Right; this is a straightforward poll about who, if any, in the current crop of international batsmen is most likely to be the first to pass 200 runs in an ODI innings. IMO, the batsman needs to be a specialist with staying power and a big hitter to achieve this feat and there are not that many possibilities.

Well, you would need someone who can score runs fast and will have faced a lot of deliveries. I went with Keven Pieterson as I am a biased Englishman, but If you really want to know who I think, It will be Matthew Hayden. If he is against a weak Bowling attack, Gets after the bowlers early, and keeps at it during the 'slow over period' as I like to call it (20-40 overs) then he can get a 130-160 ball 200.

Pieterson would only get it under similiar circumstances except he was moved up the order or England lost quick wickets.

Pietersen has hardly any staying power.

Could be Hayden - could be Flintoff (on his day), could be Ponting.

I doubt it will be anybody.

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Ern

Gibbs has got pretty close before, the Aus-SA game where he got 180-odd springs instantly to mind. If memory serves me correctly, there were still about 10 overs left when he was dismissed, so if he was ever in a position to play such an innings again I'd expect him to be capable of doing it.

Otherwise... any one of Ponting, Hayden, Gilchrist, KP et al could do it, but only on their day. It's pretty unlikely to happen though.

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"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose."
- Ayrton Senna

I think Gibbs has the fastest strike rate for a 150+ innings thus far, followed by Ponting and Jayasuriya. Interestingly, Pietersen tends to have his own 'pacing formula' where he works between run rates of 80 & 120, seldom faster or slower. Quick as he is, somehow I cannot see him as the man first past the 200 hurdle.

Well, he proved you wrong today didn't he? In my opinion Pieterson is a weapon England have that other countries also have but at slightly lower quality, like having the most powerful nuke in the world despite other countries such as South Africa or Australia having several less powerful nukes. Pieterson is the best ODI batsman in the world after today he proved that. However, his team are a long way behind him, back to the nuke simile, Vaughan, Joyce, Flintoff seem to emulating a hand-held bazooka sort of destructive power. Pieterson must be used at no.3 or no.4 so he can knock off a big innings like he did today. However, some people might consider putting him down the order as I think he got his 3 centuries against South Africa at no.5 or 6.

The question is do we go for talent or power, the only way Pontings looked like going out lately is run out or getting himself out he is your class player. Or do you go for a batsman along the lines of Gayle or Gilchrist who can ton up within 15 to 20 overs. The sort of form Hayden is in at the moment he looks to be the most likely if it is going to be done in the world cup because he is somewhere in between with a mix of talent and power. Not to say that Gibbs, Ponting or Tendulkar have the power to hit sixes as well as the big strong guys. Can't see it happening anytime soon but you never know. Peitersen is a very good batsman and he has shown that but I would not rate him the best ODI batsman in the world yet, with a guy named Ponting around he is a mile ahead of the rest in ODI in test cricket he is about even with Yousuf.

I have a feeling that it will have to be a player in the top 10 ODI batsman player rankins

ICC player rankings & there batting stats from there last ten matches
Pietersen 808 : 531 runs at 66.37, 1x100, 5x50, Hs 104
Ponting 786 : 645 runs at 71.66, 3x100, 3x50, Hs 113
Hussey 766 : 180 runs at 22.50, 1x100, 0x50, Hs 105
Jayasuriya 761 : 399 runs at 44.33, 2x100, 1x50, Hs 115
Smith 757 : 415 runs at 51.87, 0x100, 5x50, Hs 91
Dhoni 739 : 252 runs at 50.40, 0x100, 2x50, Hs 67*
Kallis 725 : 465 runs at 116.25, 1x100, 3x50, Hs 128*
Hayden 722 : 660 runs at 82.50, 3x100, 1x50, Hs 181*
Sangakarra 721 : 322 runs at 32.20, 1x100, 2x50, Hs 110
Symonds 715 : 233 runs at 38.83, 0x100, 1x50, Hs 69

1st
2nd
3rd

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Bill Ponsford - The only one who could play in Bradman’s company and make it a duet.

You can't be too sure.Many rules are coming up which make the game more batsman friendly.Another point,cricket is expanding which means that good teams would get lots of games against the not-so-good teams (don't want to say minnows ) and of they're playing on a small ground with good batting pitches,you never know...

Also,many teams are crossing the 400-run mark now-a-days which shows that more runs are coming.

But in a way,what Ernest says is true.It's not about the strike-rate.But you need to maintain that Strike-rate for a long time staying not out.It's most probably going to be an opening batsman,he can play out the 50 overs.

I remember in 2005 when Sri Lanka toured India.They set India a target of 297.India lost an early wicket and Mahendra Singh Dhoni came at no.3.He scored 183* and finished of the game in the 46th over.If India had batted first or if the target was higher,I could imagine him getting to 200.

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Karthik Venkatesan

One problem with Pietersen achieving this is his self-confessed reluctance to bat any higher than No:4. Having just been persuaded to move up to No:4 from 5 in this World Cup, I doubt that he will agree to go any higher. Gibbs too bats now at No:4, but might be moved to No:3 or even as one of the openers, having done so before.

Another advantage that the likes of Ponting, Gibbs and Gayle have over Pietersen is that England play comparitively fewer ODIs during a calender year.