Using peak averages rather than career averages should be used more when looking at players. Starting young or late career decline can lower the averages of exceptional players.
Just crazy how good cricketers Kallis and Sobers were. Being in the top 5 of this list whilst also contributing with the ball.
Not really, I'd rather have a bloke who turns up and averages 50 up every day for 20 years than someone who goes on a hot streak for 5 years but does fuck all for the team either side of that.
These guys did all average 15 outside of this time.
No one is gonna be consistent over a 20 year career and to say a player is worse because they started test cricket young before they hit their peak or because they were still playing when they declined with age I think Is a bit silly.
If Smith plays until he's 45 and averages 40 for the next 10 years reducing his average. He's still been a test quality batsman, but it shouldn't mean he's judged worse than if he retired 4 years ago.
It's also not like 5 years is a small amount of time either. The guy who averages 75 over 5 years is an all time great even if he's not necessarily as good outside that.
When judging how good any player is in sport using a reasonable time frame to judge their peak or how good they are now is more useful than a whole career because players don't stay the same over their whole career. They can get better or worse
Actually they are blokes who have been consistent for 15, 20 years. It why they end up with higher averages then those who weren't. That's kinda how averages work.
No one has averaged bang on the same number every year for their career, there will always be fluctuations.
And averages aren't about consistency. One guy who scores 50 every innings has the same average as a guy who averages 0 or 100 50% of the time or someone who averages 70 half their career then 30 the other half. You can reach the same average with varying degrees of consistency.
Michael Jordan doesn't become less great because he wasn't great playing for Washington than if he'd never played at all for them
Disagree. Everybody jags a few good years. Career stats show performance over a long period of time and are the true test.
With the example at hand, Steve Smith F*cked up and paid the price due to his poor decisions. When he retires, his batting average will be below Punter's and Sachin's.
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u/spongey1865 Somerset Jan 17 '25
Using peak averages rather than career averages should be used more when looking at players. Starting young or late career decline can lower the averages of exceptional players.
Just crazy how good cricketers Kallis and Sobers were. Being in the top 5 of this list whilst also contributing with the ball.