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ODI : Glen McGrath vs Shaun Pollock

McGrath vs Pollock


  • Total voters
    22

Randomfan

U19 Debutant
Bowling for both,

1739369389745.png


Batting for both:


1739369485592.png


McGrath wasn't that much better in bowling to compensate for 115 runs in entire career.

Pollock was productive with 3K plus runs and that too at a very good SR during those days.
 

Randomfan

U19 Debutant
Many fans fail to see difference in test and ODI when it comes to relative importance of bowling and batting.

Tests are won by outbowling oppositions. You win tests by picking 20 wickets. McGrath had a wider gap in tests bowling. I will take Mcgrath in tests in same context as OP.

ODIs are won by outbatting the oppositions. You can win ODIs without taking any wicket. Gap in bowling is also narrower in ODI. I will take Pollock in ODI format for an average team.

Pollock will be more useful for an average team in ODI. Since, ODIs are won by outbatting opposition, 115 career runs in ODI can't be ignored if we are talking about utility of players for an avg team. For an ATG teams, I will pick McGrath in both formats.
 
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Fanboy375

U19 Debutant
Pollock has too many not outs but scoring 16 runs with 80+ as lower middle order during those days was vital for any teams
 

Randomfan

U19 Debutant
Yeah also having good economy without good bowling figure can also help one to win ODI
Yes, that's true. You don't need to take 10 wickets to win. You need to stop opposition outscoring your team. Taking wickets does help for that, but it's not like test cricket where taking 20 wickets are needed to win most matches.

Pollock was harder to hit than MCgrath and it reflects in his ER being lower than McGrath. Many fans ignore that aspect, but some one bowling till 2008 in ODI cricket and having ER of 3.6 is very valuable.

To make my point, in ODI cricket if some one avg 40( that's high) but always gives 20 runs in 10 overs, that bowler will be fantastic. That won't be the case in tests. In tests forcus will be to bring that avg of 40 down because you have to pick wickets to win. You can't win without that in test.
 

MasterBlaster24

School Boy/Girl Captain
I don't think Pollock's batting can fill the gap between him and Mcgrath as a bowler in ODIs.Furthermore, Pollock wasn't that effective as a bowler in away Odi matches. Despite his major discipline, Pollock failed as a bowler in ODI World Cups as well.

Pollock's bowling stats against top 7 oppositions away(home of opposition)

Pollock's bowling stats against top 7 oppositions in ODI World Cups


Mcgrath's impact as a bowler in ODIs was second to none imo.
 

Rob Wesley

School Boy/Girl Captain
It’s down to clutch factor and big moments. McGrath won the World Cup 3 times while Pollock won none. SA had the team but they just didn’t thrived the key moments.
 

Randomfan

U19 Debutant
He wasn't as good a bowler as CW rates him.
In ODI, here are all bowlers who bowled at the same time.

Given his ER and Avg, how low do you think he should be rated in ODI format?

ER of 3.6 is simply golden for his era and makes him the hardest bowler to hit. He can't be rated too low with ER of 3.6 and Avg of 24 combination. Then you add his 3K plus runs at SR of 85 in his era. As a package he got to be right up there for an average team. You get extremely tight 10 overs and 15-20 runs at SR of 85.

Imagine having 3 pacers like that in one team. 30 overs by pacers giving 110 runs and those 3 pacers can add 45-60 runs at a very good SR.

1739374015837.png
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
In ODI, here are all bowlers who bowled at the same time.

Given his ER and Avg, how low do you think he should be rated in ODI format?

ER of 3.6 is simply golden for his era and makes him the hardest bowler to hit. He can't be rated too low with ER of 3.6 and Avg of 24 combination. Then you add his 3K plus runs at SR of 85 in his era. As a package he got to be right up there for an average team. You get extremely tight 10 overs and 15-20 runs at SR of 85.

Imagine having 3 pacers like that in one team. 30 overs by pacers giving 110 runs and those 3 pacers can add 45-60 runs at a very good SR.

View attachment 45325
Pollock has a soft record.

Can you tell me tournament finals where he won MOM or really performed well?

Why does his WC record stink?
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
It’s down to clutch factor and big moments. McGrath won the World Cup 3 times while Pollock won none. SA had the team but they just didn’t thrived the key moments.
Forget even WC, I can't recall major tournaments where Pollock performed in clutch games.except for WC semi 99.
 

Randomfan

U19 Debutant
McGrath won the World Cup 3 times while Pollock won none. SA had the team but they just didn’t thrived the key moments.
Did he or McGrath+10 players won it?

Key part in your sentence is "they". Winning or not winning is rarely about one player. Collectively SA was not good enough to win.

Let me flip this a bit in test format for away wins. That's toughest job in that format and as opposed to ODi where you win by outbatting opposition, you have to outbowl opposition to win in test so a bigger role for bowler to win.

5-fers in away wins : Top 5 in the last 75 years

1739375560988.png



Bumrah 5-fers in away wins are more than pretty much everyone in the last 75 years. Do we start putting him in the top 5 pacers right now. Let's make it 2 more 5-fers in win for him, should we start saying that he is only behind Marshall then? I don't think so despite bowlers relatively having bigger role in winning tests. He is still right up there, but it will be one aspect and should be seen in context with many others. Like WC wins for McGrath, we can't simply take this and ignore everything else. Before T20 era, WC was not the start and end of ODI cricket.

Many posters think that WC wins so nothing else matters but some of same posters may simply start talking different angle when it comes to 5-fers in away wins by brining lots of other important stuff. In ODI, career ER is one of the most important factors, if not the most, and Pollock was harder to hit than everyone else. I won't rate him as the best ODI bowler for sure, but he can't be rated too low and then his batting. Total package has to be right up there.

I will still give credit to McGrath for stepping up in WC and helping his team win. That's a big part. I still give credit to Bumrah for stepping up in away tours and helping his team win. But I will see it with everyhitng else.
 
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sayon basak

International Captain
Did he or McGrath+10 players won it?

Key part in your sentence is "they". Winning or not winning is rarely about one player. Collectively SA was not good enough to win.
That is not a very good excuse to overlook what McGrath has done in the World Cups.
 

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