While showcasing the batsman’s consistency, batting averages also guide you to compare batters.
But there are a few unfair comparisons regarding batting averages, which we have discussed below after the calculation.
Why is it unfair to compare the batting averages of batsmen of different eras?
It is important to note that the benchmarks of the batting average varied through the period. If 40-50 was termed an ideal ODI batting average 10 years back, it has slightly increased now, with the run-scoring becoming relatively easy day by day. So, comparing the batting average of two batters of different eras might not be a good idea.
For instance, imagine the glory a team would get on chasing a score of 300+ in an ODI match in the 1990s, and it has become a common trend nowadays. You can look at the teamwise number of successful 300+ chases in ODIs here to understand what I am stating.
Why is it unfair to compare the batting averages of batsmen of different batting positions?
When you play at different positions for your team, the roles and responsibilities change. It impacts the run flow and opportunity for a batsman to play longer. For instance, sometimes, a century innings from an opening batsman might be valued less than a short but important match-winning knock from a lower-order batsman at a crucial time for the team. Batting averages don’t calibrate that. It is just a number thing. And, that is why we came up with the ideal batting averaging benchmark for the batsmen of different batting positions.
On that note, being a lower-order batsman will also increase the chances of you staying not out, which will directly enhance your batting average. For instance, Michael Bevan has a better ODI average (53.58) than his teammate Ricky Ponting (41.81), even though Ponting’s runs-to-innings ratio is higher than Bevan in the format.
The number is huge because of Bevan’s position he batted for Australia and the number of not-outs he had in his career. I am not in any way belittling Bevan’s contributions to his team here. He has been an outstanding match-winner for them. Lower order batting is one of the difficult jobs in cricket. But it proves that it is unfair to compare two batsmen’s averages while batting at different positions.
