Who is the greatest cricketer of all time. How to decide?

Wrapped up in this cricket world cup fever which affects me every 4 years, I have been reading endless articles about who is the greatest batsman of all times, top 10, top 20 and what not...

Conceding that I am not a cricket maniac like my father or like any other cricket buffs who would talk all night about the game until their mouths run dry, I have to ask how do people even approach preparing such lists.

If one prepares such a list by being subjective, then the possibilities are endless. I love the swashbuckling Sehwag, but should he be on such esteemed lists???

However, if one prepare such a list by being more informative and objective...then you don't have to go anywhere else but HowSTAT's website.

For example, my argument against Donald Bradman, sorry Sir Donald Bradman being the best, is that except the test batting's average, his hardly features anywhere else. But check out where Sachin's name does and you will have found a lot of self-convincing evidence. In our era, yes ERA! (and that's what conversations on sports like Cricket should begin with), there are 2 formats of the game where you have to have dominated to be called "the greatest": ODI and Test. 20/20 has just picked up and so I am discounting it...In both those formats, Sachin's record is unassailable. At present i.e. I can also call him greatest if I compare him against a standard that Mohammad Ali set, who came back more than once to take THE BELT. Sachin too lost his mojo, had injuries due to that stupid heavy bat, has a lost year or two but he did come back. Changed his style and gathered more runs...

From a stat's perspective, another point to make. Funny how the stats say Sachin's tops the list of players being out in the 90s... 17 times!..that 17 "coulda shoulda" centuries...This is an example of a stat that you can subjectively speculate with to make your case but all while being on the basis of being INFORMED and not just hear, see and say.

10 years from now, I will look at the stats again and see who has been consistent in all 3 forms of the game ODI (which might change to 4 inns of 25 overs), Tests and 20/20s, has had comebacks and left or is leaving his mark on the game...Results might be a lot different then.


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