Best left arm test seamer?

[Flem274*]

Don't have a lot of time, so much uni work and I wasn't planning on posting for a while, but since you asked (won't be able to reply either). I'm going on who I'd want in my team right now and it's Zaheer without too much thought needed. Vaas obviously is miles ahead career wise though.

Fair call.

Franklin hasn't played a Test since late 2006 so I don't know why he's even brought up besides a mild case of fanboyisim here (), Vaas has been on the decline for a short while now, so much so that he was dropped in Australia and it's clearly the twilight of his career (although I'm the first to admit that the actions of stupid selectors have little place in cricketing discussions).

Depends what you define as a fanboy. My definition is someone who cannot see any flaws in a particular player and thinks they're perfect. I'm a fan of Franklin but my views on Franklins flaws are well known, a least in NZ circles. Franklin is a current player (injured but still current) therefore he makes the poll.

Johnson has been good, so has Sidebottom who has been impressing everyone but has benefited from idiotic batting, at times. Not knocking him at all and I'm a big fan, but I'd like to see him against some tougher opposition before getting on that particular bandwagon (am rooting for him though).

Agreed.

That leaves Zaheer, who has been really special whenever I've seen him in his latest stint. It had little to do with wickets or averages either (it usually doesn't with me), it's the fact his bowling has looked amazing and often the batsmen have little clue against him. He has been very, very impressive and if I were picking a side now with the names in the poll above, he'd be my first bowler on. But as I said, Vaas careerwise no questions asked, he's a generational great.

Generally dont like stats wither, mainly because I'm on dial up and cbf looking them up. However, I should have been clear the poll is based on career, which means that even though Zaheer was good when he started (IIRC) and good now, there's been a long period where he was not much to write home about. Therefore selecting him ahead of Sidebottom, Vaas and Franklin, who have generally been good throughout their careers, is wrong. Only my opinion of course.

If I were to rank them:

Vaas: Need I bother explaining?

Sidebottom: Has been outstanding, albeit against lesser opposition, but in terms of bowling in the right areas and swinging the ball which has nothing to do with who the ball is travelling to, he's been excellent.

Franklin: Good, talented bowler who has achieved well statistically (SR of 47 is outstanding) but his consistency and accuracy has lacked. One day he's a world beater, next he's fairly pedestrian. Needs to get consistent.

Zaheer: Good at start and now. Crap in between.

Pathan: Lucky-ish to get ahead of Johnson. Talented but not really doing much.

Johnson: Early days, looks good but can be a Franklin-esque bowler in terms of consistency. When he has a few more tests under his belt in varying conditions we'll learn more.

Collins: Sadly may not play again but technically and theoretically available. Decent bowler.

RP Singh: Go away.

 

[pasag]

Depends what you define as a fanboy. My definition is someone who cannot see any flaws in a particular player and thinks they're perfect. I'm a fan of Franklin but my views on Franklins flaws are well known, a least in NZ circles.

Was tongue in cheek (thus the smiley with the tongue sticking out, ironically).

 

[shortpitched713]

Reports of Vaas's decline are vastly exagerrated.

 

[Manee]

Vaas has dealt with the aging of his body extremely intelligently by bowling at 80mph with the new ball and dropping down to about 72mph (with superb accuracy and similar, if not more, swing) with the older ball.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Vass is good but he is more like medium pacer.. not fast bowler.. any bowler who have the wicket keepers close to stump just turn me off..that is one of the reason Zaheer got my vote over vass

First we had Sidebottom, now we have Vass. The unfortunate hybrid of "Vast" and "Ass". Unfortunately, the cameraman at the bowler's end can't find a wide enough lens to see round Vass' disproportionately large derriere.

Oh, and everyone knows the real winner here is Mark Ilott.

 

[Richard]

First we had Sidebottom, now we have Vass.

You sure you don't mean "First we had Kallies, now we have Vass"?

 

[Zinzan]

I voted for Franlin but really it's Vaas, followed by Sidebottom ver. 2 then the group of Johnson, Khan ver. 2, Franklin and Pathan trailing. RP Singh outclassed here.

Ummm, so why did you vote for him then

 

[Nate]

 

[Flem274*]

Ummm, so why did you vote for him then

Because he wanted to. Same way you voted for who you wanted to.

 

[Leslie1]

I like Franklin because he is a bowler who isn't a mug with the bat. More often than not (when he was playing) we can rely on him to hold up one end to make sure we don't embarass ourselves with the innings scores.

But as a swing bowler he's damn inconsistent. He's not fast enough to be considered an out and out pace bowler (more medium pace), so he relies on swing. And his problem is that he can only seem to swing it ONE way. (inswing into the right hand bat).

 

[Flem274*]

I like Franklin because he is a bowler who isn't a mug with the bat. More often than not (when he was playing) we can rely on him to hold up one end to make sure we don't embarass ourselves with the innings scores.

But as a swing bowler he's damn inconsistent. He's not fast enough to be considered an out and out pace bowler (more medium pace), so he relies on swing. And his problem is that he can only seem to swing it ONE way. (inswing into the right hand bat).

I'm getting bored of this whinging about slowness. Ftr Franklin is fast medium not medium. Medium is Grant Elliot who, hopefully, gets lost in the bathroom today so we can't pick him.

 

[Richard]

He's not fast enough to be considered an out and out pace bowler (more medium pace)

Very much fast-medium, IMO. Or possibly medium-fast, we'll see how he comes back from this latest injury.

But he was 130kph, comfortably, when I last watched him.

EDIT: I guess Phlegm kinda beat me to it.

 

[Flem274*]

Very much fast-medium, IMO. Or possibly medium-fast, we'll see how he comes back from this latest injury.

But he was 130kph, comfortably, when I last watched him.

EDIT: I guess Phlegm kinda beat me to it.

I so wated you to it. I'm so much fasterer than youz L0Lz!!

 

[boris_denominat]

i remember that glomorgan match when franklin bowled two beamers and got taken off (the last ball in the over, with the replacement bowler went for six). I mean if you like anderson you will like Franklin

 

[NZTailender]

i remember that glomorgan match when franklin bowled two beamers and got taken off (the last ball in the over, with the replacement bowler went for six). I mean if you like anderson you will like Franklin

Haha, too coherent for BLE...

 

[Laurrz]

god i hope Tanvir is up that list soon.. love watching him bowl

 

[Richard]

Haha, too coherent for BLE...

Funnily enough I would actually think it a distinct possibility if this account hadn't been around for the best part of 2 years. Unlike wahindiawah, SW\BLE doesn't tend to leave hundreds of dormant accounts.

 

[gettingbetter]

god i hope Tanvir is up that list soon.. love watching him bowl

Not a bad ODI bowler, can't see him being too great in Tests.

 

[boris_denominat]

James Franklin: an autopsy. Formed largely by the rearranging of a 12 year old boys body into a 16 year old girls body Franklin has overcome such obstacles as he appeared for the Royal New Zealand cricket team on numerous occasions (a feat only 2 out of 5 new Zealanders get to achieve). His brittle body however has left him deformed like a long bows man, curved into a menacing spectre (inhibiting his ability to play for long periods). His left arm is rather like a scythe in that it swings the ball down (achieving swing in the process) and also reflects his interest in Russian Socialist history. It is also rumoured that he has been biologically engineered to resist roundup (with the roundup gene) and other pesticides. This is thought to be a knee jerk reaction to the threat of a biological strike from neighbouring Tazmania.

 

[andruid]

James Franklin: an autopsy. Formed largely by the rearranging of a 12 year old boys body into a 16 year old girls body Franklin has overcome such obstacles as he appeared for the Royal New Zealand cricket team on numerous occasions (a feat only 2 out of 5 new Zealanders get to achieve). His brittle body however has left him deformed like a long bows man, curved into a menacing spectre (inhibiting his ability to play for long periods). His left arm is rather like a scythe in that it swings the ball down (achieving swing in the process) and also reflects his interest in Russian Socialist history. It is also rumoured that he has been biologically engineered to resist roundup (with the roundup gene) and other pesticides. This is thought to be a knee jerk reaction to the threat of a biological strike from neighbouring Tazmania.

Damn Tasmanians