Great wicket-keeping all-rounders: Final part

Colin N, Yes, now I rate Matt Prior high in the list of wicket-keeper batsmen, especially after his heroics in the current Lord's Test. In 44 Tests todate, he has scored 2452 runs at 45.41 with 6 centuries (3 at Lord's) and taken 130 catches plus made 5 stumpings. He may add to his catch-stump stats today. Wish I had included him in my series. Scores of 71 and a heroic 103 not out and two catches so far makes him a good candidate as Man of the current Test, along with Pietersen and Broad. Prior has impressed Ian Botham and many others including me.

Kersi, slightly late but where would you rate Matt Prior in all of this? When he first came into the side, he was a highly talented batsman who was an average wicketkeeper. Early on in his career, his batting form was mixed, with his high scores coming in games where England had already amassed a sizable total. However, his average was in the early 40s but his place was still under threat. I was personally never convinced but he has strived to improve his glovework and he is now a very competent keeper. He has also managed to score runs when the rest of the team has failed, a skill he never had in his early test career. Just today, England were struggling at 72-5 when Prior came to the crease but he hit a supreme century which put England firmly in control and put his average above 44, with only three two keeper-batsmen ahead of him in that stat. Therefore, do you think in time, providing he carries on his fine current form, Prior could be put alongside those names, or perhaps even near the top of that list?

Johnno Guys like you crack me up - I bet you are a park player on the hard wickets. Gilchrist overrated at test level? I could reply top all of your points but in reference to India 2001 - at least half of those dismissals were LBW and he hit them all!!!!

You have to find out who Charlie Austin is. He was a journalist for CI, then became the Manager of Kumar, Mahela , Malinga and Mattews. So what ever he says about these players have no value. That does not mean. Kumar is not a good players average over 50 in Test and similar in One day, He is one of the best in business, much better keep than Dhoni. I would say better Batter too.

Ian, I suspect you're being a bit harsh on Mallett. I don't know your definition of "top class" but I reckon he was at least "just below". His 28 Test wickets in India during the 1969/70 tour is a return most spinners, before and since, could only dream about. On the subsequent South African leg of that tour he took six wickets in the first Test, including a "five for", and was promptly dropped for his troubles. Presumably Lawry thought the SA pitches only favoured the quicks. 132 Test wickets at just under 30 each is a fair return and positively genius compared to what's on offer today. He may not have been Jim Laker but he's about ten classes above anybody we have available at present. Come to think of it, you may be being a bit harsh on Marsh, too!

Kersi, be fair to Gilly. You can't say "When you think of ‘Gilly’ you think of quicksilver innings. But he has proved himself a match-winner as a ’keeper too with 416 dismissals (379 caught, 37 stumped) in 96 Tests and 472 dismissals (417 catches and 55 stumpings) in 287 ODIs. Only Mark Boucher (see below) has made more dismissals in Test history. But Gilchrist’s 472 dismissals in 287 ODIs is a record." and "According to experts, ‘Gilly’ lacks Marsh’s acrobatics and Healy’s finesse." While Im being narky, as well as being not a good enough batsman to be an all-rounder, Rodney Marsh never kept to a top-class slow bowler (and, Im sorry, Ashley Mallett wasnt top class).

Yes thankyou very much Kersi, they are good statistics on bRENDAN Mcullum, and I am happy he has been acknolwged as a top class wicket keeper batsman.

Johnno, thanks for your detailed comments. Miandad is irrelevant to this topic. But as promised I will write a few paragraphs on BRENDON McCULLUM. Whenever I think of him I visualise his six-studded and effervescent 158 not out in the inaugural IPL match in India in 2007. In a T20 international for NZ v. Australia's he belted speed guns Shaun Tait (155kph) and Dirk Nannes to become the second man after Chris Gayle to score a century in a T20 international at Christchurch in 2009-10. But he has batted well at Test level too, perhaps his best Test innings was 115 v. India at Napier in 2009. In 57 Tests he has scored 3389 runs at 37.24 with 6 centuries (highest 225) usually at no.7 and taken 167 catches and made 11 stumpings. In ODIs and T20s he opens and bats with brutal, blinding strokeplay. In 192 ODIs he has made 4037 runs at 28.83 and a strike-rate of 89 with 3 hundreds (HS 166), taken 214 catches and made 14 stumpings. He has made most dismissals for NZ in ODIs and is close to eclipse Adam Parore's 201 dismissals in Tests. But like Sangakkara he may give up wicket-keeping to concentrate on his batting at Test level as he has already done so in ODIs. In my opinion, Brendon McCullum is a very good keeper-bat but not great.

I everyone reading this article dug some facts form an internet blog on cricket and some more clutch statistics of proving JAVED Miandad was a big match player, who made clutch runs at clutch times when the pressure is truly on and it matches that are meaningful Miandad had this rare ability to occupy the crease for long periods and bat well under pressure. Think of all the runs he scored in important matches - back to back hundreds in the Caribbean against Malcom Marshall and co, all west indies fast bowlers in there prime. in 1988, a hundred in Australasia cup final 1986, fifties in WC 92 Final at MCG VS ENG,him and Imran Khan and Semi Final a, 70 v Australia in 1987 WC SF in Pakistan, + 6 test double hundreds, the most among his contemporaries and the most by a Pakistani so far. Add to that the fact that his test average never dropped below 50 throughout his career. Thats right never below 50 and this is in a generation before ODI became really fast scoring, T20 not around , faced some world class west indies attacks, having to be a dominant batsman like Lara with not as good a side as the likes of Gilcrghist and Hayden did who i also think is a tad overrated, he has never decimated or truly impressed against top class fast bowling attacks , had a terrible ASHES IN 2005, century in last test but australia was already in a losing position when he made it. This is why i also hold martin crow so highly he had less talent around in the batting line up although he did have hadlee, but certainly had no warne like hayed and gilchrist. And Miandad made all his runs in the times when pitches and curator technology was not as good as today. making runs on some of those tough carribean pitches like alan border had to against ferocious attacks were awfully tough. And when presented with difficult seam conditions in england in 2005 both of these players failed the acid high pressure test of Flintoff, JONES, AND Harmison. And the 100 Hayden made in 1996 vs west indies at Adelaide was one of worst hundred ever he almost got dropped for 5 th test in Perth and curtly Ambrose did not play in the Adelaide test, and Curtley soughed him out th ematch before at the Boxing day MCG test when he ripped throughout he aussies. So yes Miandad and Martin crow i think were better batsman than Hayden and Gilchrist. Crowe made a pressure cooker 100 EDEN PARK SEMI FINAL WC 1992 VS Wasim Akram and mushtaq Ahmed and was carrying hamstring injury mid way through innings The fact of the matter is in my opionion among the best batsmen of his era (Richards, Gavaskar, Greg Chappell, Greenidge, Haynes, Lloyd, Gower, Gooch, Martin Crowe, Boycott and Border) Miandad was second only to Viv Richards who many regard as the greatest batsman of this era.

ANd i will add javed Miandad to the list of batsman who i believe was better than Adam Gilchrist he is one of the greats, and after Viv richards i think he was 2nd best batsmen of his generation, and one of best ever, he and dean Jones were amazing in ODI, minded could find the sdignles at will like michela began, and was a run machine like Jacue Kallis is today who i also thinks better than gilchrist. I am not form Viv or Miandads generation i am 31 but i saw highlights of both those batsman and wish i saw them both in there prime.

Thank you Kersi would be good it is only a sports blog but if you have time cool. And also everyone on here if you have access to you tube, and can see some of the piles of cricket highlights on there it can be a jungle of stuff hard to find the clips you want half the time check out brendon Mcullum and some of the most amazing 6ixes he hit of shaun tiat in some T/20matches in NZ a few years ago. i have only seen Keven pieterosn do those type eof shots. He hit Mcullum over the wicket keepers head for 6 twice, you thought it was like a golfer who does those trick shots shows, was awesome seeing a man do that to a man bolwoing at 150km/h must have a good eye, and some of his other highlight clips mcullum has really belted some attacks around the world he hits the ball as hard and as far as anyone out there, gayle, Pollard(pollard is the hardest and longest hitter i have seen), afraid, and Gilchrist. Mcullum may or may no be a better T20 and ODI batsman than he is test i have not seen enough of his test stats but some of the highlights were impressive in tests to, but he is sure a quality player in the shorter version of the game, and also remember he like a lot of players eg Brian lara has had to carry the burden of less quality player sin there generation where as Gilchrist , Dujon, Dhoni have had class teams. I'll say this for what it is worth, i think Gilchrist and Dhoni are a litte overrated at test level and ODI level and i will say why. Gilchrist played big innings with JL in 1999/00 vs pakistan at hobart , huge 1. Faced akram, Younis( both past there best but still they bowled well in that game) Akhtar who was in his prime, and saqlian in his prime was great knock. but he for me hasn't played enough big innings and has been found out in the truly big test series when australia needed him most. Evidence to back this up: Gilchrist 2001 series VS INDIA IN INDIA Harbajan owned him left right and centre. His average was pathetic in that series like under 15 maybe it was under 10 And after that gilchrist at test level has never from what i can recall ever dominated or held his against top class spiiners in a major series, from my knowledge. And as ODI he opens so has momentum if he is in when facing spin, rather than coming in down the order like began and facing a fired up spinner with is tail up , like say micheal Bevan, or steve waugh has had to do. ANother example big series and did not step up when he was desperately needed to and facing truly world class bowling , like the india 2001 series, was ASHES SERUES 2005 IN ENGLAND. ASHES 2005 in ENGLAND FLINTOFF, JONES, HARMSION all owned him, with deadly fast reverse swing gilghrist like many left hander hate reverse swing at pace jaggin into the body, i have seen darren gouge and Akhtar get him out a lot. Australia needed him desperately down the middle order and in my opinion he failed mentally and technically under extreme pressure just like the inida 2001 series. Where as the great Shane Warne like steve waugh in my opinion, is one of the best if not NO 1 clutch or closer or players under extreme pressure a real match winner, took 40 wickets, but boy did he keep the lower order together remaking vital runs against extremely good fast and reverse swing bolwing, but Adam Gilchrist failed in that challenge , due i think to mental or technical weaknesses. World cup 1999 Gilchrist had a bad series and got found out by ALAN DONALD, KLUSENER. And against Pakistan in vital pool game Wasim Akram soughted him out, and so did Aktar and Saqlain. IN the final australIA were chasing modest total so match was over. And in world cup 2007 he played an amazing innings and did not break the laws of cricket but won has to wonder how much that squash ball incident helped Gilchrist. He was of glowing praise after how he could mathematically angle his cricket bat better. So there you go of some my examples of gilchrist being overrated. DHONI Never played a real big test innings when needed. EG Sydney 2007 needed to bat defensively and hold it together didn't last or carry the team through. ANd had lousy series and didn't do much ins eries before ein austrlaia and has never played a big test innings yet like Michela clarke hasn't in my opinion, i think M clarke is a chocker not a clutch player or he haunts convinced me yet eg world cup 2011 , ashes, 2010/11. But Dhoni did bat quite well at times in cricket world cup in 2011, and Gilchrist 1 big knock in 1999 v pakistan at hobart, but my point about gilchrist and Dhoni is they are both overrated , and Gilchrist despite being flashier than some of the names i am about to mention, and having an amazing strike rate in my mind can not be considered as great a batsman as the likes of Mark and Steve waugh, Ricky Ponting, ALAN Border, Greg Chappell, Viv Richards, Brian Lara, VVS LAXMAN Kevin Peterson, Alastair Cook, Strauss as he has not made enough of clutch runs in big matches when it really counts in the truly big series or events.

Sangakkara is certainly the Man of the Hour. Reports CricInfo today, "He made an extraordinary, scathing attack on the 'partisan cronies' at Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) who have blighted the sport in his country and who led him to resign the captaincy after only two years in charge, following the World Cup final in April. Sangakkara was delivering the MCC Spirit of Cricket Lecture at Lord's on Monday." He received standing ovation after his speech.

Johnno, I'll do some research on McCullum tomorrow and post my comment.

ANd what about brendon Mcullum still no respect for him.

I thought the other possibility was that I'd mis-read what you'd said! I looked quickly at his tests played, and made the assumption that if he kept in the first test of a series he continued to keep (and that if he didn't, he continued not to). On that basis, he hasn't kept since the 2006 England series as assumed above. However he also didn't keep in another 7 series, 14 tests for 22 completed innings and 1417 runs. That makes the figures for the series in which he's NOT kept as 52 tests, 75 completed innings, 5324 runs, average 71. When he has kept, it is 45 tests, 87 completed innings, 3104 runs, average 35.7 (so almost exactly half the "non-keeping" average). Those figures still probably aren't exactly right - but since on average he only plays 2.5 tests per series, looking at one game per series to decide whether or not he kept gives a fair indication.

But surely a wide (as opposed to a ball bowled wide but not called wide - which may have a legitimate attempt to get him out chasing a wide ball in any case) would not have counted towards the number of balls he faced?

David H, To be frank I did not about this trickery. Thanks for pointing it out.

John B, I had calculated the Test batting average of Sangakkara in 2008 and tabulated it when he kept wickets and when he did not. Here it is: Tests Runs Aver. HS 100s 50s Caught Stumped As a wk 47 3093 41.24 230 7 11 124 20 Not as a wk 24 2939 91.84 287 9 13 25 0 Total 71 6032 56.37 287 16 24 149 20 This shows that his batting was affected when he kept wickets, his batting average escalating from 41.24 to 91.84, more than double. It might have changed in the last 3 years.

Kersi, I can't see an easy way of breaking down his figures between keeping and non-keeping games, without looking at each game he played (interesting but a trifle time consuming!). I'm a bit sceptical about that almost 92 average when not keeping. Looking at his season by season test figures (which give some indication as to whether or not he's kept from the number of catches taken and whether he had any stumpings) it looks like he hasn't kept since SL played England in 2006. There may be games/series before that when he didn't keep (just as there may have been some games since 2006 when he did). If we just take the tests since 2006 when it looks like he didn't keep, he has 38 tests, 53 completed innings, 3907 runs (or something close to it - my arithmetic can be dodgy), average a (seriously good) 73.7. Before that, he had 59 tests (and of course he may not have kept in all of them) for 109 completed innings, 4521 runs and an average of 41.5. Overall average 55.6. A good keeper who's averaged 40 plus over 59 tests gets into the frame for consideration for your series of articles, but someone better qualified would have to say how good a keeper he was/is.

You forgot to mention that Gilchrist was denied the opportunity to break Viv Richard's record for the fastest century thanks to a deliberate wide by the English.