How do Tahir and Ajmal stack up in ODIs

[MrPrez]

Both Tahir and Ajmal have around 100 ODI matches under their respective belts, which feels a fair number to be considered in a discussion of this sort.

I was originally planning on looking at Tahir in particular, which led me to notice Ajmal's remarkable ODI stats.

Ajmal: 180 wickets in 108 matches @ 22.17 @ 4.18
Tahir: 162 wickets in 98 matches @ 24.21 @ 4.62

Ajmal's economy rate is particularly remarkable in this day and age.

In comparison:

Saqlain Mushtaq: 288 wickets in 169 @ 21.78 @ 4.29
Muttiah Muralitharan: 534 wickets in 350 @ 23.08 @ 3.93
Shane Warne: 293 wickets in 194 @ 25.73 @ 4.25
Abdul Qadir: 132 wickets in 104 @ 26.16 @ 4.06

Adjusting for the increase in run rates over the past decade or so, this makes for interesting reading. Of course, both Ajmal and Tahir didn't put out this level of performance over as long a period as their competition (with the exception of Qadir). But how much does that count against them?

 

[ankitj]

Ajmal was quite consistently brilliant. Hard to get away and tended to take big wickets. I have not followed Tahir's career close enough but he has been more sporadic in his performances, hasn't he?

 

[MrPrez]

Ajmal was quite consistently brilliant. Hard to get away and tended to take big wickets. I have not followed Tahir's career close enough but he has been more sporadic in his performances, hasn't he?

Perhaps more so than Ajmal, but he's been pretty brilliant for SA for a number of years now.

You may be confusing his awful Test career - he averages over 40 in Tests if I remember correctly. I'd certainly argue that he's our best and most reliable ODI bowler.

 

[Andy1993]

Ajmal in tests, Tahir in ODI'S, also cant forget the huge elephant in the room, that Ajmal did chuck was called, and was nowhere near the force he was after he re-modelled, however that being said, his test record was exceptional, but Tahir takes it in ODI'S for me

 

[Daemon]

Ajmal was the best spinner I've ever seen in ODIs. The problem was that he wasn't bowling.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Okay, that was blatant chucking.

Next please.

 

[Athlai]

Ajmal was a way better "bowler" than Tahir in ODIs, not even close IMO. Tahir was good but Ajmal was brilliant.

 

[Bolo]

If saqlain was playing today, would his doosra be legal? I dont remember it as an issue, but it seems like everyone who bowls the doosra gets called.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Except Mr. Mankad, Ashwin.

I love how Mujeeb is an off spinner who can bowl the googly.

 

[smash84]

If saqlain was playing today, would his doosra be legal? I dont remember it as an issue, but it seems like everyone who bowls the doosra gets called.

some of saqlain's dooras were chucks, some weren't. He was the only one who didn't always chuck when bowling the doosra.

 

[smash84]

hard to discount the fact that Ajmal was just chucking it at a completely different level, but if we do he was better than Tahir. He could stop runs in the last 10 overs, keep it tight and chip in with big wickets.

 

[Daemon]

Yep, he could bowl at any point in the innings and be the biggest threat by far.

 

[MrPrez]

If you ignore the chucking stuff, where would people rate Ajmal in comparison to the aforementioned ATG ODI bowlers?

And does Tahir enter the conversation at all with these ATGs?

 

[trundler]

Above Warne and Qadir but just below Saqlain probably.

 

[Bolo]

Skills aside, both of them suffer a fair bit in terms of where I rank them as atg bowlers due to longevity.

Purely on skill (assuming chucking is allowed), I rate Ajmal number one. All in all, I put him distinctly below everyone but Qadir, who I exclude due to lack of knowledge.

On skill Tahir is last. I try not to believe in lucky bowlers (given a number of games), but I can't shake the feeling that Tahir gets lucky wickets. He isnt that far behind Warne on skill alone though

 

[smash84]

If you ignore the chucking stuff, where would people rate Ajmal in comparison to the aforementioned ATG ODI bowlers?

And does Tahir enter the conversation at all with these ATGs?

hard to see Tahir alongside the likes of Warne and Saqlain because of a lack of silverware for South Africa, and their generally lower level of participation in multi team tournaments outside of WCs. But judging purely from what I have seen it would be


Saqlain
Warne/Ajmal
Tahir
Abdul Qadir

 

[MrPrez]

hard to see Tahir alongside the likes of Warne and Saqlain because of a lack of silverware for South Africa, and their generally lower level of participation in multi team tournaments outside of WCs. But judging purely from what I have seen it would be


Saqlain
Warne/Ajmal
Tahir
Abdul Qadir

I get the World Cup point, but what makes a mult-team tournament like a tri-series a significant indicator of ability?

Additionally, Ajmal hasn't won a World Cup either so hard to understand your silverware logic.

FWIW, I probably agree with your list (Although I'd probably have Ajmal tied with Saqlain); I'm curious about your justifications though.

 

[Cow Corner]

What the hell guys, where's Murali on all your lists. >500 wickets at an average of 23 with 10 five wkt hauls and 14 four wicket hauls.

 

[trundler]

What the hell guys, where's Murali on all your lists. >500 wickets at an average of 23 with 10 five wkt hauls and 14 four wicket hauls.

Obvious #1 so he isn't being considered.

 

[smash84]

I get the World Cup point, but what makes a mult-team tournament like a tri-series a significant indicator of ability?

Additionally, Ajmal hasn't won a World Cup either so hard to understand your silverware logic.

FWIW, I probably agree with your list (Although I'd probably have Ajmal tied with Saqlain); I'm curious about your justifications though.

South Africa don't play Asia cup or anything like that, what I mainly meant by multi team tournaments. So it's easier to see Ajmal's performances in such tournaments that Tahir doesn't get to play. As far as Odis go Asia cup is definitely one of the better features. WC not that relevant i suppose, although ajmal was fantastic in the 2011 wc