Pie Chuckers: 2010 edition

[Lostman]

Harbhajan Singh is currently the active leading wicket taker.

No ATG bowlers are currently playing. So far there is only one great bowler currently playing who has a chance of being an ATG. (Steyn)
One good bowler in Swann.
Zaheer Khan whenever he is fit to play is decent. Morkel is decent as well.

So world bowling lineups can be summarized as;
SA-best attack? No spinner and even Pak is playing them well.
Eng- good spinner, but fast bowlers only good in Eng/rain.
Aus- no real standouts, major transition phase.
WI- injuries
Pak- banned
Ind- They got the leading wicket taker
SL- fast bowlers are crap, spinners at least have a chance at home. (I hope)
NZ- definition of pie chuckers.

Excluding scoreboard pressure or an undercooked wicket, most of these attacks would struggle to keep the opposition to less than 400 runs.

 

[MW1304]

Eng- good spinner, but fast bowlers only good in Eng/rain.

I guess we'll see about that...

 

[r3alist]

well if asif never ruined his career i guess he can be talked of in the same breadth as steyn, and amir ofcourse was extremely exciting, but we are not discussing hypotheticals here....

 

[Checkmate]

On the contrary, I think there is good reason for optimism in this next decade, at least for the quicks.

Aus - Mitch, Siddle, Hilfenhaus, Bollinger, George
Ind - Zaheer, Sree, Sharma
Eng - Anderson, Broad, Finn, Tremlett, Shahzad
WI - Taylor, Edwards, Roach
SA - Steyn, Morkel, Parnell
NZ - Southee
SL - Malinga

I really like the look of Peter George. Tipping him to do well. So, the only thing stopping at least a great few years of fast bowling are roads, roads and more roads, which of course means we're all doomed...

 

[_Ed_]

NZ- definition of pie chuckers.

Harsh.

 

[outbreak]

Copeland is gonna be big for Australia i rekon.

I'd also rate Johnson as much as most other countrys pace bowlers (excluding SA and Pakistan before the bans). Only on his day though which i guess he hasn't had this year yet!

 

[DragonPunk]

He's saving them for the Ashes.

 

[Shri]

ABHIMANYU MITHUN!!!
z

 

[_Ed_]

He's saving them for the Ashes.

Like he did last time?

 

[Teja.]

Considering the pitches, Malinga was very good when he last played India earlier this year, averaged 27 iirc, Really annoyed me that he is resting from a test series when he is by far SL's best bowler, IMHO.

 

[Prince EWS]

He seems to have unofficially retired from Tests since then though.

Australia and England's bowlers very under-rated in this thread too. Australia might not have any "standouts" but I reckon there are at least ten bowlers in the country who wouldn't be pie-chuckers if they played at Test level. Star quality of fast bowlers is down in the country but the depth is still very strong.

 

[Lostman]

Star quality of fast bowlers is down in the country but the depth is still very strong.

But that really is the point, there is only one established star bowler currently playing test cricket.
Other than Steyn and to a lesser extent Swann there are no current bowlers that would make me want to switch on to a test match just to enjoy watching them bowl.

 

[Prince EWS]

But that really is the point, there is only one established star bowler currently playing test cricket.
Other than Steyn and to a lesser extent Swann there are no current bowlers that would make me want to switch on to a test match just to enjoy watching them bowl.

I just don't think "pie-chuckers" is the best way to describe a lack of truly great bowlers. There are still a number of good to very good bowlers playing; they aren't "pie-chuckers".

 

[Lostman]

Who would you have in the good category and very good category currently?
Just curious.

 

[Teja.]

Who would you have in the good category and very good category currently?
Just curious.

Mitchell Johnson
Doug Bollinger
James Anderson(very good home bowler atleast)
Zaheer Khan
Morne Morkel
Latish Malinga
Kemar Roach

 

[vcs]

Hilf is better than Bollinger and Johnson IMO. Maybe too soon to make that call though.

 

[kingkallis]

well if asif never ruined his career i guess he can be talked of in the same breadth as steyn, and amir ofcourse was extremely exciting, but we are not discussing hypotheticals here....

Steyn > Asif

 

[tooextracool]

Yeah I think bowling stocks in the world have to be at an all time low. Might be the worst we've seen since WWII. At least for most of the 2000s we had quality spinners in Murali, Warne and Kumble. The majority of the bowlers at the moment are atrocious.

As someone has already pointed out, the only one who looks set to be an all time great is Steyn. Swann if he continues to improve the way he has so far might join him. I see potential in Roach and I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt to Morne Morkel. The rest are either already playing to the best of their ability or are never going to amount to anything special.

 

[age_master]

Roach isn't quite up in the very good category yet, but in a few years reckon he will be. Most potential of any current test bowler?

 

[Athlai]

Shakib is a quality spinner, I reckon if you remove the Warne and Murali factor from the previous era we're looking at the possibility of stronger spin bowling worldwide.