Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
Botham got in last round. You can change your vote.
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CW's Ranking of Pace Bowlers (Tests)
- Thread starter gftw
- Start date
Red_Ink_Squid
Global Moderator
Peter Pollock
Not sure.
His away perfomances are seriously mediocre.
Generally, a big home/way discrepency tends to indicate either friendliness of pitches in general or suitability of particular style to pitches. Neither of these work at first glance for him, cos he had contemparies in his team of a seemingly similar bowling style who did similarly well away from home as at home. Maybe there is a degree of Steyn vs Philander (both right arm 'pace bowlers') on the go, which I think those of us who never got to see Croft can understand.
LOL sample size is another possibility. He only played 27 tests.
I would also like to hear from people who actually know something...I am blindly theorising.
Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
Croft bowled from a difficult angle quite wide of the crease (when he didn’t want to barge into the umpire) and was quick and could get nasty bounce from just short of a length. He was undoubtedly horrible to face (Boycott said in one of his books that he hated facing him) but he wasn’t a great bowler. Wayne Daniel was a far better bowler, but Clive Lloyd didn’t like him.
Thx for the reply. I really do appreciate it when ppl with actual knowledge reply.
You have just, word for word, described Ntini to me. And to almost the same extent, Morkel. The home/away differences also make sense relative to these guys. You think he was just a better version of them more than an ATG?
Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
Ntini was a decent bowler with a long career. There seems to be some sort of grudge against him on here.
He bowled from wide of the crease, angled it it in and created worlds of trouble for the opposition in helpful home bouncy conditions. I have a world of love for him. He was the workhorse and only matchwinner with the ball RSA had in the dark days around 2006/7, and pretty much the only player who was fun to watch on the field in tests after Pollock's decline before Steyn, AB and to some extent Hashim started to come right. Had one of the most useful years ever from a quick, up there with some 1500 run batting years.
But in the context of ATG discussions, he was rubbish. Away average of 37. Until we start claiming Ashwin is in the same stratosphere as Warne, we need to recognise how limited Ntini was.
He was a more than decent bowler with a long career, but he should not be mentioned with people who are still borderline ATGs.
Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
We shouldn’t selecting bowlers with 20 or less Tests and 70 odd wickets either, but that’s what happening. 
As if the list wasn't bad enoughWe shouldn’t selecting bowlers with 20 or less Tests and 70 odd wickets either, but that’s what happening.
CricAddict
Cricketer Of The Year
So now you too started mocking your own list?As if the list wasn't bad enough
That was a good one so credit to you. But no, I am mocking the list you voted for.
Look opinions exist, just take it easy fella!
_00_deathscar
International Regular
Yes, decent. Not belonging in any of these lists. If he were English he'd have about 500 wickets.
trundler
Request Your Custom Title Now!
Yeah Broad is pretty much Ntini
Lillian Thomson
Hall of Fame Member
It’s unclear exactly who should or shouldn’t be on the list. Number 25 has 78 wickets in 21 Tests with a modest average and about 40% of his wickets were in one series using dubious tactics.
_00_deathscar
International Regular
Yet another stat problem here, Wasim Akram's numbers are massively inflated by his bullying of New Zealand.
Minus Bang and Zimbabwe who were/are a nonsense test side and New Zealand, his average drops to a much more human 25.10 That's not bad but it's not part of the whole brigade "well Wasim Akram was an ATG/2nd best bowler in the world of all time"
I'm not putting him down, he was a good bowler in a strong-ish side. There have been far better, athletic bowlers than him.
_00_deathscar
International Regular
Yes well, that's one reason I hate voting for old farts. No one has a ****ing clue really apart from the very few who might have watched them who are still alive, and they're just as easily swayed by "Back in my day" as much as anything else.
Nikhil99.99
U19 Cricketer
There were great players in past and there will be great players in future.
Southee for no.35
Southee for no.35
harsh.ag
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
In before this but unir...
Well, even if we're just looking at stats 25.10 while playing tonnes of cricket in Asia is phenomenal across 83 test matches and 307 wickets. But minusing NZ is crazy, however nice try little brother (in South Korea this is a term of endearment).
I would like some of you posters to walk up to the likes of Athers, Bumble, Nasser and tell them that Akram isn't one of the greatest ever.
I refer to many posters on here as amateurs for a reason