Is bradman the most overrated cricketer ever?

Question

The Don scored most of his runs against bumbling, clumsy, inept, limited, unfit, sometimes ageing upper class twits with speed on a par with today's club cricketers. There was no Marshall, Ambrose or Walsh. There was no Hadlee, McGrath or Lillee. There was no Akram or Waqar and there certainly was no Warne or Muralitharan to face so how can you measure his runs reasonably? You cannot!

Look at Graeme 'flat pitch bully' Hick's record in county cricket compared to Test cricket and you will understand what I mean.

Watching videos of The Don I was struck by the amount of runs scored by the horizontal bat and i noted that he never never truly mastered batting on sticky wickets.

if there really is a blemish on his amazing record it is the absence of a significant innings on one of those 'sticky dogs' of old

Answer 1

Even as a Kiwi I have to admire Bradman. You can't compare. Because if those modern day players played aginst Bradman he would adapt. And can anyone without the proper knowledge say that the bowlers in Dons day weren't just as effective as bowlers today.

Answer 2

you have a great brain like me, i'm clear now only aussies are dumbos. you are absolutely right, he played so many horizontal shots with that thin bat, how???? there is one ranji cricketer like Ajay Sharma, he has a dman good record in domestic but at international , he is a duck....hehehe, you also notice that there are players in the average of 60's and 50s in bradman's time, so he was better than other hopeless guys, lol ........hehehe

Answer 3

Everyone has their own opinions on this matter and people should respect it. But I agree with you and deeps. My personal view is that no one is better than Sachin Tendulkar.

Answer 4

no, ramesh powar is the most overrataed cricketer in cricket history.

Answer 5

What a disgraceful question.

For starters, Muralitharan throws the ******* thing.

Secondly, I don't care what era you are from, averaging 99.4 throughout 50odd test matches is nothing short of amazing. None of the greats of the modern era could have possibly achieved what Bradman did.

Answer 6

Have you been to your doctor up late?

Don Bradman's average against England  (Against whom he played frequently) is not as high as his career Average, but high by any standards; since some claims he played against the same bowlers more frequently. And if the bowlers in those days were not as competent as today's, then why don't other players of those days have such astonishing records. Do not tell, there were no better batsmen! That will be hypocritical. Don't bend circumstances to meet your requirement.

vs England 37 Matches 5028 runs, average - 89.78

vs India  5 matches 715 runs, average - 178.75

vs South Africa 5 matches806 runs, average - 201.50

vs West Indies 5 matches447 runs, average - 74.50

Statistically, Don Bradman is a genius. It is not fair to compare any other player with him.

But on the other hand, if you say Sachin is better player than Don, I will not argue with you, because I can't be sure.

The use of technology in modern days will bring out the flaws & weakness in batsman's technique. Tendulkar belongs to that era.

In Bradman's days, test matches happened at a slower pace. Batsmen stayed at the crease long enough to tire down bowlers, and started playing their shots. But now, test matches happen at a much faster pace.

Tendulkar had good players around, who scored consistently. Bradman had the luxury of converting his centuries into doubles & trebles.

Bradman got enough break, between series, and he did not play ODI games, which will suck out much energy from players.

Answer 7

Yes i think he is one of the most overrated cricketer. Because considering the time when he played most of our present day cricket would have performed better than him.

The level of technological development has taken place now a days it enables the cricketers to know the strength and weakness of the opposition and the Sports science has develop so much it has given far more strength to the bowlers then what it was in the Bradman's Era.

Answer 8

absolutely correct

i rate tendulkar far batter then him

WHY SACHIN IS BETTER THAN BRADMAN

1.Pressure

Tendulkar played under huge pressure.1 billion people expecting you to perform in each and every match. To perform consistently well for 17 years as per expectation is just Brilliant!!! Bradman never had such pressure in his whole career apart from bodyline and in his last innings against England.And just look what pressure can do.His average which usually over 100 in maxium series came down to just 52 in bodyline.When the whole world was watching him to score just 4 runs in his last innings he couldn't even score 4 runs..??? This is what pressure is all about..And Tendulkar goes through such pressure in each every match.Even matches like against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe..With one failure public media everyone in India start criticising the Greats of Indian cricket... Still he is performing consistently..Isn't this amazing.

2.Number of Matches

Bradman played 52 tests in 20 years whereas Sachin played 132 test in 17 yearsIn Bradman's time not many matches played.Players easily got 7-8 days of gap in between 2 tests of a series.In one year only 4-5 tests played...There were no ONEDAYS.Nowdays there are too much of ODI's.Once a series starts..you won't get any chance for rest..5 ODI completes in 12-13days and as soon as ODI series over Test series starts..in between test only 3 days of gap..No rest for players..And they have to play each test. and ODI. In Bradman's times you could get 7-8 days for rest... and total numbers of matches 4-5..and look at today's cricket.. Atleast 10 Test and 30 ODI each year..and in ODI's u can't play cricket wid peace at all..After every ball u have to look to the score board..have to accelerate anytime in the innings many times from the begining...Pressure wid no rest!!

3.Position of Batting

Bradman usually came at no.3 or no.4 and mostly when the score were 176 for 1 or 217 for 2..No pressure!! Just play the natural game and dominate the bowling.Sachin usually came at no.4 and ..Mostly when India lost both the openers.and the scoreboard looks like 20-2!!! And then this best batsman of all time rescue the team.In OneDay Sachin opens and start blazing guns from the begining and then steady in middle overs and again all guns blazing in last 10 overs!!

4.Opposition

Bradman played mostly against England and he got used to that bowling thats why scored over 5000 runs wid an average of around 92.One series against each minnows[India,SouthAfrica and WestIndies were new in cricket that time] and scored heavily against them.Never played in Indian Sub-Continent against Indian spinners.Playing at Indian pitches is never been easy for any batsman.Nowdays Australian thinks Ricky Ponting is the best batsman after Bradman from Australia.Look his record in India, just 14!! Sachin's average in Australia is above 54.Ponting's average in England is just 42 and Sachin's average in England is above 70..well Ricky Ponting is another issue. A batsman is perfect when he scores against really class bowlings.Excluding Larwood Bradman never played any quality bowlers.Whereas Sachin played against Ambrose-Walsh-Bishop,Wasim-Waqar-Akhtar,... and many more.Played not well on own wicket but also played well at all pitches all over the worlds.Just see the class of fielding nowdays,Rhodes,Ponting,Gibbs..The standard of fielding is far more better than it was in that time!!!

5. Conclusion

can't accept Bradman as the all time best batsman just because his stunning average of 99.94. Cricket is not game of only averages..There are many other things should be consider like the standard of playing cricket.Nowdays so much of technology used so that you can take out weak areas of a particular player.The standard of fielding is just too gud.The Media hype and pressure is so much.Lots of cricket played..scoring on every part of the world.Sachin not only play role in batting but also in many other areas like Sachin can spin the bowl like Shane Warne Sachin never affraid of taking responsibilties.Tendulkar took the ball from Azhar and Kapil in Hero Cup Semifinal and bowled the last over and not led the SouthAfrica to score 6 runs to win the match.Just imagine if those runs were scored.Public and Media of India pheewww... But still then Sachin ready to take other burdens and pressure on themseleves...Tendulkar one of the finest outfielder and his throws from boudries always flat and just over the stumps..watching Sachin playing is just amazing. plays backfoot punch and plays long off drive, plays upper cut over the thirdman, plays pull shot. plays beautiful straight drive on his toes , plays classical front foot cover drive..

Answer 9

ur absolutly right that time ther were no great bowler like WALSH or Akram but he scored run and centuries ... y dont other do that in that time ??? it shows he was best in his time and he deserve that!!!!!

Answer 10

DON BRADMAN was among very few firsts of Cricketers. It is like WRIGHT BROTHERS, their plane was crude model of flying machine if one compares with modern plane or James Stehenson for Locomotives they are no match with modern mahine. Bothe were doyan in their fealds. So is the case with DON BRADMAN. Never compare such people with modern time.  

Answer 11

Yes, my lord he's such a sell out. I swear he's just in it for the glory. : D

Answer 12

NO. he deserve it

Answer 13

d**n right he is!!