Crio’s Question : Rating the Under-rated?

Much coverage was given to the coincidence of Alistair Cook and Michael Clarke, opposing captains, each playing their 100th Test in Perth and, rightly, their remarkably similar records were widely lauded.

Currently, their respective numbers are:-

Cook     8047 runs, Av. 46.5, 25 tons

Clarke   8019 runs, Av. 51.4, 26 tons

Meanwhile, on Fox at night and well “off-Broadway” (Abu Dhabi in fact), we watched this week as Younis Khan notched up another magnificent century against Sri Lanka. Khan’s feats seem largely unheralded here, despite his at times controversial and always difficult circumstances. At present, his Test figures read:-

Khan  (87 Tests)  7263 runs, Av. 51.87, 23 tons

 

It is true that, despite being a statisticians playground, numbers don’t tell the whole story in cricket. There are so many variables – weather, pitch, opposition, state of the game….

…but nevertheless some blokes just don’t get their “dues”.

I’m happy to rate The Ashes skippers as top shelf, but keen to hear of those who might also be deserving of more kudos.

Comments

  1. Not being a Foxtel subscriber I don’t see enough of the other cricket nations to comment on Younis.
    But in general I think the more flamboyant personalities and playing styles always cop the attention. In AFL there are blokes like Darren Glass, Harry Taylor, Nathan Jones (Demons) that are always there getting the job done. There is very little difference between their best and worst games.
    In golf I always liked Peter Senior because he was always a chance if the wind blew and the rough was long. Played the same week in and week out; year in and year out. And his swing showed that substance was more important than style if you got the fundamentals right.
    In soccer I admired Lucas Neill and Mark Schwarzer for the same reasons. I just hope that Lucas isn’t trying to cross a bridge too far.

  2. Luke Reynolds says

    Shivnarine Chanderpaul. If you were asked to name the best West Indian batsman of the past 40 years most would name Richards, Lara, Lloyd, Sobers, Greenidge, Haynes & Richardson. 11,219 Test runs @ 51.93 with 29 centuries and 62 fifties and 8778 ODI runs at 41.60 with 11 tons stacks up pretty well with any of the West Indian stars.
    Younis Khan has been and continues to be a wonderful player. His former teammate Yousuf Youhanna, who later became Mohammed Yousuf, was just as good.
    The Sri Lankan pairing of Mahela Jayawardene and Kumar Sangakkarra have been superb players to watch and have imposing records but don’t have the reputation they deserve in this country.

  3. Skip of Skipton says

    A.B. De Villiers is presently ranked the no.1 Test batsman (Chanderpaul is no.2) , and no.1 ODI batsman.

  4. matt watson says

    Just a few:
    Larry Gomes – stood up to Lillee, Pascoe and Thompson in 1981-82. Batted without a helmet. Scored hundreds.
    Larry Holmes – vastly underrated heavyweight champ with 20 title defences. everybody got a shot. Holmes kept his money too.
    Bernard Hopkins – 20 defences of his middleweight title. Still fighting at 48.
    Anthony Stevens – rarely played a bad game for North.
    Ron McKeon – dropped for Collingwood’s premiership in 1990 an hour before the game. Solid in defence and creative in attack. Solid around the middle too.

  5. Andrew Starkie says

    Jacques Kallis

  6. Natalie Maines

  7. Good call Litza, and I’ll add Joe Henry to that list.

    In footy terms, Sewell is the under-rated jewel in the Hawks crown.

    And in cricket, to state the bleeding, one second before the first test in Brisbane Mitch Johnson would’ve (in hindsight) been the most under-rated Aussie.

  8. Thanks for the comments.
    What I was really interested in, though, were those who, rather than being underrated, seemed to have escaped ratings….been overlooked in our myopic scrutiny.
    Hence Younis Khan.

  9. mickey randall says

    Tim May? Bowled well in tandem with SKW, while he took most of the wickets and the glory.

  10. A P De Villiers, ranked 1 in both tests, and ODI’s, is possibly very over rated. Jacques Kallis is one of the most underated cricketers of recent time. Consider all the hoo-ha re Andy Flintoff, who was an over rated dricketer, but his output with both and ball was well below that of Kallis.

    Now back to under rated, in the boxing world, i never feel Daniel Geale gets the credit he deserves. is that more about the status of boxing in contemporary Australia? In cricket, i like a number of other Almanackers consider Shivnarine Chanderpaul, under rated, similarily Daniel Vettori.

    Glen!

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