SA Footy

Who are the best all round players to play cricket
The qualifying criteria
1000+ runs
100 + wickets
100+ catches

The top 5 is interesting, one player in particular

PLAYER........MATCHES........RUNS.......WKTS.......CATCHES

BOTHAM......102................5200........383..........120
HOOPER......102.................5762.......114...........118
KALLIS........110.................8941.......218...........109
SOBERS........93.................8032.......235...........109
WARNE........145................3154.......708............125

Ian Botham epitimises the phrase a matchwinner, + prob the best ever at it
Carl Hooper is the big surprise on this list, didnt rate him, underachieved, star fielder
Jaques Kallis the 2nd best batting allrounder in history ? a champion
Sir Garfield Sobers the Bradman of allrounders, the best ever allrounder
Shane Warne , not an allrounder a champion bowler who could bat a bit, + catch well

Its interesting when we discuss allrounders that fielding is very rarely mentioned.

As for the best fieldsman I have seen is a guy that has taken what I believe
is the most catches by a fieldsman in Test Cricket with 181 catches.
QUIZ who is he ?

Mark Waugh.

Where's Imran, Hadlee and Kapil Dev?

I assume they didn't make 100 catches?

If you field in slips you have an advantage in terms of catching opportunities. This may explain Warney's and Hooper's top 5 ranking

I have always thought of allrounders as purely batting and bowling I find this list hard to rank

Yep, would agree with you on Mark Waugh mal. He just never made a mistake in the field. Simply awesome.

MARK WAUGH 181 CATCHES
Made fielding look ultra easy

HONDO agree with your comments as well about the guys who missed out
The criteria was guys who catched more than 100 times
Just an odd list I guess

SIR GARFIELD SOBERS
__________________

Was without peer the very best of them all

Brilliant attacking match winning batsman
One of the very best fieldsman ever
Opening bowler with prodigious swing
Could bowl spin adequately

I remember 1968 when he made a 100 on the Adelaide Oval
I ran onto the ground shook his hand and it was on TV after
He was my favourite other country cricketer back then

In the early 70s Gary coached us in a clinic at High School
He advised me on the technique of bowling leg spin and coached
me for a few minutes , and what a thrill , something Gary will never forget
During that session Gary had a bottle of Coke, when it was finished I collected
the empty bottle and kept it for years afterwards.

As Mary Hopkins sang way back in the late 60s ""THOSE WHERE THE DAYS.""
Todays cricketers have not got the available time to mingle with the kids.
Some other people who coached us in the early seventies
TERRY JENNER
YOUNIS AHMED
ERNIE CLIFTON

Sobers..daylight......Botham

A measure of greatness is the ability to perform against the very best teams
Since 2000 v Australia in Australia

KALLIS
6 TESTS
521 RUNS
AVE 57-88

What a champion

They are sensational stats, compared to most guys who bat 4+5

SINCE 2000 stats in the middle order v Australia in Australia

BATTING 4...43-24
BATTING 5...35-38

Best I have seen is Sobers, true champion

Others but are nowhere near class of Sobers

Botham (just explosive power and could turn a match with bat and ball in an hour)

Kallis (has the class and I still think the best of him is to come)

I'd agree that Sobers would prob be the best ever.

Botham possibly the best of the last 25 years and Shaun Pollock one of the best of the last 10/15 years.

KALLIS just made 186 what a player.

mal wrote:KALLIS just made 186 what a player.

Add in two more wickets (2/11) both middle order players and his stocks continue to rise