To find the best ODI batsman of the modern era, or the era of Sachin Tendulkar, we selected the time period of 01 January 1989 to 31 December 2015. The dates were so selected as Sachin made his debut in 1989 while Kumar Sangakkara, a late competitor of Sachin, retired in 2015. We have not included current batsmen in the list as it would be unfair to compare them to the batsmen of Sachin’s era as the game has changed considerably and more runs at a higher strike rate are scored in today’s ODI game. The selection criteria of the list was that the batsman should have completed his career during the above mentioned dates. Moreover, he should have scored at least 6,000 runs in the period at an average of more than 40.0 and a strike rate of more than 72.5. 10 batsmen fulfilled all these criteria and now they compete against each other across 11 disciplines for the title of Stat Sensei Greatest Modern ODI Batsman.
Primary Criteria
The 3 most important stats in which a player can earn a maximum of 200.0 points. The other batsmen are given points as a ratio of their performance to the top batsman
#1 Prolific
Points given for number of runs scored in career
#2 Consistent
Points given for career average
#3 Brisk
Points given for quick scoring ability, i.e. the strike rate
Secondary Criteria
8 other criteria in which a player can earn a maximum of 100.0 points. The other batsmen are given points as a ratio of their performance to the top batsman. In criteria where both runs and strike rate are considered, points are calculated by the formula: Average X 2.5 + Strike Rate.
#1 Dominant
Points given for boundary hitting ability. This is calculated by the balls taken to hit a boundary
#2 Big Innings Consistency
Points given for average number of innings taken to score a hundred
#3 Big Innings Potential
Points given for the 10 highest scores in the period
#4 In Devastating Mood
Points given for the 5 quickest innings in terms of strike rate with a minimum criteria of 50 runs.
#5 In Top Form
Points given for most runs scored in a calendar year
#6 Against Top Opposition
Points given for average and strike rate against teams which have a better than 1.0 Win Loss Ratio during the period. These teams are Australia, South Africa, India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.
#7 In Victories
Points given for average and strike rate in innings in which their nation won the match
#8 At The Big Stage
Points given for average and strike rate in ICC tournaments, i.e. the World Cup and the Champions Trophy. As the sample size is small here, we have another factor, of number of runs scored as a percentage, to the Points criteria.
The Final Rating
Total number of points in the 11 criteria reduced to per 1,000 points.
Stat Sensei Greatest ODI Batsman Of The Modern Era
