Atul Sharma

[silentstriker]

Thompson was measured at the batsmens end of the pitch and he clocked up a couple of deliveries over 100mph (160kph+).

I've never seen proof of that.

 

[oldmancraigy]

I've never seen proof of that.

Why not?
It's pretty well attested in plenty of places...

For example:
Cricinfo - 159. 5kph - Shoaib is the fastest
Wapedia - Wiki: Jeff Thomson
The problems ahead for KP;<br> When whang meant bang. | The Spin | guardian.co.uk Sport
Who is the world’s fastest bowler in history of Cricket? - Abhishek Kumar

That'll do.

Remember, he was clocked at the batsman, and not out of the hand - for about 4 years his pace was wildly quick. After his shoulder problem, he came back to be 'just a fast bowler' in the mid 140s...

 

[Lambu]

^ No you're incorrect.

Thommo's world record stands at 160.45 kph and was recorded on equipment which is rated more accurate than that which is in use today. Those high speed cameras would no doubt be in use nowadays except for the time delay in receiving the results. This was the only 'match day' known in which Jeff Thomson's bowling speeds were recorded, but it is generally regarded that he bowled faster still and that he is as fast as any man who held a cricket ball before him or has held one since.

Indeed the speed was measured at the batsmen's end in the world's fastest bowler competition where he won clocking 145 kph,iirc.

However the above report was done using high speed cameras which were more accurate but took a long time to get the results.So this was measured from his hand..as it should be in any "accurate" measuring system.Hence the title of the article..Shoaib is fastest.

 

[Burgey]

This fellow isn't meant to be debuting on April 1st is he?

If this is legit (and who knows, it could be), it would have to be one of, if not the, strangest path to big-time cricket taken by a player ever, wouldn't it? I mean, keeping a guy away from competition against class opponents for years despite his apparent attributes is almost unheard of I think. If he succeeds, it'll be a huge credit to the guy coaching him, to have taken so unusual approach and hav it work.

 

[oldmancraigy]

^ No you're incorrect.



Indeed the speed was measured at the batsmen's end in the world's fastest bowler competition where he won clocking 145 kph,iirc.

However the above report was done using high speed cameras which were more accurate but took a long time to get the results.So this was measured from his hand..as any it should be in any accurate measuring system.Hence the title of the article..Shoaib is fastest.

How am I incorrect?

The title of the article "Shoaib is fastest" mentions this:
Whether he will be the first to break the elusive mark is yet to be seen, but no other bowler bar Jeff Thomson has been recorded bowling as fast in match conditions.

That's right before the paragraph you quoted....

Thompson was clocked at 160.45 at the batsman's end (go and read it somewhere). From the hand the ball is much quicker (obviously )

As I stated in my previous post, the world's fastest bowler competition was AFTER Thompson had broken his collarbone (he broke it 1976 and the comp was 1978) - and was widely regarded as not being as quick as he previously was. That he clocked 148 (see my previous post) at the batsmen's end bowling slower than he used to... well - you go do the math!

 

[Lambu]

How am I incorrect?

The title of the article "Shoaib is fastest" mentions this:
Whether he will be the first to break the elusive mark is yet to be seen, but no other bowler bar Jeff Thomson has been recorded bowling as fast in match conditions.

That's right before the paragraph you quoted....

Thompson was clocked at 160.45 at the batsman's end (go and read it somewhere). From the hand the ball is much quicker (obviously )

As I stated in my previous post, the world's fastest bowler competition was AFTER Thompson had broken his collarbone (he broke it 1976 and the comp was 1978) - and was widely regarded as not being as quick as he previously was. That he clocked 148 (see my previous post) at the batsmen's end bowling slower than he used to... well - you go do the math!

The bolded part part is an assumption..i would argue that he was measured from his hand, especially since the article mentions that it was very accurate.The main drawback with high speed cameras was that they took very long to get the results.

 

[oldmancraigy]

This fellow isn't meant to be debuting on April 1st is he?

If this is legit (and who knows, it could be), it would have to be one of, if not the, strangest path to big-time cricket taken by a player ever, wouldn't it? I mean, keeping a guy away from competition against class opponents for years despite his apparent attributes is almost unheard of I think. If he succeeds, it'll be a huge credit to the guy coaching him, to have taken so unusual approach and hav it work.

Wait...

debuting April 1st....

Could be the most elaborate April fools joke of all time?

 

[oldmancraigy]

The bolded part part is an assumption..i would argue that he was measured from his hand, especially since the article mentions that it was very accurate.The main drawback with high speed cameras was that they took very long to get the results.

It's not an assumption??

In 1975 during a test match, he was timed using high-speed cameras at 160.45 km/h; the following year he was timed at 160.58 km/h using conventional radar.[2] Australian wicket-keeper Rod Marsh kept wicket to Thomson for most of his Test career and claimed that Thomson bowled upwards of 180 km/h. Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd regards Thomson as the fastest bowler he has ever seen.[3] Thomson himself noted that he had been timed at the batsman's end of the pitch (by which time the ball has slowed) and believes had he been timed out of the hand he would have been closer to 180km/h

It's not an assumption.
It's pretty clear that it was timed at the batsman's end of the pitch...

Thompson has also whinged a bit about the technology they use today - he reckons, because it isn't as accurate, it's bringing back higher speeds. He might be right - but what we do know is that the really accurate stuff takes a long time to process, and would be no good for TV.

Regardless of what measuring form one uses, this much we know: the ball is quicker out of the hand - a good 10% or so quicker most times.

Thompson was clocked 160.45 and 160.58 at the batsmen's end.

 

[oldmancraigy]

The bolded part part is an assumption..i would argue that he was measured from his hand, especially since the article mentions that it was very accurate.The main drawback with high speed cameras was that they took very long to get the results.

Sorry - I should have also said that you can argue it all you want with Jeff Thompson, Rod Marsh, the camera operators - all the people who were there performing the testing at the batsmen's end

Back onto the main topic of this thread: if that sort of wild speed has been achieved before through an unorthodox action - then maybe, just maybe this Sharma guy will get it too?

 

[Top_Cat]

I call bull****. The same sort of rubbish was printed about Munaf Patel before he was seen in public. As noted by SS, the fastest baseball pitchers of all time, themselves genetic freaks with specific techniques geared towards getting the ball as far as humanly possible over the mound, don't throw as fast as this guy apparently.

And what's this crap about keeping him away from prying eyes? The fastest-travelling news in the cricketing world is someone who bowls quick so for absolutely nothing to be known about this guy other than the word of a coach? Find it extremely unlikely and will be surprised if this is anything more than hype.

 

[oldmancraigy]

I call bull****. The same sort of rubbish was printed about Munaf Patel before he was seen in public. As noted by SS, the fastest baseball pitchers of all time, themselves genetic freaks with specific techniques geared towards getting the ball as far as humanly possible over the mound, don't throw as fast as this guy apparently.

And what's this crap about keeping him away from prying eyes? The fastest-travelling news in the cricketing world is someone who bowls quick so for absolutely nothing to be known about this guy other than the word of a coach? Find it extremely unlikely and will be surprised if this is anything more than hype.

But supposedly he's been under wraps for 3 years developing his action...

 

[Top_Cat]

But supposedly he's been under wraps for 3 years developing his action...

Unless he's training in a bubble, not bowling at anyone in the nets (3 years of that wouldn't be much fun) and living high in some inaccessible mountains, I find it somewhat difficult to believe he's been totally under wraps. Apparently he's been training in the UK too. Christ, even Usama bin Laden gets seen by people occasionally.

Not only is there no primary source for this info (footage, etc.) there's not even any corroboration. Once again, bull****.

EDIT: Put it this way; I would be shocked if any of it was true. Mind you, even if he comes out of nowhere and bowls even 90mph, that's still pretty good.

 

[Burgey]

Wait...

debuting April 1st....

Could be the most elaborate April fools joke of all time?

That was my point mate...

 

[Top_Cat]

Thompson has also whinged a bit about the technology they use today - he reckons, because it isn't as accurate, it's bringing back higher speeds. He might be right - but what we do know is that the really accurate stuff takes a long time to process, and would be no good for TV.

Taking Thommo's word on anything is beyond foolish. Christ, he claims Lenny Pascoe bowled quicker than Lee. Pascoe was quick enough but geez....

Regardless of what measuring form one uses, this much we know: the ball is quicker out of the hand - a good 10% or so quicker most times.

True.

Thompson was clocked 160.45 and 160.58 at the batsmen's end.

Never happened. What Lambu said is right.

 

[Lambu]

Regardless of what measuring form one uses, this much we know: the ball is quicker out of the hand - a good 10% or so quicker most times.

Oh i haven't denied the fact that its quicker out of the hand. Its just that i would like to see a credible(I'm not saying Thompson and Marsh aren't credible..but they are hardly unbiased) source stating that he was measured at the batsmen's end during this particular match.

 

[Burgey]

Oh i haven't denied the fact that its quicker out of the hand. Its just that i would like to see a credible(I'm not saying Thompson and Marsh aren't credible..but they are hardly unbiased) source stating that he was measured at the batsmen's end during this particular match.

I'd find it hard to believe Thommo or anyone bowled at 180 kph (not that anyone here is saying he did, of course). I do believe the man was the fastest bowler I've seen, and probably (though who knows?) the fastest ever.

But really, if he bowled at 180 kph the difference between that and even express bowlers like Lee, Akthar, Tait and the genuinely quick ones like the Lillee's (early days), Marshall, Holding (though he was probably express as well) would surely be discernable from the footage.

What I mean is, Thommo looks really quick in the footage, but so do the other fellows I've mentioned. If he was THAT much quicker than everyone else, wouldn't you notice it?

Likewise, Marsh stood a long way back to Thommo, but if you see the old footage, is he that much further back than other keepers to other really quick bowlers? I know that's hard to tell from camera angles and all, but it seems to me unlikely he or anyone else ever reached that speed.

 

[Lambu]

Unless he's training in a bubble, not bowling at anyone in the nets (3 years of that wouldn't be much fun) and living high in some inaccessible mountains, I find it somewhat difficult to believe he's been totally under wraps. Apparently he's been training in the UK too. Christ, even Usama bin Laden gets seen by people occasionally.

Not only is there no primary source for this info (footage, etc.) there's not even any corroboration. Once again, bull****.

EDIT: Put it this way; I would be shocked if any of it was true. Mind you, even if he comes out of nowhere and bowls even 90mph, that's still pretty good.

Haha i'll take you on for an avatar bet on that mate..if you're interested.IPL starts on April 17th,thats 23 days from now.

 

[Top_Cat]

Haha i'll take you on for an avatar bet on that mate..if you're interested.IPL starts on April 17th,thats 23 days from now.

What's the bet exactly? That he can bowl 100mph+? If so, you're on.

 

[Lambu]

What's the bet exactly? That he can bowl 100mph+? If so, you're on.

I was talking about him existing and clocking above 90 mph..well lets settle it to 95 mph?

 

[Top_Cat]

I'd find it hard to believe Thommo or anyone bowled at 180 kph (not that anyone here is saying he did, of course). I do believe the man was the fastest bowler I've seen, and probably (though who knows?) the fastest ever.

But really, if he bowled at 180 kph the difference between that and even express bowlers like Lee, Akthar, Tait and the genuinely quick ones like the Lillee's (early days), Marshall, Holding (though he was probably express as well) would surely be discernable from the footage.

What I mean is, Thommo looks really quick in the footage, but so do the other fellows I've mentioned. If he was THAT much quicker than everyone else, wouldn't you notice it?

Likewise, Marsh stood a long way back to Thommo, but if you see the old footage, is he that much further back than other keepers to other really quick bowlers? I know that's hard to tell from camera angles and all, but it seems to me unlikely he or anyone else ever reached that speed.

This. The difference on the footage between a bloke who bowls 130km/h vs 150km/h is massive so 160km/h vs 180km/h would show a difference too.

Fair bit of bluff and bravado going on from the guys of that vintage. If people think awesome things of you, why would you stop that?