Playing Selector: Opening Bowlers for the Team of the 1990's

[morgieb]

Select TWO of the following (these all took over 100 wickets in the 1990's opening the bowling). There is an Other option if a gun quick happened to not open the bowling enough, that said given the nature of bowling in the 1990's it's likely the 4th bowler will be a seamer anyway if someone was a first change specialist.

CEL Ambrose (WI) 1990-1999 71 126 2666.3 724 6155 303 8/45 11/84 20.31 2.30 52.8 20 3
SM Pollock (SA) 1995-1999 35 60 1250.1 364 2871 139 7/87 9/103 20.65 2.29 53.9 8 0
Wasim Akram (Pak) 1990-1999 61 109 2340.4 526 6160 287 7/119 11/160 21.46 2.63 48.9 17 3
AA Donald (SA) 1992-1999 59 101 2138.0 539 6102 281 8/71 12/139 21.71 2.85 45.6 19 3
Waqar Younis (Pak) 1990-1999 51 88 1651.0 339 5232 239 7/76 13/135 21.89 3.16 41.4 17 5
GD McGrath (Aus) 1993-1999 53 102 2124.3 594 5541 247 8/38 10/78 22.43 2.60 51.6 14 1
HH Streak (Zim) 1993-1999 25 43 945.4 239 2519 103 6/90 9/105 24.45 2.66 55.0 3 0
CA Walsh (WI) 1991-1999 51 87 2042.5 422 5363 214 7/37 13/55 25.06 2.62 57.2 11 1
CJ McDermott (Aus) 1991-1996 46 83 1904.3 438 5536 211 8/97 11/157 26.23 2.90 54.1 11 2
J Srinath (India) 1994-1999 30 57 1252.2 284 3754 133 8/86 13/132 28.22 2.99 56.4 6 1
CL Cairns (NZ) 1991-1999 31 51 1026.0 221 3320 117 7/27 10/100 28.37 3.23 52.6 8 1
ARC Fraser (Eng) 1990-1998 29 46 1075.4 269 2924 101 8/75 10/122 28.95 2.71 63.9 7 1
WPUJC Vaas (SL) 1994-1999 34 53 1225.1 269 3166 108 6/87 10/90 29.31 2.58 68.0 4 1
D Gough (Eng) 1994-1999 26 42 936.3 178 3020 103 6/42 9/100 29.32 3.22 54.5 5 0
DK Morrison (NZ) 1990-1997 39 62 1372.4 260 4539 135 7/89 8/83 33.62 3.30 61.0 9 0
DE Malcolm (Eng) 1990-1997 38 69 1353.2 245 4534 127 9/57 10/137 35.70 3.35 63.9 5 2

 

[cnerd123]

McGrath and Ambrose

 

[AldoRaine18]

Nothing to choose between Pidge and White Lightning but Donald gives better variety next to Ambrose.

 

[mr_mister]

hurts my eyes to look at those statistics, shoulda just posted wickets and averages

 

[OverratedSanity]

Ambrose and McGrath. Really doesn't matter if they're too similar. They were the two best imo.

 

[AldoRaine18]

On second thoughts should have gone with Ambrose and Wasim with Donald as first change.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

As a NZer the 2 Ws scared me more than any other bowlers I've watched - go for the combo even if Ambrose was better. McGrath can be in the team of 2000s team.

Also Heath Streak was genuine quality - that's a fine record (and was a pretty decent bat).

Doull was better than a few listed.

 

[Zinzan]

It's tough to know if McGrath was best as a '90s cricketer' or '2000s' given he played around 7 years in both decades.

Besides, both Ambrose and Wasim were better bowlers anyway imho.

 

[harsh.ag]

Ambrose and McGrath. Really doesn't matter if they're too similar. They were the two best imo.

Like to not have overlaps when it comes to decades teams. Since McGrath is a shoe in for the noughties, went for Ambrose and Donald here.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Like to not have overlaps when it comes to decades teams. Since McGrath is a shoe in for the noughties, went for Ambrose and Donald here.

McGrath played as many matches in the 90s as the others. There's hardly much of a difference.

 

[harsh.ag]

McGrath played as many matches in the 90s as the others. There's hardly much of a difference.

Yeah, I know, but I like different decades to have different sides. Quirk I guess.

 

[mr_mister]

silly imo

 

[subshakerz]

Has to be Ambrose and Wasim, both with great stats and were generally considered the best by batsmen during the decade.

 

[jimmy101]

Ambrose & Wasim.

McGrath, Waqar, Donald & Walsh unlucky not to get my vote.

 

[Red]

Ambrose and Wasim with Donald to be third quick.

 

[kingkallis]

Ambrose & Donald

 

[watson]

Very tempted to go Ambrose and Donald. But with Ambrose and McGrath operating any batting order would be ruthlessly and efficiently throttled - leaving Akram and Warne to have a field day.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Gone Ambrose and Wasim and feel dirty for leaving McGrath out.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Only one gets to bowl downwind or with the outswing breeze. So at that end I'll take Ambrose and then swinging the ball in to the right handers at the other end I'll take Akram.

 

[marc71178]

Wasim's skills make him an equally good option for 1st change so pick 2 others to take the new ball.