Stats: Best batsmen in all positions in Cricket history - Are Statistics really mini-skirts?

Nasser Hussain recently made a few shocking choices for his Ultimate Test XI – it has been Don Bradman who has always made it to all experts’ teamsIndian batsman turned commentator turned Politician turned TV personality, Navjot Singh Sidhu had famously said, “Statistics are like mini-skirts, they hide more than they reveal.” Thus, beliefs are often based on cricket experts’ opinions than on the numbers.After the Ashes series ended this year, one such cricket expert – former English skipper Nasser Hussain – stuck his neck out and picked the Ultimate Test XI with present day players. Always interested in such exercises, I checked out what Nasser had put together.To my great amazement, Nasser’s batting line-up had Hashim Amla as an opener and AB de Villiers as a wicket-keeper at No. 7. The choices were absolutely ridiculous considering the fact that Amla has only opened twice in Test cricket and de Villiers has batted at No. 5 even when he has donned the wicket-keeping gloves. To highlight the level of absurdity in this team, de Villiers and Joe Root (also a part of Nasser’s team) have opened more often than Amla.To further astonishment, this is not the first time Nasser has made such bizarre selections. While choosing the best Test team of the 2000s, he picked Rahul Dravid as his opener and Jacques Kallis as his No. 6.And he is not alone. Surprisingly, Sir Ian Botham, David Gower and Shaun Pollock all picked Kallis as a No. 6 and either Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara as a No. 5 in the same discussion. Despite all three of them being outstanding batsmen, the fact is that they never batted at those numbers.In this article, let’s see how much simple stats agree with cricket pundits (individually and collectively).The criteria for selection here is purely statistics i.e. only batting average.The cut-off is set at 5000 runs for the openers, 4000 for Nos. 3 and 4, 3000 for No. 5 and 2000 for Nos. 6 and 7.The cut-off criteria is decided to ensure there is sufficient participation in each category and also to (very unfortunately) exclude brief careers such as that of Graeme Pollock and Barry Richards or to (very rationally) exclude brief spikes in careers such as that of Joe Root and Steven Smith.

#1 The openers: Len Hutton and Jack Hobbs

The legendary opening partnership of Sir Jack Hobbs (left) and Herbert Sutcliffe was instrumental in England's success in 1926

24 openers – from Jack Hobbs of the early 1900s to England’s current skipper Alastair Cook – meet the criteria. A very healthy number to pick from.

The two players on top of the chart are the English duo of Sir Len Hutton (6721 runs at 56.47) and Sir Jack Hobbs (5130 runs at 56.37).

The next few names in the list are Mathew Hayden (50.73), Sunil Gavaskar (50.29), Virender Sehwag (50.04) and Graeme Smith (49.07). Herbert Sutcliffe (4522 runs at 61.10) deserves a mention as well.

Experts would probably choose two from Hutton, Hobbs, Gavaskar and Sutcliffe while modern day cricket fans certainly won’t think beyond Hayden, Sehwag and Smith. Stats vindicate you, Sirs.

#2 No. 3: Don Bradman

Don Bradman: the best batsman to have played test cricket

The easiest pick.

The criteria throws up only 11 names. But this is one spot where the criterion ceases to matter.

Kumar Sangakkara (60.82), Hashim Amla (56.40), Ricky Ponting (56.27), Rahul Dravid (52.88), Rohan Kanhai (52.68), Younis Khan (51.32) and Ian Chappell (50.94) are/were distinguished batsmen in their own rights and all of them would have been serious contenders at any other position. But at No. 3, they are up against the best ever. Sir Don Bradman (5078 runs at 103.63) dwarfs them at No. 3.

Honestly, anyone who knows anything about cricket would pick Bradman at 3, no competition. You don’t need the help of numbers or cricket experts to tell you that.

#3 No. 4: Jacques Kallis

Jacques Kallis pips Sachin Tendulkar and others to No. 4

From the easiest to the toughest.

The criteria throws up as many as 15 names. A very good sample considering all of them have played at least 80 innings at that number.

The legendary South African all-rounder, Jacques Kallis (9033 runs at 61.86) leads the chart. With more than 9000 runs at that number, one would feel there can’t be much doubt. But No. 4 (along with No. 3) is the spot which the team’s best batsman occupies.

Kallis faces steep competition from Greg Chappell (59.12), Sachin Tendulkar (54.40), Javed Miandad (54.10), Denis Compton (53.59), Inzamam-ul-Haq (52.90), Mahela Jayawardene (52.24) and Brian Lara (51.25).

Experts and fans will probably go for Tendulkar or Lara, but since we are being cold to everything else but numbers here, Kallis is the No. 4.

#4 No. 5: AB de Villiers

Known more for his ODI exploits, AB de Villiers is the best No. 5 in test history

No. 5s are the most under-appreciated breed in Test cricket. Especially when forming best XIs. Their slots often go to No. 3s or 4s who couldn’t make it to their original batting spot.

The criteria throws up 14 names including Michael Clarke (60.80), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (56.41), Steve Waugh (56.28), Graham Thorpe (56.21), Andy Flower (54.89), Misbah-ul-Haq (53.19), Mohammad Yousuf (53.15) and Allan Border (52.05). Outstanding numbers, all of those.

However, South Africa’s AB de Villiers seals the spot with 3574 runs at an unbelievable average of 63.82 at No. 5. Even though his ODI exploits are more discussed, among batsmen with more than 300 runs at a particular number, only Don Bradman and Wally Hammond (both at No. 3) have better averages than AB.

Experts never quite agree with stats at No. 5. They would probably give it to a No. 3 or No. 4 who didn’t make the cut as was done by Nasser Hussain and company at Durban.

#5 No. 6: Garry Sobers

Garry Sobers: the best all-rounder to have played test cricket

The No. 6 slot is generally reserved for batting all-rounders. This team, however, can afford the flexibility of having a pure batsman at No. 6 (without compromising with the balance) after the inclusion on Kallis at No. 4.

13 batsmen make the cut including Chanderpaul (64.82), Border (52.16), de Villiers (52.04), Waugh (51.04), and Clive Llyod (49.16) – all of whom made it to the list for No. 5s.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul with 2528 runs from 49 innings leads the way. Most of Chanderpaul’s No. 6 efforts, however, have come when he has been demoted due to a nightwatchman batting above him.

Since the whole point of this exercise is to put batters at their actual spot, Chanderpaul (being a No. 5) misses out paving way for the second man in the list – Sir Garry Sobers (2614 runs at 53.34). VVS Laxman (50.18) and Angelo Mathews (49.85) were the other prominent names at No. 6.

Sobers, widely considered the best all-rounder to have ever played, is usually any expert’s pick at No. 6.

#6 No. 7: Adam Gilchrist

Adam Gilchrist is lightyears ahead of any other wicket-keeper

No. 7 is the wicket-keepers’ (or bowling all-rounders’) spot.

Adam Gilchrist (3948 runs at 46.44; 416 dismissals) is lightyears ahead of the other 10 players who meet the criteria. Alan Knott (41.00) and Matt Prior (40.98) being the most notable batsmen among them.

Knott or even Ian Healy (27.64) and Mark Boucher (26.00) might stake a claim for the spot because of the other skill required of a No. 7. These three are widely perceived to be (marginally) better than Gilchrist behind the stumps but Gilly brushes aside any competition with his far superior batting ability.

Another slot where experts are divided in their opinion but stats firmly rule it in favour of the former Australian vice-captain.

#7 Stats vs Experts

Sir Len Hutton: best opener as per Stats and Experts alike

ESPN Cricinfo had undergone a similar exercise sometime in 2010 to pick the All-time Test XI. They had appointed a 12 member expert panel including eight former Test captains to arrive at the same.

The batting line-up they came up with was the following:

Len Hutton, Jack Hobbs, Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers and Adam Gilchrist

The team based on stats differs only at 2 slots: Nos. 4 and 5. AB de Villiers’ exclusion by Cricinfo’s team is expected as they had brainstormed in 2010 – a time when de Villiers had just started his dominance. Kallis, on the other hand, highlights the difference in facts and opinions. An under-rated player, he was not even considered for Cricinfo’s second list.

Keeping the No. 4 debate aside, this exercise proves that stats actually bring out the collective wisdom of experts in a more lucid manner. Individually, however, experts are prone to faux pas as Nasser Hussain’s recent Ultimate Test XI suggests.