Imran Khan vs Curtley Ambrose

[Migara]

Imran vs Ambrose - Imran is a swing bowler, bowled extravagant lengths. Ambrose was tall and used seam, and was relentless.

Ambrose - 98M, 405W, @ 21.0 / 54.5 5w: 22, 10w: 3
Imran - 88M, 362W, @ 22.8 / 53.7, 5w: 23, 10w: 6

Who is better?

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

“Sir” Curtly

 

[Jack1]

Ambrose.

 

[robelinda]

CURTLY

 

[Chrish]

As silly as it may sound, why should Ambrose get away with not performing against every opposition while other players are penalized for the same criteria? Just an observation on this site.

 

[subshakerz]

I can understand why Ambrose may be rated higher, he was more consistent and miserly overall. But I really think there is little to choose between them, Imran peak and top spells compare very well with Ambrose, and I reckon Imran was a better flat wicker bowler than Ambrose, who would switch to a mechanical mode if the wicket was not supportive.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

As silly as it may sound, why should Ambrose get away with not performing against every opposition while other players are penalized for the same criteria? Just an observation on this site.

Ambrose is not getting away with anything. He played an important part for us as one-half of a great bowling pair in cricket.
I love to see stumps cartwheeling.

 

[sunilz]

More important question:
Better bowling spell?
1. Ambrose's 7/1 OR
2. Stuart Binny's 6/4

 

[Migara]

Binny > Kapil

 

[kyear2]

For me Ambrose is a comfortable 5th on my all time list while Imran is around 10th.

Raw stats alone, Imran is one of the top 5 players to have played the game. But between the umpires, the bottle tops and the undisputed gap between his home and away record, I don't see how he matches up.

 

[smash84]

Imran vs Ambrose - Imran is a swing bowler, bowled extravagant lengths. Ambrose was tall and used seam, and was relentless.

Ambrose - 98M, 405W, @ 21.0 / 54.5 5w: 22, 10w: 3
Imran - 88M, 362W, @ 22.8 / 53.7, 5w: 23, 10w: 6

Who is better?

I am surprised that curtly has so few 10w hauls. I would have expected more.

 

[subshakerz]

For me Ambrose is a comfortable 5th on my all time list while Imran is around 10th.

Raw stats alone, Imran is one of the top 5 players to have played the game. But between the umpires, the bottle tops and the undisputed gap between his home and away record, I don't see how he matches up.

How exactly did Imran benefit more from home umpires compared to Kapil or Hadlee for example? And to my knowledge, Imran admitted only using a bottle top in a county game (don't want to open that debate, but still).

Ambrose barely played any cricket in the subcontinent too. Like I said, don't see how there can be a big gap between them.

 

[subshakerz]

I am surprised that curtly has so few 10w hauls. I would have expected more.

McGrath also has 3 in 124 matches. For some reason, posters dont hold that against him.

 

[Flem274*]

Yeah Imran admitted to only that. Chris Pringle ball tampered in Pakistan in the early 90s, and to do it NZ studied a Pakistani ball they managed to pilfer before the ball boys got it.

 

[subshakerz]

Yeah Imran admitted to only that. Chris Pringle ball tampered in Pakistan in the early 90s, and to do it NZ studied a Pakistani ball they managed to pilfer before the ball boys got it.

To be fair, Imran didn't play that series.

 

[Migara]

Imran hardly has any holes in his record.

 

[subshakerz]

Imran's bowling record is even better when you consider that he played quite a few tests as pure batsman or as a batsman/part-time bowler.

I would have been interested to see how well Ambrose would do in India. My suspicion is not that great. Just bowling back of a length in the corridor as Ambrose's MO wouldnt fly.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

The real ‘versus’ should have been between Shakib v Imran, since we are invoking Imran’s batting into an ‘Imran v Ambrosediscussion.

 

[honestbharani]

Ambrose as a bowler

 

[Migara]

Another important thing is that Imran did much better against best opposition of the era. Ambrose, even as a part of a great bowling unit was not as successful against Pakistan as Imran against WI.