Your Favourite Cricketer of All-Time?

[E10 Rifle]

Flintoff's statistics don't stack up like Botham's but I preferred him as a player and, at his peak, he was his equal. What's also often overlooked about Freddie is how clever and economical a one-day bowler he was - Botham bowled more loose deliveries (though a remarkable number of them were wicket-taking ones)

[diggedy derek]

Talking of which, why hasn't someone on YouTube done that "Sarah Taylor catches, stumpings and run-outs" highlights reel? It'd be sensational.

[diggedy derek]

E10, god yeah. I remember in that series of 2009, when England needed I think five more wickets in a day, and he started with figures of something like seven overs, two maidens, seven runs, two wickets. The kind of figures you dream of as a captain. That might have been the day he told Strauss "I'll take this end and keep on bowling till they're all out". What a hero. He, er, retired from those knee problems very shortly after.

btw, hope to see you fit and firing on the Guardian OBOs sometime future-wise – always love your take on Indian cricket.

[Satchmo Distel]

E10, I totally agree about Viv being the most charismatic sportsman of all-time but how do his stats stack up versus Bradman, Sobers (as a batsman) or Tendulkar? I think Lara had a few more shots (on the offside) and obviously had those long innings. Viv a bit unorthodox, playing across the line, relying on an amazing eye that failed him a bit later.

[E10 Rifle]

Ah yeah but this isn't a "stats stacking up" discussion. I don't think anyone could seize an innings, a game, a series even, like Viv could. Lara had more grace, Sobers better stats etc etc, but Richards always seemed to stand for more than just the game he was playing in.

[ursus arctos]

Exactly

[Satchmo Distel]

I agree. He gave the whole team its swagger and intimidated the opposition bowlers more than an any batsman the game has seen. The other Windies batsmen could then also cash in against a demoralized attack. He also scored more quickly than any other top-four batsman of that era so gave his bowlers time to bowl out the opposition, as at The Oval in 1976 or Antigua in 1986.

[Flynnie]

Shaun Pollock. Was always fun when he batted and was on a roll, because he'd play strokes that were very clearly taught to him by his uncle.