Zaheer Khan or Makhaya Ntini

[slippy888]

Who was the better match winner

I think this thread needs a poll okay.

 

[harsh.ag]

Great way of getting around the whole vs thing

 

[ImpatientLime]

zaheer was the better bowler. match winner is a bullshit term.

zaheer was the best swing bowler of his generation when he was fit.

 

[OverratedSanity]

This is actually an interesting one, tbf to slippy.

I reckon Ntini is really underrated here. He was being mentioned as one of the worst to get 300,which is pretty harsh as I think he's comfortably better than someone like Brett Lee.

Zaheer had the much better peak though. In patches between 2007-11 when he was fit, he was as good as any bowler not called Steyn. Ntini never had a run quite that good imo.

 

[akilana]

I am not sure what was Zaheer's peak was like

But Ntini's numbers are impressive

Between 2002 to 2006, 243 wickets at 26 in 50 tests with 14 fifers and four 10 wicket hauls.

In ODIs during that period, he had 180 wickets at 22 from 100 matches.

He was also ranked no 2 in 2006 when Mcgrath, murali, warne, pollock etc were all active.

 

[Red Wingz]

Am going for ntini,he's a bit more consiistent compared to zaheer

Though zaheer was great he always bowled on lesser friendly wickets n he didn't have the freedom of bowling with someone like steyn/pollock on other end like ntini has

 

[Daemon]

Zaheer more or less carried our attack during his peak, and on the off chance one of the other spuds stepped up and chipped in, we sometimes won overseas.

In ODIs he was pretty good as well. Best quick in the 2011 WC.

Didn't catch most of Ntini's career though so idk.

 

[Shri]

Yeah, all I remember about Ntini was that he was really quick and hit the deck hard. Can't remember if he could swing it or seam it well.

 

[kingkallis]

Lets not forget that Zak bowled on lifeless Indian wickets and still managed those numbers.

 

[listento_me]

656 wickets in tests plus ODIs vs 593 combined wickets.

The former at an average of less than 30, the latter at an average of over 30.

50 test wins + 233 wickets at 22.21 vs 38 test wins + 159 wickets at 25.77.

I wont even go into ten fors and 5 fors in matches won because then that gets embarrassing.

Not to mention one of those guys maintained very good pace whereas the other started at ok pace and devolved to medium pace.

Yeah, Ntini has this all day and twice on diwali

 

[listento_me]

Lets not forget that Zak bowled on lifeless Indian wickets and still managed those numbers.

He averaged 30+ in matches in Asia and 35 at home.

Ntini not only averaged better in Asia (27 which is exceptional for a fast man in those conditions) but I think also picked up more wickets.

Ntini was just a better bowler, whichever way you look at it.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Yeah, all I remember about Ntini was that he was really quick and hit the deck hard. Can't remember if he could swing it or seam it well.

He was Siddling with his big heart all day long before we had heard of Siddle.

 

[Athlai]

Zaheer at the couple years of his peak was better but Ntini better overall. Still reckon Zaheer is very overrated.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Any conversation involving Zaheer will have break down his career in to patches.

2000-2003: very promising - The Indian Akram they called him
2003-2006 - crap and third choice seamer behind Irfan Pathan and Balaji
2007-2011: Gun bowler, carried India's bowling and instrumental in India being number 1 test side, winning in New Zealand and drawing in South Africa
2011: crap again

 

[BoyBrumby]

Loved Zak. Seemed to have a style that was tailor made for English conditions.

Ntini was an absolute yeoman who would run in all etc, etc... but Zaheer was an artist. Swing was his medium.

 

[Contra]

Zaheer's career stats don't do justice to the kind of bowler he was, the number of times I saw Zak wreck the opposition only to have the rest of the bowlers spray it all around and let the opposition off the hook was ridiculous. If India had played with this 5 bowler strategy during Zak's playing days he would have easily averaged sub-30. Also Zak's peak coincided with some of the flattest test wickets in India, making his wickets worth that much more when put into context.

 

[ankitj]

Why did Ntini retire at just 32?

 

[cnerd123]

Zaheer's career stats don't do justice to the kind of bowler he was, the number of times I saw Zak wreck the opposition only to have the rest of the bowlers spray it all around and let the opposition off the hook was ridiculous. If India had played with this 5 bowler strategy during Zak's playing days he would have easily averaged sub-30. Also Zak's peak coincided with some of the flattest test wickets in India, making his wickets worth that much more when put into context.

Man during all those overseas thrashings I kept advocating a 5 bowler strategy with Ashwin/Jadeja as 7/8 but I was the only one. Zaheer would have done so much better if he wasn't both our Strike Bowler and Workhorse.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Zaheer Khan was a 8-9/10, Ntini barely a 3/10 and that's being generous

 

[Blocky]

Zaheer Khan was a 8-9/10, Ntini barely a 3/10 and that's being generous

lol.. Nope.

Khan and Ntini are both 6s at best.