It was 20 years ago yesterday...

[ZK$]

I take it as a limitation on his right to be considered an ATG-level bowler, even at his peak. For the same reason Hussey isn't considered one despite averaging a billion in conditions which suited him down to the ground.

Would you say Pollock is an ATG bowler? I genuinely don’t think there’s much difference between their peaks.

 

[Burgey]

The value in Athlai's post is the pleasant reminder Anderson wouldn't get Waugh or Border out in a month of Sundays, home or away.

 

[Athlai]

Pollock's entire career is his peak. WAFG. Much better than Jimmy

 

[Burgey]

Would you say Pollock is an ATG bowler? I genuinely don’t think there’s much difference between their peaks.

No I wouldn't tbh. I think he's very over rated on here. I'd say he's very good, but not great.

I base that largely on an admittedly very subjective measure though - from my POV, I never saw Pollock bowling and feared he would run through an Aus batting line up like I did with an Ambrose, Marshall, Wasim or Steyn. Not to say he was terrible or anything, just didn't have that fear about him for me. Same with Anderson compared even to Broad, who can bowl those crazy spells once in a while which rout a side in no time.

 

[Athlai]

A wet fart would've run through the Aussies in the 80s

 

[Burgey]

And tbf one did at Brisbane in 85/86

 

[Daemon]

He's an ATVG bowler who's gone into ATG territory because of how long he's been doing it, English Test spam and ridiculous dominance at home whilst being at worst serviceable in other countries with the occassional matchwinning performance.

It doesn't scream ATG like Steyn or something but it's pretty ****ing good.

 

[ZK$]

No I wouldn't tbh. I think he's very over rated on here. I'd say he's very good, but not great.

I base that largely on an admittedly very subjective measure though - from my POV, I never saw Pollock bowling and feared he would run through an Aus batting line up like I did with an Ambrose, Marshall, Wasim or Steyn. Not to say he was terrible or anything, just didn't have that fear about him for me. Same with Anderson compared even to Broad, who can bowl those crazy spells once in a while which rout a side in no time.

Yeah, I agree. I think you have to be a strike bowler(even when there’s no lateral movement)during your peak to be an ATG bowler.

 

[Burgey]

He's an ATVG bowler who's gone into ATG territory because of how long he's been doing it, English Test spam and ridiculous dominance at home whilst being at worst serviceable in other countries with the occassional matchwinning performance.

It doesn't scream ATG like Steyn or something but it's pretty ****ing good.

Yeah I would agree with this tbh. A rare moment of Daemon posting something cogent.

 

[Prince EWS]

Yeah, I agree. I think you have to be a strike bowler(even when there’s no lateral movement)during your peak to be an ATG bowler.

Is Murali an ATG bowler?

75

 

[Burgey]

Nope

Wish he could have been brought on at both ends.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah but only from people doing a dumb analysis by checklist thing so they can be safely ignored.

I share your disdain for analysis by checklist but that is a lot of mainstream countries to be averaging ~30 in for a supposedly ATG bowler, if we're pretending that he was this hypothetical bowler who has played for the last 10 years only.

 

[Prince EWS]

Nope

I didn't know you extended your hatred of finger spinners to elbow spinners.

But in all seriousness this is surely ridiculous. Fair enough (even if wrong IMO) to use it to rate him less than other ATGs, but to exclude him from the category altogether is a whole new level of analysis by checklist.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

He's an ATVG bowler who's gone into ATG territory because of how long he's been doing it, English Test spam and ridiculous dominance at home whilst being at worst serviceable in other countries with the occassional matchwinning performance.

It doesn't scream ATG like Steyn or something but it's pretty ****ing good.

I'd put him at the Clarke/Jayawardene level. ATVG who was a HTB, but got close to ATG.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

And tbf one did at Brisbane in 85/86

Best Australasian cricketer since the Don.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Is Murali an ATG bowler?

75

Not even a bowler tbh

 

[Burgey]

I didn't know you extended your hatred of finger spinners to elbow spinners.

But in all seriousness this is surely ridiculous. Fair enough (even if wrong IMO) to use it to rate him less than other ATGs, but to exclude him from the category altogether is a whole new level of analysis by checklist.

Of course it's ridiculous. Murali died in the arse in one country compared with pretty sustained mediocrity across a lot of joints for Anderson.

 

[Burgey]

Best Australasian cricketer since the Don.

Yeah nah

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Yeah nah

Name one better. And don't say Border

 

[Line and Length]

He's an ATVG bowler who's gone into ATG territory because of how long he's been doing it, English Test spam and ridiculous dominance at home whilst being at worst serviceable in other countries with the occassional matchwinning performance.

Not many bowlers have had 5 Test series in Australia. It is easy to dismiss Anderson's performances in Australia based on two of those series. In 2006/07 he wasn't the bowler he is now and in 2013/14 he was very ordinary. However, his other 3 Ashes series in Australia have seen him averaging sub 30 (2010/11 - 26.04; 2017/18 - 27.82; 2021/22 - 23.38). Not ATG figures but more than serviceable away from home.