Best left arm seamer?

[NZTailender]

So, let's have another poll and yet another discussion on "the best of X category".


Basically, rate and discuss the left arm seamers. What they've done and how they may go in the future.

 

[Richard]

In ODIs - Ian Bradshaw or Nathan Bracken.

In Tests - Chaminda Vaas, likewise.

So no vote for me.

 

[crickhowell]

Chaminda Vass without a doubt. He's no Wasim Akram but he is one of the best bowlers in the world and a long way ahead of any other left armer since Akrams retirement.

 

[tooextracool]

In ODIs - Ian Bradshaw, no competition.

How on earth is Bradshaw a better bowler than Bracken let alone by a distance? they both have similar ERs with Bracken clearly a far superior wicket taker.

 

[Richard]

Forgot Bracken. Bracken has only been a side-member for a season-and-a-half though. And his ER has gone up in that time.

 

[Jono]

Bracken in ODIs, Vaas in tests.

 

[DCC_legend]

Chaminda Vaas, been consistantly good for ages now.

 

[Richard]

Chaminda Vaas, been consistantly good for ages now.

Those 2 just don't go together.

 

[Matt79]

Hate to vote against Chaminda, but he's not a young man anymore. Bracken has taken his bowling to another level in the last 12 months and would be playing test cricket for any other team in the world, even England with their current injury concerns.

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha Blaze...

 

[Turbinator]

The thing is not everyone expects the conditions to be suitable for the batsmen. That is why we see a lot of youngsters not using the power plays to their advantage.

 

[Smudge]

Haha Blaze...

I was about to vote for Perera as well until I realised it said "seamer" and not "slinger".

 

[Matt79]

The thing is not everyone expects the conditions to be suitable for the batsmen. That is why we see a lot of youngsters not using the power plays to their advantage.

Abstract - i like it.

 

[Richard]

Hate to vote against Chaminda, but he's not a young man anymore. Bracken has taken his bowling to another level in the last 12 months and would be playing test cricket for any other team in the world, even England with their current injury concerns.

You reckon lots of teams (South Africa...? ) would take a guy with a Test average in the 50s?

 

[Richard]

The thing is not everyone expects the conditions to be suitable for the batsmen. That is why we see a lot of youngsters not using the power plays to their advantage.

Wrong thread?

Can't see that that's a reply to anything said in this thread, less still the post above it.

 

[Prince EWS]

You reckon lots of teams (South Africa...? ) would take a guy with a Test average in the 50s?

To be fair, he has improved his bowling quite a bit since his last test. I still don't think he'd make the South African or English teams though.

 

[Richard]

To suggest he'd be selected ahead of Munaf, Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan is stretching it a bit.

And as for Shoaib, Asif, Shabbir, Gul and Shahid Nazir... (and don't forget those mighty bowlers Rana Naved-Ul-Hasan, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and even... wait for it... Mohammad Sami...)

IMO the only Test sides you could make a case for Bracken having a chance of being a pick for are SL and WI. Maybe NZ, but only maybe, as Bond and Franklin are certainties and I don't see that he's any better or worse than Chris Martin or Kyle Mills, who currently seem to be next cabs-off-the-rank. And that's before you even think about the fact that Daryl Tuffey surely has to come back sometime...

 

[Prince EWS]

To suggest he'd be selected ahead of Munaf, Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan is stretching it a bit.

And as for Shoaib, Asif, Shabbir, Gul and Shahid Nazir... (and don't forget those mighty bowlers Rana Naved-Ul-Hasan, Rao Iftikhar Anjum and even... wait for it... Mohammad Sami...)

IMO the only Test sides you could make a case for Bracken having a chance of being a pick for are SL and WI. Maybe NZ, but only maybe, as Bond and Franklin are certainties and I don't see that he's any better or worse than Chris Martin or Kyle Mills, who currently seem to be next cabs-off-the-rank. And that's before you even think about the fact that Daryl Tuffey surely has to come back sometime...

Well he certainly wouldn't make the Pakistan side if they were at full strength. I think he'd make the NZ side - he's a better bowler than Martin and Mills IMO. He has improved out of sight since the early days of his test career.

He's better than Munaf also IMO, so he'd make the India side.

Also Richard, does your first chance average work for bowlers as well? I recall Bracken having about 5 catches dropped off his bowling in a test early in his career against India.

 

[age_master]

Bracken in ODIs, Vaas in tests.

both by quite a margin at the moment.

 

[Richard]

Well he certainly wouldn't make the Pakistan side if they were at full strength. I think he'd make the NZ side - he's a better bowler than Martin and Mills IMO. He has improved out of sight since the early days of his test career.

He's better than Munaf also IMO, so he'd make the India side.

Also Richard, does your first chance average work for bowlers as well? I recall Bracken having about 5 catches dropped off his bowling in a test early in his career against India.

Well... it "works" if someone makes it up. Statistics don't "work", they're just... there... if someone compiles them!

You could quite easily do such thing for bowlers (wouldn't be a first-chance average where they're concerned, though - more an all-chance bowling-average) and would IMO have some merit. If there's no difference as far as a batsman's concerned, there's certainly none for a bowler either.

But as for Munaf... No way. Munaf is a serious bowler, he's looked The Biz every time he's stepped onto a Test field (except, obviously, the half-fit-at-best most recent game, which was something of an embarrassment to all concerned - even Vikram Rajvir Singh would have been a far better choice). Bracken hasn't.