Who is the greatest squash player of all time? | Beyond The Glass

Joey Barrington and guests debate who is the best squash player ever. Share your thoughts in the comments!
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[@squashtv]

Watch the full episode 👇 lddy.no/1k3ju

[@Kwistenbiebel100-ns5ko]

I don't know if the greatest but Shabana was definitely the coolest and a gentleman to the game.

[@jhwheuer]

My thoughts exactly.

[@marksullivan3424]

As a lefty my favourite player for sure

[@nitinkapoor4752]

I agree. He was the most sophisticated of all… fine, subtle…quiet …

[@fm1326]

At one time jb was commentating on him and said technically he's the best player of the modern era

[@MattMarshallUK]

The video length can't be a coincidence 😉

[@zd8594]

Can't believe I missed that. Great catch! 👏

[@condition4golf]

Over 5 years unbeaten is unreal from Jahangir but Ramy changed the way the game is played and was so exciting to watch. Impossible decision to make…

[@ZeeShaanJamal]

Jansher Khan - all the way, through every way Beach can't see past Ramy, because at Beach's best, Ramy was still better than him & that clouds one's judgement, the comment from PJ about Jahangir keeping Ramy out of his natural rhythm hit home hard, as that is exactly the kind of tactical finesse that kept Jansher up there, even in the later years of his career (the constant change of pace, not allowing players to play at their preferred pace & rhythm) + not to mention, the guy could read the game better than anyone ever has This is no way takes away from Ramy or Jahangir or any of the other greats of the game, for they are all simply phenomenal and exceptionally unique in their styles and approach to the game, but there was only one guy who reigned over the most transitionary period of Squash, where the scoring was switched, tins were lowered (The British Open was still played to the older rules up until 1995 & he reigned supreme there as well while dominating the rest of the tournaments being played under different scoring and lower tin height, to accomplish this he had to change his approach to the game, doing a complete 180, from being the best retriever in the game, to the most concise finisher of rallies via winners and positional play; thus proving mastery of the multiple formats of the sport & all of this happened while he was at the top of the Squash world) & that player ladies & gentlemen, was the great Jansher Khan

[@simesaid]

Yeah, I'm kind of torn on this question, at least when it comes to the guys, anyway. I grew up during the Aussie golden age of squash, and worshipped guys like Rod, Ditz, and Chris. Rods ability to win matches straight off his racket by literally smashing 27 nicks in a row was simply awesome to witness. The way Ditz was able to use his physical size and presence on the court to dominate matches from the T was also impressive, especially when you stop to consider that he was one of the game's greatest ambassadors, and one of the fairest players you'd ever be likely to see. And that Chris Robertson would have to beat at least _one_ of these two guys, _plus_ a Jahangir or Janshir in order to take a title, and do so playing his exhausting defensive hustle style of game, well... it doesn't make them very easy to split! They each could have, and indeed _did,_ prevail over all pretenders when it was their day. All that said though, for an impressionable kid with great aspirations, it was the great and mighty Jahangir Khan that stood aloof and alone, above and better than all others, within my Pantheon of squash idols... I _wanted_ Rodney or Ditz or Chris to beat him, but they very rarely did. He was a force of nature, a consummate professional, and ultimately the most complete squash great of his era. I read his book, "Winning Squash", so much that it ended up quite literally falling apart in my hands! So, yeah, when I saw this video come up in my feed with the question "who is the GOAT?" I didn't really even have to think about it, there were players that had more attractive styles, and there were certainly players that were more likeable in terms of their personalities, but when it comes down to who was _the_ most professional, who was _the_ most disciplined, who was_the_ fittest, who was _the_ best strategist... when it comes down to who, objectively, was _the_ greatest squash player of all time, well, I didn't even have to think about it, really. For me, the all-time GOAT in squash, the player most deserving that rarefied title just had to be, naturally enough... Jansher Khan. And, yeah, I guess I'd never thought about it before, because I never really liked the guy all too much, yet his was the name that just naturally percolated up through the past 40-odd years I've been in love with the sport. He wasn't _the_ best ever exponent of any single element of the game, but if he wasn't the best then he was still pretty bloody close. And he was like that in _every single last element of the game!_ I may not have liked him too much, I'm not sure if anyone really did, but this ain't a popularity contest, is it? The only question that matters is the following one: Who, all other things being equal, was more likely to win against any other player on any given day? Or, to frame it slightly differently, if you could only back one guy to win, and if your very life was riding on the result, who would that player be? Take a bow, Jansher Khan. And take a rest, too, you bloody-well deserve it! Because for nearly two whole decades there you were absolutely _unbreakable._

[@ZeeShaanJamal]

@@simesaid that's an exceptionally penned (typed) response & a welcome addition to this conversation 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 Thank you for sharing your quite uniquely informed & non biased perspective & also much gratitude for not conflating this with a popularity contest among the players, as that is generally plagued by recency bias in pretty much all debates of this nature Thanks for the input once again 🙏🏼

[@simesaid]

@@ZeeShaanJamal haha, thanks mate! I actually forgot to add a note in there saying that I'd thoroughly enjoyed reading your comment, too! And I mean that both in terms of the correct grammar* you employed, and in terms of the 'essay' style that you wrote it in. It reminded me of some of the excellent sports writing that one used to find in Squash Player magazine. I really did very much enjoy reading your thoughts on the matter! It's so rare to find written text these days, and I mean _any_ written text, that you don't have to edit on the fly simply to make sense of it... I probably only come across a small handful of such examples each week, and yours was one of them. Well said! There were a few other players that I probably should have mentioned in my comment, too. Geoff Hunt certainly deserved an honorable mention. And he probably edges out both Barrington and Norman for the title of best player during the amateur era. Nick Mathews was also a very fine player, and not to mention a great ambassador for the sport. And there was someone else that I omitted to mention, and for whom it would be an unforgivable crime were I to forget them again... Ali Farag, take a bow, young man - you get my gong for the best player of the modern era! * This issue may be something that - with proofreading now having gone the same way as the dodo - is a terribly unpopular position to hold these days. Though exactly why this might be the case remains a mystery. I mean, what's wrong with wanting other people to understand what it is your trying to say? When did being misunderstood suddenly become the 'new black'? And, crucially, if you don't care one way or another how people interpret what you've written, then why bloody bother writing anything in the first place!!!??? I don't get it, I really don't. I mean, how is utter chaos liberating? It's not enough any longer to merely have to absorb other peoples bad ideas, no, now you have to try and guess what position a person is trying to take, then extrapolate, then mentally _edit_ the comment yourself... _just to make sense of it!_ It might not be fashionable, but how I miss the old days of commenting - that time when people meant what they said, and you _knew_ what they meant! Have a great day!

[@sillysod33]

Very well written and very well argued 👍🏼

[@ZeeShaanJamal]

​@@simesaid Thank you for your kind words, I sincerely appreciate 'em 😊 Thoroughly enjoyed your follow up as well, pleasure to read through and I have to agree with your declaration regarding a certain Mr. Ali Farag, the man is exceptional & I absolutely love seeing him play + hold so much respect for his approach to the game and how he conducts himself on the court. It's the stuff legendary role models are made of I totally agree with your take on online communication as well, it's a shame that public discourse has dissed the course... and to make matters worse, I feel this has spilled over in to one on one, or rather in person meetings as well. People don't approach any topic as an opportunity to have some additional knowledge via intelligent (and often opposing) input anymore, but rather a battlefield, where one's already held position, needs absolute defence absolutely. This allows me to dovetail on your observed point; if one's not open to having their mind changed, then why bother with the rigours of an argument in the first place? I was in a very privileged position to travel with the PSA tour back in 2007 & 2009 for some of their tournaments (also wrote match reports for a squash website back then) & had the unique opportunity to ask the question about the 'greatest ever' to players such as; Peter Nicol, Amr Shabana, Ramy & Hisham Ashour, Jonathon Power, Martin Heath, Thierry Lincou, James & Malcolm Willstrop, Nick Matthew & a few others who are escaping my immediate recall at the moment. Their answers were intriguing and insightful to say the least. Some pondered through an array of dishevelled thoughts to arrive at a fairly coherent response, while others shot off answers which were laden with salient observations. I was able to etch some of 'em into permanence via some tribute videos I made for Jansher Khan back then, which have enjoyed a fair bit of interest over the last 15+ years on KZbin 😊 Once again, thanks for your contribution to this conversation, I wish all discourse on public platforms takes inspiration from this good spirited debate & continues to field all sides of any given argument respectfully

[@adriandingle8640]

Squash has never been more beautiful than Ramy in his prime. More longevity from the Khans and Mohammed but he played the best squash of all time.

[@timinri]

On the edge of my seat for this. I will have you know I was hands down the BrownU Advanced Intramural champ. Not even dropping a game, comparable to Mr Khan.

[@mellowmonsoon278]

Sherbini has the potential to be the GOAT. We are in the golden era of women’s squash. Men’s is not even a question. Remy all the way.

[@brianoconnor2623]

Ramy by his own admission says Jansher.

[@apt981]

funny. you are funny.

[@mellowmonsoon278]

@@brianoconnor2623 He is being nice.

[@mellowmonsoon278]

@@apt981 Don’t indulge yourself too much in front of the mirror

[@jona1575]

Agree that Sherbini can be the GOAT. She will probably surpass Nicol on the number of British Open and World Champ titles, but Nicol will probably keep the record for number of weeks at No. 1 (total and consecutive). I'm not sure it's the golden era now though. I think golden era was when Nicol, Raneem, Sherbini, Massaro, Serme, Joelle, Grinhams were playing. Last few years just seems to be Nouran v Nour..

[@brettram8099]

I’m so glad Heather McKay was mentioned, her record and talent regardless of era should always be appreciated

[@ZulKongsiChannel]

Man - Ramy Ashour Woman - Nicol David

[@losuk8]

Ramey was great but he couldn’t dominate the man game

[@chaiinspace2]

I'm Malaysian. But Heather Mckay lost only 2 matches in 20 years of playing.

[@stuartwallis6560]

Jahangia every time. First saw him live at 16 through to his last games, absolutely brilliant.

[@B1J0D]

I didn't watch or play squash before 2013. So for me, it's Nick Matthews with Ramy close up (he could have lead if he remained injury free).

[@johnfromireland7551]

Jahangir Khan was something else. There are YT videos of him playing!!

[@richardm6]

Head to head: Ramy 22 wins vs Matthew 11 wins... (Ramy doesn't have a losing record against any player)

[@amr0c]

I do think there's two perspectives to take on this question. First there's the player that is capable of winning the most over their career, the most able to consistently perform at a higher average level than anyone else. So like Jansher, Jahangir, Nicole David, Sherbini. But then there's the player that is capable, on their best day, of playing the greatest squash, the player with the highest ceiling ability. For me that goes to Ramy. What do you think, any other contenders in this second category?

[@ChrisSinclair-n7n]

Can only be Heather McKay. She was unbeaten for 18 years. “Unbeaten” doesn’t mean as the World #1, but that she did not lose one match in 18 years. She very rarely dropped a game.

[@abdiver12]

Everyone here seems to be discussing apples and oranges. There's a difference between who has had the greatest, most impressive career of all time and who you would choose to play one match for your life. For the former, it would have to be Jahangir who went unbeaten for 5.5 years and over 500 matches and won 10 British Opens in a row. Most dominant athlete not only in the history of squash but possibly in all of SPORT. But when it comes to the latter, I would agree with Lee that Ramy is the man. When he was healthy, he was untouchable. He cannot be called the GOAT however because he couldn't stay healthy long enough to dominate over a long period like Jahangir, and even if it wasn't his fault, staying healthy and having longevity is still part of the game.

[@richardm6]

Absolutely spot on☝

[@losuk8]

but one thing you already said it just a discussion😂

[@adeelmoeen6732]

Jhangir khan of pakistan was greatest player.

[@mohammadhassanofficial638]

Jahangir khan the living legend and gem of squash no one is near his achievements the best all time

[@Batesey117]

I’m sorry, I’m going Jonathon Power

[@mjhastings4534]

Heather McKay

[@chaiinspace2]

Agreed.

[@mohamedabbas2443]

Ramy Ashour and Nour Sherbini

[@OPCRecords]

Ramy is the🐐

[@klintonspuyt434]

El Sherbini

[@Hallucinatingfreak]

Ramy Ashour no one was ever better than him? Injured over 40 times in his leg and took 7 month off in 2014 and cam and dethroned Shorbagy in the world open, Jahangir who? How many times did Ramy come back from total rest or injury to beat everHe also played in the era where there was John White, Palmer, Willstrop at his prime, Nick Matthew, Shaban and Darwish. I agree with LB

[@simondonaldson4762]

Heather Mckay and the 2 Khans. Ive seen heather played once. She barely ran around the crt. You could put a 10c coin on the court. Same lenght everytime hitting that 10c coin. Then watched the top female players that day in the world championship. They did not even come close to her skill level. That was in 89

[@toksmachine69]

Rodney Martin took Jahangir out of his comfort zone so much so i recall JK actually timewasting. The game has sped up since and Ramy is/was the epitomy of the modern game. In short, I'd say Ramy, he changed the game. I watched both play and with JK, i was amazed by his phenomenal pace and power. Ramy had that and unbelievable shot making.

[@Fuzcapp]

FFS - Heather MacKay ... hands down. Jansher Khan, Jahingar Khan - toss a coin.

[@mellowmonsoon278]

Nah not Heather

[@chaiinspace2]

​@@mellowmonsoon278 why not? She's undefeated in 20 years of playing

[@Lol-ro3dd]

I totally agree with P.J.

[@mikehardwicke23]

Enormous deepening of quality in women's game now.

[@iraptichka]

Jonathon Power and Peter Nicol ❤ forever!

[@nitinkapoor4752]

Since I have met Ramy personally 🙃 …it’s got to be Ramy 🕺

[@adriankelly900]

Look at Heather McKay’s stats. There is no debate!

[@TheN00bPolice]

Shabana spent two years at number 1 in the most competitive era of the game and didn’t even get a mention?

[@richardm6]

Shabana is a true great and was wonderful to watch, but... compared to Ramy: Head to head: Ramy 13 wins vs Shabana 9 wins Ramy career win record 358/435 matches (82.3%) vs Shabana 415/580 (71.6%)

[@TheN00bPolice]

@@richardm6stop using statistics like a drunk uses a lamp post - for support rather than illumination. Head to heads mean little in Squash as do total career wins because it doesn’t factor in the quality of each opponent. I could do a similar reductive analysis and blow your arguments into oblivion. Months at number 1: Shabana 33 months, Ramy 21 months. Shabana is a massive 57.1% better at performing consistently through the entire season at the highest possible level, and retaining the highest achievement the sport has to offer. World Championship titles: Amr Shabana won a total of 4 World Championship titles in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2009. Ramy Ashour won a total of 3 World Championship titles 2008, 2012, and 2014. Shabana is 33.3% better at winning the most prestigious title in the world that all players build their entire season around peaking for.

[@richardm6]

@@TheN00bPolice You started the use of stats by saying Shabbs was #1 for 2 years... Funny thing is, I was agreeing with you that Shabana is a true great, but you went straight to insults. Nice one champ.

[@TheN00bPolice]

@@richardm6where did I insult you? You saying something stupid != you being stupid. Also, you were replying to my comment, and my stat is relevant to overall ability metric (number 1 status incorporates amount of wins, level of opponents as well physical conditioning requirement to back up tournament to tournament, whereas head to head or total career wins does not) You can post your own thoughts in your own comment without trying to refute mine with flawed analysis. One thing Ramy devotees don’t like to accept is that part and parcel of being the greatest is having the athletic genetics to do so. The fact that Ramy’s body continually broke down whereas Shabana’s didn’t is testimony to a genetic athletic superiority, which is part and parcel of the “natural talent” of any athlete (as well as their commitment to keeping their body in shape through active measures). So the fact that Ramy spent half of his career limping at 80% of his potential is testament to how he wasn’t the greatest, rather than the opposite.

[@MoEhabS]

Ramy all the way 🏆

[@stevehughes1510]

McKay and Jahangir.

[@andres190393]

Jansher and Sherbini for me, Ramy could had been the goat if he would had been injury free

[@MrMarinelliBio]

The only correct answer has to be Heather McKay - look up her records... how many years she played undefeated. Crazy.

[@78AdamSky]

Ramy Ashour, when free of injuries, was the true GOAT in squash.

[@hamzatatta952]

Janshangire was thee greatest he also had to adapt too three different types of rackets

[@marksullivan3424]

Ramy

[@Dentos19]

I don’t think you can say who’s the greatest, there are different eras with jahinger and jansher ruling the game for 19 years,heather makay if Australia with 18 British open titles,the game has now changed ,better rackets coaches a nd nutrition, it’s a great game so let’s all enjoy todays game👍🥳🥰

[@VARMOT123]

No one compares athletes across generations like that . Iyt is about how much they dominated thwir generations . Jahangir Khan did it no other in any sport

[@davidmartino4284]

Susan Devoy dominated the women's game for years.

[@SalmanAhmad-ul8er]

Jan sher khan both junior and senior world champ at the same time 8 world open champ and walking style and beating Jahangir 19 times I believe, Well its my humble opinion

[@apt981]

Hashim Khan is also in the mix. along with his brother Azim Khan

[@davidpriem1157]

Not sure we really got anywhere 😂

[@johnfromireland7551]

Is Joey the son of Jonah Barrington?!! And wasn't Jonah the best ever?! And why was his name not mentioned?

[@jackieking1522]

Susan Devoy?? Geoff Hunt?? Jonah?? How about the earlier Egyptians whose names I've never known..... Ramy though.... because he seemed to enjoy himself. And El Sherbini .. for grace in adversity.

[@joaquimpattonpuig3326]

Jahangir khan, the best !!!

[@CheapHomeTech]

#1 is JK. Even if all the top players played at the same time JK would not lose a game to any of them. #2 is Ramy.

[@Gamesportsagency]

Legend of legends JEHANGIR KHAN !

[@syedqaisarabbas6959]

❤I'll go with JK

[@michael.forkert]

Ramy Ashour.

[@cookesam6]

This seemed uncomfortably serious 😅

[@aminaelrihany8844]

Raneem

[@PatrickCuba8]

Overall: Ramy.... Men: Ramy...... if men could play in the women's division: Ramy.... 🤣

[@brianoconnor2623]

Paul Johnson is right.

[@dfrankmaurice]

These people do not even know the Khans?

[@M.ZamanOfficial]

Jk

[@machumway]

Any answer but Ramy is wrong

[@firazash]

Deeply flawed views - recency and style bias. Ramy was exciting for his time but that does not make him a goat. There are many goats and you can only bucket some so long as you define a criteria first. Ramy and Asal shootout - who wins? What could Ramy possibly do to Farag? Jansher was one of the goat - hand any player today that racquet and see if they can play the same.

[@losuk8]

So far, no one like Nicol David who dominates the woman game and hold the rank number one for such a long time like she does. By the way Nicol David photo should be part of the front page by SquashTV

[@chaiinspace2]

Heather McKay was undefeated for almost 20 years.

[@user-kw4zy9jh8h]

Jansher khan

[@user-kw4zy9jh8h]

Heather McKay