Battle of the Cricketers

[Anil]

waqar

 

[archie mac]

Since when are Hadlee and Marshall "Every contemporary player"?? ...Slight exaggeration.

Also there are a lot of ifs and buts in the whole argument.

I used Hadlee and Marshall as examples because they were quoted in the post I replied to, I think that was obvious. You show me the contemporary players who do not rate him one of, if not the best fast bowler they played with or against.

The only 'if' was the WSC, which I still say contained the best players in the world at the time.

There are no 'buts' FOT is the best fast bowler in the history of the game. His poor form in the sub continent is based on 4 Test Matches.

 

[cameeel]

Waqar

 

[Jono]

Yeah, I thought that post was quite funny as well. The fact of the matter is that statistics are not he be all and end all of the game (especially when Lillee played so few games in Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and with horrendously biased umpires as well at those times).

Sri Lankan umpires too?

 

[Jono]

I can't go past Waqar.

 

[Dasa]

Sri Lankan umpires too?

What Halsey forgets to mention is that ALL umpires were biased at that time - including Australian umpires.

 

[Jono]

What Halsey forgets to mention is that ALL umpires were biased at that time - including Australian umpires.

Yeah it seems to me he's just bunching up all sub-continental umpires and labelling them a pack of biased cheats. Interesting

 

[sledger]

Waqar Younis

 

[chaminda_00]

Waqar

 

[honestbharani]

YOunis.

 

[Robertinho]

Waqar Younis.

 

[deeps]

waqar

 

[Shounak]

Waqar Younis

 

[Slifer]

Waqar (i smell a rout here)

 

[Zinzan]

Waqar

 

[luckyeddie]

I'll go for Waqar too.

 

[a massive zebra]

Waqar

 

[shaka]

Waqar

 

[Slow Love™]

If Australians like Slow Love or Top Cat want to bring their blatant national bias into the frame again that is up to them, but the fact of the matter is that the team that scores the most runs wins the match, not the team that bats most stylishly or with the most charisma, and Lillee's reputation far outweighs his actual on field performance.

That's a bit catty, mate. Firstly, there are plenty of people (including quite a few ex-players, writers and publications such as Wisden) that rate Lillee extremely highly, so I don't see why you should single out T_C and myself. Secondly, many of those people aren't even Australian, so I don't see why you had to bring a cheap shot like "national" bias into the equation (and many thanks to Faaip for the defence).

And unashamedly, I actually DO take a lot of meaning from "intangibles" such as how intimidating a bowler is, how intelligently he bowls, the pressure he applies, how effective he is at figuring out batsmen, etc, and I don't believe a dry statistical analysis will tell that story (which is not to suggest that Lillee's statistics are poor, because they're excellent). I saw a fair bit of Hadlee, Holding and Marshall, and IMO, if those guys are all considered among the greatest fast bowlers, Lillee's right up there in the same ballpark.

Anyhow... I'm going with Waqar this vote.

 

[luckyeddie]

And unashamedly, I actually DO take a lot of meaning from "intangibles" such as how intimidating a bowler is, how intelligently he bowls, the pressure he applies, how effective he is at figuring out batsmen

.... how closely he resembles Frank Zappa,