Historically, which nation has produced the best batsmen?

[Gambit]

Who do you think it is? Is it the Aussies who have produced a dazzling array of stalwarts such as: Victor Trumper, Don Bradman, Neil Harvey, Greg Chappell, Allan Border, Stephen Waugh and Ricky Ponting? Is it the Windies who have given the world some of the most amazing batsmen in cricketing history whose ranks include: George Headley, Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell, Clyde Walcott, Rohan Kanhai, Garry Sobers, Viv Richards and Brian Lara? Or is it India who can lay claim to have produced some amazing artists like: Vijay Hazare, Vijay Merchant, Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid? Thought of putting in England but they lost considering they haven't had a truly great batsman in a long time.(KP will get there though).

[Predator_05]

The West Indies. Too many names to mention.

[Lurker]

West Indies for me.

[coffee_rules]

Aussies for me.

[yoda]

50+ averages: Aus - 8, WI - 7, IND - 4 45-50 averages: Aus - 17, WI - 7, IND - 3

[Gambit]

The Windies for me too. It's amazing that such a tiny country(a handful of island nations) has produced so many batting geniuses. Have not produced anyone of note since BCL made his debut though.

[Guest BossBhai]

-- Removed on request of the user --

[Lurker]

50+ averages: Aus - 8, WI - 7, IND - 4 45-50 averages: Aus - 17, WI - 7, IND - 3

I wouldnt lend too much credence to stats Yoda. They have a time and place but more to add on to a point of view rather than become answer in themselves. The way I would look at is this. Which country can boast of putting most number of batsman in a top 20 or a top 10 list? If we put a 10 batsman list of all times, it is safe to say George Headley, Sobers, Lara and Richards walk in rather easily. For Australia I can see Bradman as walking in and Greg Chappell, Alan Border, Ponting, Steve Waugh all making the cut but they all(barring Ponting perhaps) being a shade under a Sobers, Lara. On an aside note I can see Sachin and Sunny making that top 10 list with Dravid in top 20, not sure if we can get anyone else in top 20 greatest bats of all times. xxx

[simba28]

four people have supported windies openly on the posts and yet only 3 votes for them.. i personally blieve its the aussies.. but bheembhai here is playing politics to get india top of the table

[The Outsider]

Australia, just Bradman counts as 2! :D

[yoda]

I wouldnt lend too much credence to stats Yoda. They have a time and place but more to add on to a point of view rather than become answer in themselves. The way I would look at is this. Which country can boast of putting most number of batsman in a top 20 or a top 10 list? If we put a 10 batsman list of all times, it is safe to say George Headley, Sobers, Lara and Richards walk in rather easily. For Australia I can see Bradman as walking in and Greg Chappell, Alan Border, Ponting, Steve Waugh all making the cut but they all(barring Ponting perhaps) being a shade under a Sobers, Lara. On an aside note I can see Sachin and Sunny making that top 10 list with Dravid in top 20, not sure if we can get anyone else in top 20 greatest bats of all times. xxx

i know. i was just curious. most of those 45s numbers were from the era where averages were higher. (note to bheem who is getting excited: we are talking 40s, 50s and 60s here, not 99s :haha:) windies have produced some top names, but i believe the aussies have the number.

[simba28]

nobody has mentioned india as the best and still they are leading.. biased voting i tell u

[fineleg]

This maybe "perception" based, but I vote West Indies.

[Anakin]

Hindustan :two_thumbs_up:

[fineleg]

Which batsman is the best that Hindustan has ever produced? Gangulician (Ganguly + politician who lied to VVS) :P

[MundaPakistani]

Not a fair comparison considering that IND only started playing in 1932.

[The Outsider]

Not a fair comparison considering that IND only started playing in 1932.

True, but they have played 400+ tests. IMO, India has produced 3 great batsmen (in alphabetical order, lest it starts a side debate) : Dravid Gavaskar Tendulkar 7 players who were great at their peaks and world class over all : Amarnath Azharuddin Hazare Laxman Sehwag Vengsarkar Viswanath and another 7 who were world class : Dev Ganguly Manjrekar, V Sardesai Shastri Siddhu Umrigar

[varun]

True, but they have played 400+ tests. IMO, India has produced 3 great batsmen (in alphabetical order, lest it starts a side debate) : Dravid Gavaskar Tendulkar

Good save there :cantstop:

[Anakin]

Which batsman is the best that Hindustan has ever produced? Gangulician (Ganguly + politician who lied to VVS) :P

Go do whatever you like to yourself :finger:

[Mr. Wicket]

Thought of putting in England but they lost considering they haven't had a truly great batsman in a long time.(KP will get there though).

KP's still a long way off, but really, besides him, Pollock, Kallis and Barry Richards, South Africa haven't produced all that man. I'd go for Australia marginally ahead of India - although I'd say New South Wales and Bombay have been the two centres that have contributed the most to batsmanship (Bradman, Trumper, Waughs, Jackson, Gilchrist, McCabe, Bob Simpson in one, Tendulkar, Gavaskar, Manjrekar, Hazare, Vengsarkar, Engineer, etc from the other). Most countries fall a fair way behind. BTW... in Steve Waugh, Adam Gilchrist (NSW born, NSW bred, WA stolen) and potentially Mark Waugh, NSW have produced more high calibre batsmen in the last 15 years than England (or for that matter, most countries with the exception of India) have in the last 30.