Welcome to the golden era of fast bowling

[Line and Length]

Correct, but context must be taken into consideration. The Fast Bowling of that time was blistering, battering with bruising body blows. There was a real concern amongst the authorities and pundits that the game was changing, not necessarily for the better. with nary a decent spinner to provide relief and variety. To say it was Golden now, evokes nostalgic nuances. But at the time, it was beyond golden, it was just brutal.

I agree, it was a brutal era - personified by Jeff Thomson saying, "I like to see blood on the pitch."

 

[Line and Length]

100% the greatest bowlers from the 70s or 80s could come out today and bowl some spells and they’d be at the same level as the best from today. nothing would be that challenging. #balls #pitches #professionalism #bats

anyone who thinks the quicks of old were uniquely threatening is drunk on nostalgia. Sure fast hooping deliveries will always be good, but just like how Tait and Malinga were dealt with on their very best days, so would anyone from yesteryear. Edges will go for 4.

Cummins is an ATG.
Steyn is an ATG.

Are you saying Tait and Malinga, even on their very best days, are in the same class as Lillee, Marshall, Ambrose et al?

I'm not denying that Steyn and Cummins warrant ATG status, but the 70s produced far more fast bowlers that are regarded as elite.

 

[Athlai]

On their best days? Of course. Hooping swing at 95mph

 

[trundler]

The wheel has merely moved West.

 

[Line and Length]

On their best days? Of course. Hooping swing at 95mph

Surely when comparing players you can't just select one-off performances in an effort to compare them with true ATGs? There were players from the 70s who would match Tait and Malinga's best with their best. Someone like Croft springs to mind.

The thread is about Golden Ages ... not Golden Days.

 

[Athlai]

Surely when comparing players you can't just select one-off performances in an effort to compare them with true ATGs? There were players from the 70s who would match Tait and Malinga's best with their best. Someone like Croft springs to mind.

The thread is about Golden Ages ... not Golden Days.

To be fair you were the one who brought up their best days.

I wouldn't have either Tait or Malinga in the top 20 bowlers in this era

 

[Senile Sentry]

View attachment 27069

The wheel has merely moved West.

I always thought the so called Pak Pace Factory was an overhyped one. It has produced probably three bona fide pace bowling greats in the last 50-60 years, Imran, Wasim and Waqar. Probably not a coincidence that there is no other pacer has managed to reach even 180 wickets.

Even India, the established ertswhile trundleropia, managed to produce 4 pacers who got to 200 wickets in last 30-40 years. And in all likelihood, Shami with 180 wickets will make that list soon. With promising talents like Bumrah nd Siraj poised to add to that club in the times to come.

 

[trundler]

No.

 

[Senile Sentry]

You're just jealous.

 

[vcs]

I always thought the so called Pak Pace Factory was an overhyped one. It has produced probably three bona fide pace bowling greats in the last 50-60 years, Imran, Wasim and Waqar. Probably not a coincidence that there is no other pacer has managed to reach even 180 wickets.

Even India, the established ertswhile trundleropia, managed to produce 4 pacers who got to 200 wickets in last 30-40 years. And in all likelihood, Shami with 180 wickets will make that list soon. With promising talents like Bumrah nd Siraj poised to add to that club in the times to come.

If you discount all their greatest bowlers, they haven't produced anyone! Ah, that argument again, always works.

 

[Senile Sentry]

If you discount all their greatest bowlers, they haven't produced anyone! Ah, that argument again, always works.

My argument is not whether Pakistan has produced ATG pacers, but whether it has produced them consistently.

 

[TheJediBrah]

If Shoaib Akhtar was Indian he'd be leading their ATG XI attack

 

[trundler]

Haha yeah it's like saying Australian pace bowling has been meh in the past decade because they've only produced the one platinum ATG while ignoring Johnson, Harris, Haze etc.

 

[jimmy101]

If Shoaib Akhtar was Indian he'd be leading their ATG XI attack

I'd still take Kapil tbh, & Bumrah could end up being better than him too once his career has unfolded.

 

[Senile Sentry]

Haha yeah it's like saying Australian pace bowling has been meh in the past decade because they've only produced the one platinum ATG while ignoring Johnson, Harris, Haze etc.

I would love to know the Pak equivalents of Johnson, Harris and Haze in the last decade.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I'd still take Kapil tbh, & Bumrah could end up being better than him too once his career has unfolded.

bro not really the point. Just trying to highlight the silliness of trying to claim that India has produced 4 great fast bowlers in the last 50 years vs Pakistan's 3, when Pakistan have one not in that 3 that is probably better than (or at the very least as good as) any of India's 4. Not looking to instigate an "India ATG XI" discussion

 

[Senile Sentry]

bro not really the point. Just trying to highlight the silliness of trying to claim that India has produced 4 great fast bowlers in the last 50 years vs Pakistan's 3, when Pakistan have one not in that 3 that is probably better than (or at the very least as good as) any of India's 4. Not looking to instigate an "India ATG XI" discussion

On the contrary I do not think Zaheer Khan or Ishant are Great pace bowlers. Nor I think India has produced a single fast bowler who can be put on the same pedestal as Wasim.

My point is Pakistan had this extreme high in the 80s with the three and continued it through the 90s with them. And since then, they haven't really produced any pacer who has gone on to have a full fledged test career. Shoiab teased in late 90s but then once he started losing it, became a joke by end of his career.

 

[trundler]

Shoiab teased in late 90s but then once he started losing it, became a joke by end of his career.

@Teja. to comment.

I would love to know the Pak equivalents of Johnson, Harris and Haze in the last decade.

Literally started out by saying India and Pakistan's fortunes have switched in the last decade.

Excluding Asif and Akhtar for the 00s is so incredibly wrong.

 

[Senile Sentry]

@Teja. to comment.

Literally started out by saying India and Pakistan's fortunes have switched in the last decade.

Excluding Asif and Akhtar for the 00s is so incredibly wrong.

Please see above post. I have never said India has become a pace factory. For that India need to replicate the last 6 years success across a couple of decades at least. For now, SA and Aus have rights to call themselves pace factories.

Asif with just 100 test wickets is stretching really thin the definition of a great.

 

[trundler]

Haha yeah it's like saying Australian pace bowling has been meh in the past decade because they've only produced the one platinum ATG while ignoring Johnson, Harris, Haze etc.

See above