Is Dale Steyn the worst ever best fast bowler in the world?

[zaremba]

For comparison, Hadlee (yes, this is a charity match with him aged, but bowlers don't change their actions)

For those who were wondering, this is not how Richard Hadlee's bowling action looked when he was playing competitive cricket.

 

[The Sean]

For those who were wondering, this is not how Richard Hadlee's bowling action looked when he was playing competitive cricket.

 

[Richard]

Unfortunately, that's the only one I can find with him actually at the crease.

(BTW, it looked considerably better than that when he was actually playing serious levels of cricket. MUCH better, and that's saying something because even in that photo of him as an aged man, you can still see something of the effortless grace that's in that action)

 

[popepouri]

Malcolm Marshall wasn't that tall either.

 

[Uppercut]

Malcolm Marshall wasn't that tall either.

 

[Matt79]

Anyone thinking of the Monty Python sketch about the tallest man in the room?

"Oh yeah, well I'm 8'6"!!"

 

[zaremba]

Unfortunately, that's the only one I can find with him actually at the crease.

(BTW, it looked considerably better than that when he was actually playing serious levels of cricket. MUCH better, and that's saying something because even in that photo of him as an aged man, you can still see something of the effortless grace that's in that action)

"Effortless grace"? He's standing there rolling his arm over! Given his footwearI very much doubt he's even taken a single step by way of run-up.

 

[Richard]

It's odd that he literally appears to have stepped out of the office, yet the batsman in shot is wearing proper cricket gear.

Either way, do you not feel you can still see something of how he bowled from it? There's clearly no great effort being made there, but he still has the high arm, the perfect wrist and the nice straight back.

 

[zaremba]

He's bowling the first ball in a charity match. I imagine that once he'd done this he returned to his office.

 

[Uppercut]

It's odd that he literally appears to have stepped out of the office, yet the batsman in shot is wearing proper cricket gear.

Either way, do you not feel you can still see something of how he bowled from it? There's clearly no great effort being made there, but he still has the high arm, the perfect wrist and the nice straight back.

If that wasn't Richard Hadlee there's no way you'd look at it and think THAT.

 

[Richard]

That's kiiiiiiiiiinda the point I'm making TBH.

 

[Jakester1288]

It's odd that he literally appears to have stepped out of the office, yet the batsman in shot is wearing proper cricket gear.

You would think he would dust off the whites, or at least by some new ones.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

sup Tim Cahill

 

[Manee]

This is probably asking the obvious but is Steyn's percieved status as poor amongst best bowlers in the world due to his often poor accuracy?

 

[Langeveldt]

This is probably asking the obvious but is Steyn's percieved status as poor amongst best bowlers in the world due to his often poor accuracy?

He's just as accurate as Donald was in the early stages of his career

 

[Manee]

He's just as accurate as Donald was in the early stages of his career

Heck, I think he's up there with the best of all time at this stage of his career, I'm just trying to understand the other side of the argument.

 

[The Sean]

Heck, I think he's up there with the best of all time at this stage of his career, I'm just trying to understand the other side of the argument.

The argument is basically that at most other points in cricket history, certainly since WWII, there has been such depth of fast bowling talent that the man considered the best in the world at any given time is also by extension one of the greatest ever. The relative dearth in genuinely outstanding fast men right now means that the bar has been lowered.

 

[Richard]

He's just as accurate as Donald was in the early stages of his career

Is he really though? Unless you've got detailed pitchmaps, I don't see how you can really know that.

Donald had a reputation for being wild early in his career through to his mid-20s, but youngish bowlers often get that, especially if they're very quick, and it's not always warranted.

 

[Manee]

The argument is basically that at most other points in cricket history, certainly since WWII, there has been such depth of fast bowling talent that the man considered the best in the world at any given time is also by extension one of the greatest ever. The relative dearth in genuinely outstanding fast men right now means that the bar has been lowered.

Okay, thanks for the explanation. I do disagree though as the lack of fast bowling talent around does not detract from Steyn's achievements to strike so often in a period which is commonly accepted to have the consistently flattest pitches of recent history, but rather slightly invalidates them, perhaps requiring more bowling in different conditions over more time to fully prove him as a good talent.

 

[Redbacks]

He bowled a few wayward balls down the leg side in the recent Aus series, however he didn't seem to have an issue with accuracy that was highly noticeable. Every now and then he has the ability to bowl that 'gem' delivery which shapes away a little from the batsman. If he increases the occurrence of that delivery he will become an even greater proposition.