SA Footy

Was just on Cricinfo, reading the write-up lauding the awesome skills of one Kumar Sangakkara.

He's just hit 219 against India. They speak about him for a long time, and oh by the way, Mahela Jayawardene also scored 174.

It got me thinking, Jayawardene is one of the most remarkably consistent performers over such a long time, and he never really seems to grab the headlines...

I'm about to grab stats from Cricinfo, but surely this guy averages mid-fifties, and he'd be around the 10K run mark.

Following on from that, which other "current-day" players would you consider to be greatly underrated...?

Mahela Jayawardene- 33 years old

111 Tests, 9168 runs, averages 53.92, 27 centuries and 35 fifties, not including the big hundred in this game.

Was a bit off on his average, but this guy never grabs headlines.

Jayasuriya and de Silva in his early career, Sangakarra, Dilshan, and to a lesser extend Samaraweera now. He hasn't been considered the dominant force, but he's been a very unreal player for me...

With you there on Jayawardene. Always enjoyed watching him bat, he has a stillness about him. Beautifully balanced.

Probably underrated here as he only averages 32 v Oz. Bet he gets some attention in South Africa though - 70 average, 5 centuries in 12 matches, high score of 374!

From an Aussie perspective, I'd say Mitchell Johnson would be our underrated player. Averages just under 29 with the ball. Only Steyn, Asif and Sidebottom average better in Tests currently. His batting average is 10 higher than any of those. He takes wickets even when he's looking terrible, most of the time.

That's why I think he's underrated - he just looks terrible a lot of the time, so his effectiveness gets overlooked.

Pottsy wrote:With you there on Jayawardene. Always enjoyed watching him bat, he has a stillness about him. Beautifully balanced.

Probably underrated here as he only averages 32 v Oz. Bet he gets some attention in South Africa though - 70 average, 5 centuries in 12 matches, high score of 374!

From an Aussie perspective, I'd say Mitchell Johnson would be our underrated player. Averages just under 29 with the ball. Only Steyn, Asif and Sidebottom average better in Tests currently. His batting average is 10 higher than any of those. He takes wickets even when he's looking terrible, most of the time.

That's why I think he's underrated - he just looks terrible a lot of the time, so his effectiveness gets overlooked.

Has struggled away from Aus/NZ

i think sangakkara as a pure batsmen

including the current match he averages 77.7 in matches when he is playing solely as a batsmen. that is a phenominal average even with some of the dead pitches he plays on.

he averages the lowest in any country against bangladesh - 42.25
and his lowest against any country is 42.8 agaionst teh west indies

Good call May-Z.

He is a good player no doubt, but you wouldn't put him up there with the Dravid, Tendulkar, Kallis type players today, or the Lara types of yesteryear...

Those stats tell a different story though...

Media Park wrote: Following on from that, which other "current-day" players would you consider to be greatly underrated...?

Daniel Vettori
Mark Boucher
Jacques Kallis
Zaheer Khan

TDK... What discipline is Kallis underrated in?

Jacques Kallis in tests 11,000+ runs @ 55 & 260+ wickets
ODIs 10,000+ runs and over 250 wickets

Underrated, I think not

I don't think Seth Efrikans rate his bowling that much... he's often the fifth or sixth bowler used...

But bloody good, and I rate him highly...

I agree with TDK.
Kallis IMO is still underrated. HIs stats are as good as anyone with the Bat and jsut as good as most bowlers. He still doesnt get talked about in the sense of the great batsmen of this era, its always Ponting, Lara, Tendulkar and Dravid. People often forget Kallis!

CoverKing wrote:I agree with TDK.
Kallis IMO is still underrated. HIs stats are as good as anyone with the Bat and jsut as good as most bowlers. He still doesnt get talked about in the sense of the great batsmen of this era, its always Ponting, Lara, Tendulkar and Dravid. People often forget Kallis!

Thank You CK! Kallis is the best allrounder in the world ATM and is one of the best the world has ever seen, yet he still IMO opinion is overlooked by most people.

He has always been rated behind an Andrew Flintoff for example, who is a big game player (i.e The Ashes) and an absolute game breaker. Kallis on the other hand, is a guy who gets on with his business and collects his runs and wickets without any fuss, so people usually don't notice what he's done until they see his stats.

Most people IMO think Andrew Flintoff has more effect than Kallis in a cricket match, their stats suggest otherwise. No one says- "Oh sh!t here comes Kallis" or "Oh no Kallis is bowling."
When Flintoff comes out to bat or comes on to bowl people usually say- "OH SH!T it's FLINTOFF".

Therefore IMO Kallis is underrated.

geppscrossrams wrote:Jacques Kallis in tests 11,000+ runs @ 55 & 260+ wickets
ODIs 10,000+ runs and over 250 wickets

Underrated, I think not

That's because no one rates him until they see his Stats!!

I know I don't underrate Kallis. BEST allrounder ever to play in the modern times of helmets/covered wickets/flat tracks

15 years, 140 tests.... Kallis...

Boucher for me as well...

Has played more tests than any other keeper (130-odd, so he'd be right up there on the all time list), and with no real successor, he will play for a while yet...

Most dismissals as keeper EVER... (again, that's rising...)

Over 5000 runs (averages a touch over 30)

Can bat for ever (had played a few epic rearguard knocks), and can physically dominate an attack if he so desires...

Sorry, guys but for me, these would be in my MOST RATED Current XI

It's all perception isn't it...?

Obviously there's a couple of blokes on here that don't think JK is highly rated... Then there's four or five blokes who rate him as one of the best...

I suppose everyone looks at the game differently...

Media Park wrote:It's all perception isn't it...?

Obviously there's a couple of blokes on here that don't think JK is highly rated... Then there's four or five blokes who rate him as one of the best...

I suppose everyone looks at the game differently...

it is the reason Kallis goes unnoticed is that he his always there for his team thick and thin. Mean while the one that everyone notices and fears (cue Flintoff) are a flash in the pan and can go missing.....

Flintoff, Pietersen, Boycott...

Andrew McDonald