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Kapil Dev vs Ryan Harris

Who was the better bowler?(Tests)

  • Kapil Dev

    Votes: 32 71.1%
  • Ryan Harris

    Votes: 13 28.9%

  • Total voters
    45

anil1405

International Captain
This is arguably the most bizarre comparison thread for me.

One guys career spanned for three decades while the other guy played barely 5 years but with a very premium output and had a good FC record too.

The era they played in were pretty far apart.

One guy carried a pace attack all on his shoulders on pitches that didn't suit him at home while the other had good support pacers.

Just not a fair comparison imo.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
nah bro let's update this with a modern player who isn't viewed through the eyes of nostalgia.

i know a bowler who took 92 @ 23 from mid-2012 to the end of 2014 as a young man and 114 @ 22 from 2018 - 2021 (in the ballpark of harris's wicket tally). if we put a poll up, no one on this forum would vote for this bowler over ryan harris and rightly so, because we saw them both bowl in the same era and harris was better.

the bowler is tim southee, who is on his way to being an ATVG (arguably is already but i care less and less about atg rankings these days) but clearly not in the harris talent or effectiveness tier unless he goes on a massive tear. this is why longevity being weighted so highly in general online is dumb, because it ignores what selectors go for when they need to win a test match.

picking kapil is still cool. in reality they would not be competing for the same spot and i never saw the guys full career so ****ed if i know my firm opinion on him tbh, he might well be better at his peak or something. however i think using a modern player contextualises this a lot better, especially since southee has a slightly better average than kapil.
I have always rated Southee and have no qualms rating him a better test bowler than Harris.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
This is arguably the most bizarre comparison thread for me.

One guys career spanned for three decades while the other guy played barely 5 years but with a very premium output and had a good FC record too.

The era they played in were pretty far apart.

One guy carried a pace attack all on his shoulders on pitches that didn't suit him at home while the other had good support pacers.

Just not a fair comparison imo.
The 5 years is the issue given the actual amount of tests and conditions he played in.
 

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
nah bro let's update this with a modern player who isn't viewed through the eyes of nostalgia.

i know a bowler who took 92 @ 23 from mid-2012 to the end of 2014 as a young man and 114 @ 22 from 2018 - 2021 (in the ballpark of harris's wicket tally). if we put a poll up, no one on this forum would vote for this bowler over ryan harris and rightly so, because we saw them both bowl in the same era and harris was better.

the bowler is tim southee, who is on his way to being an ATVG (arguably is already but i care less and less about atg rankings these days) but clearly not in the harris talent or effectiveness tier unless he goes on a massive tear. this is why longevity being weighted so highly in general online is dumb, because it ignores what selectors go for when they need to win a test match.

picking kapil is still cool. in reality they would not be competing for the same spot and i never saw the guys full career so ****ed if i know my firm opinion on him tbh, he might well be better at his peak or something. however i think using a modern player contextualises this a lot better, especially since southee has a slightly better average than kapil.
Excellent point well made.

With all thar he's done in the last few years, I would have no trouble putting Southee over Harris. This isn't me just trying to be consistent and painting myself in a corner. Southee has done enough to rank above Harris, who continues to be wildly overrated by many here imho.

Kapil carrying a non existent attack by himself for a while also really carries a lot of weight with me, but it's perfectly understandable if it doesn't with others.
 

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
So Kapil being bad in NZ doesn't negates that Southee has been trash against ENG in his entire career.
Fake news.
Southee actually has the 3rd most wickets at Lord's for a visiting bowler. He is only behind McGrath and Hadlee and ahead of Marshall and Warne.

He got wrecked this year because the Dukes' balls were faulty - hence sloggers had a field day in 1st class cricket (and Bairstow in tests) and his stats suffered.

Southee is actually BETTER in Asia than Kapil was.
 

Adorable Asshole

International Regular
Harris' record isn't even that well rounded?

Half his games against a useless England. Only decent against SA. Never played in India or Pakistan and didn't do well against India even in Australia.

Very good bowler no doubt, but this is a joke. He's basically had a mini Vernon Philander career, nothing more.
Vernon's career is among the best i have ever seen. Only gets underrated because he was playing with possibly the best bowler ever
 

TheJediBrah

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Vernon's career is among the best i have ever seen. Only gets underrated because he was playing with possibly the best bowler ever
philander was better than harris
to not be a burden on my team
broooo Philander is the most overrated bowler in history

Dude was useless if there wasn't a lot of help in the pitch.

Great bowler but "a burden on my team" whenever conditions are tough?

He's basically Chadd Sayers. He isn't even within sight of Ryan Harris
 

sunilz

International Regular
He does. He only brings it up when it suits his bias. ?
Sobers rated Subhash Gupte better than Warne.
Slated during commentary in 03/04 told that he found Srinath to be the most difficult bowler because he always used to get him out .
Tendulkar rated Cronje to be one of the most difficult bowlers to face ?
Players opinion are unscientific way to rate players.
 

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