wasim akram vs glenn mcgrath

[Ikki]

Don't forget Mcgrath played most of his matches in Australia & England
Wasim played on dead pitches of Pakistan

So why did Wasim do better at home than away and McGrath better away than at home?

Personally would rather watch Wasim do his stuff than McGrath as he was just so exciting and made the ball talk. He had a Warne-ness to him where it seemed any ball could end up a wicket. But, fair is fair, and whilst they are close I'd say McGrath is ahead of Wasim.

 

[Cruxdude]

I think Wasim was the more aggressive bowler of the two. McGrath had a spinner's canny approach to bowling while Wasim was more a fast bowler in his mental frame work. McGrath challenged the batsman's technique, patience and would strike at the first sign of fallibility. Wasim would test their reflexes and take them by surprise and the batsman would suddenly find he got a vicious swinging yorker or a sudden unexpectedly kicking ball from just slightly short of a length. McGrath did not take them so much by surprise as to make them feel that their 'demise' was inevitable.

Doesnt make one better than the other though

Pretty much what everyone would have to say about this. Class acts.

 

[stephen]

I think Wasim was the more aggressive bowler of the two. McGrath had a spinner's canny approach to bowling while Wasim was more a fast bowler in his mental frame work. McGrath challenged the batsman's technique, patience and would strike at the first sign of fallibility. Wasim would test their reflexes and take them by surprise and the batsman would suddenly find he got a vicious swinging yorker or a sudden unexpectedly kicking ball from just slightly short of a length. McGrath did not take them so much by surprise as to make them feel that their 'demise' was inevitable.

Doesnt make one better than the other though

Interesting. So McGrath was a spinner trapped in a fast bowlers body and Warne was a fast bowler trapped in a spinners body?

 

[SJS]

Some of the argument that has gone on in this thread is really amusing. I am honestly tempted to make a parody of the conversation into a funny piece and put it up as a satire on some of the arguments (and some posters I dare say) that just go on and on. Then I realised I had done something on similar lines when I started this thread a few years ago.

The thread opener still seems valid . . .

I am a CW moron !!....
want to know why ?

1. I think Tendulkar is highly over rated ....
becuase by saying so I dont have to stretch much to prove why Lara (or my other presiding deity) is the next thing to God almighty.

2. I think Lara is highly over rated....
because it somehow refutes the claim of those who claim that Tendulkar is.

3. I think Murali is a cheat....
because it clearly states the case for Warne being the greatest spinner on the planet.

4. I think Warne is no where near being the best leg spinner of all times....
because that somehow justifies the claim of Murali in the all time world team.

Q5. I think those who say Shoaib should cut down his run up or run in slowly building up speed have air between their ears ....
because to me it sounds like they are criticising Shoaib, his bowling, his attitude, his being a Pakistani, maybe even his parentage.

Q6. I think those who disagree with me on anything dont know anything about the game....
because I say so !!


you are all invited to add to this list

That was written the day after my 55th birthday and I will be 60 in five months time. Somethings and some types of people never change; they still provide the same "amusement" though I miss most of it because of the silly ignore list of mine. Once in a while, when I have nothing better to do I will click on "View Post" and discover some "little gems". The loss is mine for missing them on a daily basis I suppose.

 

[Burgey]

I always find it hilarious that somehow McGrath 'tested your patience' while some of the others somehow, all venom and verve, 'took' the wickets. Of course, McGrath having a strike rate as good as most great fast bowlers means nothing, or the fact that the blockers with patience who you'd expect to outlast McGrath almost invariably end up being pretty much his bunnies (Kallis, Exhibit A).

McGrath. Better in almost every way. But Wasim is near the top echelon of bowlers, so it's not like one would be infinitely better than the other. Both awesome bowlers obviously.

For me, a large part of McGrath's genius was accomplishing so much, while appearing to do so little with the ball. I guess that touches on the point made by SJS about McGrath's mentality as well.
He didn't make it swing around corners and wasn't the fastest bowler ever, but so many of his wickets came about with the ball on a perfect line, perfect length, and just moving enough to get either edge. The number of times you'd look at a McGrath dismissal and think "why did the batsman play that?" was amazing. Then if you saw the over or spell he'd bowled, you'd see a ball pitching in almost the same spot, but decking into the batsman, creating that doubt in his mind about whether to play or not.
Wasim was one of my favourite cricketers, and his talents were more overt than McGrath's - wicked swing, greater pace, a bouncer that seemed to skid on. I loved him as a cricketer, thought he was amazing.
Completely different bowlers performing the same role for their teams. Says a lot about cricket that they could both be so effective, whilst adopting so different methods.

 

[Top_Cat]

Completely different bowlers performing the same role for their teams. Says a lot about cricket that they could both be so effective, whilst adopting so different methods.

Says a lot about them as people too. Champions are champions, no matter their method. They recognise their strengths, minimise their weaknesses and just do what they do better than anyone else. Sport and life in general is littered with blokes who have talent but never figured out how to work it, try too hard to be something they're not, etc.

I guess it's why I try to avoid direct comparison between champions any more. Those who say Wasim was better/more talented because he moved the ball more miss what made Pidg so good. It largely comes down to personal preference. All the bickering about stats is somewhat pointless with such insensitive measures.

 

[SJS]

Says a lot about them as people too. Champions are champions, no matter their method. They recognise their strengths, minimise their weaknesses and just do what they do better than anyone else. Sport and life in general is littered with blokes who have talent but never figured out how to work it, try too hard to be something they're not, etc.

Spot on.

 

[aussie]

Spot on.

Seconded..

 

[BhupinderSingh]

So why did Wasim do better at home than away and McGrath better away than at home?

Wasn't it so called "legendary" Dennis Lillee who failed badly on those wickets?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

If you're trying to suggest that wickets in Pakistan are not dead then definitely need more knowledge of cricket because those are the wickets on which even your legendary Dennis Lillee not only failed badly but also refused to to tour subcontinent many times because of his so called "injuries" and "business committments".Naach na jaane angan tedha.

Not still peddling that nonsense surely.
Lillee had one bad tour of Pakistan - the only subcontinent tour during his career that he could have gone on. He never pulled out of a tour there at all.

 

[kingkallis]

So why did Wasim do better at home than away and McGrath better away than at home?

Personally would rather watch Wasim do his stuff than McGrath as he was just so exciting and made the ball talk. He had a Warne-ness to him where it seemed any ball could end up a wicket. But, fair is fair, and whilst they are close I'd say McGrath is ahead of Wasim.

Would love to see McGrath's stats in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Right now, Wasim for me!

 

[subshakerz]

Would love to see McGrath's stats in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka

Right now, Wasim for me!

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com

Actually, he did merely decent in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but was fantastic in India against the best batting lineup. Did well in Sharjah when he played there too. So I don't think there's any argument that he has not been successful in the subcontinent.

Wasim by comparision wasn't as impressive in India but was better in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com

 

[Ikki]

Wasn't it so called "legendary" Dennis Lillee who failed badly on those wickets?

Are you talking rubbish to bait me? Fail.

 

[kingkallis]

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com

Actually, he did merely decent in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, but was fantastic in India against the best batting lineup. Did well in Sharjah when he played there too. So I don't think there's any argument that he has not been successful in the subcontinent.

Wasim by comparision wasn't as impressive in India but was better in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | Cricinfo.com

Hmmmmmm but still the neighbour gets the vote!

 

[oitoitoi]

They're totally different kinds of bowlers, like chalk and cheese really. With each bowling at their absolute best, I'd take Akram, he had the ability to bowl completely unplayable deliveries (92 WC to Allan Lamb!) and was definitely the better one to watch, however over the course of a career Mcgrath's consistency and parsimony was phenomenal and you'd probably want him in your side 1st.

I agree with whoever said that Akram had a bit of Warniness about him, a bit of something.

 

[bullseye]

who is better?

i think wasim just about beats mcgrath

wasim was attacking bowler,

could bowl 6 different deliveries in an over

mcgrath has more test wickets but is a line and length and swing bolwer with unerring accuracy

Wasim by all means. He is the also greatest Left arm pacer of all time.

 

[Protwenty20]

I think Both were legend and the Best Bowler of all time...

 

[Zinzan]

Shame there wasn't a poll attached to this thread. Is it too late?

For me, It'd be a dead-heat.

If forced to vote, would probably lean towards Akram because I was never such a big fan of McGrath's antics on the field, even though I'm lead to believe he's an absolute top bloke off it.

Both were still a notch below the likes of Marshall, Hadlee & Ambrose IMO

 

[Burgey]

Wasim by all means. He is the also greatest Left arm pacer of all time.

Davo wants a chat.

 

[Migara]

Davo wants a chat.

That's the only thing he'll have.