Should Sir Jack Hobbs' FC record be revised to give him 200 centuries?

Question

When Hobbs retired, he had 197 first-class centuries to his name. Afterwards, two further centuries made on a private tour to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) were subsequently deemed first-class by the Association of Cricket Statisticans, bringing his tally to 199. I am sure he scored many more hundreds in games not classified as first-class, eg warm-up games at the start of the season or on a foreign tour. Shouldn't one such game in which Hobbs scored a 100 be re-classified as first-class to give Hobbs 200 FC centuries, thus reflecting his pre-eminence in the list of top century makers and giving him a "perfect score"? Do you know of any such games that could be re-classified as first-class?

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/14225.html

Answer 1

I guess if you dug around you would find more, but what would it achieve? As Oracle says, he is dead & it won't do him any good now!

Answer 2

Sorry no, but that doesn't mean he didn't make more centuries. I guess records weren't as strictly kept as they are today. It would be fitting if they did this anyway.

Answer 3

To put it simply.

Hobbs was one of the best batsmen (if not the best) that England have ever produced. Would 1 more century really increase his status in world cricket? I'm all for nostalga but as Hobbs is long gone, it would help no-one. I'm sure that Hobbs scored many more centuries (probably 5 to 10) but would getting the "Perfect score" help him?

Bradman had a test average of 99, would knocking it upto a 100 really make him a bigger legend?

Answer 4

send this query to ICC.. i ve no objection in it

Answer 5

I am sure they could dig one up, but I don't think not having 200 first-class centuries to his name is something that would particularly perturb 'The Master'. Firstly, because he is dead; and secondly, because he wasn't that sort of man. He was modest and gentlemanly, and always put his team before personal glory.

If records start being tinkered with in this fashion, then it could open the floodgates for a whole raft of new statistical milestones. Perhaps a game played by Australia could be retrospectively turned into a Test match, and the runs scored by Bradman in that match could take his average over 100.

Not all statisticians recognise the 2 hundreds scored in Ceylon. I for one have grown up knowing that Hobbs scored 197 centuries. I am not about to change my mind over that.