Bat and ball / Andrew Hughes / 06 August 2008 /

Andrew Hughes nominates his four best current Test batsmen based on runs, technique and temperament. KP makes the cut, but who are the others and who comes out on top?

Who is the best Test batsman in the world? Rankings and averages can give an indication, but mere numbers can't convey the excitement that great batsman can inspire. For example, Andy Flower of Zimbabwe had a higher Test average than Viv Richards. But which one would you least like to see strolling out to bat against England? Which one would cause the most trepidation amongst fielders and spectators alike?

In trying to answer this question, I have concentrated on three things: technique, temperament and runs. The best batsman in the world must have a technique that is durable, that can't be unpicked except by the very best bowlers. It need not be out of the MCC coaching manual, but it must be effective. Then there's temperament. The best don't fold under pressure, don't hide when the big games are in the balance and don't lose their focus. Finally, they must have an appetite for runs. Not just a quick fifty but hundreds of the double and triple variety. They must never tire of plundering the bowling. Finally, I have focused on those in form right now, not living off past glories.

So here are my contenders for best current Test batsman, in reverse, but certainly not batting, order.

Kevin Pietersen

Everyone's favourite brand ambassador and all-round superhero is the only current England batsman you'd cross the road to watch. With his legs wide apart, his crouching, jumping, shuffling technique isn't what you'd call attractive. But that pure timing and those incredibly strong wrists enable him to divert pretty much any ball in any direction. He scores with the fluency and speed of Richards and Sobers and his technique, though unorthodox, has remained intact. The only thing missing is an occasional lack of judgement, brought on, it appears, by an ego that sometimes leads him to forget the match situation. Perhaps captaincy will curb this occasional indiscretion. He will certainly have to lead from the front at the Oval on Thursday where England are as long as [4.5] to gain some Fourth Test consolation.

Jacques Kallis

Blessed with a superb technique and a hunger for runs, he averages 62.85 in the last year and was named Wisden's cricketer of the year. But he doesn't make the top of my list. There is a whiff of selfishness about Kallis, a suspicion that he doesn't always play for the team. Even if you think that's unfair, it is undoubtedly true that he ought to dominate the bowling more than he does. He is a grinder and a plodder when he should be a destroyer. Yet to really cash in this summer, he is currently [50.0] to finish top South African batsman but won't want to leave these shores without a Test century.

Kumar Sangakkara

A cricketer on the up, he briefly topped the ICC ratings last month. The least naturally talented of these candidates, he came into the Test team as a back-foot dominant slasher, good for a quick fifty but not much more. Diligence, intelligence and hard work has produced an effective, neat and tidy technique and with these improvements has come an increased concentration and appetite for runs. At Hobart last year, he came within eight runs of being the first to score three consecutive double-hundreds in Tests. Useful in a battle and an intelligent vice-captain, he has the potential to impose himself on bowlers at the highest level for years to come.

Virender Sehwag

The best Test batsman around at the moment. He averages 78.91 this year, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Dropped from the Test team, he worked on his technique, developed his onside game, shed a few pounds and came back a better player. Immensely powerful for his size, his range of strokes is comprehensive, yet he can adjust his game according to the situation, such as for his match-saving century at Adelaide this winter. Against South Africa, he became only the third man to score two triple hundreds and in the current series with India, he scored a double hundred and a fifty to set up a series-levelling victory at Galle. And if you think he can inspire India to win in Colombo starting on Friday, you can back the visitors at [4.3]

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: