From: ckhan@bbn.com (Chico Khan (The Cricketer))
Newsgroups: rec.sport.cricket
Subject: Re: Standard of International Cricket ????
Date: 22 Jan 93 15:12:40 GMT
Reply-To: ckhan@bbn.com
Organization: Bolt Beranek and Newman (BBN)
NNTP-Posting-Host: chuck-sun.bbn.com

In article <1jnlgjINN51n@sunaus.Aus.Sun.COM>, peterm@pinhigh.Aus.Sun.COM (Peter Miles) writes:

|> Sure in differing countries, you each have 1 maybe 2 or if you a really lucky 3 star players, of
|> true "top of the list" quality players, but really the rest are really only just cricketers these days.

This has really ALWAYS been the case (for the most part) at any given time.  I can
think of few teams (the sixties W.I and '70 R.S.A teams come to mind) that was
chock full of 'stars'.


|> I have broken them into 3 categories, 
|> 1. recognised world class  
|> 2."had world class once, but are now past it, or lost it.!!.
|> 3. show potential, but not there yet.

|> Australia
|> 
|> 1.  Border, Reid (when fit)
|> 2.  Nobody
|> 3. Mark Waugh, Damien Martyn

Your later comments notwithstanding, I'd still move Border into your second category
and make room for McDermott in the first or third.


|> England
|> 
|> 1.  Nobody
|> 2.  Gooch
|> 3.  Hick, Robin Smith

I think Robin Smith has sufficiently established himself as a top class batsman to be
put in the first category.


|> New Zealand
|> 
|> 1. Crowe
|> 2. Nobody
|> 3. Greatbatch

Greatbatch has done quite well, but I don't think we can expect him to do any better
in the future than he has already done.


|> West Indies
|> 
|> 1. Richie Richardson, Ambrose
|> 2. Haynes, Logie
|> 3. Lara, Simmons, Bishop, Arthurton

Don't know if Logie could ever have been considered a genuine world class batsman - 
maybe if you added his fielding skills to the equation...

Lara and Bishop definitely, Arthurton maybe, but Simmons?  Think you're being a little
optimistic here.



|> General Comment on these selections.
|> ==============================
|> 
|> IMHO, from the above ratings, I have only found 8 players who I believe are current world class.
|> There are 7 players that I believe are losing it, or have lost it, including Javed & Kapil. I'm sure that

When I started reading this my initial reaction was that you were being over critical
and there must be more current cricketers who'll fit in the first category.  But as
I went through the teams I was hard pressed to find anyone to add to the lists.



|> I am an avid fan of TEST cricket, BUT, I want to be entertained.!!!!!

Well, I most certainly want to be entertained, but I'd still rather see a test match
between any two current teams than a one day match between any two of the greatest
teams of the past.

"If there ain't two innings, it ain't cricket!" 

|> Regards  Peter.

Chico.

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