Rank your Top 20 Bowlers of the modern era

[Spark]

Lilee, perhaps? It's an interesting point, really hard to think of examples where one quick is so dramatically above the rest.

 

[vcs]

I rate Steyn very highly. Expect him to end his career in the McGrath-Marshall-Ambrose league of bowlers.

 

[weeman27bob]

Interesting to see Steyn moving up and down people's lists.

What sets him apart here is the distance between him and his peers, really ever since McGrath (and Pollock, I suppose) retired. Who was the last fast bowler to be so obviously the best for so long?

If anything, the gulf in quicks really shows the lack of quality fast bowling in this era.

 

[ankitj]

I rate Steyn very highly. Expect him to end his career in the McGrath-Marshall-Ambrose league of bowlers.

Hmm. So you no longer think Ambrose is over-rated?

And I agree with you on the highest league, just need to Hadlee and you've got four greatest fast bowlers of all time.

 

[vcs]

Hmm. So you no longer think Ambrose is over-rated?

No.

And I agree with you on the highest league, just need to Hadlee and you've got four greatest fast bowlers of all time.

Yes. Hadlee and Imran very close together, would probably just have Hadlee ahead though.

 

[Xuhaib]

I rate Steyn very highly. Expect him to end his career in the McGrath-Marshall-Ambrose league of bowlers.

this.

 

[weldone]

IMO Steyn has already surpassed some of the great South African fast bowlers like the Pollock father-son and currently sits in the highest echelon of South African fast bowlers of all-time along with Donald, Adcock and Procter. Only time will tell whether he can establish himself as the best ever South African bowler by the time he retires.

 

[hang on]

pollock is very firmly ensconced in the top echelon of saffer cricket!

 

[smash84]

can't put procter in there because he didn't really play a lot of intl cricket

 

[Teja.]

In order,

Murali

McGrath
Warne
Donald
Waqar

Ambrose
Akram

Walsh
Pollock

/ATG

Steyn
Kumble
Gillespie
Akthar
Bishop

Streak
Mushtaq
Ntini
Harbhajan Singh
McDermott
Chaminda Vaas


Bond and Asif not in for reasons of longevity. same reason for Steyn not being in the top 10.

 

[smash84]

and why do you put Waqar over Ambrose and Wasim?

 

[vcs]

Never heard of this "/ATG" bloke either.

Streak is a very good shout, in hindsight I'd put him in my top 20 over McDermott.

 

[Teja.]

and why do you put Waqar over Ambrose and Wasim?

Because for apart from a period in the 00s which he should not have played, He has an absolutely breathtaking record. Also, I think he's one bowler whose ATG statistics still don't do justice to. I also think Ambrose's average in the second part of the 90s heavily flatters his actual wicket-taking abilities during that period. I realize it intimidated batsmen and his raw wpm during that period might not be the best judge of his actual effectiveness but it still is my opinion. I don't think I'm being biased in the above list either as I'd have Waqar at no.1 most days but I actually thought before I made that post.

I'd also have Imran, Hadlee and Marshall in between Murali and McGrath in the list ftr.

 

[smash84]

Because for apart from a period in the 00s which he should not have played, He has an absolutely breathtaking record. Also, I think he's one bowler whose ATG statistics still don't do justice to. I also think Ambrose's average in the second part of the 90s heavily flatters his actual wicket-taking abilities during that period. I realize it intimidated batsmen and his raw wpm during that period might not be the best judge of his actual effectiveness but it still is my opinion. I don't think I'm being biased in the above list either as I'd have Waqar at no.1 most days but I actually thought before I made that post.

I'd also have Imran, Hadlee and Marshall in between Murali and McGrath in the list ftr.

Waqar was only good for a 5 year period. In fact in that 5 year period he may have arguably been the greatest bowler in the history of the game but then he went downhill very quickly after that. Somewhat like Botham, hence this counts heavily against him IMO/

Hadlee, Marshall, and Imran were all top notch. I think it wouldn't be unfair to bracket them with McGrath. Hadlee and Imran were stellar in the 80s though and not so special in the 70s IIRC.

 

[vcs]

I would say Waqar's record lacks something in terms of "completeness" in comparison to, say, Wasim. Not going to hold the 3-4 Tests he played against India which is a useless sample size, but his records against the best players of pace (Aus, SA) are a bit underwhelming.

 

[smash84]

should have done better against SA I thought. Did get one great 10 or 9 wicket haul against SA that Rob uploaded. Some really unplayable in swingers in that spell.

But yes Waqar does not have that complete a record and also he was a one trick pony. Was heavily reliant on the old ball to reverse swing.

 

[smash84]

wow.........just saw this.......didn't know rob had uploaded this.......

YouTube - ‪Wasim Akram & Waqar Younis GREATEST COMPILATION VIDEO EVER!‬‏

 

[abmk]

Longevity forms part of it.

I mean, Walsh, with all due respect to him was a fine bowler, but his greatest attribute was he was an Iron Man. And partly it's to do with how people go against your own mob. Kumble had a wonderful series here in 03-04, I really thought he was very, very good.

I really included Pollock based on what most others see in him, which was naughty. I frankly think he was good to very good, but not better than Kumble. TBH I think he's a bit over rated. Again though, you see these things through the prism of his performances against your own team. Likewise Donald, who bowled some terrific spells but I kind of never thought he'd consistently run through the Australian line up he bowled to.

It's also why I will never be able to rate Waqar above Akram. People say Waqar wasn't at his best when he came here, and that may well be so, but that's part of greatness too - durability and consistency of output. It's even more a factor for me when I begin to think of how to separate bowlers of this calibre.

I fear I've not explained this very well at all, but there you go.

IMO, if you're judging only by performances against your own team, its quite unfair.

Kumble was poor, and I repeat poor , abroad till that series vs Aus in 2003-04.

At home , both Pollock and Kumble were lethal, about equal. But abroad , Pollock was by some distance better

 

[G.I.Joe]

I didn't realise until now that people rated Pollock as low (relatively speaking) as they have. He's firmly in the top 10 for me. Legend. I do think his batting was extremely over rated, especially in ODIs.

 

[abmk]

Since the 90s, I'd go ( not in order )

mcgrath
ambrose
donald
warne
murali
wasim
waqar
walsh
pollock
steyn

gillespie
bond
shoaib
kumble
lee
bishop
vaas
saqlain
gough
asif