Greatest Pakistani fast bowler - Wasim or Imran?

[funnygirl]

U crazy .

 

[gunner]

waqar younis........if his career wasnt blighted by injuries

 

[FRAZ]

waqar younis........if his career wasnt blighted by injuries

Shoiab falls in this category actually...

 

[funnygirl]

I never get this idea ''had injuries not happened ''.First of all why injuries happen .Because bowling at full pace put so much strain on the body and injury happen . Because of that pace ,bring some short term success .However It is not humanly possible to bowl at high pace for years for 100 tests . Almost all the bowlers were forced to reduce their pace for ''longevity ''.

But the question is it necessary that a bowler look ordinary if he loses some extra yards of pace .Was he completely relying on pace or pace alone:? If he has the ability he can still trouble the batsman with lesser pace .Thats where the skill part comes .

Otherwise what would have Thommo continued to bowl like that.

 

[ret]

Yeah, nah, of course, Wasim never had his last 5 Tests where he managed a sum-total of 7 wickets.

(Bangladesh not included here BTW - he also had 2 wicketless games against them after this)

Imran Khan
1989-1992 - 15M, 28W
1990 - 1992 - 9M, 8W
1991-1992 - 3M, 0W

 

[SJS]

waqar younis........if his career wasnt blighted by injuries

Forget injuries. Even with his injuries Waqar is one of the all time greats.

I am amazed at how much his bowling is under rated by some. He was a genuine fast bowlers fast bowler. There have been very few bowlers in the history of the game more focussed on getting wickets every bloody ball than Waqar and he had the bowling to do it.

When I look at how much young Pakistani's go ga ga over Shoaib Akhtar, I wonder what they would do if Shoaib had Waqar's skills.

 

[funnygirl]

Forget injuries. Even with his injuries Waqar is one of the all time greats.

I am amazed at how much his bowling is under rated by some. He was a genuine fast bowlers fast bowler. There have been very few bowlers in the history of the game more focussed on getting wickets every bloody ball than Waqar and he had the bowling to do it.

When I look at how much young Pakistani's go ga ga over Shoaib Akhtar, I wonder what they would do if Shoaib had Waqar's skills.

They really do believe that Akhtar has got Waqar's skills.

 

[funnygirl]

Imran Khan
1989-1992 - 15M, 28W
1990 - 1992 - 9M, 8W
1991-1992 - 3M, 0W

Unfair it is .He was 38 + during that time ,came back from retirement after request .So that statistics are a bit injustice to Imran .

 

[Jakester1288]

Wasim Akram was a far superior bowler to Imran Kahn imo.

 

[aussie]

Forget injuries. Even with his injuries Waqar is one of the all time greats.

I am amazed at how much his bowling is under rated by some. He was a genuine fast bowlers fast bowler. There have been very few bowlers in the history of the game more focussed on getting wickets every bloody ball than Waqar and he had the bowling to do it.

When I look at how much young Pakistani's go ga ga over Shoaib Akhtar, I wonder what they would do if Shoaib had Waqar's skills.

Well this is what the advantage of actually seeing a player gives you instead of judging them on stats (a serious problem CW has developed of late).

Since in my 11 years of watching cricket, with all systems firing Akhtar is easily the most devastating bowler i've seen & if you could without doubt look down on Akhtar record vs Waqar, at his peak he must have been something esle.

 

[bagapath]

imran khan, by a few inches...

 

[zaremba]

A really difficult one, this.

I've always like Imran, not least because he played for Sussex when I was a nipper.

Wasim was a wonderful bowler of terrific skill and great to watch. I think he had more variation than Imran, in fact more variation than just about any other bowler I've seen.

I also agree that Waqar circa 1991 was a phenomenal bowler (and a good bowler still later on in his career).

At their respective peaks, I'd say Waqar, Imran, Wasim.
In terms of their overall careers, I'd say Wasim, Imran, Waqar.

 

[SJS]

They really do believe that Akhtar has got Waqar's skills.

Hah !!

But thats the point. They believe it when he hasn't. What would they think if he had.

Then it would not be Akram is better than Imran, it would be Akhtar is the greatest of all time.

 

[Richard]

Imran Khan
1989-1992 - 15M, 28W
1990 - 1992 - 9M, 8W
1991-1992 - 3M, 0W

Indeed - if Wasim was good enough to play as a specialist batsman late in his career I'm sure he'd have done the same.

 

[Beleg]

Hah !!

But thats the point. They believe it when he hasn't. What would they think if he had.

Then it would not be Akram is better than Imran, it would be Akhtar is the greatest of all time.

Sly digs.

 

[Aamir Alauddin]

Imran Khan
1989-1992 - 15M, 28W
1990 - 1992 - 9M, 8W
1991-1992 - 3M, 0W

Imran played a a batsman who could bowl as wekk after his recovery from injusry after 84. His career as a bowler was almost over when he got injured in 82 and could not bowl for almost a couple of years. He is the only bowler i have ever seen in my life who couldswing the ball in the air as well as seam off the wicket. Ask Gavasker and Vishwanath why did they leave the balls and got bowled. They would let you know that they actually left a ball that was going to be wide. His was able to bring the ball in 1-2 yards due to his dual ability. I bet all the guys who rate Wasim Akram higher than Imran have never seen Imran before 1982. Look at the above mentioned figures. He played a s a specialist batsman during that era. Even then his record is great. Another thing is that when Imran was athis best, Pakistan used to get 3-5 test matches a year, not 15-20 as these modern days players get. Imran bo doubt an all time greatest. These are the words of the person who has seen Imran Khan bowling not just read the statistics and wrote the comments.

 

[Aamir Alauddin]

Thats a huge injustice to Wasim's talent . He brought to international scene by Miandad straight from street literally (thats without much domestic experience) .And he took a 10 fer even before Imran trained him any thing .Imran got a talent to nourish ,he did .Otherwise Imran can't make a Mohammed Sami into a champion .U know what i meant .Waqar being better ,well statistically he struggled against two best batting sides Australia and India . For ability ,i think Wasim was better than him and ''most of the batsmen faced '' him think so .

You have not seen Wasim when he came first time in Pakistani squad. His deliveries hardly come into the wickets and whenever he was able to do so, the unlucky batsman lost his wicket because none was expecting that Wasim can ever bowl a strainght ball into the wickets. Waqar no doubt was a finished product when he came in the side. It was Imran Khan who polished and trained the both. I just wonder why people comment on Imran if they have not seen him bowling. How can you compare Imran of 90's with Wasim of 90's. If you want to do so then compare Imran of 1981 with any phase of Wasim. I would love to read the comments of those people who have seen Imran bowling during 1980-1982. If even a single person said that Imran was not better than Wasim, i shall withdraw.

 

[Anil]

Just Curious - What is it that you have discovered about Imran Vs. Akram that you didn't know before.

Having read your opinions on Imran Vs. Akram in last few months, I was kinda surprised that you two voted for Akram in 2006.

well i don't feel that one is significantly better than the other even now...and akram's versatility kinda tilted my vote in his favour then...but i have also often felt that akram underachieved in his career given his talent(he had much more variety than say someone like waqar(you could say he had too much variety) but he often ended up just keeping things tight at one end while waqar exerted maximum pressure from the other with his express pace and toe-crushing yorkers)....imran was really the more attacking bowler of the two, someone who used his talent to the optimum and achieved more(in tests of course)...in one dayers, akram is arguably one of the top three best ever bowlers....

 

[ret]

Unfair it is .He was 38 + during that time ,came back from retirement after request .So that statistics are a bit injustice to Imran .

agree with you somewhat ..... he came back from retirement in his last test series against SL .... i guess till 1990, he used to open the bowling and he retired after that home series against WI in 1990, iirc

someone like McGrath retired at the age of 37 and in 1990, Imran would have been 37 too. so it's unfair on someone like McGrath, when we say that Imran lost it coz he was 37. both of them were actively playing cricket .... but yeah i do understand that in his last test series against SL, it would have been tough on him coming out of retirement

 

[Aamir Alauddin]

agree with you somewhat ..... he came back from retirement in his last test series against SL .... i guess till 1990, he used to open the bowling and he retired after that home series against WI in 1990, iirc

someone like McGrath retired at the age of 37 and in 1990, Imran would have been 37 too. so it's unfair on someone like McGrath, when we say that Imran lost it coz he was 37. both of them were actively playing cricket .... but yeah i do understand that in his last test series against SL, it would have been tough on him coming out of retirement

Imran lost his pace and sharpness because of the injuries. When he came back after his injuries he played more as a batsman. He was just a support bowler in the presence of Wasim, Waqar, Aaqib and Mushtaq.