Gary Sobers

[goose]

Clearly Sobers must be a great player. I haven't seen him play though. I always have a problem believing second-hand accounts of a sportsperson's prowess. I trust no-one. That's why in my personal ranking Tendulkar will always be ahead of the greats from decades gone by. Anyway, back to Sobers. Check this clip of his six sixes. Am I the only one who thinks those shots are not really becoming of a batsman some say is the 2nd best ever behind Bradman? Nevermind Tendulkar, Yuvraj has more elegance and timing in this little finger than what you see here. Really, Tendulkar couldn't be this agricultural if he tried. aWA7wYKcPGo

[vvvslaxman]

Tamim Sobers or Gary iqbal lol. Seriously Sobers career didn't take off like Sachin's. He had a modest start to his test career. He made most of his runs against India and Pakistan averaging 83 and 89 respectively against them.

[goose]

The guy is a left-handed Dhoni !

[goose]

And here's Yuvraj. The gulf in timing, balance, and style is f%king enormous. 8l4Hyv0Utrs

[Lurker]

Anyway' date=' back to Sobers. Check this clip of his six sixes. Am I the only one who thinks those shots are not really becoming of a batsman some say is the 2nd best ever behind Bradman? Nevermind Tendulkar, Yuvraj has more elegance and timing in this little finger than what you see here. [b']Really, Tendulkar couldn't be this agricultural if he tried.

Tendulkar does not have to be agriculture, his heavy bat and smaller boundary makes it easier to stamp class and timing over sheer force. If you watch footage of yesteryears, all the way to 80s even, most of the sixes required a bit of an effort. Clearing boundary was ...well clearing boundary. None of this - oh he slashed but slashed hard for a six, he hit it so hard it was a mishit but went for a six - nonsense. This is not taking anything away from Sachin whose timing has been impeccable but to show how cricket has changed. xx

[goose]

Ok let's leave Tendulkar out of it lest this thread go the way of countless others. I take your point but still struggle to accept a player of Sober's status would approach batting in such a fashion. What makes Tendulkar great (there i go again...) for me was the ability to dominate allied to purity in batsmanship. Tendulkar may have cleared the boundary less in Sober's time and perhaps even averaged less but i could never imagine him playing shots that ugly. He's not capable.

[coffee_rules]

^^Was about to say the same. Can't compare the technique with today's bats with those of yesteryears. ICC even changed the law to increase the bat sizes so that they look like tennis racquets these days. Yuvraj is using the pace of ball (bowler's a pace bowler), Sobers had to do it against spin bowler. The thread is :fail:

[Ram]

I think its a bit unfair to pass sweeping judgments on the timing/technique/class of Sobers based on a 2 minute video. Sure, Sobers did seem to swing a bit wildly, but if you see Steve Waugh's slog sweep off the spinners, even that looks very agricultural. Yet, he's otherwise relatively conventional in his technique. And Tendulkar would not play those shots not because he didnt want to, but he probably couldnt play them even if he tried. Remember, Sachin is a small guy, power isnt his forte. Yes, during his early years, the power element in his game was a lot more pronounced, but these days, its almost entirely replaced by timing/touch.

[Guest BossBhai]

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[goose]

Can't compare this can't compare that. Does that clip contain anything to suggest Sobers was a great batsman? If not show me one that does. Why is it blasphemy to acknowledge sportpersons generally improve over time? It's what humans do.

[Lurker]

Ok let's leave Tendulkar out of it lest this thread go the way of countless others. I take your point but still struggle to accept a player of Sober's status would approach batting in such a fashion. What makes Tendulkar great (there i go again...) for me was the ability to dominate allied to purity in batsmanship. Tendulkar may have cleared the boundary less in Sober's time and perhaps even averaged less but i could never imagine him playing shots that ugly. He's not capable.

Different players have different styles Goose. The big difference, to me, is that SRT uses his feet lot more. If you check Sobers strokes he hardly moves. You can call it agriculture, I call it WTF! When was the last time you saw a batsman clearing boundaries over cover with as much ease as he did over mid wicket, inside of the batting crease?? http://www.youtube.com/watch#!videos=4a6HZm-UK_o&v=4SzfWtTZOtA http://www.youtube.com/watch#!videos=4a6HZm-UK_o&v=4SzfWtTZOtA This clip is of his 254 in Australia against rampaging Dennis Lillee, an innings that Bradman the best ever on Aussie soil. See how he plays the fastest bowler on a fast track, all from the backfoot and still with ample time! Not to mention strokes of all kinds.

[goose]

Ok clearly i need to do some homework but that clip doesn't do him any favors. What was he known for then, batting wise?

[Guest BossBhai]

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[vvvslaxman]

Batting stance those days used to be erect and upright. Most of the videos i have seen from those days gave an idea how their stance was.

[goose]

Lurker thanks for the clip. It seems to me perceptions of greatness or ability for that matter are heavily rooted in watching a player do things his peers cannot. Clearly Sobers was a cut above. You can only ever be the best of your time. I think once a player is identified as being the greatest there is something in the human condition that makes us reluctant to revisit that assessment and change it and it afflicts the cricket community more than most.

[Lurker]

Lurker thanks for the clip. It seems to me perceptions of greatness or ability for that matter are heavily rooted in watching a player do things his peers cannot. Clearly Sobers was a cut above. You can only ever be the best of your time. I think once a player is identified as being the greatest there is something in the human condition that makes us reluctant to revisit that assessment and change it.

Absolutely. Greatness is always comparative. It does not exist in silo. The best in the business is simply put better than everyone else out there. Sobers greatness would lie in the fact that he was the most complete cricketer. Purely for fielding he would be one of the very best ever. Remember how Sunny Gavaskar in his first International trip (71 Windies) thought his series would be fruitful if he could witness two incidents:

• Falling hook shot by Rohan Kanhai
• Sharp slip catch by Sobers

The man was that good. As a batsman he was good enough to score heavily against all types of attacks. I beleive his average in India is still the best amongst overseas batsmen. His runs in England, both in Test and County, are splendid and he managed good run in Australia as well where he and Kanhai essentially helped bring back a lot of focus back in domestic cricket. So yeah a great cricketer and someone who could take on the fastest bowler on fastest track without a helmet and still score 250 plus.

[coffee_rules]

If you are taking about ugly batting, look at Border no further. He is the ugliest left hander I have seen, even worse than Sobers. That's what, looking at Yubraj, all his 'talunt' is a waste, if he can't move legs or figure out where the ball is heading or spinning or where his wicket is.

[Serani]

Sobers was the best batsman and fielder at the time and a world class bowler. Greatest all rounder ever.

[Gunner_Mania]

In that video clip that Lurker has provided, Bedi catches Lilee of Sober's bowling:confusedman: Was that some World XI v Australia?

[Guest BossBhai]

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