81 All Out

The purple patch of Ben Stokes has provoked a lot of discussion about the greatest allrounders. We take a deep-dive to talk about the role of allrounders in Test cricket, the great allrounders over the years, and how to make sense of their immense contributions. Our guests for the episode are Arj and Rav. They have recently started a cricket project called CricVestigate which aspires to uncover hidden cricket truths - past and present, and to provide alternative opinions and analysis. Talking points: What is a good definition for an allrounder? The allrounder index created by CricVestigate to rank the allrounders Batting allrounders vs Bowling allrounders Great cricketer vs Great allrounder The pitfalls of the allrounder obsession and its impact on team balance Narrative fallacies around allrounders - mixing formats, aggregate career stats vs peak phase stats Is it possible to nurture an allrounder? Do the different skills of an allrounder necessarily add value to the team? Are wicketkeeper-batsmen allrounder