Is there any bowler who's better than Malcolm Marshall or could challenge him?

[HeavyBall]

I'd probably go with Steyn. He's good enough to play cricket till the age of 36 and may even end up coming close to Mcgrath's record of 563 wickets!

 

[Burgey]

Yes

 

[kyear2]

No.


His career stats are unrivalled in the modern era and his resume is clean and complete. His home and away numbers are nearly identicle and he played and was successful everywhere. He was fast, could swing it both ways, accurate had the meanest bouncer and go could bowl all day.
Simply the best.

And yes, know I will hear it for this.

 

[Jono]

Malcolm who?

 

[kyear2]

Second best in my book, which is still exceptional.
His lack of express pace was both a plus and a minus, but there were times when he was collared, maybe because of it.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

McGrath is the greatest bowler to have ever lived.

 

[Lostman]

Malcolm who?

Ha this was awesome, got one for Ambrose as well?

 

[HeavyBall]

malcolm who?

cool!!!!!!

Nice nice nice!!!!:d:d:d

 

[subshakerz]

At his absolute peak in the early 80s, I would put Imran as perhaps his equal or even slightly above him. Overall career, no fast bowler can match Marshall.

 

[bagapath]

Too tough to split Marshall, Hadlee, McGrath, Lillee, Imran and Ambrose, although Macko has to be primus inter pares and the rest to follow in that order. Steyn, Wasim, Donald, Waqar, Holding and Garner aren't too far behind either.

 

[bagapath]

At his absolute peak in the early 80s, I would put Imran as perhaps his equal or even slightly above him. Overall career, no fast bowler can match Marshall.

Marshall's best years started after he took the new ball for the first time in Kanpur in the 83-84 series vs India and lasted till the 88-89 season when he went past Gibbs' record for west Indies.

Imran's best years as bowler were between 81 and 84.

 

[smash84]

Imran's peak years as bowler were 79-80 to 82-83. I think throughout the 80s both Hadlee and Imran struck at a lower average and SR than Marshall.

The most complete fast bowler (in terms of moving the ball around) that I have ever seen is Wasim and in a recent interview when Wasim was asked if he could be another bowler who would it be and Wasim said Marshall. The interviewer asked him "You will switch easily"? and Wasim was like "just like this (snapping his fingers together)"

 

[Debris]

The big concern for Malcolm Marshall is the number of other bowlers playing in the same era with similar records, Imran Khan, Dennis Lillee, Richard Hadlee, Curtley Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram are all contemporaries of Marshall and their records are not markedly worse and some would argue better. It may be coincidence that most of what are considered the great bowlers all played together but it does give you cause to think.

 

[Howe_zat]

Barnes not mentioned yet?

There's plenty of competition here.

 

[Hurricane]

Most people voted in my hadlee vs Marshall thread that although both could move it both ways - Marshall was better because he was faster. And in most CW polls he is ranked as the number 1 seamer ever.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Marshall was the best ever. End of discussion.

 

[Debris]

Marshall was the best ever. End of discussion.

End of discussion is the worst phrase ever posted. End of discussion.

 

[Flem274*]

I could take him.

 

[smash84]

you could take Marshall?

 

[The Sean]

Imran's peak years as bowler were 79-80 to 82-83. I think throughout the 80s both Hadlee and Imran struck at a lower average and SR than Marshall.

Nah, I think they both shaded him in average (all three averaged 19-odd IIRC) but pretty sure Macko's strike rate was unmatched.