• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Wasim Akram vs Allan Donald

Who was the greater bowler?

  • Wasim Akram

    Votes: 24 51.1%

  • Allan Donald

    Votes: 23 48.9%
  • Total voters
    47
S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
h_hurricane said:
Are you referring to 1995-96 test here ? 6 wicket in the match haul is hardly earth shattering. It was Mushy who did most of the damage iirc. Akram didn't pick any wicket in 1989-90 either.
On Donald, he was great in both 1996-97 and 1999-00 trips to India. Was better than any trip Mcgrath or Akram had to India. Donald was also rated as the best bowler in world around 1997-98. So him not rated as highly as the others is revisionism.
Click to expand...
Sorry I meant Akram's Melbourne performance.

Donald's trips to India were good but light in terms of real match impact. Would argue McGrath in 2001 was better and maybe even Akram in 1999 was as good.

Donald was the best bowler no doubt for some time in the late 90s but post retirement is not rated as highly as Akram, McGrath or Ambrose.

But that misses the main point, which is why didn't Donald have any memorable match spells overseas?
 
Pap Finn Keighl

Pap Finn Keighl

International Debutant
subshakerz said:
Sorry I meant Akram's Melbourne performance.

Donald's trips to India were good but light in terms of real match impact. Would argue McGrath in 2001 was better and maybe even Akram in 1999 was as good.

Donald was the best bowler no doubt for some time in the late 90s but post retirement is not rated as highly as Akram, McGrath or Ambrose.

But that misses the main point, which is why didn't Donald have any memorable match spells overseas?
Click to expand...
Donald > Ambrose

Ambrose WPM is very low by ATG standards
 
h_hurricane

h_hurricane

International Vice-Captain
subshakerz said:
Sorry I meant Akram's Melbourne performance.

Donald's trips to India were good but light in terms of real match impact. Would argue McGrath in 2001 was better and maybe even Akram in 1999 was as good.

Donald was the best bowler no doubt for some time in the late 90s but post retirement is not rated as highly as Akram, McGrath or Ambrose.

But that misses the main point, which is why didn't Donald have any memorable match spells overseas?
Click to expand...
Donald in 1998 took 80 wickets in 14 matches (7 five wicket hauls). That is as monstrous as it gets. Among quick bowlers, only Lillee in 1981 had more wickets in a calendar year. Also took no less than 33 wickets in his England tour that year. His contest with Atherton that series was one for the ages. Watching him that series easily convinces me that he was a top tier ATG. Great SR, great average through his career as well. Might have well picked up 400+ wickets like Akram in way fewer tests, if not for SA's absence from international cricket in his younger days.

Mcgrath and Ambrose are better bowlers than Donald for me, but only just. I rate him a bit higher than Akram though.
 
S

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
h_hurricane said:
Donald in 1998 took 80 wickets in 14 matches (7 five wicket hauls). That is as monstrous as it gets. Among quick bowlers, only Lillee in 1981 had more wickets in a calendar year. Also took no less than 33 wickets in his England tour that year. His contest with Atherton that series was one for the ages. Watching him that series easily convinces me that he was a top tier ATG. Great SR, great average through his career as well. Might have well picked up 400+ wickets like Akram in way fewer tests, if not for SA's absence from international cricket in his younger days.

Mcgrath and Ambrose are better bowlers than Donald for me, but only just. I rate him a bit higher than Akram though.
Click to expand...
I am not disputing Donald's other achievements as a bowler or that he was top in the world in the late 90s. Stats-wise he is no doubt superior to Wasim.

I am just pointing out what I consider to be a whole in his resume, lack of memorable overseas match performances. Just admit that he doesnt really have much to speak of.

His contest with Atherton was great in that series but Atherton won that contest frankly.
 
Migara

Migara

International Coach
Bolo. said:
I have given Akram his due on account of longevity pretty comprehensively in relation to Donald.

Stats are not equal to average. The fact that Donald was close to 20% better in SR and WPM while picking up bigger wickets is more important than the difference in average by orders of magnitude.

How many of his away games do you actually remember watching ? Everything between 95 and the mid 2000s is a bit blurry to me. Just remember that he was awesome. With the exception of SL 93? I cant remember ever having watched an RSA win that he was not excellent in before the late 90s... batting was trash and RSA were not winning unless he was pulling amps. His stats are pretty for a reason.
Click to expand...
He was excellent there. Over shadowed buy Schultz but nevertheless good. No SL batsman other than for Aravinda sorted him out. At least Schultz was sorted out by Aravinda, Arjuna and Jayasuriya , so despite having better stats, could say Donald was the main man. However, he had it easy because batsmen were shellshocked by Schultz's bowling at other end.
 
Pap Finn Keighl

Pap Finn Keighl

International Debutant
Slifer said:
Bro Ambrose's WPM is higher than Akrams. And fwiw, Donald had much better fielders than Ambrose so why doesn't that factor in like it does with Akram??
Click to expand...
Thats like saying Andy Ganteaume averaged better than Bradman.
Realistically Akram's WPM >> Ambrose's

Donald > Ambrose, after considering everything.
 
honestbharani

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Ambrose Steyn and McGrath are easily the best fast bowlers I have seen. The orders may change, especially between Steyn and Ambrose, but to me those are my top 3. And Akram > Donald for me. And I say all this as someone who has basically seen almost all of their cricket since 90 or so.
 
Last edited:
kyear2

kyear2

International Coach
Pap Finn Keighl said:
I feel the same, when people rank Ambrose among best of the best pacers ( League of Akram, Marshall, Hadlee, Steyn, Lillee, Mcgrath .. Etc)
Click to expand...
And Smali is encouraging you now.

Give me one single objective measurement or fact to show how Akram was a better or more effective bowler than McGrath.
 
Pap Finn Keighl

Pap Finn Keighl

International Debutant
Slifer said:
Akram played 104 tests and took 414 wkts
Ambrose 98 tests and took 405 wickets. Like wtf??

The bold part makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
Click to expand...
Imagine Bradman playing until 1990 and retiring after 200 tests with a batting average of 49, would you still consider him the GOAT batsman?
 
Pap Finn Keighl

Pap Finn Keighl

International Debutant
kyear2 said:
And Smali is encouraging you now.

Give me one single objective measurement or fact to show how Akram was a better or more effective bowler than McGrath.
Click to expand...
More 5 wickets per match / innings
More 10 wickets per match / innings
Higher % of team wickets taken

?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top