th day would start. uncovered pitches made bowlers who would be laughed at in this era as world beaters. the upright duke seem made many a english bowlers appear better than they actually were. amble to the wicket, 10 steps, no gym work, bellies rounder than umar akmal and statistics that are impossible to match let alone beat.

there was also a time when the leg before rule was different, laid back approach towards fielding, soggy outfields, refusal of captains to put fielders out in the field to protect boundaries, and other such instances have helped batsmen in the past. many a batters have struggled to mark their name because they played in the wrong era, or in a wrong country, and have astoundingly good statistics in a foreign land. some made a name for themselves playing mystic arts like reverse swing while no one really understood it in their time. some feel better facing certain opposition for reasons only understood by them while they become ordinary playing against anyone else.

then comes the modern analytics infused sport in the equation too. bowlers that take one match to figure now could have made a lifetime of mystery in the era gone by. technical flaws in batting techniques would go unnoticed or be known to only a select few. flaws that now become laughable could remain secrets that would pass heart to heart or in some cases never at all.

then comes the case of individual pitches within a country. australia is not all about bouncy pitches - only perth and gaba come to mind when it comes to bounce and pace. melbourne is different, sydney has spun and continues to be different. no way are lords and headingley the same, neither are bombay and kochi, nor durban and cape town, and every single of these factors plays a massive role in determining the question asked in the opening post.

the narrative i have here is that it is impossible to point out to a single player and term them as an all conquering batsman within an era let alone cricketing history. individual bias, statistical inaccuracies, statistical inadequacies, incomplete rhetoric, and other historical inaccuracies all jump within to skew such debates.

the ultimate and only metric left is time and longevity but in our sport it has been so skewed that the comparison will do no justice to the past greats. people would play twenty years in the past, have tremendous first class records but less than 50 tests to show for at the international level. now some players have half the career and end up playing more than hundred tests.

there is no one greatest batter of them all, nor is there a greatest bowler of them all - some were neon yellow, some led white, some dark red, while some were metal blue. on his day don got dismissed for a duck too, so did sachin, so did lara, so did richards - maybe if ever there is an occasion where its between life and death and you've to choose one to go out and defend your life and you are well aware of the opposition and conditions that the match is going to be played in, you may be bold enough to pick one before fainting but this scenario is as much arbitrary as the underlying discussion anyway.