OverratedSanity
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Imran's peak is so mind-blowing: 1981-1986. 24 tests, 143 wickets@14.2
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Ranking the candidates for best fast/pace bowler ever: The Rankings thread
- Thread starter mr_mister
- Start date
trundler
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Can be shortened to 17 tests 100 wickets @ sub 15. Incredible.
trundler
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Haha 100 in 17 just deserves a mention I thought.
I like the sound of 8 years sub 20 best. Numbers like 17 and 24 tests sound too cherry picked. 8 years might be cherry picking, but you are cherry picking the average career length of a good quick. That 81-86 run is without peer though.
While I agree with and I've made similar arguments against Wasim being a complete fast bowler in the past, there is one thing to be said in favour of it. Put him in any era, format of the game, conditions etc and he would succeed. Change the lbw law, or give conditions that don't seam/swing etc and everyone struggles, but Wasim would always have another trick to turn to.
While I agree with and I've made similar arguments against Wasim being a complete fast bowler in the past, there is one thing to be said in favour of it. Put him in any era, format of the game, conditions etc and he would succeed. Change the lbw law, or give conditions that don't seam/swing etc and everyone struggles, but Wasim would always have another trick to turn to.
Pap Finn Keighl
International Debutant
Its good to see Trueman at 8.
For me, This compensates Wasim's low rating to an extent.
Mcgrath effectiveness was helped by allround supremacy of the team.
For me, This compensates Wasim's low rating to an extent.
Mcgrath effectiveness was helped by allround supremacy of the team.
Slifer
International Captain
Awta!!!
9th. Imran Khan (355 points)
Best pic so far. Spring and coiled to unleash fury.
Imran remains the only fast bowler to have completely remodeled his action - to devastating affect
He had the essential skill of mentoring, tutoring his compatriots and influencing a nation of eager youngsters to take up the art.
bagapath
International Captain
It boggles my mind that there were eight fast bowlers in history who could be deemed better than Imran. I know who they could be, and I have no issues with those names. But if you had seen Imran at his peak, then this claim is likely to surprise you. He was the greatest thing in the world with a cricket ball in hand, for a few years.
Coronis
International Coach
Problem is, so were all the bowlers ahead of him.
marc71178
Eyes not spreadsheets
I've often said that the (IMO) overhyping of Imran's batting and calling him an all rounder on a par with someone like Sobers distracts from the ranking of his bowling and places him lower in the rankings then he should be.
trundler
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Sobers is a top 10 ranking batsman, and Imran a top 10 bowler. Both were very good in secondary disciplines too. Sobers wins due to superior fielding and doing great things with bat, ball and in the field more often but Imran comes close to what Sobers is to batting all rounders as a bowling all rounder.
Pap Finn Keighl
International Debutant
+Akram, Waqar.. Etc
ankitj
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
If one looks at ICC ratings, no one except 2 bowlers from pre WWI era has equalled Imran's peak bowling rating. That tells a lot about his genius with the ball. I'm gonna hunt for some Imran videos on YouTube right now.
Pap Finn Keighl
International Debutant
Sobers
Arguably greatest batsman since Bradman
Arguably greatest fielder ever
A proper bowler
Imran
Arguably a top 10 bowler who can bat better than most bowlers. (he improved his batting when his bowling declined)
Also, for 7 years
Sobers was averaging 70 ish with bat and 28 with ball (4wickets per test)
Its different from averaging 50 with lot of not outs.. This is genuine combination of great batting and good bowling.
There is no other allrounder in Sobers league, only Procter comes close.
Botham, kapil, Miller, Kallis.. Bowling stats not good.
Imran.. Bat and field not good.
Hadlee, Pollock.. bat no good
Clive Rice.
Probably 3rd best behind Sobers and Procter.
mr_mister
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
7th. Dennis Lillee (373 points)
Top 5 finishes: 4
Bottom 5 finishes: 2
Highest finish: 1st (1 time)
Lowest finish: 23rd (1 time)
Yet another bowler on this list to at one time hold the record for most test wickets, Lillee's 355 came in only 70 tests, at a rate better than 5 per test. Pretty damn impressive. Lillee was said to be express in his youth and famously skittled a World XI for 8-29(which unfortunately doesn't aid his test stats) back in the early 70s before an injury threatened to end his career. But he bounced back of course. His pace slowed a bit after his comeback but his cunning and guile increased with age. His best ever year came in 1981 where he took a staggering 85 test wickets @ 20.
He was a terrific showman with an iconic look and action and the crowds adored him. The chanting of his name when he ran into bowl is etched firmly into history. Basically the prototype for modern quick bowlers. Easily the biggest icon for Australian cricket between Bradman and Warne and of the best quicks ever.
Top 5 finishes: 4
Bottom 5 finishes: 2
Highest finish: 1st (1 time)
Lowest finish: 23rd (1 time)
Yet another bowler on this list to at one time hold the record for most test wickets, Lillee's 355 came in only 70 tests, at a rate better than 5 per test. Pretty damn impressive. Lillee was said to be express in his youth and famously skittled a World XI for 8-29(which unfortunately doesn't aid his test stats) back in the early 70s before an injury threatened to end his career. But he bounced back of course. His pace slowed a bit after his comeback but his cunning and guile increased with age. His best ever year came in 1981 where he took a staggering 85 test wickets @ 20.
He was a terrific showman with an iconic look and action and the crowds adored him. The chanting of his name when he ran into bowl is etched firmly into history. Basically the prototype for modern quick bowlers. Easily the biggest icon for Australian cricket between Bradman and Warne and of the best quicks ever.
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a massive zebra
International Captain
The poster you replied to seems to be very keen on stats and rather biased in favour of great first class players who didn't get the opportunity to prove themselves in Tests. But if you are going by first class stats, there are a number of players who didn't get the chance to establish themselves in Tests but had as good or better first class stats than Proctor or Rice. I suspect he has never heard of them. One such example is Frank Tarrant.
And after 64 Tests (longer than the entire career of many ATG players), Botham had 3,686 runs at 37.61 with 13 centuries and 283 wickets @ 24.98 with 21 5-fors. As good as the first class stats of those players he mentioned. Also, Imran's entire career Test stats are as good as the first class stats of Proctor or Rice. So if statistics is your key driver, it doesn't make much sense to rank the latter two in Imran's class, unless you consider first class cricket to be the equal of Tests.
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