Best Batman and Bowler in The World?. >

[Ernest]

Unlike other thread of this nature, you only get one pick per choice.

1) You can pick who you consider to be the best batsman in the world.

2) You can pick who you consider to be the best bowler in the world.

3) You can pick who you consider to be the best all-rounder in the world.

4) You can pick who you consider to be the best fielder in the world.

5) You can pick out of the 4 you have picked from above, who is the best player in the world.

You can pick in all 5 choices, but you can only pick one per choice, and the last choice will be your no 1 player in the world.

It does not matter if you pick the same player in more than one choice, eg best batter could also be best fielder.

[Mike Small]

1) Dravid 2) Harmison 3) Flintoff 4) Ponting 5) Flintoff

[Ernest]

Welcome to the board Mike.

Mine would be.
1: Tendulkar.
2: Harmison.
3: Flintoff.
4: Flintoff. only because of his slip catching.
5: Flintoff.

Ern

[Mike Small]

Thanks for the welcome message. I would have nominated Tendulkar my self had he played more cricket off late, bad injury he has got I'm afraid, perhaps the worst of his career so far. I also had a long thought about nominating Flintoff as the best fielder in the world but then had to vote for Ponting (little ironic since he too is injuried at the moment) but eventually I voted for him because I think he is the best all round fieldsman in my opinion in world cricket right now.

[Rachael]

The best batsman in the world should come down to Lara (intuitive genius) or Tendulkar (the classiest act of the modern era).. but right now I reckon Dravid edges the pair of them.

The best bowler in the world should perhaps come down to Murali or Pollock... but that man Warne is back. Who'd I back right now? Murali.

By objective criteria the best all-rounder in the world should, without doubt, be either Kallis (up there with Ponting, Inzi and co at 6 in the world with the bat, a respectable 14th in the world with the ball)... or Gilchrist (if wicket-keeper batsmen qualify)... but I reckon an all rounder needs to be a bowler first and foremost.. as only the best bowlers are matchwinners... so for me it is (without any hesitation) Pollock.

The best fielder in the world is a tough one.. and I think it has to be a cover-point fielder (nothing else tests the athleticism and reactions in quite the same way). I'm not really sure.. but Collingwood seems as good as any right now.

It's a shame my "best player in the world right now" has to be from those above.. as that excludes Flemming (best captain)... and I must admit to being in three minds. Matches are won by bowlers though.. so Dravid must be evicted first.. and as both my others are great bowlers I'll have to go for the guy who in another team might well be a no 6 or 7 bat: Pollock.

[Mike Small]

Collingwood's a brilliant fielder, but if we are talking in test terms he's not even a regular member of the England Test side, so for me he didn't actually qualify for this poll.

[Beny]

1) Tendualker
2) McGrath
3) Flintoff
4) Ponting
5) Flintoff

[Rachael]

Sorry Beny.. I posted a reply this morning but it's been lost in the ether. Gist was: are you picking Tendulkar on class ahead of Dravid or Hayden (on form) and McGrath on class ahead of Murali and Pollock on form? I'm a huge admirer of your "best bowler" and "best batsman".. but your selections concern me: are the above the guys, right now, you'd select to go out and play for you if your life depended upon it?

I also wondered if you were selecting on a ODI basis in your all-rounder and best player categories: I've no problems with your selections if you are (Flintoff's an awesome 4th in the batting ratings with 749 points (10 fewer than Kallis, 20 more than Gayle and a couple of hundred ahead of Pollock) and and 7th in the bowling ratings with 766 points (almost a hundred down on Pollock, but more than 100 ahead of Gayle and more than 200 ahead of Kallis): awesome). I do feel an explanation is needed (from you, if not from Ernest) if you are making those selections on the basis of Test cricket though.

PWC has Kallis mixing it with Ponting and Inzi (and ahead of your beloved Tendulkar) as a batsman.... with Flintoff trailing in just ahead of Jayasuria, Bashar, Styris, McMillan and Astle.. and Kallis also ahead in the bowling ratings (they are currently seperated by Tuffey and sandwiched between Streak and Hoggard). Do you think they are way out in their ratings? Do you have some other basis to go on?

I didn't choose Kallis as my all-rounder.. but that's because I feel that whilst ANY decent batsman can do a great job of helping save matches.. only the very best bowlers can actually go out and WIN matches: do you have some similar reason for preferring Flintoff.. or is this an Ernest induced moment of madness?

[Beny]

All are class acts... They can be game winners in preassure situations and have an aura about them that lifts their teams

[Nick]

1) Hayden
2) Murali
3) Kallis
4) Ponting
5) Murali