Lara No.1 according to No.1 Bowler

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Muttiah Muralitharan is under no illusions about who is the best batsman in the world today.
The champion Sri Lanka off-spin bowler identified West Indies captain Brian Lara, despite Australia's Matthew Hayden topping this week's PricewaterhouseCoopers ratings.

"Lara is the most dangerous left-handed batsman I have ever bowled to in my career," remarked Muralitharan, who has captured 459 Test wickets.

"Hayden is a very good batsman, no doubt about that, for anyone who scores 380 has to be brilliant, but Lara is more classy any day."

Lara is currently rated second with Hayden's Australia team-mate Ricky Ponting third.

Muralitharan, like Lara, holds second in the weekly Test bowling ratings behind South Africa's Shaun Pollock. Australian Glenn McGrath holds third.

Lara will have a chance to significantly beef-up his profile when he faces Zimbabwe in a two-Test series, starting on Tuesday in Harare.

[Donny]

"Worlds number 2 bowler talks about world's number 2 batsman"

Not surprising Muraliduralichuckacurlyoneatcha has this opinion. Charlie Lara averages 86 against Sri Lanka.

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wats all your opinions on the worlds best batter at the minute, or your top 5, please share... my top five (according to form, and talent) goes a lil like this...


1. Mathew Hayden
2. Brian LARA!
3. Sachin Tendulka
4. Ricky Ponting
5. Inzimam Al Huq

[Blanch]

If Hayden isn't CLEARLY the best batsman in the world by a country mile, well I'm not a one eyed pies supporter.

1. Hayden
2. Daylight
3. more daylight
4. Tendulkar
5. Ponting
6. Lara

[commonwombat]

A contribution from a neutral corner.

1. Tendulkar: he'd be the player I'd pick if I had to selct someone to bat for my life. Also his consistency over so long.
2. Hayden: without a doubt the batsman in the best form at the moment.
3. Lara: probably the most damaging.

the rest a considerable way behind.

[Donny]

To name the best at anything, there are always a number of factors to take into account.

In this case: Style, technique, present form, consistency, ability to play a long innings, ability to destroy the opposition etc.

With these in mind I think Hayden just shades Gilly. His amazing concentration and ability to play a long innings just edge him ahead of one of the most dangerous batsmen in cricket history.

My next two are Ponting and Dravid (incidently, I place Dravid and Laxman both ahead of Sach atm)

And I can't go past Steve Waugh for 5th. He's not all that stylish these days but on the other criteria, he rates highly. After all, he averages 100 over his last 6 Tests.

He's also (still) the batsman I'd send in to bat for my life.

Clokey's not going to be too impressed I couldn't find a spot for Charlie Lara but he's thereabouts. Is not the dangerous opponent he used to be. If it's any solace, mate, I rate him ahead of Tendulkar.

[Joe]

I have heard that a bloke called Donny is the best batter in the world at the moment.
He is followed by a hairy bloke in wombat.
Courageous Cloke is up there as well.

[HAL]

It's not unusual for a bloke called Donny to be. Who said that? The whole world?

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donny, Dravid ahead of the great 1?

[gobbles21]

Purely going on talent:
1)Myself (pitty i've never been in form)
2)Tandulkar
3)Gilly
4)Lara
5)Hayden

On recent form
1)Hayden
2)Waugh
3)Lara
4)Smith
5)Ponting

[piedys]