The best batsman since Bradman

It’s been debated ever since he retired in 1948, but who is the best batsman since Don Bradman last played?

Names like Viv Richards, Sachin Tendulkar, Barry Richards, Graham Gooch and Greg Chappell get thrown around, based on records, performances and character, with 200-Test run machine Tendulkar the popular choice as Bradman’s heir.

But after his 36th Test ton and ascension to fourth on the most Test centuries list, Kumar Sangakkara’s name must join the debate.

The Sri Lankan now averages 58.53 through 123 Tests, and among those to have played 25 Tests or more, is bettered by only Bradman, England pair Herbert Sutcliffe and Ken Barrington and West Indian Everton Weekes.

Highest career batting averages, min. 25 matches

Sangakkara is in elite company, but when you break down his statistics a little further and remove the games when he was the designated wicketkeeper, the results are astonishing.

Sangakkara career

The burden of wicketkeeping clearly hampered his output as a batsman, but nobody could have predicted he would be such a prolific run scorer without the gloves.

Statistically, Sangakkara is practically peerless (except for Bradman) as a batsman only, and dominates all of the modern greats over the past 15 years, including names like Tendulkar (53.78), Ponting (51.85), Kallis (55.37), Lara (52.88), Dravid (52.31), Yousuf (52.29) and Chanderpaul (52.19), to name a few.

Playing as a batsman, Sangakkara has been ruthless against all opposition, home and away. He’s ‘struggled’ against England, averaging 43.80 in nine Tests, but has feasted on the two bottom-ranked Test nations, plundering Bangladesh (124.00) and Zimbabwe (140.50), while he enjoys the spinning wickets his country produces more than anywhere in the world.

Sangakkara the batsman v opposition

Sangakkara the batsman at home, away and neutral venues

As a batsman he’s an automatic selection in any world team, but Sangakkara is still seen as a wicketkeeper-batsman, so how does he stack up against his rivals with the gloves?

Highest Test averages for designated wicketkeepers, min. 2000 runs

The table above shows why Adam Gilchrist is often the preferred wicketkeeper in world teams, averaging 47.60 with a strike rate of 81.95, yet such is his overall record, Sangakkara is becoming a near irresistible choice when the 'best since Bradman' debate inevitably emerges.