Pietersen,an all time great:Michael Atherton

[ucilite]

Test is where men are separated from the boys!!

ONLY IF you are talking about the early 1900s. At this age, performance in tests alone won't get you too far. Yes, performance in 20/20 counts for nothing!

[satishg]

KP is a very good player..thats about it..and he can become a great over the course of time..but the English press have gone crazy to call him a great rite now and to put him in the same ranks of SRT or Lara is jus ignorance on the english part..they just want to make him a superstar wen he is climbing up the ladder slowly..we all know wat happened to Vinod Kambli wen the hype got to him..hope the english press arent doing the same thing to KP..

[DomainK]

Typical of the English, isn't it? KP has still a long way before he can be counted as a great. He certainly has shown the promise, but he is yet to get there. Talking about Steve Waugh, I havent seen a more hard working cricketer. Not a lot of natural talent, but sheer hard work and passion. He was a fighter and excelled in difficult times.

[punjabi_khota]

Well, here are the future top test batsman list from me, for next 5 years.All under 30 I think. Sehwag,Sanga,Peiterson,Smith,Clarke. Peiterson scores heavily when really required of him and that is a amazing quality. Sehwag is the most destructive on his day, but unreliable. Sanga is the most balanced of them all and plays beautifully. Clarke has leant the ropes and will become better. Smith is already mature but will need to prove his mettle against Ausssies. If I have to rank, I will put Sanga>Peiterson>Sehwag>Clarke>Smith.

[King]

When Michael Vaughan was doing fairly well they had classified him as an all time great but only to find out he's not as consistent as they thought him to be. Similarly KP has only played 3 seasons of cricket, let him play for a decade and show some consistency then we can accept him as a great. "Great" is over used these days. What next Ian Bell is an "All time great" too just because he has batted well for a year? These are the very English past players that had termed even the likes of Treschothick as an all time great :hysterical:

[Gambit]

As I said elsewhere, KP and Veeru are the best under 30 bats in the world and I don't see any reason(apart from career threating injury or complete breakdown in technique) why KP can't go on and become an ATG. Of course, he needs to rectify his rather shoddy record in India and SL. Then again, the English media will still brand him an ATG if he does well in OZ and Eng but continues to struggle in subcon. After all, DL is an undisputed all time great isn't he?

[goose]

the moment you find yourself saying so and so needs to carry on performing for a few more years is the moment to stop calling that player great.

[observer1]

Some of KP's shots do remind people of Viv Richards in his pomp - hitting balls pitched on off towards midwicket, the bashes through extra-cover. But, he is flawed in that he doesnt know when to stop. Today's innings was characterstic.