The Greatest Batsmen In Cricket

Does any sport bring about more fascination in facts, figures and statistics than the game of cricket? Some would suggest that North American sports also involve numerous stats and detailed analysis, but cricket seems to be in a world of its own. All of these statistics should be there to offer clarity to the sport.

With this in mind, we might think that it would be easy to assess the relative merits of different players. The figures should speak for themselves. So why is it that there is so much disagreement when we ask simple questions, such as: who are the best batsmen of all time? It should be simple to reach an answer.

But we encounter difficulties because the figures never tell the true story. They might tell us how many runs an individual player has scored, but they tell us relatively little about pitch conditions, the standard of opposition and so many other factors that have an influence. We can, however, agree on some players who were undoubtedly great. Let's consider some of the finest cricketers ever to have played the game.

It would be impossible to write about this subject without mentioning Don Bradman. He scored almost 7,000 runs in just over 50 Test matches, infamously ending his career with an average of 99.94. The Australian maestro is widely regarded as the very best batsman ever to have played the game. He stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Contemporaries suggest that he could have played successfully in any era, adapting his game to suit changing conditions. He played his last Test match in 1948, ensuring that younger cricket fans have to rely on old film footage to see him in action.

But Bradman isn't noted for having scored the greatest number of runs in a career. Modern-day players dominate this area of the games. The likes of Sachin Tendulkar have pushed the boundaries and the list of leading run-makers contains an incredible array of talented cricketers.

Tendulkar himself, the superb Indian batsman, may not rank alongside Bradman, but plenty would suggest that he is better than all of his contemporaries. Fans of Ricky Ponting, the tough Australian, might beg to differ. Ponting hasn't just been a wonderful batsman, but a leading cricket captain too. Would he have scored so many runs if he'd been part of a less successful team? Some argue this to be the case, but the truth is that we'll never really know.

One area of the game that many people value is the entertainment that some batsmen can offer. Some players score plenty of runs, but aren't so pleasing on the eye. It's been said that players like Allan Border, Steve Waugh and Mike Atherton tended to grind their way to runs.

At the other end of the spectrum, most would agree that the great West Indian cricket, Sir Viv Richards, was a thrilling player to watch. Brian Lara and David Gower are other examples of players who were able to combine style and substance.

The great debate about cricket's batsmen will continue as long as the game is played. You may well have your own favourites. You may also have your own criteria for judging players. It's fun to compare those who played in different eras and to wonder how they would have competed against one another.



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