So this GOAT cricket thing was buzzing everywhere last weekend. Seriously, couldn’t scroll five minutes without someone screaming about Sachin or Bradman or Kohli. Thought, “Right, enough noise, let’s actually figure this out myself.“
The Messy Research Rabbit Hole
Cracked open the laptop, fired up the search. Typed “greatest cricketer ever” feeling pretty confident. Boy, was I wrong. Instantly felt like I’d walked into a shouting match. Stats sites, fan forums, old articles – everyone yelling louder than the last person. Had this Gavaskar guy showing crazy numbers from ages ago, then Kohli fans popping up screaming about hundreds like they’re candy. Sachin supporters? Man, they’re everywhere. Points flying left and right. “Longest career!” “Highest run-maker!” “Most centuries!” My head started spinning. Got distracted clicking on videos of Shane Warne spinning the ball like it was magic. Spent way too long on that.
Trying to Find My Own Path
Decided needed my own approach, some kinda sense to all this shouting. Scribbled down names on a notepad:
- Don Bradman (this old-timer everyone kept mentioning with scary numbers)
- Sachin Tendulkar (the dude felt like cricket god growing up)
- Viv Richards (seen clips, looked terrifying to bowl at)
- Shane Warne (spinner guy, made things look unfair)
- Jacques Kallis (this guy seemed to do everything quietly)
Started digging into each one properly. Bradman’s average? Like 99.94. What even IS that? Felt like checking if the stats page was broken. Sachin’s mountain of runs… just endless. Viv smashing bowlers like he owned them. Kallis quietly scoring tons AND taking hundreds of wickets? Didn’t make sense.
Arguments Everywhere
See, the problem was every expert I read had a different favourite flavour. Felt like asking five chefs for the best dish ever – getting five different answers.
- Bradman fans yelled, “Peak performance! Never touched!” Made sense.
- Sachin fans roared, “Did it for decades, against everyone!” Also hard to argue.
- Modern lovers backed Kohli or Smith, pointing to tougher competition now.
- Bowler fans (like me with Warne) insisted, “Winning games with just ball? That’s special!“
Even found people fighting about comparing across generations. “Bradman never faced modern bowling!” “Sachin played on worse pitches!” “Kohli has better fitness science!” Started feeling hopeless, like maybe there IS no single answer. Poured another coffee.
My Realization (After Much Head-Banging)
After hours down this rabbit hole, truth kinda hit me. Searching for THE ONE GOAT? Pointless exercise. Different times, different jobs, different challenges. Bradman’s average is nuts, Sachin’s longevity was insane, Viv changed how people played, Warne won games alone, Kallis did two jobs brilliantly. Who is “best” totally depends on what YOU care about most – raw stats? Long career? Entertainment? Impact on winning? Being scary?
Gotta be honest, started feeling exhausted. Closed about twenty tabs. Final thought? They’re all giants. Picking one feels like saying your favourite kid. Mostly, fans just argue hardest for the player they grew up watching anyway. Pretty sure I won’t change anyone’s mind. Coffee was cold.
