Dale Steyn among the top three pacers of all time, says Waqar Younis

[Xuhaib]

linky

 

[Philhughesisbes]

Whether Steyn is in the top 3 pacers that I don"t know but what I know is Glenn Mc Grath is the greatest fast bowler to grace the cricket pitch.Steyn is a fine bowler , certainly takes poles faster than most.

 

[Hurricane]

Just sounds like a coach pumping up his player,

 

[kyear2]

yup, AWTA, but he is certainly rising pretty fast though. Wouldn't quite sat top three for me though.

 

[Coronis]

Yeah, not top 3 for me atm, but he is certainly up there. Not the most ridiculous thing a former player has said, by a long way.

 

[harsh.ag]

Yeah, not top 3 for me atm, but he is certainly up there. Not the most ridiculous thing a former player has said, by a long way.

Yup. Steyn has the skills, presence and stats to match the best.

 

[NUFAN]

I'm happy enough to put Steyn in my top 3 fast bowlers from the past 20-25 years.

He's behind McGrath and Ambrose but no one else is coming to me. Actually Waqar himself would probably be the closest.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Personally I'd put him neck-and-neck with Donald. You'd feel guilty leaving either out of your all-time SA eleven.

 

[watson]

Personally I'd put him neck-and-neck with Donald. You'd feel guilty leaving either out of your all-time SA eleven.

No need to leave out either Donald or Steyn;

06. Aubrey Faulkner
07. John Waite
08. Mike Procter
09. Hugh Tayfield
10. Dale Steyn
11. Allan Donald

 

[Red]

No need to leave out either Donald or Steyn;

06. Aubrey Faulkner
07. John Waite
08. Mike Procter
09. Hugh Tayfield
10. Dale Steyn
11. Allan Donald

Yeh, I'd play him above Shaun Pollock. Particularly with Kallis in the team to bowl seam up medium pacers.

B. Richards
G. Smith
J. Kallis
G. Pollock
H. Amla
A. Faulkner
M. Procter
M. Boucher
H. Tayfield
D. Steyn
A. Donald

 

[kyear2]

Amla had surpassed Nourse for you now Monk? Good team, I just wouldn't pick Boucher over Waite, have never been impressed by Boucher's keeping particularily to.spin.

 

[kyear2]

I'm happy enough to put Steyn in my top 3 fast bowlers from the past 20-25 years.

He's behind McGrath and Ambrose but no one else is coming to me. Actually Waqar himself would probably be the closest.

For the past 20 years, I would definately agree with that.

 

[Ikki]

Steyn has played 65 Tests and almost 9 years worth of Test cricket. His record in that time is ridiculous. Combine that with his team successes and yes...discussions about being amongst the greatest ever shouldn't be alien anymore.

 

[Plumbinfront]

Has had tremendous success both inside and outside the subcontinent which even a few of the greats from yesteryear could not manage. Definitely a top 3 bowler for mine behind Marshall and McGrath. The fact that he has done it in an era of flat pitches and skewed rules in favour of the batsmen makes him all the more praiseworthy. Another couple of years in similar vein and he'll knock off McG and MM IMHO.

 

[Ilovecric]

Has had tremendous success both inside and outside the subcontinent which even a few of the greats from yesteryear could not manage. Definitely a top 3 bowler for mine behind Marshall and McGrath. The fact that he has done it in an era of flat pitches and skewed rules in favour of the batsmen makes him all the more praiseworthy. Another couple of years in similar vein and he'll knock off McG and MM IMHO.

Flat pitches and crappy batsmen ...Even in the 90s he would have had more problems getting wickets. He should be praised for being the best bowler we have today but to name him top 3 of all time is a bit extreme. These days batsmen are either good or terrible, there are not many mid range players like Carl Hooper, Jimmy Adams, Mike Atherton, Justin Langer, Alec Stewart, Mark Waugh etc etc..

Steyn will run into a WI team with no decent batsman who are averaging 22 and crap like that. Then you have the Marcus Norths and Shane Watson who can't stay out in the middle.

He's very good but I can't say he has been tested. He has never had to bowl an over like Michael Holding did to get Boycott out or his heroics of getting 14 wickets on a flat pitch.

He is way better than all the others today but the reason why he doesn't get compared to greats too often is because of the elephant in the room - he hasn't done much special against good players.

I love his pace (even tho he has been down recently) and only Shoaib Akhtar in recent time can mirror his record.. But I would even argue Akhtar was a greater threat than Steyn - he had a strike rate of 45 and avg of 25. Steyn also has a history of not getting wickets with the new ball - which to me is a big problem but it just speaks to how weak these batsman are today that even when they see off the danger man he still comes back and get wickets...

 

[akilana]

Steyn is in top 10 with potential to end up in top 3.

 

[akilana]

Flat pitches and crappy batsmen ...Even in the 90s he would have had more problems getting wickets. He should be praised for being the best bowler we have today but to name him top 3 of all time is a bit extreme. These days batsmen are either good or terrible, there are not many mid range players like Carl Hooper, Jimmy Adams, Mike Atherton, Justin Langer, Alec Stewart, Mark Waugh etc etc..

Steyn will run into a WI team with no decent batsman who are averaging 22 and crap like that. Then you have the Marcus Norths and Shane Watson who can't stay out in the middle.

He's very good but I can't say he has been tested. He has never had to bowl an over like Michael Holding did to get Boycott out or his heroics of getting 14 wickets on a flat pitch.

He is way better than all the others today but the reason why he doesn't get compared to greats too often is because of the elephant in the room - he hasn't done much special against good players.

I love his pace (even tho he has been down recently) and only Shoaib Akhtar in recent time can mirror his record.. But I would even argue Akhtar was a greater threat than Steyn - he had a strike rate of 45 and avg of 25. Steyn also has a history of not getting wickets with the new ball - which to me is a big problem but it just speaks to how weak these batsman are today that even when they see off the danger man he still comes back and get wickets...

Shoaib better? Never tested? Doesn't take wickets with new ball? Just rubbish.

 

[NUFAN]

Flat pitches and crappy batsmen ...Even in the 90s he would have had more problems getting wickets. He should be praised for being the best bowler we have today but to name him top 3 of all time is a bit extreme. These days batsmen are either good or terrible, there are not many mid range players like Carl Hooper, Jimmy Adams, Mike Atherton, Justin Langer, Alec Stewart, Mark Waugh etc etc..

Steyn will run into a WI team with no decent batsman who are averaging 22 and crap like that. Then you have the Marcus Norths and Shane Watson who can't stay out in the middle.

He's very good but I can't say he has been tested. He has never had to bowl an over like Michael Holding did to get Boycott out or his heroics of getting 14 wickets on a flat pitch.

He is way better than all the others today but the reason why he doesn't get compared to greats too often is because of the elephant in the room - he hasn't done much special against good players.

I love his pace (even tho he has been down recently) and only Shoaib Akhtar in recent time can mirror his record.. But I would even argue Akhtar was a greater threat than Steyn - he had a strike rate of 45 and avg of 25. Steyn also has a history of not getting wickets with the new ball - which to me is a big problem but it just speaks to how weak these batsman are today that even when they see off the danger man he still comes back and get wickets...

I have to question your meaning of the term 'mid range players' when you include the likes of Hooper and Mark Edward Waugh together.

There is nothing mid range about Waugh, he was a very good Test batsman.

You then go on to say that Steyn will dominate the Windies and there batsman averaging 22, well look at Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo - don't they all fit into your mid range category because for me they are all better than the worst name you included and worse than the best name you included. (you might need to read that twice).

Don't mind that you don't think Steyn is top 3 all time, I don't either.

 

[Ilovecric]

Which team has posed the greatest challenge to Steyn and he overpowered them ?
And it's a fact he does not take early wickets. .. he's always a bowler who does better in his second spell. He's a come back bowler.

I value aggressive bowling and I think Shoaib has been the most aggressive bowler with the spped and record to back it up. Nothing wrong with rating Steyn more if he's your choice but I personally like Shoaib even tho Steyn has a better record. . Just like he has a better record than many other bowlers.

 

[Ilovecric]

I have to question your meaning of the term 'mid range players' when you include the likes of Hooper and Mark Edward Waugh together.

There is nothing mid range about Waugh, he was a very good Test batsman.

You then go on to say that Steyn will dominate the Windies and there batsman averaging 22, well look at Marlon Samuels, Chris Gayle and Darren Bravo - don't they all fit into your mid range category because for me they are all better than the worst name you included and worse than the best name you included. (you might need to read that twice).

Don't mind that you don't think Steyn is top 3 all time, I don't either.

Bravo is not a mid range batsman... Samuels avg below 30 for most of his career. . Funny he actually made runs against Steyn. Gayle, and Sarwan are the only good/decent test batsman in recent years for WI. Chanders is in a higher class but obviously you won't have a team with many very good players like Chanders. ..I'm using players like Mark Waugh/Taylor to show their role in making a bowler work for his wicket througout an innings instead of just getting the key players.