Is Steyn

the only big G great in world cricket today? maybe even small g great, though some could get there in a few years

whoops. forgot kallis and chanders. big G and small g right there. and sanga

someone kills this thread already   

Steyn is overrated. Red told me.

Sanga is not a big or small g.

Surely Clarke, as a batsman at least.

Amla, when he's not getting as loose as fck.

Perhaps AB, when he's not bending his back rigid keeping wicket.

Philander is well on the way, needs to keep going.

I'd argue for Rhino, when he can stay fit being the proviso. Look at his bowling average as Exhibit A.

Cook was well on the way, but how the mighty is fallen - temporarily or for good, remains to be seen.

Trott coulda been somebody.


But it's true there are not many (AT-)Gs around. I'd say the pressures of the modern game - when it's not numbers of Tests and ODIs (and T20s) played, it's constant spotlights, microphones and all that - militate against a generation of superheroes. You're lucky if you can get injured sporadically (as have most of the above!).

It depends on the criteria used for one hears commentators et al using the word great loosely and under their definition a broad range of cricketers come into play.

Only two are currently 'bonafide' and their names are JH Kallis and DW Steyn

I'd add Amla and give cliffeh A a small g....clarke and cook are not far away

Paul Keating wrote:Sanga is not a big or small g.

Huh?

KS may or may not be a great player. He's certainly a fine and highly intelligent combatant, and one of the contemporary game's leading stylists.


And from available evidence so far, he also seems a very solid, even a great guy.


I have these crazy hallucinatory interludes where I think that's sort of good to witness, too.

JGK wrote:

Paul Keating wrote:Sanga is not a big or small g.

Huh?

Well I come from the old school that true greats are few and far between.

I am trying to think of some truly great things that Sanga has done and I am struggling.

Paul Keating wrote:

JGK wrote:

Paul Keating wrote:Sanga is not a big or small g.

Huh?

Well I come from the old school that true greats are few and far between.

I am trying to think of some truly great things that Sanga has done and I am struggling.

He's at least as great as Jackie.

aye re Jackie...I cannot recall a particularly great inniings or devastating spell of bowling...yes the odd really good catch in slips...yet his numbers stack up to suggest his greatness..

am certain someone has done it but I would like to see stats adjusted for the quality of the opponent...

JGK wrote:

Paul Keating wrote:

JGK wrote:

Paul Keating wrote:Sanga is not a big or small g.

Huh?

Well I come from the old school that true greats are few and far between.

I am trying to think of some truly great things that Sanga has done and I am struggling.

He's at least as great as Jackie.

Except for almost 300 wickets.

Doing a Lardy and looking through the archives, it seems that Steyn and his claim to greatness has been one of the most hotly debated topics on FB over they years.

Surely it's beyond doubt now.

Wasn't in doubt for me.

what jgk said...obvious

Hasn't been in doubt for years, he has always looked like an ATG and the figures consistently back that up.

The figures suggest he's streets ahead of any other modern quick bowler. When pitches have been flatter, boundaries shorter, and bats bigger, Steyn has averaged 22 with the ball in test cricket with a strike rate in the low 40s.

He has a case for being one of the top five fast bowlers in history.

my 5 atg quicks of the post war era have been

DKL
Holding
Marshall
tgm
Fiery Fred T

steyn is threatening FFT

If ABdPrayerCircle gave up keeping which he is not very good at....the gcs happily testifies on that point... he could prove to be the best yaapie batsman since they stated to play test cricket in the early 90s

Henry wrote:The figures suggest he's streets ahead of any other modern quick bowler. When pitches have been flatter,

It must be remembered that SA usually dish up juicy pitches

Brass Monkey wrote:

Henry wrote:The figures suggest he's streets ahead of any other modern quick bowler. When pitches have been flatter,

It must be remembered that SA usually dish up juicy pitches

He has a better average in India and WI than he does in SA.

He's an ATG bowler. I'm just saying that the piece of fortune he has is playing on some juicy pitches in SA, which is slightly to his detriment. I'm not saying he's a STB - I'm just saying that two thirds of the time they're helpful. He's already won two Tests in SA this season on good batting pitches, so that goes to prove your stats aren't as selective as they first seem.

Hey I was agreeing with Trev that he has also been useful on the traditionally flat tracks in India and WI.