Who is the most elegant player in cricket history (all formats)?

[andy0204]

1)Greg Chappell
2)David Gower
3)Mark Waugh
4)Saeed Anwar
5) Mohammed Azharuddin
6)Martin Crowe
7)Brian Lara
8)Damien Martyn
9)Zaheer Abbas
10)Gundappa Vishwanath
11)V.V.S Laxman
12)Carl Hopper
13)Mahela Jayawardene
14)Ian Bell
15)Arvinda de Silva

How you will rate them?

 

[Robert]

Gower or Azhar for me.

Mark Ramprakash too,

 

[IAJ]

Of active players:

Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma.

 

[andy0204]

Of active players:

Babar Azam and Rohit Sharma.

What about kane williamson and ajinkya rahane?

 

[Itachi]

Nathan astle

 

[andy0204]

Nathan astle

nathan astle was like gichrist,jayasuriya type of player brutal but not elegant

 

[Majid Khan]

Of all the batsmen I’ve been privileged to see in full flow, my favourites in 90s in terms of the elegance and wow factor of their strokes (note - I say strokes as in proper cricket strokes and not power hitting) in following order:

1. Brian Charles Lara (watching Lara’s perfectly timed and placed cover drives, stylish cuts and pulls at his peak was a unique experience — it was cricket at its best)

2. Azharuddin
3. Mark Waugh
4. Saeed Anwar
5. Aravinda De Silva
6. Saleem Malik
7. Mohammed Yusuf

— three Pakistani batsmen in that list and I’m usually biased against Pakistani batsmen not in their favour, but seriously Anwar, Malik and Yousaf in full flow playing their strokes were a delight to watch.

 

[IAJ]

What about kane williamson and ajinkya rahane?

They seem to put a bit more effort than the two I mentioned, but two very fine players nonetheless.

 

[IAJ]

Of all the batsmen I’ve been privileged to see in full flow, my favourites in 90s in terms of the elegance and wow factor of their strokes (note - I say strokes as in proper cricket strokes and not power hitting) in following order:

1. Brian Charles Lara (watching Lara’s perfectly timed and placed cover drives, stylish cuts and pulls at his peak was a unique experience — it was cricket at its best)

2. Azharuddin
3. Mark Waugh
4. Saeed Anwar
5. Aravinda De Silva
6. Saleem Malik
7. Mohammed Yusuf

— three Pakistani batsmen in that list and I’m usually biased against Pakistani batsmen not in their favour, but seriously Anwar, Malik and Yousaf in full flow playing their strokes were a delight to watch.

Didn’t watch Much of Anwar’s and Malik’s batting but the little I saw was very good.

Mohammad Yusuf was pure class, those cover drives were a treat to watch, really pleasing. Mohammad Hafeez has also a few good shots, but too inconsistent.

 

[m.awais]

I would say that Damien Matryn and Micheal Clarke were the two most elegant batsmen that I have seen.

 

[Shoaib88]

Sanath Jayasuria (SRL)

 

[Mehndi155]

In terms of elegance haris sohail comes in my mind not overall but he has got those shots which can give goosbumps

 

[MMHS]

Of all the batsmen I’ve been privileged to see in full flow, my favourites in 90s in terms of the elegance and wow factor of their strokes (note - I say strokes as in proper cricket strokes and not power hitting) in following order:

1. Brian Charles Lara (watching Lara’s perfectly timed and placed cover drives, stylish cuts and pulls at his peak was a unique experience — it was cricket at its best)

2. Azharuddin
3. Mark Waugh
4. Saeed Anwar
5. Aravinda De Silva
6. Saleem Malik
7. Mohammed Yusuf

— three Pakistani batsmen in that list and I’m usually biased against Pakistani batsmen not in their favour, but seriously Anwar, Malik and Yousaf in full flow playing their strokes were a delight to watch.

No Zaheer & Mazid? Defiantly should be ahead of Malik & probably MoYo as well.

 

[NauV]

A few that spring to mind:
David Gower
Saeed Anwar
Mark Waugh
Mohammad Yousuf
Yuvraj
Sangakkara
Ian Bell
Damien Martin
Herschelle Gibbs

 

[Harsh Thakor]

I don't know how one can miss out on the names of Gundappa Vishwanath and V.V.S Laxman.Vishy was simply the supreme stylist taking batting artistry to another dimension reminding you of a lotus blooming o ra sculptor craving a piece.Also I would add names of Alvin Kalicharan,Lawrence Rowe,Ramnaresh Sarwan and Rohan Kanhai from West Indies .

 

[Harsh Thakor]

1)Greg Chappell
2)David Gower
3)Mark Waugh
4)Saeed Anwar
5) Mohammed Azharuddin
6)Martin Crowe
7)Brian Lara
8)Damien Martyn
9)Zaheer Abbas
10)Gundappa Vishwanath
11)V.V.S Laxman
12)Carl Hopper
13)Mahela Jayawardene
14)Ian Bell
15)Arvinda de Silva

How you will rate them?

How can you forget Majid Khan and Gundappa Vishwanth or even V.V.S.Laxman ?All 3 were simply ornaments to batting.I would also add Martin Crowe,Rohan Kanhai,Kalicharan and Lawrence Rowe.

 

[Thomaskutty]

Koohli, Lara, Azharrudin, Martyn come to mind.

 

[Harsh Thakor]

No Zaheer & Mazid? Defiantly should be ahead of Malik & probably MoYo as well.

Gundappa Vishwanath and V.V.S Laxman.Vishy was simply the supreme stylist taking batting artistry to another dimension reminding you of a lotus blooming o ra sculptor craving a piece.Also I would add names of Alvin Kalicharan,Lawrence Rowe,Ramnaresh Sarwan and Rohan Kanhai from West Indies .Any view?

 

[Hasan123]

Out of what I have seen

Sangakkara
Moyo
Bell
Martyn

 

[Harsh Thakor]

Of all the batsmen I’ve been privileged to see in full flow, my favourites in 90s in terms of the elegance and wow factor of their strokes (note - I say strokes as in proper cricket strokes and not power hitting) in following order:

1. Brian Charles Lara (watching Lara’s perfectly timed and placed cover drives, stylish cuts and pulls at his peak was a unique experience — it was cricket at its best)

2. Azharuddin
3. Mark Waugh
4. Saeed Anwar
5. Aravinda De Silva
6. Saleem Malik
7. Mohammed Yusuf

— three Pakistani batsmen in that list and I’m usually biased against Pakistani batsmen not in their favour, but seriously Anwar, Malik and Yousaf in full flow playing their strokes were a delight to watch.

Lara was agenius maybe the most talented of all but not in my view such a great stylist.A magician but not the ballad dancer of bating like Gower or Vishwanath.

 

[andy0204]

How can you forget Majid Khan and Gundappa Vishwanth or even V.V.S.Laxman ?All 3 were simply ornaments to batting.I would also add Martin Crowe,Rohan Kanhai,Kalicharan and Lawrence Rowe.

First see the list I already added Vishy,V.V.S and Crowe I forgot to add Kanhai,Majid Khan,Kalli and Moyo

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Lois
The most elegant batsman
Yuvraj singh(in form)
The least elegant batsman
Yuvraj singh(when out of form).

Tests
I don't really understand how people rate vvs and azharuddin so highly in terms of style (maybe i need to watch more test cricket).

For me lara was the most elegant batsman followed by kevin pietersen and rahane.

 

[andy0204]

Lois
The most elegant batsman
Yuvraj singh(in form)
The least elegant batsman
Yuvraj singh(when out of form).

Tests
I don't really understand how people rate vvs and azharuddin so highly in terms of style (maybe i need to watch more test cricket).

For me lara was the most elegant batsman followed by kevin pietersen and rahane.

Kevin Pietersen was an impact player but not elegant.

 

[Captain]

Anwar... So pleasing on the eyes...

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Kevin Pietersen was an impact player but not elegant.

Yeah not many agree with me,i never found vvs stylish.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Sachin Tendulkar

Textbook batting technique, brilliant drives. Made batting look so easy. Never played an ugly shot in his entire career nor did he seem bothered by any type of bowling.

 

[andy0204]

Sachin Tendulkar

Textbook batting technique, brilliant drives. Made batting look so easy. Never played an ugly shot in his entire career nor did he seem bothered by any type of bowling.

Sachin was a complete player he had everything I loved him to watch from 1992-2002 but after elbow injury he cutted his shots

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

1. Mark Waugh-was the most cool & stylish to have played the game. that batting, bowling with the shades and absolute effortless fielding. Everything was cool about him.would've been a huge star like ABD in today's era with that style of play.

2. Saeed Anwar-So elegant!
3. Mahela jayawardena-wonderful looking player.
4. Damien Martyn
5. Yousuf
6.Saleem Malik

 

[Ronaldo7]

Lara

 

[ishtiaq_ctg]

Sachin Tendulkar

Textbook batting technique, brilliant drives. Made batting look so easy. Never played an ugly shot in his entire career nor did he seem bothered by any type of bowling.

He was always bothered by Mcgrath. Even in his prime!

 

[ARK Rafay]

Sanga
Lara
Yousuf
Babar Azam

 

[Stewie]

Lara, Gower or Yousaf for me.. Azhar was pretty good too.

 

[spiderreddy]

Rohit Sharma

 

[moghul]

Majid Khan

 

[The_Odd_One]

He was always bothered by Mcgrath. Even in his prime!

Everyone batsman was bothered by some bowler. It does not change the fact that Tendulkar was the most complete batsman of all time who never looked uncomfortable playing any sort of bowling.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Dhoni, Ijaz Ahmed, Chanderpaul

 

[Junaid_ahmed]

Lara, Anwar, Bevan, Dravid, MoYo,

 

[Plumb]

Marvan Atapattu, Dravid, Anwar...The cover drives

 

[K4Kohli]

Damian Martin, Sangakkara, Rohit, Kohli, Rahul, Dravid, Laxman, Ponting, Lara, Yousuf ahmed and many more

 

[thanuu]

1. Mark Waugh-was the most cool & stylish to have played the game. that batting, bowling with the shades and absolute effortless fielding. Everything was cool about him.would've been a huge star like ABD in today's era with that style of play.

I second this....none of the other players you mentioned won't be in my list.

 

[hafizexpress]

Asad Shafiq

 

[Mean&Green]

Sachin Tendulkar

 

[Shaddy86]

Why isn't Moyo in that list? Saeed Anwar and Moyo and Punter before anyone else

 

[King-Misbah]

Mohammed Yousaf followed by Saeed Anwar.

 

[Chokli]

umar amin

 

[MMHS]

Gundappa Vishwanath and V.V.S Laxman.Vishy was simply the supreme stylist taking batting artistry to another dimension reminding you of a lotus blooming o ra sculptor craving a piece.Also I would add names of Alvin Kalicharan,Lawrence Rowe,Ramnaresh Sarwan and Rohan Kanhai from West Indies .Any view?

Difficult to rank players in such criteria. I think, few players standout (for me) in their elegance & style of stroke play. Not in particular order -
AUS: Mark W, Greg C, Martin (I didn’t ever see Trumper but must be something special)
ENG: Gower, Bell (Compton as well, but didn’t see him)
IND: Azhar, VVS, GR Vishy
PAK: Zaheer, Mazid, Saeed
WIN: Kanhai, Hooper, Lara, Sir Gary
SRL: Dias, Mahela, Sanga
NZL: Turner, Fleming, Williamson
BD: Tamim
SAF: Amla

Among those, my favourite 3 are Kanhai, Azhar & Mark W

 

[PakLFC]

Brian Charles Lara. A delight too watch, poetry in motion. Saeed Anwar, David Gower, Muhammad Yousaf and Muhammad Azharudddin were brilliant on the eye as well.