Appreciate but avoid comparing greats

The International Cricket Council (ICC) released a list of all time great batsmen and created a furore. With the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara missing from the first 20 in Test ranking, there was a major hue and cry over the published list. As a soother, the ICC was immediately forced to put out another release clarifying that the rankings do not give a full picture of those players' level of consistency or longevity in the game.

What one fails to understand is, why did ICC have to put out such a list when it does not reflect the full picture of a player's calibre? In the first place, it just didn't seem right for ICC to compare cricketers of different generations.

There have been numerous occasions when one is asked to pick the greatest batsman in cricket. Are Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar better than Donald Bradman? In fact, when Sunil Gavaskar was breaking all records the question was whether Gavaskar was better than Bradman.

What one should learn to appreciate is the technique and temperament of a player rather than count on the number of runs or his consistency. Anyone who has seen Sachin Tendulkar at his best in Sharjah will have no doubts that he is the finest destroyer of a bowling attack. But if the same people witnessed Brian Lara's demolition of the strong South African attack in the first match of the 2003 World Cup at Cape Town, they would have switched sides right away.

While reporting from Sharjah as well as in Cape Town, what I witnessed was two great players in full flow displaying their class.From the concentration and patience point of view, one wonders whether there would be another brilliant knock than Gavaskar's fighting 96 on a turning track in Bangalore against Pakistan in 1987.

The ease with which Richards hits a bowler across and through the mid wicket cannot match any other batsman. Without even wearing a helmet, he has thrashed the fastest of bowlers. The visual treat and satisfaction it provides should be appreciated rather than compare them with a player who had played nearly 40 years ago.

Matthew Hayden of Australia figures in the top 10 batsmen in the ICC release; but the duration of joy and the frequency with which he's had the crowd on their feet is hardly comparable to what Lara and Tendulkar have done. In fact, Hayden's skipper Ricky Ponting has been more of an entertainer. To put it short, it would be better if such lists are not released.