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2nd greatest living cricketer

Who is the 2nd greatest living cricketer (behind Sobers)?

  • Total voters
    74
Victor Ian

Victor Ian

International Coach
This is true. McGrath never had to contribute with the bat because Australia were so far ahead, most of the time.
 
stephen

stephen

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
One good argument for picking a tail of Imran/ Hadlee/ Marshall/ Warne is that picking the better batsman at 8 makes 9/10/11 stronger. It's a pretty big difference between those 4 and a tail of Steyn/ Ambrose/ Murali/ McGrath, despite the bowling quality being comparable (I.e. better than any real team in history).

A strong tail can dramatically outperform a weak tail.
 
S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
stephen said:
One good argument for picking a tail of Imran/ Hadlee/ Marshall/ Warne is that picking the better batsman at 8 makes 9/10/11 stronger. It's a pretty big difference between those 4 and a tail of Steyn/ Ambrose/ Murali/ McGrath, despite the bowling quality being comparable (I.e. better than any real team in history).

A strong tail can dramatically outperform a weak tail.
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Yeah that is my preferred tail as well. There are a few combinations but I think this one hits all the right notes, but as bowlers they cover swing + seam + reverse very well.
 
honestbharani

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
stephen said:
One good argument for picking a tail of Imran/ Hadlee/ Marshall/ Warne is that picking the better batsman at 8 makes 9/10/11 stronger. It's a pretty big difference between those 4 and a tail of Steyn/ Ambrose/ Murali/ McGrath, despite the bowling quality being comparable (I.e. better than any real team in history).

A strong tail can dramatically outperform a weak tail.
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If they are gonna bat 8, why not Wasim over Imran? It adds variety to the bowling and the quality you lose will be pretty miniscule.
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
Pap Finn Keighl said:
Overall Ponting and Imran not among the very best list of their primary skills. Very close to it though.

McGrath is arguably GOAT bowler. (Similarly Lara is arguably GOAT batsman after Don)

Dravid is entry level ATG.
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I like this term. I think I will be using this going forward. Well done .
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
kyear2 said:
Was Akram ever as good as McGrath though?

In my personal opinion, no..
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No he wasn't as good but I feel that if the likes of Akram, Donald, Ambrose, Walsh etc had played after 2000, at least one of them would've achieved similarly to McGrath. Why? Because McGrath's career overlapped greatly with the above bowlers and at no point in time was he head and shoulders above any of them.

After 2000, McGrath didn't develop any new ability that was not on show in the 90s. Therefore, imo the 90s greats likely would've achieved similar to what Mcgrath did. That's all I meant.
 
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kyear2

kyear2

International Coach
Slifer said:
No he wasn't as good but I feel that if the likes of Akram, Donald, Ambrose, Walsh etc had played after 2000, at least one of them would've achieved similarly to McGrath. Why? Because McGrath's career overlapped greatly with the above bowlers and at no point in time was he head and shoulders above any of them.

After 2000, McGrath didn't develop any new ability that he was not on show in the 90s. Therefore, imo the 90s greats likely would've achieved similar to what Mcgrath did. That's all I meant.
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I'm not gauging by eras though. And Walsh was never in McGrath league and I don't think that career wise, that Akram was quite as good as McGrath. I'm not giving extra points for eras, and not saying those bowlers would have done worst In McGrath's era. I'm saying Glenn was just better, in my mind at least, than Akram and way better than Walsh. Ambrose I give you is in that absolute top tier and Donald is very under rated.
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
kyear2 said:
I'm not gauging by eras though. And Walsh was never in McGrath league and I don't think that career wise, that Akram was quite as good as McGrath. I'm not giving extra points for eras, and not saying those bowlers would have done worst In McGrath's era. I'm saying Glenn was just better, in my mind at least, than Akram and way better than Walsh. Ambrose I give you is in that absolute top tier and Donald is very under rated.
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Very much so imho
 
Slifer

Slifer

International Captain
kyear2 said:
Tbh, if we're going to be adjusting anyone's numbers for era. Would have to be Sachin's and Lara's for surviving that era.
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I'd say the openers as well tbh. Imagine being some random Indian opener and you had to regularly face (post 1994 or so): Walsh and Ambrose, then Pollock and Donald, then McGrath and Reifel (later Gillespie), Waqar and Wasim and even England wasn't too shabby: Gough, Caddick or Fraser.
 
kyear2

kyear2

International Coach
And I want to be clear. I'm not saying Akram isn't a great bowler, and during the 90's he was brilliant.
I'm just saying McGrath is top 2 and in the discussion for the best ever. Akram isn't that in my mind.
 
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