Discord

[Richard]

So you feel that he didn't reach his potential, which I more or less agree with, but how does that make him over rated?

Because I think many people feel he did achieve his potential.

 

[Richard]

I haven't ever heard of Thommo being called a great bowler though, merely that he was fast.

I have, many times - mostly by Australians I might add.

And TBF, he was... for all of 2 seasons. Then he was pretty good for a few more (missing loads in between) but no more than pretty good.

 

[nightprowler10]

Because I think many people feel he did achieve his potential.

Maybe I'm missing something but wouldn't that mean people are under rating his potential?

 

[Richard]

Well you could think of it like that I suppose, but I tend to think of it as more overrating his output.

Anyways, the question Yawer asked was "is Wasim overrated?" I was able to answer "yes" this way whereas I'd have had to answer "no" otherwise.

 

[PhoenixFire]

maybe not, but then that is is his skill and his speed is what makes him special. Would Warne have had as many wickets if he turned it slightly less?????

Yeah his ability to bowl at serious pace, and with some seriously good accuracy for his pace makes him pretty special. I have no doubt that had he had a 'normal' career, then he would have taken over 300 wickets.

 

[shortpitched713]

I haven't ever heard of Thommo being called a great bowler though, merely that he was fast.

I have, many times - mostly by Australians I might add.

And TBF, he was... for all of 2 seasons. Then he was pretty good for a few more (missing loads in between) but no more than pretty good.

On the same note I've heard a number of Australians claim that Lillee-Thommo was the best new ball pairing of all time, which is absurd, because Thommo isn't even near the top echelon of fast bowlers. Maybe for that period of 2 seasons that you mentioned before Thommo got injured he was comparable to someone like Shoaib, but not over their entire careers.

 

[Perm]

Well you could think of it like that I suppose, but I tend to think of it as more overrating his output.

Anyways, the question Yawer asked was "is Wasim overrated?" I was able to answer "yes" this way whereas I'd have had to answer "no" otherwise.

Linkage.

 

[Richard]

The OP.

 

[Perm]

The OP.

?

 

[Richard]

This:

is Wasim Akram overrated?
is Shoaib Akhtar underrated?

 

[Perm]

This:

Hmm, linkage preferred TBH.

 

[Richard]

Thought "original poster" (OP) was a fairly well-used CW phrase TBH.

 

[pasag]

Hmm, are people who never watched Thomson rating him based on his stats? I'd be more interested in the people that actually watched both of them play like Archie, Sanz, Swervy, Burgey (I think ) etc and see where they rate him, tbh.

 

[Richard]

Trouble is, they're all Aussies or people I don't take remotely seriously.

Be better to hear from SJS and David Lewis TBH.

 

[pasag]

Trouble is, they're all Aussies or people I don't take remotely seriously.

Be better to hear from SJS and David Lewis TBH.

Well I respect each of their cricketing opinions heaps and yeah forgot about SJS and wpdavid as well.

 

[The Sean]

Well as an English starting point, Bob Willis in his book Six of the Best rated him the 5th greatest international (non-English) fast bowler of the 25 years 1970-1995. His top six were:

1. Dennis Lillee
2. Malcolm Marshall
3. Andy Roberts
4. Michael Holding
5. Jeff Thomson
6. Curtley Ambrose

Not saying he's right or that you have to agree with him, obviously, but it gives you the perspective of at least one non-Australian who played against him and saw him first-hand.

 

[Richard]

You just have to wonder why. It's unarguable that Thomson was nowhere near as effective as the Garners et al of this World. Why would one rank him better?

Frankly, though, even in 1995 saying Thommo > Ambrose just makes no sense at all.

 

[The Sean]

Well it depends on your definition of "effective" I suppose and by what personal criteria you rate a player.

You have to remember, as well, that Willis was in the thick of it when Thommo was at his absolute peak for those couple of years in the mid-1970s before injury stopped him, and saw first hand the damage he could do to a batting line up.

 

[Richard]

I don't think anyone disputes Thomson in those couple of years was as devastating as things come. But it was just 2 years - Frank Tyson was similar, does anyone talk of him amongst the best? No, because he didn't do it for all that long.

Wasn't Willis injured during Thommo's 2 series against us too? Thus depriving us of vital chance to return fire with fire.

 

[The Sean]

Tony Greig just put Tyson in his all time England XI, so at least one person does!

But mate, FWIW I agree with you - I rate Thommo highly but as devastating as he was for a couple of years, due to injuries and bad luck he didn't have the chance to go on with it and become one of the all time greats as he might have done.

That being said, you were asking for a view on Thommo from someone who saw him in action and wasn't an Aussie so I gave you RGD Willis who, it turns out, rates him very highly indeed.