kumar is a much better batsman because he ditched the gloves though.
as a keeper he only averaged 40 with 7 hundreds. Since he gave up keeping he averages.... wait for it... 76 in 46 tests, with 17 hundreds.
sanga is over-rated as a wicket-keeper bat because he never combined the two roles effectively, it's far too simplistic to say he is the best keeper-batsman. Even in ODIs where he does do both you'd still have to say Dhoni was the better keeper-bat in that format.
However, as a batsman he's among the best playing right now and focusing on his keeping does his batting an injustice.
Nah giving up the gloves didn't make Sanga a better batsman. Their seems to be an incorrect notion that Sangakkara not keeping is sign that affects his test batting or something. When it fact his batting peak just coincided with him leaving the gloves IMO. AFAIS, the only reasons Sangaka doesn't keep in tests is because its a great strain to do that along with being captain & # 3. He does all 3 in ODIs & T20 very well. If SRI had a WC all-rounder batting @ 6 or 7in tests for example, i think it would have been very possible for him to stay keeping & his rate of runscoring wouldn't decline at all IMHO.
He would just have to move down to # 5 like what Andy Flower did in the 90s/early 2000s. Since i dont think its possible for him to bat @ 3, be skipper & score runs. Given that Keeping & being your teams # 3 are two super important roles in any test side. Between 2004-2008 (as i will explain in my view of Sanga's career summary below) not being totally settled on his role may have had a mental effect on his game. In a stronger team, he probably would not have batted @ # 3, while keeping. Andy Flower batted @ # 5/6 while being ZIM best batsman & keeping, so most likey thats the mistake SRI made with him.
This how Sanga's career evovled to to best of my knowledge:
- From 2000-2004. He was basically SRI full-time keeper in tests, as he outsed Kaluwitharana. Although for team balance sake (the lack of another quality middle-order bat during this period, since SRI usually had a batsman batting @ # 7 alot), Kaluwitharana kept in a few tests. While Sanga's his batting was showed potential but wasn't the finised article.
- Then has his batting began to peak in 2004 after the AUS series (home & away). When he scored those two big double hundreds vs ZIM & SA. Between 2004-20008 (vs WI in WI). He kept on & off as P Jaywardene emergened. But his batting was already in peak mode batting @ # 3 & scoring big runs as he shuffled between keeping & not keeping due to SRI team balance.
-Then after the 2008 series vs WI. P Jayawardene became full-time keeper in tests. The last year Sanga became captain & the runs continued.