Azhar Vs Zaheer Abbas

[Mamu]

Here are some statistics for Azhar Vs Zaheer Away Averages. I am not one of the guys who believes that Averages tell everything, but for people who have finished their careers they provide a deep insight. Why is that -- Zaheer is considered a GREAT batsman and not Azhar ? Zaheer Abbas COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN in Australia 15 1097 101 40.62 1 in England 9 841 274 56.06 2 in India 8 313 85 28.45 0 in New Zealand 7 236 135 19.66 1 in West Indies 3 131 80 21.83 0 OVERALL 42 2618 274 36.87 4 Mohammed Azharuddin COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN v Australia 8 305 106 27.72 1 v England 9 625 179 41.66 2 v New Zealand 6 521 192 74.42 2 v Pakistan 4 312 109 44.57 1 v South Africa 7 280 115 23.33 1 v Sri Lanka 9 567 126 43.61 2 v West Indies 8 176 61 19.55 0 v Zimbabwe 2 17 9 5.66 0 OVERALL 53 2803 192 36.40 9

[DomainK]

Here are some statistics for Azhar Vs Zaheer Away Averages. I am not one of the guys who believes that Averages tell everything, but for people who have finished their careers they provide a deep insight. Why is that -- Zaheer is considered a GREAT batsman and not Azhar ? Zaheer Abbas COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN in Australia 15 1097 101 40.62 1 in England 9 841 274 56.06 2 in India 8 313 85 28.45 0 in New Zealand 7 236 135 19.66 1 in West Indies 3 131 80 21.83 0 OVERALL 42 2618 274 36.87 4 Mohammed Azharuddin COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN v Australia 8 305 106 27.72 1 v England 9 625 179 41.66 2 v New Zealand 6 521 192 74.42 2 v Pakistan 4 312 109 44.57 1 v South Africa 7 280 115 23.33 1 v Sri Lanka 9 567 126 43.61 2 v West Indies 8 176 61 19.55 0 v Zimbabwe 2 17 9 5.66 0 OVERALL 53 2803 192 36.40 9

Who considers that? Azhar was a great batsman. But I think he did something towards the end of his career to spoil everything.

[Holysmoke]

Why is that -- Zaheer is considered a GREAT batsman and not Azhar ?

Azhar was a f'kin cheat.

[Lurker]

Here are some statistics for Azhar Vs Zaheer Away Averages. I am not one of the guys who believes that Averages tell everything, but for people who have finished their careers they provide a deep insight. Why is that -- Zaheer is considered a GREAT batsman and not Azhar ? Zaheer Abbas COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN in Australia 15 1097 101 40.62 1 in England 9 841 274 56.06 2 in India 8 313 85 28.45 0 in New Zealand 7 236 135 19.66 1 in West Indies 3 131 80 21.83 0 OVERALL 42 2618 274 36.87 4 Mohammed Azharuddin COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN v Australia 8 305 106 27.72 1 v England 9 625 179 41.66 2 v New Zealand 6 521 192 74.42 2 v Pakistan 4 312 109 44.57 1 v South Africa 7 280 115 23.33 1 v Sri Lanka 9 567 126 43.61 2 v West Indies 8 176 61 19.55 0 v Zimbabwe 2 17 9 5.66 0 OVERALL 53 2803 192 36.40 9

Stylish yes but great? Err no. Zaheer Abbas was a stylist but his performance in Test cricket against fast bowlers is not exactly fantastic(incidentally Azhar also suffered from this problem). His own peers have mentioned it in their books. Zaheer's aura was more to do with his penchant to score huge scores(both India and England suffered at Zaheer's hand) and he was very stylish to watch. Azhar was very similar too. In fact when Azhar had lost his magic touch it was Zaheer who made changes to his batting, specially the way Azhar held his bat, that helped him score more runs. Both good players of course, but Great? No. Of course by great I mean a batsman in top 25 list, possibly 50. Cant see Azhar or Abbas there.

[punjabi_khota]

Wow man, Azhar's away averages against Aus,WI,SA SUCK SUPER HARD.

[niceguy_789]

Here are some statistics for Azhar Vs Zaheer Away Averages. I am not one of the guys who believes that Averages tell everything, but for people who have finished their careers they provide a deep insight. Why is that -- Zaheer is considered a GREAT batsman and not Azhar ? Zaheer Abbas COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN in Australia 15 1097 101 40.62 1 in England 9 841 274 56.06 2 in India 8 313 85 28.45 0 in New Zealand 7 236 135 19.66 1 in West Indies 3 131 80 21.83 0 OVERALL 42 2618 274 36.87 4 Mohammed Azharuddin COUNTRY MATCHES RUNS HS AVG CEN v Australia 8 305 106 27.72 1 v England 9 625 179 41.66 2 v New Zealand 6 521 192 74.42 2 v Pakistan 4 312 109 44.57 1 v South Africa 7 280 115 23.33 1 v Sri Lanka 9 567 126 43.61 2 v West Indies 8 176 61 19.55 0 v Zimbabwe 2 17 9 5.66 0 OVERALL 53 2803 192 36.40 9

I don't know who is better but on Cricinfo, Zaheer Abbas's Test avg. is 44.79 and Azhar's average is 45.03, so they both seem to be good batsmen. Azhar was a very good batsman but he just got screwed up with the match fixing thing and that caused him to be unpopular as people started disliking him.

[The Outsider]

Azhar vs. Zaheer is not even a comparison IMO. Yes, Azhar's average abroad is not hot as has been pointed out above, but if there is a batsman you have to witness live to experience life beyond averages, it is Azhar. Don't go by his shoddy averages in certain countries - he, I, nor cricket pundits never claimed him to be a performer in the league of Tendulkar and Lara or even Hayden and Ponting. It was the sheer exuberance of stroke play that he would bring every time he came to the crease which distinguished him from the crowd. Yes, he sucks in Australia, South Africa, and WI if you look him through averages, but if you've followed his career you'll realize he has played some of his best innings there and abroad in NZ, Pakistan, and England. How many times in your cricketing life has a 100 odd overshadowed a 300+ and 100+ score from the opposition? That's the story of Lords' - everyone was on his feet appreciating that knock from Azhar. How many times in your cricketing life has 380 become an achievable target at Adelaide - the applause he got after that knock rivaled any I have seen in Australia. How many times have you seen a faster than run a ball century being struck in South Africa with no less a batsman than Tendulkar being dominated - it was a session and half which no one would forget! Yes, Azhar had his technical short comings - but when he got going he was better than Tendualkar and having watched them at their prime, in the same innings, against the same attack, on the same pitch I am willing to die on these words. Such players are never great batsmen, they leave behind great memories which are there for all to cherish for who look as Azhar, the almost great, as a batsman.

[Mr. Wicket]

No contest. Azzu. Read shwetabh's post. If you're still at a loss to understand, watch him thrashing South Africa's finest about on a FAST WICKET and even Tendulkar playing second fiddle (and not SRT of this decade, but the old SRT who could dominate an attack like few others). One of the coolest shots I've ever seen is from one of the Kolkata tests v. RSA with Klusener bowling to Azhar. Klusener bowled a perfect yorker, Azhar flicked his wrists with no footwork, then started to walk away from the crease without looking at the ball. Harsha Bhogle confirmed what some of us feared, saying "He's bowled him..." before the camera man suddenly located the ball... which was scorching turf on the way to the midwicket fence at amazing pace. Perfect yorker, dispatched with minimal effort and fuss and an amazing stroke so few could play. What made it even more impressive was the sheer nonchalance Azzu played it with - just getting rid of the ball with a wave of wrists and then walking away from the crease to worry about the next ball.

[Anakin]

Isn't that the match where Jumbo scored 80 odd? Azhar punished Klusener both home and away around that time

[Mr. Wicket]

Azzu made Klusener his personal b!tch a number of times. Amazing when you consider what a force Klusener (in his pomp) could be with the ball in India, mixing cutters and pace to lethal effect.

[The Outsider]

Isn't that the match where Jumbo scored 80 odd? Azhar punished Klusener both home and away around that time

Yeah that was the match. Here are a few cricketing memories I have of Azhar : 1. The lone warrior in the '92 WC after an ordinary test series in Australia. 2. The Auckland innings of 192 was written by God off his willow. 3. Reams and reams of press devoted to his 100 odd in the '90 Lords' Test - and believe me when an Englishman scores 450 runs in a test praise for the opposition is hard to come by. 4. The unforgettable Azhar-Tendulkar partnership at Cape Town. 5. Warne and Australia decoded and demolished at Calcutta '98. 6. His struggles on the '92 Aussie tour when he was in exceptional nick and kept getting out to an umpiring blunder or superb fielding till the last innings at Adelaide laid the platform for a modern classic. 7. The Calcutta demolition of Klusner in an Indian loss. 8. The amazing 220 run partnership with Jadeja when we were 80/4 chasing 310 in SL. 9. His 70 odd in the WC '87 SF with our backs against the wall. 10. The brilliant farewell to cricket with a sublime century against South Africa. PS : I have been picky here.

[The Outsider]

A special pick : With the Kargil war going on and some junk media in India even raising questions over Azhar's priorities before the India Pakistan match during his horrible '99 WC form, he chose to not throw it away and grit it out against Pakistan with a battling, un Azhar like 60 odd on a tough wicket.

[Mr. Wicket]

... and then just casually flicking Warne's flippers that skidded across the pitch towards off stump and then disappeared to square leg and mid wicket in a blur. Jesus that man could play spin!

[Mamu]

Talk about Azhar Vs Ambrose, Azhar vs Donald, Azhar Vs Bishop. Same was Zaheer. Come on -- he was a very stylish player -- but an average player at best against quality pace bowling. I rate even Viswanath even better than Azhar, even though Viswanath has an average of what just about 40 or even less

[Rajan]

Talk about Azhar Vs Ambrose, Azhar vs Donald, Azhar Vs Bishop. Same was Zaheer. Come on -- he was a very stylish player -- but an average player at best against quality pace bowling. I rate even Viswanath even better than Azhar, even though Viswanath has an average of what just about 40 or even less

i strongly object to the word-even vishwanath-Bro! Vishvanath, in my book is one of the top 3 indian batsmen ever in facing fast bowling! he had played superlative knocks against liquid windies pace of Andy Roberts & co as well as Sylvestor Clarke later.He was very stylish, wristy, had the best square cut in the world that time. Forget average. he scored 15 odd hundreds and india never lost a test when he made one of those.!

[Rajan]

A special pick : With the Kargil war going on and some junk media in India even raising questions over Azhar's priorities before the India Pakistan match during his horrible '99 WC form' date=' he chose to not throw it away and grit it out against Pakistan with a battling, un Azhar like 60 odd on a tough wicket.[/quote'] you missed out on the 180 odd against Devon Malcolm & co in Eden Gardens, against Gooch's team. Azhar was playing for his place and captaincy. was woefully out of form prior to the test. just decimated England in the post lunch session. outscored SRT in a thrilling partnership and ended up with 114 that day and scored 70 more next day morning 1st session. there were many shots to remember, 2 or 3 fours in a single over of the seamers. some fetched from way outside off stump to deep square leg/mid wicket fence. an unbeaten 60 where he dominated Mad Max Srikkanth who scored 54 against England in his debut series, after 3 successive hundreds( i still feel Gavaskar declared indian innings unnecessarily on the 5th day post lunch)!

[The Outsider]

^ He did seem to have a knack of producing something special when he was dropped or in danger of being dropped, didn't he? He also made a century against Pakistan when he would not have played the test if Raman Lamba did not get a last minute injury. Regarding the Gavaskar declaration there was a lot of noise that he did it out of jealousy to prevent Azhar from getting 4 centuries in his first 3 tests.

[bunny]

Never seen Zaheer Abbas play but am pretty sure he wasnt as talented as Azhar. (People in the 70s are way overrated).

[Mamu]

No contest. Azzu. Read shwetabh's post. If you're still at a loss to understand, watch him thrashing South Africa's finest about on a FAST WICKET and even Tendulkar playing second fiddle (and not SRT of this decade, but the old SRT who could dominate an attack like few others). One of the coolest shots I've ever seen is from one of the Kolkata tests v. RSA with Klusener bowling to Azhar. Klusener bowled a perfect yorker, Azhar flicked his wrists with no footwork, then started to walk away from the crease without looking at the ball. Harsha Bhogle confirmed what some of us feared, saying "He's bowled him..." before the camera man suddenly located the ball... which was scorching turf on the way to the midwicket fence at amazing pace. Perfect yorker, dispatched with minimal effort and fuss and an amazing stroke so few could play. What made it even more impressive was the sheer nonchalance Azzu played it with - just getting rid of the ball with a wave of wrists and then walking away from the crease to worry about the next ball.

He had his moments of great ness, no question about it. But he also had a lot of weaknesses. Like unable to do anything against Aus and WI. He was super weak -- outside off. And most of his moments of greatness came at HOME. To me that is all - right -- for you to be considered great -- you have to replicate it abroad. Another guy in similar mould would be Jayawardene. You look at his stats -- you would think he is a Super Bat, but one glance at his record abroad and home -- you will sulk.