Brian Lara, How Good Was He?

[Black Diamond]

Not saying the rankings are perfect, but he is 29th of all time - https://www.relianceiccrankings.com/alltime/test/batting/.

Best West Indian ever? In the conversation. IMO behind Ponting and Tendulkar of his contemporaries.

 

[PhatBoy]

Not saying the rankings are perfect, but he is 29th of all time - https://www.relianceiccrankings.com/alltime/test/batting/.

Best West Indian ever? In the conversation.

With respect to many of those players, the rankings on that list are based around their highest point:

Ie. MoYo had a year where he crushed 9 test hundreds which is why his rating peak reached the number it did. No one could get a ball past his blade. He wasn’t the best Pakistan batsman in his own top 6 (Younis Khan was) let alone the 16th best batsman of all time.

 

[Black Diamond]

With respect to many of those players, the rankings on that list are based around their highest point:

Ie. MoYo had a year where he crushed 9 test hundreds which is why his rating peak reached the number it did. No one could get a ball past his blade. He wasn’t the best Pakistan batsman in his own top 6 (Younis Khan was) let alone the 16th best batsman of all time.

I know. There are several I don't agree with. Marnus is very high for example for similar reasons to Yousof.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

Is Lara still the best batsman of the last 30 years in your opinion?

I'd have to say yes.

 

[the_interloper]

You might say in some ways he's slightly overrated because of how good he was to watch, a lovely flourish in his strokes. I rate him alongside Sachin, Punter and whoever else in his era, I watched pretty much all of his 277* so probably biased, never seen such cover driving through the gaps like that innings.

 

[Gough]

You might say in some ways he's slightly overrated because of how good he was to watch, a lovely flourish in his strokes. I rate him alongside Sachin, Punter and whoever else in his era, I watched pretty much all of his 277* so probably biased, never seen such cover driving through the gaps like that innings.

At their best I still have Lara a touch above Ponting and Tendulkar.

 

[the_interloper]

At their best I still have Lara a touch above Ponting and Tendulkar.

You can always make a statistical argument around who was better, really in the end it's personal preference, all great players of course.

Slightly off topic but I do wonder how to rate who is better out of Steve Smith and Ponting, I feel like it's Smith but very hard to call

 

[Gough]

You can always make a statistical argument around who was better, really in the end it's personal preference, all great players of course.

Slightly off topic but I do wonder how to rate who is better out of Steve Smith and Ponting, I feel like it's Smith but very hard to call

Looking back I wonder if like Warne before him the enforced holiday has actually been beneficial to Smith's career, his late career performances at least have been clearly superior to Ponting's.

 

[PhatBoy]

Looking back I wonder if like Warne before him the enforced holiday has actually been beneficial to Smith's career, his late career performances at least have been clearly superior to Ponting's.

Right now they are, but between 2020-2024 he was still poor. Averaged low 40s (that still may be better than what Ponting was doing at the end - I’m not sure)

 

[Black Diamond]

Right now they are, but between 2020-2024 he was still poor. Averaged low 40s (that still may be better than what Ponting was doing at the end - I’m not sure)

That is better than Ponting.

Plenty of highly rated players average that their whole careers.

 

[Lunchtime]

At their best I still have Lara a touch above Ponting and Tendulkar.

Yep same as me. I have Lara as the best batsman I've seen and slightly ahead (only just) of Tendulkar.

 

[PhatBoy]

That is better than Ponting.

Plenty of highly rated players average that their whole careers.

Yeah poor was a relative term

 

[the_interloper]

Yeah poor was a relative term

This is why I don't like trying to figure out the best out of great players, you end up nitpicking great careers.

 

[Black Diamond]

This is why I don't like trying to figure out the best out of great players, you end up nitpicking great careers.

Lots of pointless stats and criticisms too.

Scores of 45, 200, 47, 170, 39? Inconsistent.
Scores of 99, 80, 94, 93? Can't convert 50s to 100s.
Scores of 44, 47, 46, 110? 100% conversion of 50s to 100s!
80 average at home, 45 away? Home track bully...

 

[the_interloper]

Lots of pointless stats and criticisms too.

Scores of 45, 200, 47, 170, 39? Inconsistent.
Scores of 99, 80, 94, 93? Can't convert 50s to 100s.
Scores of 44, 47, 46, 110? 100% conversion of 50s to 100s!
80 average at home, 45 away? Home track bully...

I've done this plenty with boxing and MMA, the way that goes is bagging the opponents they beat (he was too old, too young, was injured, bad weight cut, short notice fight etc etc)