Wicket Keepers of Today

[ZoraxDoom]

I honestly think Prassana is a bit over-rated, and that's as someone who likes sri lanka. He was clearly the most specialised wicket keeper about, being quite a poor batsman (although he's sorted this out and is a very useful bat now) but I don't necessarily think he is that special.

He maybe is still best in the world but there's hardly any real competition, most keepers right now are nothing more than functional.

IMO he isn't even the best in the sri lankan team, but sangakkara is under too much pressure to deliver with the bat to take on two roles.

Sanga was really good to the spinner and Murali, but I do feel Prassana is better. Saw bits of him keeping against India and he was so smooth and quick.

I agree with the sentiment that he's isn't very special, but he's probably the best gloveman going around today.

 

[sifter132]

I honestly think Prassana is a bit over-rated, and that's as someone who likes sri lanka. He was clearly the most specialised wicket keeper about, being quite a poor batsman (although he's sorted this out and is a very useful bat now) but I don't necessarily think he is that special.

He maybe is still best in the world but there's hardly any real competition, most keepers right now are nothing more than functional.

IMO he isn't even the best in the sri lankan team, but sangakkara is under too much pressure to deliver with the bat to take on two roles.

I agree with this. Part of it is fans/media feeling they need to justify Prasanna's value to the team. Sangakkara was a perfectly acceptable keeper (and an obviously better keeper/batsman), but once he decided to stop there needed to be a reason for Prasanna to be loved. Hence stories about his brilliant keeping were born. He is a good keeper, but not that great - his reputation inflated in the main because it wouldn't seem fair to compare him to Sanga.
It's similar to the Healy-Gilchrist comparisons: as time goes on the legend of Healy's keeping ability seems to grow, while Gilchrist is never given his just desserts for his keeping ability. As a fan, I never noticed a heck of a lot of difference between the two, and only late in his career did Gilchrist's keeping decline, but history says that Healy needs some justification and hence his keeping abilities get inflated.

I will say MSD as keeper is awesome but if you look at a complete package, MSD as keeper batsman in Test is pretty ordinary. Even Brad Haddin for the fact is better then him in batting.

I'd be happy to swap out Haddin for Dhoni...

 

[VC the slogger]

Boucher was the best wicket keeper 2-3 years ago but he is getting old now and is in the twilight of his career.So the best keeper should be Matt Prior.He is an extremely skillful keeper and keeps extremely well in English pitches where it is very difficult to keep.Dhoni is also not too far behind.He can bat very well and keep very well and captain very well too.

 

[puneet28]

In Terms of just keeping the wickets MSD is very good. Just looks at his stumpings and catching off thick edges on spin bowling.

 

[War]

Off all the keepers playing, non of them to me personally really stand out with their glovework the way Ian Healy, Rashid Latif, Nayan Mongia, Jack Russell used to when i started watching cricket.

I think the best pure glovesman in the world doesn't even play test cricket and he is James Foster of England.

 

[VC the slogger]

The system of keepers of today having to be good with the bat is making many naturally talented pure keepers miss out on the highest level.If they really need that much batting depth they should search for all rounders who can bowl very well and bat too at no 7/8.A pure keeper who can't bat very well should bat at no 9/10.

 

[Aoun13]

I love to watch proper keepers back into test sides. Its ok if you have a keeper who is excellent behind the wicket and can bat too but the vice versa thing is not good for cricket especially tests. Nowadays almost all the team want a batsman who can keep too which just omit the spot of a genuine keeper. Keepers have same importance as bowlers and batsmen have in cricket.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

I've already proven that statistically, it's Kamran Akmal.

Numbers don't lie.

/thread

 

[sami ullah khan]

^He is the best keeper from the opposing team's point of view.

 

[Radonx]

I honestly think Prassana is a bit over-rated, and that's as someone who likes sri lanka. He was clearly the most specialised wicket keeper about, being quite a poor batsman (although he's sorted this out and is a very useful bat now) but I don't necessarily think he is that special.

I agree. In his early years he was pretty good. Now he is just average. His batting did improve, but his keeping is going downhill.

 

[cricketmad09]

Statistically, believe it or not, is Kamran Akmal!!

After Adam Gilchrist, he has the highest record of dismissals per innings, of all time!



Records | Test matches | Wicketkeeping records | Most dismissals in career | ESPN Cricinfo

I don't care much for the number of dismissals. Because most of that stat is reliant on the bowler doing all the work and getting the edge. A more meaningful stat would be percentage of catches taken and percentage of stumping opportunities effected