The Cricket Pundits

A page full of Memes, banter, general analysis and discussion, mainly around Indian Cricket🏏.

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Space is Live 🙌

#BCCI #INDvsSA #T20WorldCup2026

https://t.co/iV4VeSqCal

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Playing only 2 pacers in England is plain stupid . @ShreyasIyer15 and @GautamGambhir need to pick players based on the conditions instead of just blindly trusting the matchups Data.

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

One of the most renowned Data Analysts connected with our team and presented this report to us.

The results show you who are your best Test allrounders in the last 30 Years outside their home conditions.

#BenStokes #Kallis #Jadeja

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

A much needed write up on Ben Stokes.

Posted on our mutual’s account for better reach and visibility 🙌

[Abhimanyu Kulkarni @abhi_kulkarni85]

How good is Ben Stokes?

Is he truly a great? Or is he overrated?

Opinions vary. Some are based on perception, some on statistics, and others on personal bias.

So what do the numbers actually say?

In modern Test cricket (since 2000), a genuine pace bowling all rounder is one of the rarest commodities. Batting at a high level is difficult. Bowling long spells in Test cricket is difficult. Doing both consistently for over a decade is extraordinary.

Take Irfan Pathan.

29 Tests
1105 runs @ 31.57
100 wickets @ 32.26

A very respectable record. Yet injuries prevented him from sustaining that level.

Or Colin de Grandhomme.

29 Tests
1432 runs @ 38.70
49 wickets @ 32.95

Again, a solid cricketer, but he couldn’t maintain the same value across all conditions.

That highlights the biggest challenge for seam bowling all rounders: longevity.

Now consider Ben Stokes.

He bowled 14,085 deliveries across his Test career, despite often playing purely as a batter due to injuries.

That’s approximately 77 deliveries per bowling innings.

For comparison, Jacques Kallis bowled about 74 deliveries per bowling innings during his career.

Is Stokes better than Kallis?

No. Kallis is arguably the greatest Test all rounder ever.

But after Kallis, who has matched Stokes in workload and impact?

Andrew Flintoff?

3845 runs @ 31.77
226 wickets @ 32.78

Shane Watson?

3731 runs @ 35.19
75 wickets @ 33.68

Chris Cairns?

3320 runs @ 33.53
218 wickets

Lance Klusener?

1906 runs @ 32.86
80 wickets @ 37.91

Now compare that with Ben Stokes.

7237 Test runs @ 34.46
252 wickets @ 30.98
13 years at the highest level

The numbers alone put him among the finest modern pace bowling all rounders.

But statistics don’t fully explain Ben Stokes.

His greatness lies in moments.

Running in during his 11th over after returning from injury because his team needed a breakthrough.

Producing arguably the greatest Ashes innings ever at Headingley.

Scoring 258 off fewer than 200 balls in South Africa.

Making a Test hundred on debut in Australia against an elite attack.

Winning matches with bat, ball, catches and captaincy when England needed someone to change the game.

Stokes wasn’t the most technically gifted batter, nor the greatest fast bowler.

He was a cricketer who repeatedly delivered when the game demanded something extraordinary.

His inconsistency was also part of who he was.

One day he’d produce an innings worthy of the very best. On another he’d play a reckless shot and walk back cheaply.

One spell he’d bowl at 140 kph, moving the old ball both ways. Another spell he’d struggle for rhythm.

That unpredictability wasn’t because he lacked ability. It was because he constantly pushed himself to influence matches.

He competed.

In an era where many players prioritise franchise cricket, Stokes continued to put Test cricket first despite repeated injuries.

As captain, he completely transformed England’s approach to Test cricket, making them one of the most entertaining sides in the world.

People often judge Stokes purely by his averages.

That misses the point.

Impact isn’t just about career averages.

It’s about changing the course of a Test match when it matters most.

Very few players in modern cricket have influenced more memorable Test matches than Ben Stokes.

No, he isn’t Jacques Kallis.

But after Kallis, there’s a very strong argument that Ben Stokes has been the greatest pace bowling all rounder of the modern era.

Happy retirement, Ben.

Test cricket is richer because you played it.
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@TCPofficial_X

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

https://t.co/Ca9hAxEMca

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Wait for Mumbai Lobby and for Samson-Abhishek to milk their new found fame.

That's how Team BCCI rolls

[Mufaddal Vohra @mufaddal_vohra]

VAIBHAV SOORYAVANSHI HAS TO WAIT. ✋

Ryan Ten Doeschate said, "Vaibhav is absolutely ready to play internationals, but you can't leave Sanju Samson out. He played a major role for us in World Cup win. We want to give players a long run. Vaibhav has to wait for his opportunity".

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Overrated player

[Sanjay Manjrekar @sanjaymanjrekar]

India A showing their mettle v Afghanistan when it mattered, under pressure. Tilak Verma leading by example, loving his commitment to this tournament for somone who is an established India star. 👏👏👏

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

😹😹😹😹

#CricketTwitter

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

The women's team has a grand total of:

1 ICC trophy.

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

https://t.co/QUzYUqnV2F

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

It’s his own fault that this dream remained unfinished.

Fitting really. He doesn’t deserve to win an ODI World Cup.

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

https://t.co/5xBWqUui8X

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Ishan Kishan is a future India captain

Mark this.

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

Media loves Kohli lol tf you on about 🧑‍🦯

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

https://t.co/mpeOv2updm

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Relevant star power anymore, OUTSIDE of Social media sites.

Whether he does get dropped or not is secondary, but the fact that these calls are now coming from his stronghold in the Mumbai Lobby is what makes this news even more pertinent.

Let’s see what the future holds for him

[The Cricket Pundits @TCPofficial_X]

Heard something really interesting from our source today:

There are calls from selectors to drop Rohit Sharma from the SA WC, for mainly three reasons:

1) Rohit has a very poor record in SA ( average of 19 in 20 innings)

2) Age factor

3) Selectors believe he doesn't have

[Sahil Malhotra @Sahil_Malhotra1]

Rohit Sharma very rusty in the nets so far.

Prasidh Krishna delivery hits him on the right thumb, plenty hitting the maker’s mark on the bat and then thick outside edge to a Arshdeep Singh delivery.

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

He's better 🧑🏽‍🦯

She won't survive a week facing the quality of bowling he does.

Women's cricket supporters should ideally never compare their players to male cricketers. Its like comparing a Royal carriage to a Car. One has a horse, another Horse-Power.

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

The hell is this garbage batting 🧑‍🦯

Shame on the @BCCI selectors for picking this pile of shit in ODIs

[Big Bren @Bilkl_ricks_nai]

18k runs in 426 innings at an average of 42 (International cricket)

Rohit in total has 20k runs at an average of 41 in 507 innings 🧑‍🦯

[Supreme Leader Vicky Sher🐅 @VickySri96]

https://t.co/l3kBOGZ6Z0