Best Wicket Keeper-Batsman in Test Cricket

[King Pietersen]

Yeh, I was thinking the same actually. I cannot remember seeing 1 dropped chance from Boucher in that whole Test series. =/

 

[ZoraxDoom]

You're wrong. Patel can get a bit of turn, but turn isn't that difficult to keep it. Vettori varies his pace a lot and does get extra bounce on suitable pitches. There's a youtube of Vettori bowling to Pietersen in the last test series played in England and the ball bounces up heaps and McCullum takes it clean as a whistle. He rarely ever fumbles the ball. He's the best keeper i've seen for sure. Even with a sholder injury he's better than most.

One take doesn't mean a keeper is consistently great.

McCullum hasn't kept on a lot of difficult wickets to spinners. He hasn't been tested in the Subcontinent where the ball is consistently spinning and bouncing miles. If he does, and does it with success, then he'll be the best keeper in the world ATM. Well, behind Jaya anways. But until then...I have my reservations.

He hasn't kept to the spinners in any real challenging conditions. If he comes to the subcontinent and does it, with success, then he'll be the best in the world. Well, behind Jaya anyways. But until then...I'll have my reservations.

 

[irottev]

Of course it doesn't.

Jaya's played like 5 games. Stop over-rating him. He's not as good as McCullum.

 

[Cricketman]

I don't see whats so good about Prasanna.

Sanga is the best IMO. Who cares if he doesn't keep anymore, he's bloody brilliant.

 

[Precambrian]

:

What's wrong with Dhoni? The guy has not dropped many of not any of late?

 

[sami ullah khan]

I have voted for Dhoni. He might not have the average but he does have that X-factor. He can turn the game on its head with his batting and his keeping is pretty consistent as well.

 

[TaylorsBroom]

McCullum is clearly the best at the moment even with a shoulder stuffed. Haddins keeping has been poor this series but I reckon with his batting improving the keeping will get back to his domestic standard. Dhoni is overrated and to the people saying that it is hard to keep to a turner of the ball on a slow dustbowl you are clearly deranged. A bowler mixing his pace and flight on the wickets you get in NZ and Australia is far more difficult to keep to. McCullum has actually kept on the subcontinent a number of times and never been found wanting. If McCullum can get his batting in order he will be untouchable. As long as Kumar keeps away from the gloves then he is hands down better than anyone I have ever seen as wicketkeeper/batter.

 

[King Pietersen]

:

What's wrong with Dhoni? The guy has not dropped many of not any of late?

Yeh, but he makes up for the ones he doesn't drop by claiming ones that don't carry

Dhoni's a good keeper, nothing special in the keeping department and also nothing special in the batting department, with only 1 hundred. He's a good player, but so massively over-hyped by Indian fans because of his successes in the shorter forms of the game. He's got a decent batting average, but it's the fact he's only converted 1 of his 15 fifties into a ton that worries me. You may claim that it's because he's down the order, but McCullum's got 2 hundreds and he's only recently found his feet at international level with the bat. Then there's Gilly of course who scored a very decent amount of hundreds from number 7.

I just think McCullum's superior keeping skills, with his fantastic agility and brilliant hands gives him the advantage over Dhoni. McCullum's also better to watch with the bat, and it may be bias on my part, being a massive Brendon McCullum fan, but I rate the guy incredibly highly. Probably my favourite player in world cricket after Kevin Pietersen tbh, just fantastic to watch when on full flow. His 170 in the State Cup Final for Otago is still one of the best OD innings I've ever seen, and although it was on a small ground he really gave the bowlers some serious treatment. Love watching him bat and keep, one of the truely genuine entertainers in world cricket.

Sanga is the best IMO. Who cares if he doesn't keep anymore, he's bloody brilliant.

Well considering this thread's the best KEEPER-batsman, I'd say the fact he doesn't keep anymore is pretty important, brilliant or not.

 

[IloveGilly]

I'd say it's a close call between Dhoni and Boucher. Went for Dhoni though, more impressed with how he plays.

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Of course it doesn't.

Jaya's played like 5 games. Stop over-rating him. He's not as good as McCullum.

I don't see whats so good about Prasanna.

I'll repeat what I said about him:
3) Prassanna is easily the best in the list - very tidy. They say the greatest keepers go unnoticed, and that's what he does. I've seen him keep in a few matches, and he never makes a mistake. Never. He's nearly flawless, and that's even while keeping to Murali and Mendis, or standing up to someone like Vaas, or even just keeping to Fernando and Malinga. Does an excellent job.

McCullum is clearly the best at the moment even with a shoulder stuffed. Haddins keeping has been poor this series but I reckon with his batting improving the keeping will get back to his domestic standard. Dhoni is overrated and to the people saying that it is hard to keep to a turner of the ball on a slow dustbowl you are clearly deranged. A bowler mixing his pace and flight on the wickets you get in NZ and Australia is far more difficult to keep to. McCullum has actually kept on the subcontinent a number of times and never been found wanting. If McCullum can get his batting in order he will be untouchable. As long as Kumar keeps away from the gloves then he is hands down better than anyone I have ever seen as wicketkeeper/batter.

I have never seen McCullum keep on subcontinental tracks. When was the last time NZ was in the subcontinent?

My experience in keeping may be limited to gulli cricket, which may be rather useless, but when I keep to bowlers on sandy, turning pitches, I find it much harder than when keeping to them on cement pitches. Simply because on the sandy ones the ball can do anything - leap, spin, keep low, shoot on. All from the same grip. Whereas when a bowler may be mixing his flight and pace, he isn't so hard to keep off the wicket. I imagine NT level would be the same, but like a bazillion times harder. And that's why I'll respect a keeper who thrives in the Subcontinent more than one who hasn't played there. Jaya is excellent, and Dhoni isn't brilliant, but has coped very, very well. For a simple example, see what happened to Haddin when he came there. Their may have been external factors, but keeping in the heat on a pitch where the ball can do anything, it's difficult.

I wouldn't choose McCullum yet as
a) He has yet to fully perform with the bat. Yes he's destructive. He's he is awesome to watch. Yes he's a great OD bat. But he hasn't done it in Tests. Yet. I'm pretty sure he'll be an excellent player, but in a while...
b) I haven't seen him keep in the subcontinent.


We've gone for Dhoni cause he's done 3 things recently:
1) Be a solid keeper to spinners
2) Be a solid keeper to quicks
3) Be a solid bat.

The other names on the list either have batted well but kept like crap recently (Haddin, Prior), or have kept well but haven't batted to match that recently (Boucher, Jaya, McCullum). Some haven't been fully tested yet and need more time (Haddin, Jaya, McCullum) Dhoni is the only one who really fits the bill in recent times. I don't see what the point is in discussing who could achieve more or who is entertaining when we are supposed to be picking the best performer, who just happens to be Dhoni in recent times.

 

[Precambrian]

Whatever you argue, 5 years frm now, you;ll all be singing Dhoni Dhoni.

 

[Themer]

Except anyone who isn't an India fan.

Best keeper is probably Boucher, best batsmen is a toss up between Prior, who's probably good enough to be a test player on his batting alone and Brad Haddin who looks very good with the bat since his poor start.

Both formats together Dhoni is the probably the best.

 

[irottev]

I have never seen McCullum keep on subcontinental tracks. When was the last time NZ was in the subcontinent?

Ummmm a few months ago in Bangladesh :/

There really couldn't have been harder conditions to keep in. The pitches there were horrible for most games. Both ODIs and tests. He was excellent.

And I don't believe the wicketkeeper going unnoticed thing. McCullum kinda blows that theory out the window when he takes impossible catches and takes down the leg-side. You notice him diving full stretch and taking the ball clean as a whistle.

 

[Themer]

McCullums nothing paticularly special with the gloves, hes better than most keepers in world cricket but to say you're exagerating his skills a bit would be an understatement he's not the best in the world.

 

[irottev]

lol ok dude. Whatever you say haha. You obviously don't remember this catch. And it was no fluke. He constantly takes catches and wides similar to this. He rarely ever drops it.

Here's a breakdown of dismissals:

TESTS:
P Jaywardene - 67 dismissals from 23 tests = 2.9 per match.
M Dhoni - 98 dismissals from 35 tests = 2.8 per match
B McCullum - 130 dismissals from 41 tests = 3.2 per match

The stats speak for themselves. And when you consider how much stronger the Indian and Sri Lankan sides are in tests it's quite impressive. I'm sure he's conceded the least byes per game also but I dunno how to look that up.

He's the best gloveman. I'm saying it as fact with evidence.