Who is the best bowler ever to average over 30 in Test cricket?

[the big bambino]

I think this poll will have a classic "bowlers-pre-2000-were-just-better" nostalgia syndrome.

Too offset they couldn't play cricket in past syndrome. Anyhow Ted McDonald with Flintoff, Prasanna, Morkel, Constantine, Gregory Anderson and Mankad following closely. I've been reading up on Wright and their isn't a bowler whose stats are at such divergence with his rep. Can't think of a major cricker who didn't rate him and reading news reports of his bowling in matches seems like he had an ability to worry the best.

 

[Bahnz]

Given that Stuart Broad has the capacity to utterly steam roll quality batting lineups, it's a mystery to me that he only averages 30.4. His habit for bringing out his inner Ambrose in important, big-match situations only accentuates this.

 

[hendrix]

lots of options here. Herath, Broad and Anderson, Ojha, Vettori etc.

I'll take Herath.

 

[Contra]

Ishant Sharma obviously 8)

 

[viriya]

I love Herath but I think it would be unfair to pick him over Harbhajan who has almost twice the wickets.. Of course, I choose to remember the first half of his career..

 

[BeeGee]

Lack of a 101st joke option is disappointing.

Or was that James Franklin?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Lack of Bishen Bedi in the poll is disappointing. Will probably go for Prasanna... Broad, Herath and maybe Anderson should eventually get below 30 anyway.

Edit: derp, never realised Bedi was < 30. Oh well, Prasanna it is .

 

[straw man]

Reckon it should be someone who had to battle against the conditions in their own country and whose average suffered as a result i.e. fast bowlers in the subcontinent, spinners outside.

Vettori, Zaheer and Srinath stand out at the top of the list for meeting those criteria. Chose Zaheer.

 

[watson]

Flintoff comes to mind. Could be unplayable in several countries, yet just didnt get the wickets.

I've always thought that Flintoff was one of those quicks whose short-of-a-length delivery was generally too short. Consequently, the batsman knew too easily whether he had to play forward or back. However, when he did bowl at the right length, as in 2005, he looked like one of the greats.

 

[Red]

In 2005, Flintoff seemed to be constantly threatening with the ball. Flintoff is one of the great wasted talents. Should have averaged 40+ with the bat and sub 25 with the ball given the talent he had. He is still in that rare club of genuine opening bowlers who could bat in the top 6, but if he'd capitalised on his batting and bowling talent a bit more his legacy would be so immense.

 

[Daemon]

Imran Khan

 

[Coronis]

Anyone not named James Anderson or Stuart Broad.

 

[harsh.ag]

Can't believe I am the only guy to have mentioned Abdul Qadir in this thread till now ! Reckon Prasanna, Patterson, and Brett Lee closest to him.

 

[fredfertang]

Some greats in their who suffered from inconsistency or playing on too many good batting pitches - overall I'd go for Prasanna as well but you can make a case for so many of them - honourable mention for Grievous Bodily Harmison - utterly magnificent at his all too brief peak

 

[adub]

Can't believe I am the only guy to have mentioned Abdul Qadir in this thread till now ! Reckon Prasanna, Patterson, and Brett Lee closest to him.

I went with Qadir as well.Super bowler. Could be inconsistent, which is why he averages 32 not 25, but when he was on it was a bad time to be batting. 5 10 wicket hauls in 67 tests is pretty impressive and shows he could tear the opposition to pieces when he was in the right frame of mind.

 

[adub]

The only other bowler on the list with more than 3 10 wicket hauls is Harbhajan, who also has 5, but in 44 more tests.

 

[fredfertang]

I went with Qadir as well.Super bowler. Could be inconsistent, which is why he averages 32 not 25, but when he was on it was a bad time to be batting. 5 10 wicket hauls in 67 tests is pretty impressive and shows he could tear the opposition to pieces when he was in the right frame of mind.

.............. and had "sympathetic" umpires

 

[smash84]

The first name that had sprang to my mind was abdul qadir. But prassanna rated very highly by his peers. Perhaps more so than any other bowler in this list

 

[adub]

Percentage of LBW decisions for leggies...

Kumble 25%
Qadir 22%
Warne 20%
MacGill 16%

Did Kumble have even more 'sympathetic' umpires that Qadir and Warne slightly less so. Or is it just that Magilla turned it too far to get as many LB's as the others.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Daemon with the technically correct answer. The best kind of correct.