The best test match wicket-keeper batsman of alltime

[King Cricket]

Gilly, or Andy Flower?

Call me a fanboy, but I'm voting for Gilly. I have been mesmerized by Gilly's batting. Love ya mister!

 

[jordox]

The best test match wicket keeper I've ever seen is Ian Healy.

Edit: Sorry, it seems like you are talking about Wicket keepers as batsman. Flower and Gilchrist are nowhere near the best gloveman of all time - they are two of the best wicket keeper-batsman of all time though.

If you just want to ask us who is better between Gilchrist and Flower well I'd say Flower is a better batsman but Gilchrist was more entertaining to watch. Gilchrist was also better with the gloves. Although Flower is the better bat without a doubt - Gilchrist was more fun to watch though.

 

[King Cricket]

Edit: Sorry, it seems like you are talking about Wicket keepers as batsman

That's true.

 

[jordox]

That's true.

Well saying so would've been good. Flower in particular wasn't a brilliant wicket keeper, and Gilchrist isn't one of the best of all time if we are talking about wicket keeping.

 

[sifter132]

This question all depends on what you need. A typical world XI has 6 awesome batsmen already so you don't need Flower's extra batting quality. But maybe your team has no good batsmen or perhaps your all-rounder isn't a great batsman so he has to bat at #7. In those cases you might want Flower to bat in the top 6 so you can play more bowlers or all-rounders below him.

But instead of Flower I think the better argument is for Sangakkara. Surely he is just as good a keeper as Andy Flower, although I'd love to hear the opinions of those who saw more of them than I. Then if you compare their batting records, I'd rather have Sangakkara's.


I'll vote Gilly - he was still quite a good keeper. Don't let his declining skills in his last year or two fool you into thinking he couldn't keep.

 

[King Pietersen]

Les Ames....

 

[Sartaj]

Adam Gilchrist ofcourse for obvious reasons.
Mahendra Dhoni has good chances of bettering him.

 

[manee]

Les Ames....

Ames better than Gilchrist or Flower with the bat? Come off it!

 

[King Pietersen]

Better all-round wicket-keeper than both of them. You could argue the case for Ames being a better batsman than both of them as well. Only keeper to score 100 FC hundreds, averaged over 40 with the bat in the 1920's and 30's, coped well against Larwood and Voce on the Bodyline tour, and like Gilchrist he was an entertainer. He was a top class keeper-batsman, and one with a superb FC and Test record. Better than both of them with the bat? I'm not sure, but I'd say he's a better all-round package than both of them, you can't argue with 418 FC stumpings.

 

[manee]

Better all-round wicket-keeper than both of them. You could argue the case for Ames being a better batsman than both of them as well. Only keeper to score 100 FC hundreds, averaged over 40 with the bat in the 1920's and 30's, coped well against Larwood and Voce on the Bodyline tour, and like Gilchrist he was an entertainer. He was a top class keeper-batsman, and one with a superb FC and Test record. Better than both of them with the bat? I'm not sure, but I'd say he's a better all-round package than both of them, you can't argue with 418 FC stumpings.

We're talking about their batting ability alone, if you were to read the first few posts.

 

[tech.007]

gilly....alec stewart...

 

[chaitanyaraghav]

gilly all the way for me!

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Flower was a better batsman, but Gilly performed exceptionally and was a match winner. Still is.

Gilly first, Flower a very close second. Basically what Sifter said, if you need a batsman, go with Flower. Otherwise, Gilly.

 

[sami ullah khan]

Adam Gilchrist. The most explosive wicket keeper batsmen ever. Wasim Akram was once asked which batsmen he feared bowling to? His answer was Adam Gilchrist. I have seen him hit Waseem for four consecutive boundaries in a test match in Australia. No wonder Wasim and I am sure all the bowlers around the World feared the mighty Adam. They would be a lot happier he is retired now, unless he shows up again in next year's IPL.

 

[mrtwisties]

Never understood the "if you've already got six batsmen, you don't need a seventh" mentality. Ultimately it's about winning matches. All things being equal, a deeper batting lineup improves your chances - think of all the Tests that have gone right down to the wire in just the last 12 months.

If you focus on the numbers, it's a trade-off between extra runs conceded by poor keeping (not just byes - a good WK increases the rate at which you take wickets) and extra runs scored by superior batting.

Hence, Gilly over Flower.