Jump to content

Today 75th birthday of Majid Khan-an all-time great or amongst most talented batsmen ever?

Harsh Thakor

By Harsh Thakor
in Cricket Talk

How great was Majid Khan as a batsman ?  

7 members have voted

  1. 1. How great was Majid Khan as a batsman?

    • An all-time great
      4
    • Very good ,but not great
      1
    • Top 12 most talented of all
      1
    • Top 12 batsmen ever against genuine pace
      1
    • Top 10 batsmen of the 1970's
      2
    • Top 6 batsmen of the late 1970's
      2
    • Top 5 talented of Asian batsmen ?
      1
    • Top 5 graceful batsmen of Asia
      1
    • Top 12 batsmen ever on bad wickets?
      1
    • Great,but not all-time great
      1

Recommended Posts

Harsh Thakor Enthusiast

Harsh Thakor

Posted
Posted (edited)

Today Majid Khan turns75.I wish a book was written about this legend.

There could be few more majestic sights than witnessing Majid in full flow.His batting blended the agression of a tiger with the grace of a poet .On a bad wicket he was arguably the best batsman in the world,resembling a surgeon curing patient considered incurable.Majid took batting artistry ,wizardry or domination to depths rarely traversed ,,resembling a magician at his best.After Viv Richards,Noone was a better exponent of the hook shot.Majid's driving was also classical,treating even good balls with contempt.The sheer beauty in his batting was like a lotus in full bloom.Few cricketers gave more justice to batting aesthetics.Majid looked like performing a combing operation with surgical precision ,but still retaining the grace of a priest bowing before a pulpit.Rarely has batsmen excited more dazzling or scintillating strokes than Majid at his best.Memories are embedded in my mind like an inextinguishable fame of Majid's scintillating strokes against top pace.Few sights could have been more majestic than Majid taking on the likes of Lille and Thomson,taking combative spirit to regions of the sublime.Equivalent of David taking on the Goliath.

Majid's 167 at Georgetown against the great Caribbean pace battery,ranks amongst the best ever innings against genuine pace ,or to avert a defeat.He simply resurrected Pakistan from the grave in a classic partnership with Zaheer Abbas,for the 3rd wicket.In it's own right his 98 at the Oval in 1974 and 158 at Melbourne in 1972-73 were classics ,or even his 88 ball century n the 1974 Prudential Trophy.In 1st class cricket his 156 versus Glamorgan in 1969 ,compared with the best innings of all time on bad wickets,in the Victor Trumper class..Even his century before lunch against New Zeland in 1976 was treat to watch.

I recommend every reader to refer to Tony Lewis's description of Majid Khan's 156 at Wourcester.It gives vibrations of an epic.

 

 

Majid was part of the nucleus that transformed Pakistan into one of the strongest sides in the world from 1976-79.In West Indies in 1977 his 530 runs took Pakistan within touching distance of a drawn rubber, Dubious umpiring robbed Pakistan of victory in the 1st test at Barbados where Majid made a substantial contribution. His 92 at Trinidad in the 4th test,played a crucial role in Pakistan's triumph.I rank that amongst the best ever batting performances in a test series against fiery pace .Above all he scored when it mattered most,to avert defeat and win games.In my view it was arguably the best batting by an opening batsman against the great Caribbean pace battery ,in West Indies.

What may have gone against Majid was his lack of footwork,which he earlier compensated with his razor sharp reflexes.


Statistics hardly did him justice averaging around 39,but in his peak Majid was in the very top bracket.Sadly he retired on a sour note against India in 1982-83,completely losing his touch.After a loss in form,he revived hi sold touch in 1980 when scoring 110 not out and 89 in a home series against Australia and scoring 74 at Melbourne in 1981-82.

Facing pure pace I rank Majid,with Inzamam Ul Haq and Gundappa Vishwanath as the best amongst Asian batsmen.On bad wickets with Vishwanath or Rahul Dravid,the best Asian batsman.In term sof pure talent I would rate Majid just a whisker ahead of Inzamam Ul Haq and Javed Miandad.Overall for pure talent or genius I would  class Majid amongst the top dozen batsman of all time.Zaheer Abbas may have been more elegant or technically correct but in a crisis Majid outscored him.Arguably in the 1970's it was Majid who challenged the likes of Viv or Barry Richards,the Chappell brothers and Gavaskar for the title of the best batsman .I simply cannot seperate Majid from Gundappa Vishwanath.Against pure pace n the 1970's I only rank Viv Richards or Ian Chappell ahead.I would have chosen Majid to open the innings for a test world XI in the late 1970's.,preferring him to Boycott or Greenidge.Significant that as an opening batsman Majid averaged 42.3 ,with 5 centuries ,7 fifties and 1,973 runs.


Where would Majid ranks amongst the greats?To me maybe just a notch below the likes of David Gower, Martin Crowe,Ted Dexter,Kevin Pieterson etc.and on par with Gundappa Vishwanath,Mark Waugh or Aravinda De Silva.

Majid may miss out in pace amongst the 100 best cricketers of all,because of inconsistency in patches. Arguably Kerry Packer cricket and dissension within Pakistan cricket politics,curtailed his career.Inconsistency may have cost Majid a place amongst the all-time great batsmen.I feel he failed to do complete justice to his talent.

 

In ODI cricket.I would have backed Majid to be an all-time great.In ODI cricket.I would have backed Majid to be an all-time great..It is worth pointing out that his strike rate was a most commendable 71.42 and average a very impressive 37.41.in the shorter version of the game.

 

 

In test cricket had he played in the modern era ,he may have joined the very top.

I praise his efforts to ressurect Pakistani cricket as a manager in 1994 in New Zealand,getting the bests out the pace duo of Wasim-Waqar.

Umpire Dicky Bird classes Majid in the highest bracket and so did Bishen Bedi.Sadly he was hardly praised enough by the likes of Dennis Lillee or Gary Sobers.

 

 

Majid Khan: The El Magnifico

Edited by Harsh Thakor
Harsh Thakor Enthusiast

Harsh Thakor

Posted
  • Author
Posted
10 minutes ago, ShoonyaSifar said:

Majid Khan the great! With a Test batting average of 39 and FC average of 43 :phehe:

 

Hopefully 40 years from now, someone opens a thread somewhere hailing Ajinkya Rahane as the bestest talent ever! :aha:

 

On youtube see his demolition of bowlers like Andy Roberts and Dennis Lillee.Staggering run sin West Indies facing top pace in 1977 Classic innings on bad wickets.

Jay Grand Master

Jay

Posted
Posted

One of the finest players of all time. He left an indelible imprint on our hearts. Tribute to the legend. Best batsman vs pace bowlers. 

Sean Bradley Veteran

Sean Bradley

Posted
Posted

OP has a crush on Majid Khan, that's the only thing which could explain his overtly obsession towards Majid Bhai. Even Indians like Joginder Sharma for his heroics in WT20 2007 Final, but that doesn't mean we litter Joginder Sharma Threads on every nuke and corner of the Internet. 

Jay Grand Master

Jay

Posted
Posted
52 minutes ago, Harsh Thakor said:

 

Him and vishwanath on par vs pace. Nobody else fared better vs pace. 

 

Modern days probably Smith and abd. 

rkt.india Grand Master

rkt.india

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, Jay said:

Him and vishwanath on par vs pace. Nobody else fared better vs pace. 

 

Modern days probably Smith and abd. 

If that was the case, they would have averaged 50-60s because overseas you mostly get to face pace 

Edited by rkt.india

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...