Is Lara Overhyped?

[Asoka]

Not to offend Lara fans,but don't you think people go overboard when people compare him to Sachin. 1.Many are of the view that Lara has more flair and artistry to which I strongly disagree.Sachin for me is the most captivating batsman to watch.His balance,head position,economy of movement,precision and anticapation are incomparable.His technique is textbook.Lara on the other hand had a high backlift,a nice finish,nimble footwork,etc but he was like a jumping bean,which I found irritating.Anyway,beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. 2.Sachin is more consistent than Lara.Lara had his averages inflated due to a few high not out scores.On the other hand Sachin rarely scores high 100s but he does them more frequently. 3.Some are of the view that Sachin had an advantage playing with other stalwarts like RD,SG,VS,VVS,etc while Lara was always a one man show for the Windies.This argument doesn't work because in the 90s Sachin was a lone warrior in a weak team.RD,VVS,VS etc developed only post 2001.What about 89-2k.Sachin only had a couple of match fixers for company in the middle.Again Lara had excellent support in the form of Hooper,Sarwan,Chanderpaul,etc throughout his career. 4.Some people believe that Lara played more matchwinning knocks than Sachin.This is a big lie.Why do people think that only runs scored in the 3rd/4th innings are matchwinning.Sachin has scored many runs in the 1st/2nd innings which has set up the match in India's favour.The win % of India when Sachin scores a 100 is higher than that of Lara.Moreover Sachin is very unlucky and has been let down a lot of times by his teammates.Remember 99 Chepauk,it deserved to be a matchwinning knock but what can Sachin do if 4 batsman cant score 13 runs. 5.Some of his harshest critics call Sachin selfish.:hysterical::hysterical: What is the evidence to support this claim.Sachin is a pucca teamman.He never cares for records.Dravid once said that whenever India loses,it is Sachin who is most disappointed in the dressing room.And who can forget Lara's 400 when he sacrificed the team's causes for his own selfish reasons. 6.Yet there are another class of idiots headed by Ian Chappel who once said that Lara is greater because he never changed his batting style whereas Sachin had changed his batting style a lot.:hysterical::hysterical:What difference does it make as long as he is scoring runs.If tmrw Federer starts playing a more serve and volley game and beats some XYZ should he be slammed. 7.Sachin is mentally tougher.When he was down in the dumps in 2006 and rumors of Endulkar started circulating,he did not lose hope.He worked harder and came back stronger than ever.On the other hand Lara always fought with the board whenever things didn't go his way.Sachin's longevity also bears testimony to this fact. 8.There is another myth that Lara is naturally gifted whereas Sachin is a hard worker.What difference does it make if the end(scoring runs,winning matches) is justified in both cases.BTW if Sachin isn't that naturally talented can someone explain how he smacked Qadir for 28 runs at the age of 16 and how he toyed with Merv Hughes and co in a Perth greentop at the age of 18. 9.Lara home average and away averages (Tests): 58.65 and 47.80 SRT home average and away averages (Tests): 56.93 and 56.90 10.In ODI's Sachin is light years ahead of Lara Sachin-442 matches,17598 runs,avg=45.12,SR=86.26,46 100's,93 50's Lara-299 matches,10405 runs,avg=40.48,SR=79.5,19 100's,63 50's Lara himself has said many many times that Sachin is better than him.This attempt is just to enlighten some of his delusional fans.Lara is great,Sachin is just greater.:--D:--D:--D

[Chalks]

:facepalm:

[saneindian]

Another failed attempt to run down a legend. Shame.

[girishk14]

I completely agree. Lara is overhype - he falls way behind the other ODI greats of his era, i.e Sachin, Ponting, Sanath and Kallis

[Asoka]

Another failed attempt to run down a legend. Shame.

Mate,this isn't any attempt to run down anybody.Lara is a legend but it is quite irritating when people call him greater than Sachin.Simply stating facts.

[vamos_rafa]

This is becoming a problem with ICF now. Every new entrant, who has some kind of a comparison in his mind would make a new thread and the same redundant posts would start.

[DomainK]

Mate' date='this isn't any attempt to run down anybody.Lara is a legend but it is quite irritating when people call him greater than Sachin.Simply stating facts.[/quote'] But what are you doing? Disrespecting a legend because some online posters irritate you?

[saneindian]

Mate' date='this isn't any attempt to run down anybody.Lara is a legend but it is quite irritating when people call him greater than Sachin.Simply stating facts.[/quote'] Yeah, a post full of smileys with a title "Is Lara Overhyped" is perhaps your way of honouring a legend.

[Rajiv]

This is becoming a problem with ICF now. Every new entrant' date=' who has some kind of a comparison in his mind would make a new thread and the same redundant posts would start.[/quote'] Do we just auto delete even b4 the player performs on the stage? similar to those who blame sachin the player for all that was created by the media Atleast lets check it out - maybe there is the 400 and 375 factor who knows? IMO, forget Sachin, Sehwag beats Lara itself

[Robelinda]

I saw a thread awhile ago on the internet saying Viv Richards was overhyped. A lot of stats were posted to back up the 'argument'. As with Lara, no stat can sum him up truly. The OP in that Viv thread hadnt actually seen ANY of Viv's innings, I dont know why anyone would argue against any player if they havent seen them play, i'm sure its done but i dont believe in it. I'd rather waste hours of day watching guys like Lara and Viv and Sachin than arguing for/against their greatness among people with who I have very little chance of changing their lifelong opinions they so strongly cling to. More enjoying amazing cricketers - less aruging boring stats for no real purpose.

[DomainK]

I saw a thread awhile ago on the internet saying Viv Richards was overhyped. A lot of stats were posted to back up the 'argument'. As with Lara' date=' no stat can sum him up truly. The OP in that Viv thread hadnt actually seen ANY of Viv's innings, [b']I dont know why anyone would argue against any player if they havent seen them play, i'm sure its done but i dont believe in it. I'd rather waste hours of day watching guys like Lara and Viv and Sachin than arguing for/against their greatness among people with who I have very little chance of changing their lifelong opinions they so strongly cling to. More enjoying amazing cricketers - less aruging boring stats for no real purpose.

Unfortunately, Robelinda, cricinfo statsguru has produced a new breed of keyboard warriors who believe that they can always dive into the stats and find some shortcomings in great batsmen's careers and become famous on forums.

[satishg]

Lara is a genius! There is a touch of madness about his batting and that's what geniuses are known far, well if you cant appreciate that fact please dont disrespect him by starting these kind of threads.

[spectre]

First it was Bradman, Now Lara bring it on i say The comedy brigade will now come to this thread in full flow, put up a 10 pointer on why lara is not the best as he is projected to be and discuss that endlessly Not to mention, they search the youtube engine tirelessly and come with the worst videos of that player to support their argument.

[Robelinda]

I just love watching great players play. Its simple. I remember ONCE I didnt keep watching the tv when Lara came in to bat, BIG MISTAKE! It was that day he got that amazing 213 vs Australia in 1999. I never made that near fatal mistake again. If Sachin/Lara/Ponting/Sehwag/Laxman are batting I aint going nowhere!

[f.b.m]

I saw a thread awhile ago on the internet saying Viv Richards was overhyped. A lot of stats were posted to back up the 'argument'. As with Lara, no stat can sum him up truly. The OP in that Viv thread hadnt actually seen ANY of Viv's innings, I dont know why anyone would argue against any player if they havent seen them play, i'm sure its done but i dont believe in it. I'd rather waste hours of day watching guys like Lara and Viv and Sachin than arguing for/against their greatness among people with who I have very little chance of changing their lifelong opinions they so strongly cling to. More enjoying amazing cricketers - less aruging boring stats for no real purpose.

Well said. I really dont see the point of these silly comparisons about their pencil case being better than someone else's when bleeding the enjoyment out of sports, stat by stat.

[Sachin=GOD]

I think Lara is pure genius and one of the greatest natural talents to have come into cricket since the 1990s and if he had been more consistent then he would've given Goddy a run for his money in terms of all the records (at least in test cricket).

[Gunner_Mania]

:facepalm:

[Jimmy Cliff]

Is Lara overhyped? Not at all. If anything he is ridiculously under-rated in ODIs. The guy was an ODI God when he batted at the top of the order.

[achilles]

Pulling someone down to show the superiority of another is itself a failed attempt. This may be an attempt to "even-up" but ignorance works wonders.

[Zelig]

Yes, Lara is over-hyped :agree: Don Sharma :vroam: