Great fast bowlers tended to go well in India in the 70s&80s. Suspect Lillee would have done too. Obviously lacking any kind of record in the subcontinent is a problem even though I believe he had the tools to do well if he got a proper sample of opportunities.
He played some mediocre New Zealand attacks but he does also have an innings there that's near ATG v peak Hadlee and he still had to go and supply the output. Outstanding player away from the SC.
His away record just has too many caveats for my likings
As I said, Pakistan was tough for visiting pacers though. Lillee himself probably knows better than anyone else.
Yeah, he owned that cringey cliche we have in India, "born to <insert vocation>" in a way I haven't seen anyone do in cricket. It's one thing for kids to be shoved into following a certain path at young ages at the behest of the state or pushy parents like we see in certain Olympic disciplines, but Tendulkar didn't really come up in an authoritarian environment like that. He didn't have especial athletic gifts either which could've transferred to other sports. Cricket, and batting, was his one and only. He was simply fortunate enough to find it as his calling at a young age and be guided along that road by great mentors, and then his talent and precocious levels of maturity took over.
I think not touring India is the only caveat for Chappell.
His WI record is also lacking given he only toured there once against a mediocre attack (though balances by his WSC tour), also not hot on his English record given he only toured there as a challenge regularly. Nothing much to show in Pakistan either, though has a great average. I think he toured a little too few to my likings.
I see WSC as a very high standard personally and I'm sure the players were applying themselves. Chappell was very good in WI there after being prolific on the Test tour.
I have recently wondered at times how much better Fred was of Statham. Ofcourse he was better, but I am really not sure if the gap.
And even more impressive than the numbers was the the how and who they were against.
Fred would have ripped the subcontinent lineups apart. He averaged less than 15 against India.
do you consider Statham an ATG pacer even? I for sure have both Fred and Lillee ahead of Statham by a distance but not different worlds or whatever
I definitely give him credit for WSC in WI.cant fault him for that.
Very close. Both make my top 10 I think.
Think I'd give Freddy the nod for actually having a successful trip to carribean
Never said over Sachin, I said I'm not placing anyone over think either, not by a clear advantage.
Yeah he was more suited to Asia than Australia, and India/Pakistan weren't exactly strong sides back then. He probably would have become the only post-war great to average below 20 if he had a couple of tours there.
