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Who is the greatest ODI bowler of all time?

Migara

International Coach
Bit puzzled by so many ATG lineups just straight up having Kapil as a lock at all rounder.

If that position in the team is to bat 7 and be the 4th seamer I'm picking Klusener every day of the week.
This is factually incorrect. Kapil was a better seamer than Klusener. Klusener was a better bat. Finally it comes to the balance of the side. If you sport a bowling lineup of McGrath, Wasim, Garner and Murali, Klusener would be ideal 5th bowler. If you replace one of above seamers with Pollock, then Klusener nicely fits in to balance the side.

And if you have Jayasuriya at the top, bowling as the fifth bowler (bloody good one at that), then even a different batting all rounder, or even batsman could be slotted in.
 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Reckon there are more options than just Klusener/Kapil/(Pollock) for allrounder.

Vettori/Flintoff/Symonds/Shakib/Kallis/Paddles/Imran all worthy of an argument. Heck you could probably throw Gayle or Dilshan into the mix too.
 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Bit puzzled by so many ATG lineups just straight up having Kapil as a lock at all rounder.

If that position in the team is to bat 7 and be the 4th seamer I'm picking Klusener every day of the week.
Yeah, I always feel this forum overrates Kapil a bit. He also made the consensus ATG world ODI XI selected by CW.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
I would say the choice will be between Flintoff, Kapil and Klusener for me. And it could down to something as simple as, is the left handed batsman better? Do I need this guy at 7 to bowl with the new ball or be the middle overs enforcer? Questions like that which go beyond basic stats. But I am ok with any of the 3 in my line up. Especially if I have a Jayasuriya at the top instead of a Lara or Gilchrist, it just makes it easier as I feel the ATG ODI side middle order usually has way too many right handers. Maybe Klusener does become the more appealing option overall.

Sachin
Sanath
Viv
Virat
AB
MSD (c) (wk)
Klusener
Saqlain
Starc
Garner
Shoaib


Shoaib and Starc with the new ball, Garner and Klusener to contain the middle overs with Saqlain and Sanath, then Garner and Starc at the death with Shoaib bowling out in between.

EDIT: Can pick Wasim over Starc and basically nothing about the above side will change. Maybe I wil play Murali for Saqlain and Pollock for Shoaib too in terms of sides I would want. Lets face it, when it comes to truly selecting ATGs as a cricket fan, there are always at least 2 or 3 spots where you go with one player one day but feel like another player is better the next day.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The main problem that I have with Kapil at 7 is that you're picking him to be a batsman who can bowl or a bowler who can bat. If the former, Klusener is a much better pick. If the latter, Pollock or Flintoff is a much better pick. Kapil well and truly belongs in an India XI, but on a player vs player basis, for the number 7 slot there are simply better options in the history of the sport. He belongs in the conversation, but if I want a 5 ATG bowler attack, I'd pick Pollock over him because Pollock was a far better bowler and no slouch with the bat either. If I want a 4 ATG + 1 good bowler attack I'd take Klusener or Flintoff because they're much better batsmen and in Flintoff's case, just as good of a bowler. I just can never justify Kapil in a genuine world XI.

Oh and while Starc is amazing, especially for his time, this list is why I really don't think he's up there in the top 3 seamers in history:

 

Athlai

Not Terrible
Seen a few kiwis putting Starc right up there. Reckon you're overrating him because of how he ****ed you guys in the '15 WC
Not just then, he's been fire plenty of times against us. Starc is a bit like Malinga, in when he is at his best he's just unbelievable. But I reckon he is on song more often than Malinga.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Tbf to Starc, he's clearly our best bowler by a long shot and is probably the best in the world, but it makes those bad days he has look really bad.
 

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
India is like Kryptonite for Starc . Averages 37.5 and 39.6 against IND in Test and ODI respectively
He averages in the 30s against India, England and South Africa. Against everyone else he averages under 20. It's insane.
 

Pap Finn Keighl

International Debutant
Yeah, I always feel this forum overrates Kapil a bit. He also made the consensus ATG world ODI XI selected by CW.
There are many reasons

In his generation, He was the best bowler in the world barring NZ and WI, while being a true match winner with bat.

Hadlee and Pollock were better bowlers, but they are a league below in batting.

He was a fighter and big match player.
He created major world records in both disciplines - most wickets, highest score( and as a fielder he took arguably most famous catch in the history )

He was the Rank 1 allrounder for an entire decade.

Won a world cup

He was the most destructive batsman of his generation.

I mean, you have a guy who is better than Marshall as a bowler and almost a Klusner with the bat... Actually he is underrated here.

1980s stats of some of the famous batsmen and Kapil. There is a reason for his high batting ranking.

Crowe 80 innings
34 avg, 75 SR
1x100, 17x50

Ranatunga 77 innings
29 avg, 75 SR
0 x 100, 12 x 50

Steve Waugh 71 innings
35 avg, 77 SR
0 x 100, 9 x 50

Vengsarkar 109 innings
36 avg, 68 SR
1 x 100, 22 x 50

Azhar 88 innings
31 avg, 68 SR
2 x 100, 7 x 50

Kapil Dev 131 innings
27 avg, 102 SR
1 x 100, 14 x 50
 

sunilz

International Regular
And yet inswinging Yorkers is what Starc is known for.
IND was also the Kryptonite for Malinga. Averages 46 and 72 against IND in ODI and T20 respectively. Maybe both Starc and Malinga used to over bowl Yorkers against IND .
 

sunilz

International Regular
There are many reasons

In his generation, He was the best bowler in the world barring NZ and WI, while being a true match winner with bat.

Hadlee and Pollock were better bowlers, but they are a league below in batting.

He was a fighter and big match player.
He created major world records in both disciplines - most wickets, highest score( and as a fielder he took arguably most famous catch in the history )

He was the Rank 1 allrounder for an entire decade.

Won a world cup

He was the most destructive batsman of his generation.

I mean, you have a guy who is better than Marshall as a bowler and almost a Klusner with the bat... Actually he is underrated here.

1980s stats of some of the famous batsmen and Kapil. There is a reason for his high batting ranking.

Crowe 80 innings
34 avg, 75 SR
1x100, 17x50

Ranatunga 77 innings
29 avg, 75 SR
0 x 100, 12 x 50

Steve Waugh 71 innings
35 avg, 77 SR
0 x 100, 9 x 50

Vengsarkar 109 innings
36 avg, 68 SR
1 x 100, 22 x 50

Azhar 88 innings
31 avg, 68 SR
2 x 100, 7 x 50

Kapil Dev 131 innings
27 avg, 102 SR
1 x 100, 14 x 50
I massively rate Kapil as ODI all rounder but he was inferior batsman to Klusener but better bowler.
 
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