T20 Top batsmen: A look through a BCG graph

Using the BCG matrix, our expert analyses the top 21 batsmen in Twenty20 cricket.

Last week, Arvind Iyengar had a look at the top ODI batsmen using a graph method invented by BCG (Boston Consulting Group). It is a two-dimensional placement of performance and gives a clear visual indication of a batsman’s overall placement.

He had used the Batting Strike Rate and Batting Average as the X and Y axis variables. I feel there is a slight error in this since the Batting Average can be computed as Batting Strike Rate x Average Balls Faced Per Dismissed Innings. As such, there is a bit of double counting of the Batting Strike Rate. I feel we should use the Average Balls faced instead of the Batting Average to get a truly illustrative graph. One of these days, I will post the alternate graph on the ODI batsmen.

Here, I am going to apply the similar analysis on T20 batsmen. The only criterion is that the batsman should have crossed 500 runs. 21 batsmen qualify and that is a nice number. Large enough to have a meaningful analysis and small enough not to clutter the graph.

Let us see the graph now.

The top batsmen are in the top right quadrant. Pietersen is right on top there. McCullum and Hussey are just about there. Smith and Gayle are poised to move in there. These are the star T20 batsmen.

The group led by Yuvraj Singh, Jayawardene and Warner are in the bottom right quadrant. These are the batsmen who belong to the dashers category. If they stay, they would score faster, but their stay is below par.

The top left quadrant players are the stayers. Misbah-ul-Haq (where is he now?) is the leader and is followed by Kallis, Sangakkara and Salman Butt. It is possible that in T20s, one would prefer a batsman in the dasher category than the stayer category.

Now we come to the ***** (the original BCG terminology, representing the canine group, probably should not be used here). Let us instead call them the strugglers. They neither score fast nor do they stay. Certainly a batting liability for the team. Surprisingly Taylor, who scores breathtakingly fast in IPL, is the worst offender, followed by Kamran Akmal and again surprisingly, de Villiers.