All Time Greats Top 10 batsmen of all teams?

How many teams actually have a decent attack though? SA and India I guess but it isn't the toughest era ever for opening batsmen (unless all the pitches and conditions are like they were in England last summer).

You can only score runs against what's put in front of you, which is why it's so hard to compare different eras even if you actually saw them all play.

Sure he can only do it against who he comes up against. But what has he done prior to this series? He failed against the Aussies in the past.

Fark, some perspective please, can we stop creaming our pants over Cook. He was almost dropped because he was so inconsistent before two months ago.

beamer wrote:How many teams actually have a decent attack though? SA and India I guess but it isn't the toughest era ever for opening batsmen (unless all the pitches and conditions are like they were in England last summer).

You can only score runs against what's put in front of you, which is why it's so hard to compare different eras even if you actually saw them all play.

Its a bit of a Catch-22 though isn't it? Siddle, Hilfenhaus and Johnson were good bowlers when they were beating South Africa in South Africa. I rate Harris too, and Bollinger's taken plenty of wickets this past year. Mitch Johnson was number one in the rankings recently. Its like just because Cook scored runs against them they are suddenly crap...

Eg, Surely Australia's third seamer, Peter Siddle, would make the South Africa team ahead of Tsotsobe or the India team ahead of Sreesanth?

Siddle struggles to make the Vic team these days

If one Ashes series is all that's needed to get into the Top Ten then all I can say is "Chris Broad, come on down!"

Cook has a LONG way to go before he's worthy of a place on this list. Perhaps he will be worthy come the end of his career, but it's still only 2011 right now.

I thought Vaughan's performance in 2002/3 was more impressive than Cook's this summer. Yes, it was in a beaten side, but I only saw two other batsman get on top of an Australian attack in Australia during the halcyon Taylor/Waugh years like Vaughan did... they were Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar. VVS Laxmann would be the only other person challenging.

Unfortunately Vaughan didn't keep it up. But his batting that summer was majestic.

As for the topic at hand. Here's my English 10 (in no particular order):

Hobbs
Sutcliffe
Hutton
Hammond
Compton
May
Barrington
Grace
Boycott
Gower*

I'd put Pietersen in here but his career is still ongoing. I expect he would replace Gower on my list in a few years' time.

And just for fun, my Australian 10 (in no particular order):

Bradman
Chappell G
Border
Ponting
Harvey
Trumper
Gilchrist
Waugh S
Ponsford
McCabe

If one Ashes series is all that's needed to get into the Top Ten then all I can say is "Chris Broad, come on down!"

Might as well add Tim Robinson as well.

JGK wrote:

If one Ashes series is all that's needed to get into the Top Ten then all I can say is "Chris Broad, come on down!"

Might as well add Tim Robinson as well.

Ouch ! Whilst I fully agree that Cook doesn't yet qualify for that list, I have to say I'm surprised to see such remarks from you two.

In truth, you know the nomination isn't based on just one ashes - it's the other 4000 odd runs on top in quick (but not exceptional) time for his age. This Ashes has taken his average up to 47, but may people were calling for his head due to the fact that in 3 series (out of 9 ..... 11 matches from 31) since summer 2008, he averaged less than 25.

If he continues to score 1,000 runs per year average, he's young enough to top our run-scoring chart by a distance - and not beyond imagination of overtaking Sachin ....

Growler wrote:In truth, you know the nomination isn't based on just one ashes - it's the other 4000 odd runs on top in quick (but not exceptional) time for his age.

2nd youngest to achieve if after SRT, no? And only about 3 weeks younger than when SRT did it. And I suspect SRT debuted quite a bit younger than Cook. The lad has matured in a huge way in the past 18-24 months.

If he continues to score 1,000 runs per year average, he's young enough to top our run-scoring chart by a distance - and not beyond imagination of overtaking Sachin ....

That prediction's already been made on this board.

Much shorter timescale, but in fairness Sachin didn't play 8 - 12 testa per year in the early days IIRC - but yes on age thingys.

Didn't intend stealing your glory from the other thread bud

Wasn't suggesting you'd stolen anything, but had made the prediction a few days ago and thought you might appreciate the sentiment.

And I'm aware SRT didn't get the opportunities to play as much Test cricket in teh early days, and in the not-so-distant past as well. Which is one of the reasons I suspect he'll be overtaken by Cook.

I think the amount of Tests played will only decline in the next decade, if Cook plays for another 10 years I don't think he will be getting 12 or so Tests a year by the end of his career.

I think if anything there will be more tests. Especially if India stay number one. Less 50 over cricket, more tests, more T20 will be the go.

I think Sachin is the only modern player to have played a Test match in 4 separate decades - 1980s, 90s, norties and teenies.

pretty remarkable

OP is missing 2 Khans

Younis and Majid

India, in no particular order except for the first two-

Tendulkar
Gavaskar
Dravid
Laxman
Sehwag
Viswanath
Ganguly
Azharuddin
Vengsarkar
Amarnath

I think you are missing at least Merchant and Hazare.

Merchant only played 10 tests. Hard to fully judge his ability based on so few games.

Hazare, perhaps yes. In place of Ganguly maybe.

Henry wrote:Merchant only played 10 tests. Hard to fully judge his ability based on so few games.

But a first class average of 70 suggests that the tests weren't a fluke. He should be in ahead of Ganguly.

JGK wrote:

Henry wrote:Merchant only played 10 tests. Hard to fully judge his ability based on so few games.

But a first class average of 70 suggests that the tests weren't a fluke. He should be in ahead of Ganguly.

A bucket of crap should be in ahead of Ganguly.

The bucket and the crap should both be in ahead of the little bastard.

Growler wrote:I think Sachin is the only modern player to have played a Test match in 4 separate decades - 1980s, 90s, norties and teenies.

Pretty amazing.

Gooch wasn't too far off. Didn't help that he debuted halfway through a decade.

Who was the last player to achieve this before Sachin?

Brian Close?