Bradman wouldn't score a run today

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Yeah I said it. He'd have no chance today. Bouncing golf balls against a wall with a stump might have looked grouse a hundred years ago but it wouldn't have helped him face bowlers today. He'd be backing away to leg and Wagner et al would put the s**ts up him.

Discuss

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Yeah I said it. He'd have no chance today. Bouncing golf balls against a wall with a stump might have looked grouse a hundred years ago but it wouldn't have helped him face bowlers today. He'd be backing away to leg and Wagner et al would put the s**ts up him.

Discuss

And you base this opinion on what? What could he not handle? Why would he still not be the best in his era today?

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

And you base this opinion on what? What could he not handle? Why would he still not be the best in his era today?

Because he couldn't handle the pace today. He'd be upset by the bounce, fitness and accuracy of bowlers today. He'd have no chance.

 

[rdhopkins2]

Give him 6 months of full time and professional training and I’m quite certain he’s top 3 in the world. It would be an adjustment but Bradman was a freak.

Would probably practice in the nets with the bowling machine and stump.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Give him 6 months of full time and professional training and I’m quite certain he’s top 3 in the world. It would be an adjustment but Bradman was a freak.

Would probably practice in the nets with the bowling machine and stump.

The flip side of this is the question of how Smith would go back in Bradman's day. In my opinion Smith would never have been dismissed

 

[rdhopkins2]

The flip side of this is the question of how Smith would go back in Bradman's day. In my opinion Smith would never have been dismissed

Uncovered decks?
No protection?

 

[Kapow!!!]

Didn't Jeff Thomson once recall that Bradman in his 60s once popped into the nets whilst they were training, grabbed a bat and asked Thommo to bowl one at him full speed, unpadded, and still cover drove him easily before wondering off satisfied with himself. Jeff Thomson: A man some consider the fastest bowler to have bowled at Test level.

I'm usually a fan of dispelling myths of yesteryear being a higher quality but in this case Bradman was clearly a league or two above anything that has ever been or will ever be. Don't get me wrong: A colossal d*ck of a person and a bit of a racist by some accounts (e.g. That time Eddie Gilbert got him out for a duck), but he is the best that has ever been.

 

[greatwhiteshark]

Because he couldn't handle the pace today. He'd be upset by the bounce, fitness and accuracy of bowlers today. He'd have no chance.

He would have thicker better bats, play on absolute roads week in week out, shorter boundaries, quicker outfields. I reckon he would adapt pretty quickly and still be much better than every other player.
He would still be the worlds greatest batsman in my opinion, there is nothing to suggest he wouldn't be.

 

[Power Raid]

Bradman would probably average between 50 to 75 after a 130+ test career if he played these days.

The difference would be the 8 ball over, unlimited tests, the distractions of the shorter forms of the game and being a little softer vs living through the great depression and WW2 eras.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Bradman would probably average between 50 to 75 after a 130+ test career if he played these days.

The difference would be the 8 ball over, unlimited tests, the distractions of the shorter forms of the game and being a little softer vs living through the great depression and WW2 eras.

Also not sure if anyone brought this up but Bradman wouldn't accept coloured players playing alongside him, players getting paid big bucks after he'd retired or women having any rights. Needs to be said

 

[FredLeDeux]

Also not sure if anyone brought this up but Bradman wouldn't accept coloured players playing alongside him, players getting paid big bucks after he'd retired or women having any rights. Needs to be said

Each of those factors would probably knock his average down about 10 runs, to around 80 or so.

 

[burge13]

People thinking someone from 20's (or even 80's for most sports) would succeed in any sport today are clueless. Sport has evolved and gotten better. It's really that simple

Same goes for people who say MJ > LeBron. LeBron would put up 60 a night against the janitors and bin men of MJ's era.

The bowlers were not bowling 140+ back then & there's a reason none of the bowlers of that era are talked about. He was ahead of his time, sure. But wouldn't do anywhere near as well today

 

[FredLeDeux]

People thinking someone from 20's (or even 80's for most sports) would succeed in any sport today are clueless. Sport has evolved and gotten better. It's really that simple

Same goes for people who say MJ > LeBron. LeBron would put up 60 a night against the janitors and bin men of MJ's era.

The bowlers were not bowling 140+ back then & there's a reason none of the bowlers of that era are talked about. He was ahead of his time, sure. But wouldn't do anywhere near as well today

I'm sure I've heard people mention, eg, Larwood, Grimmet, O'Reilly.

 

[corbies]

Didn't Jeff Thomson once recall that Bradman in his 60s once popped into the nets whilst they were training, grabbed a bat and asked Thommo to bowl one at him full speed, unpadded, and still cover drove him easily before wondering off satisfied with himself. Jeff Thomson: A man some consider the fastest bowler to have bowled at Test level.

I'm willing to bet my life savings ($86.96) that this did not happen.

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Anyone doubting players of a hundred years ago would struggle today should YouTube old school footage. The players had seriously uncoordinated bowling actions and bowled very slowly dibbly dobbly style. Fielding was virtually non existent and players were so small they could barely hit the ball in the air. I'm sorry not to sound nostalgic and rose tinted but people today are bigger faster stronger and more better prepared. No one in the footy forum would argue players were better a hundred years ago why on earth are people arguing this here??

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

Each of those factors would probably knock his average down about 10 runs, to around 80 or so.

The guy was four foot tall lol. The bats today would be too big for him. Could you imagine a coloured umpire giving him out?? He'd just stand there not taking any notice and keep batting

 

[Barlos Crathwaite]

This is just the sort of technique Mitchell starc would be salivating over. One ball on the stumps and goneskis

 

[Kapow!!!]

I'm willing to bet my life savings ($86.96) that this did not happen.

Yeah I won't lie it sounds like that story is more mayo than substance (i.e. If it even happened, it probably happened in a backyard with a tennis ball). Having said that, there's probably more substance to that yarn than premise to this thread so I'm not exactly in a rush to fact check (or indeed remember exactly which interview I heard that from).

 

[western royboy]

Yeah I said it. He'd have no chance today. Bouncing golf balls against a wall with a stump might have looked grouse a hundred years ago but it wouldn't have helped him face bowlers today. He'd be backing away to leg and Wagner et al would put the s**ts up him.

Discuss

Suggest Mods shift this to the Bay...where it belongs

 

[western royboy]

Uncovered decks?
No protection?

Merely inconvenient facts ignored by our learned colleague

 

[big_e]

I'm willing to bet my life savings ($86.96) that this did not happen.

It happened* on 31 January, 1978.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/jef...atsman-he-bowled-against-at-age-70/2015-02-10

I'll take credit card or PayPal.





*In Bradman's backyard, not in the nets.

 

[corbies]

It happened* on 31 January, 1978.

https://www.cricket.com.au/news/jef...atsman-he-bowled-against-at-age-70/2015-02-10

I'll take credit card or PayPal.





*In Bradman's backyard, not in the nets.

Bowled 2 balls of legspin

 

[eth-dog]

Nice clickbait

 

[big_e]

Bowled 2 balls of legspin

He only bowled 3.3 overs in that test before being injured, so I think Bradman would have been OK.

Fun fact: it was a six-day test.

 

[ioppolo]

Also not sure if anyone brought this up but Bradman wouldn't accept coloured players playing alongside him, players getting paid big bucks after he'd retired or women having any rights. Needs to be said

What does this have to do with his cricketing ability?

He was born in 1908. A VERY different time.