A. Border vs S. Waugh - who was the greater Cricketer ?

[Engle]

Both tough as nails cricketers
Both successful leaders
Both dogged middle-order batsmen
Both could turn their arms over quite well

Taking all aspects into consideration, who do you believe was the greater cricketer ? With reasons.

 

[stephen]

Border was great. Waugh was great. The difference between the two is that I remember Waugh's career better. So I'll go with Waugh.

 

[smalishah84]

border obv

 

[Coronis]

Border, the intangibles here.

 

[jimmy101]

Close call IMO, a real Border-Waugh, so to speak.

But I'd say that AB was fractionally better.

 

[Himannv]

AB by the dirt under his fingernails.

 

[subshakerz]

Border a slightly better captain, Waugh a slightly better batsman.

I find it hard to go past Waugh since he had so many key knocks under tough conditions and in important situations that defined Australia's success in the late 90s. I cant think of any major one from Border aside from those dynamite twin knocks against the WI to draw a test.

 

[ankitj]

Way back in 2002 or so, ESPN's Legends of Cricket ranked Border at #25 and Waugh at #23 which shows how hard they are to separate.

And in first edition of CW50 they were ranked #38 and #32 respectively, while in second edition they were ranked #32 and #31.

Personally, don't have an opinion.

 

[RK_123]

AB but this was ridiculous close.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I always remember Garry Sobers saying when asked about Border that he wasn't a great batsman despite his heavy run scoring because he "tolerated" the bowling without trying to "dominate" it.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Border for helping turn a rubbish team into the start of a great one. Both superb bats who would give everything for the side.

 

[Burgey]

Border was great. Waugh was great. The difference between the two is that I remember Waugh's career better. So I'll go with Waugh.

You must rate Ponting ahead of Bradman then....

This shouldn’t even be a contest. It’s a piss take thread.

Steve Waugh was a great cricketer. He was a flamboyant stroke maker as a young player who tempered his game to become a ruthless run making machine across all conditions. He was a handy part-time bowler who probably should have bowled more, a brilliant fielder and a ruthless captain who coveted the role then turned the best team in the world into a ruthless killing machine.

Allan Border was a great cricketer. He was a flamboyant stroke maker as a young player who tempered his game to become a ruthless run making machine across all conditions. He was a handy part-time bowler who probably should have bowled more, a brilliant fielder and a ruthless captain who never wanted the job but adapted to it and who dragged by sheer force of will one of the worst teams Australia ever had into all but the best side in the world.

Steve Waugh was a tough, uncompromising bastard who gave the opposition nothing. Allan Border taught Steve Waugh how to be Steve Waugh.

Never mind your Waughs, Chappells, Lillees, Pontings, McGraths or Warnes. Border is Australia’s greatest post-war cricketer by three lengths of the Flemington straight, and even though Waugh was a great cricketer, AB wins this wth a leg in the air.

 

[mr_mister]

Steve Waugh played so many matchwinning innings

So many of his centuries are really famous ones too. The 200, the twin tons at Old Trafford(and several other Ashes ones) the 120* in the WC and his last ball four one at the SCG

 

[Engle]

If the question asked was : Who was the greater All-Rounder ? SW may edge AB by dint of his 92 Test wkts over AB's 39 (batting being quite close).

However, when captaincy is thrown in, then the edge may shift towards AB.

AB had the tougher task, yet SW led and lorded over the cricket world like a Lloyd.

 

[zorax]

10/10 effort at triggering Burgey. I wholeheartedly approve of this thread.


Voted for Waugh btw.

 

[Burgey]

No one cares what you think zorax

 

[zorax]

No one cares what you think zorax

Then why do we have an Ask Zorax thread?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Steve Waugh, he survived bottle missles and avoided a stampede at Bourda (not to be confused with Border).

 

[Burgey]

Then why do we have an Ask Zorax thread?

Its been inactive for months. People lost interest after a couple of days.

 

[Furball]

Never mind your Waughs, Chappells, Lillees, Pontings, McGraths or Warnes. Border is Australia’s greatest post-war cricketer

It's probably still Bradman tbf.

Good post though.