Joel Garner vs Waqar Younis

[subshakerz]

I love Waqar but come on, Wasim at his best was a joy to watch as a bowler. Maybe the left arm angle gives him an unfair advantage but peak Wasim bowling 140+, swinging both ways off 8 paces was just peak cricket.

Exactly. Even at their peaks, I dont think most serious cricket followers can watch complete spells of both and come to the conclusion that Waqar was a superior bowler. Yeah, they can think Waqar was more exciting, etc. but Wasim's skill was next level.

 

[honestbharani]

Yeah, funnily I think him and Lara are two players who actually achieved less than their potential, Wasim more in tests and Lara more in ODIs but at their respective best, they are like the best of everything about batting and pace bowling.

 

[subshakerz]

Yeah, funnily I think him and Lara are two players who actually achieved less than their potential, Wasim more in tests and Lara more in ODIs but at their respective best, they are like the best of everything about batting and pace bowling.

That reminds me of the, likely apocryphal quote, from tennis legend Pete Sampras when he was watching a game of Wasim bowling to Lara: 'I don't know what these fellows are doing, but whatever they are doing, they sure are doing it well and having fun doing it.'

 

[ankitj]

It can be argued that Waqar's output was superior though. Not just at peak but over entire careers too.

 

[Starfighter]

Exactly. Even at their peaks, I dont think most serious cricket followers can watch complete spells of both and come to the conclusion that Waqar was a superior bowler. Yeah, they can think Waqar was more exciting, etc. but Wasim's skill was next level.

It can be argued that Waqar's output was superior though. Not just at peak but over entire careers too.

That's my style over substance theory again.

QED

 

[thierry henry]

In NZ at least, in the early 90s it was like, Akram was the established and skilled guy and Waqar was this young phenom just destroying everyone. Akram was the old(er) pro and Waqar was the freak. Of the two, Waqar was the one that induced primal fear from fans and made you think there was a wicket around every corner. And this isn’t some crazy perception, it matched their deeds at the time.

Waqar’s record was heavily built on destroying weak NZ batting too so it makes sense

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Has the ever been a Wasim Akram v Waqar Younis thread? Not including the one with Imran Khan in it as well. Seems to be where this has headed.

 

[honestbharani]

Has the ever been a Wasim Akram v Waqar Younis thread? Not including the one with Imran Khan in it as well. Seems to be where this has headed.

Nah... it really only ends when it reaches Kallis and then Jadeja.

 

[Adorable Asshole]

Garner was the better batsman.

Waqar has marginally higher runs per match than Garner.

 

[BazBall21]

Waqar was unlucky to suffer a career-changing injury, can arguably attribute it to PCB not being as good at managing/monitoring pace bowling as Australia, SA, WI etc. Sadly he was more reliant on explosiveness than Dennis Lillee so couldn’t recover to the same extent as he did. Garner had a less adverse career in multiple ways, but would have to say he’s ahead on overall career production.

 

[subshakerz]

It can be argued that Waqar's output was superior though. Not just at peak but over entire careers too.

Records are somewhat similar except Wasim thrived in Australia and Waqar didn't.

 

[BazBall21]

Always find Wasim’s ER very impressive. But Waqar’s SR is amazing. In the early 90s they were the ? bowling combination.

 

[BazBall21]

Wasim is a really fashionable cricketer. Two people I know who hate Pakistan can't help but like him.

 

[Gob]

Exactly. Even at their peaks, I dont think most serious cricket followers can watch complete spells of both and come to the conclusion that Waqar was a superior bowler. Yeah, they can think Waqar was more exciting, etc. but Wasim's skill was next level.

Yeah, funnily I think him and Lara are two players who actually achieved less than their potential, Wasim more in tests and Lara more in ODIs but at their respective best, they are like the best of everything about batting and pace bowling.

That reminds me of the, likely apocryphal quote, from tennis legend Pete Sampras when he was watching a game of Wasim bowling to Lara: 'I don't know what these fellows are doing, but whatever they are doing, they sure are doing it well and having fun doing it.'

This is progress

 

[subshakerz]

This is progress

Wasim unites all

 

[Adorable Asshole]

Even though i have always rated Akram as among the cricket's greatest talent, i have personally never liked him. Mostly due to the match fixing accusations, his arrogant demeanor, his lack of fighting spirit and rumours of sabotaging the careers of his teammates.

 

[ankitj]

Wasim is a really fashionable cricketer. Two people I know who hate Pakistan can't help but like him.

That's nearly 99.99% of Indian cricket fanbase.

 

[smash84]

Even though i have always rated Akram as among the cricket's greatest talent, i have personally never liked him. Mostly due to the match fixing accusations, his arrogant demeanor, his lack of fighting spirit and rumours of sabotaging the careers of his teammates.

Of all things that you can call Wasim, arrogant probably is least accurate.

 

[subshakerz]

Of all things that you can call Wasim, arrogant probably is least accurate.

Certainly was a bit of a hothead as captain and insecure.

 

[smash84]

Certainly was a bit of a hothead as captain and insecure.

Which is not what arrogant means