Unpopular Cricket Opinions

[Ashton Agar]

David Warner bowls better legspin than Steve Smith.

 

[Ashton Agar]

i think five test series should be reserved for series between any two of england india and australia, due to viability more than anything. only other team id like to have five test series with is south africa because those matches are inevitably epic

Why do we only play four, not five against India?

 

[eth-dog]

I would rather play 5 vs South Africa than India

 

[Carbine Chaos]

David Warner bowls better legspin than Steve Smith.

Good thread for this one, because it's a rubbish call.

 

[Scotland]

Why do we only play four, not five against India?

I'm not sure about this. When India tour we usually play 4 against them then 2 against someone else. This summer only has 4 tests because of the WC rather than the usual 5 or 6.

 

[t_94]

In general. His First Class record is excellent. I think he could be a good Test bowler but for some reason he panics on the big stage and gives away too many loose balls. It isn't because of a lack of talent.

Mental application is arguably the biggest component that separates successful test players from could of beens. His first class record is excellent, and mechanically he has a nice action but he lacks that mental application/ calmness so he can't be called a good test player

 

[Ashton Agar]

I would rather play 5 vs South Africa than India

Agreed. A five test series against South Africa would be amazing.

Good thread for this one, because it's a rubbish call.

Although we don't see that much of Warner's leggies, Smith bowls far too many full tosses and long hops. Warner bowls them too but seemingly not as much.

 

[eth-dog]

Agreed. A five test series against South Africa would be amazing.

Although we don't see that much of Warner's leggies, Smith bowls far too many full tosses and long hops. Warner bowls them too but seemingly not as much.

Shane Warne and Richie Benaud disagree.

 

[Underdog]

I think the IPL is better because of the quality and quantity of international players. Most of the ones that we attract/are available are retired or washed up older players. They do okay, but it's not the same.

But I have no affiliation with any IPL team nor have interest in the vast majority of players.

I love following the Aussie lesser lights. Seeing Matt Dixon come from nowhere to perform very well as an opening bowler for the Scorchers or seeing Duffield returning from the wilderness to put in a match winning performance for the Heat. There's plenty of cool stories beyond the stars.

 

[Run n Spread]

Don't get the kerfuffle over Maxwell's non shot. He was wrong footed then misjudged the line. Who gives a sh#@? Was a domestic 20 20 hardly the world cup.

Also he wasn't bad 1st innings in the UAE just should never have batted 3 or played that ridiculous shot. (reverse sweep). He has Johnson's old problem in that too many people are in his ear telling him to curb this or not be aggressive take this approach, be your aggressive self etc etc. Needs to work out what is best for him and find a happy medium.

I think a return to the test side is possible the raw material is there. It just should be 3+ years down the track when his game and development is more settled. He is still young enough to come back. Martyn, hayden et al took years to get going.

 

[western royboy]

Absolutely not. No way Murali deserved the scrutiny he received and we would have been denied one of the great all time bowlers. Spin bowling should be nurtured, not discouraged. **** the 15 degree rule and all this biomechanical testing. Spin Bowling will die out in 20 years if we keep going down this path, will be placed in the too hard basket by up and coming players.

I cannot agree, spin bowling will be fine, read a lot of the stuff from the Indians on what they found when they started the crackdown about bullshit reasons as to why they bowled like they did. If you want to start throwing it play baseball because it's not cricket.

 

[Damon_3388]

I want Callum Ferguson to play more one day cricket for Australia, so that his ODI average (which is seriously inflated by not outs) drops, and people realise he's not particularly special and stop putting his name forward as an international-standard batsman.

 

[Damon_3388]

Mental application is arguably the biggest component that separates successful test players from could of beens. His first class record is excellent, and mechanically he has a nice action but he lacks that mental application/ calmness so he can't be called a good test player

He seems like a bloke who has almost spent too much time in the practice nets working on his technique growing up, instead of balancing that with being tested in real game situations, and learning to adapt and improvise too.

 

[Scotland]

I want Callum Ferguson to play more one day cricket for Australia, so that his ODI average (which is seriously inflated by not outs) drops, and people realise he's not particularly special and stop putting his name forward as an international-standard batsman.

9 red dots in 25 innings isn't that bad. It's roughly a 1 in 3 which is near enough to what Michael Bevan and Michael Hussey ended their careers with, and they are absolute greats.

Ferguson averages 41 and has made that or better 9 times in 25 innings. That's pretty good from a guy that usually comes in at #6. Has made some very handy half centuries. He's nowhere near as dynamic as the likes of Warner/Finch/Watson/Bailey at ODI level but he's done his job when selected.

 

[Damon_3388]

9 red dots in 25 innings isn't that bad. It's roughly a 1 in 3 which is near enough to what Michael Bevan and Michael Hussey ended their careers with, and they are absolute greats.

Ferguson averages 41 and has made that or better 9 times in 25 innings. That's pretty good from a guy that usually comes in at #6. Has made some very handy half centuries. He's nowhere near as dynamic as the likes of Warner/Finch/Watson/Bailey at ODI level but he's done his job when selected.

Ferguson, along with longer-term guys like Bevan and M. Hussey, are why I'd like runs per innings to become a "common" stat like batting average. I know not getting out is obviously a good thing, but it does serve to overrate some guys if you just take their average at face value. It kind of takes the shine off a bit when you learn that Ferguson has averaged just 26.52 runs per innings (compared to a 41.43 average) in ODIs, Bevan "just" 35.27 (53.58 average), and M. Hussey "just" 34.66 (48.15 average).

 

[BACCS]

Ferguson, along with longer-term guys like Bevan and M. Hussey, are why I'd like runs per innings to become a "common" stat like batting average. I know not getting out is obviously a good thing, but it does serve to overrate some guys if you just take their average at face value. It kind of takes the shine off a bit when you learn that Ferguson has averaged just 26.52 runs per innings (compared to a 41.43 average) in ODIs, Bevan "just" 35.27 (53.58 average), and M. Hussey "just" 34.66 (48.15 average).

Ah, you could do that with any batsman that has played the game and significantly bring down their average, this is a weird argument.

 

[Damon_3388]

Ah, you could do that with any batsman that has played the game and significantly bring down their average, this is a weird argument.

Not really, just seems to mostly be with guys who bat at 5/6/7 in ODIs.

 

[Millky95]

For ODIs I personally like Strike Rates and Not Outs a lot for stats.

 

[Ashton Agar]

Ferguson, along with longer-term guys like Bevan and M. Hussey, are why I'd like runs per innings to become a "common" stat like batting average. I know not getting out is obviously a good thing, but it does serve to overrate some guys if you just take their average at face value. It kind of takes the shine off a bit when you learn that Ferguson has averaged just 26.52 runs per innings (compared to a 41.43 average) in ODIs, Bevan "just" 35.27 (53.58 average), and M. Hussey "just" 34.66 (48.15 average).

The average isn't affected by not outs and rightfully so.

 

[The Passenger]

Imran Tahir is a good cricketer.

He is a fine cricketer. No one can have a first class record that he has without being a good cricketer, albeit I would suggest the standard of some of the FC games he has played in has been rather poor. Nevertheless he has played some very high level first class cricket and done well, such as topping the wicket taking in the Super Sport series in 2010/11. Only good cricketers do that.

Unfortunately he just hasn't stepped up to test cricket. A little bit of being mental I would reckon, and he seems like he places a lot of pressure on himself. Also his control has been very poor, and from memory he doesn't have much variation which is asking for trouble at the top level of the game.

 

[Damon_3388]

The average isn't affected by not outs and rightfully so.

Lolwut?

 

[Scotland]

For ODIs I personally like Strike Rates and Not Outs a lot for stats.

Yep, SR is very important.

Huss started off in ODIs with a bunch of red dots, but was striking at 100+ and finishing off innings like a boss.

Like anything with cricket, stats need to be read with a dose of context.

 

[saint_larry]

Ferguson, along with longer-term guys like Bevan and M. Hussey, are why I'd like runs per innings to become a "common" stat like batting average. I know not getting out is obviously a good thing, but it does serve to overrate some guys if you just take their average at face value. It kind of takes the shine off a bit when you learn that Ferguson has averaged just 26.52 runs per innings (compared to a 41.43 average) in ODIs, Bevan "just" 35.27 (53.58 average), and M. Hussey "just" 34.66 (48.15 average).

Wouldn't a stat like that severely underrate players?

Batting average is what it is. If anything, maybe the percentage not out stat should be touched upon a bit more.

 

[Damon_3388]

Like anything with cricket, stats need to be read with a dose of context.

And "runs per innings" is adding some context to the stats.

 

[Ashton Agar]

Lolwut?

The players don't have their average dropped if they are not out and rightfully so. That's probably better wording.

Why punish the player for being not out?