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Kapil Dev vs Ryan Harris

Who was the better bowler?(Tests)

  • Kapil Dev

    Votes: 32 71.1%
  • Ryan Harris

    Votes: 13 28.9%

  • Total voters
    45

PlayerComparisons

International Vice-Captain
His averages are affected by playing as a specialist bat and part-time bowler in late career, and debuting exceptionally early at 18 years. If you see his proper bowling years he is even better.

Him doing better at home is the norm for SC bowlers. Srinanth, Kapil and Vaas all average something like 6 points better at home.
Aren’t you the one arguing in this same thread for a players entire career to be looked at lol?

He’s still a great bowler but I’d probably put him at the same level as Walsh.
 

Burgey

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Nah Imran was a better bowler than Walsh imho. But I mean we aren't exactly comparing plonkers here.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Aren’t you the one arguing in this same thread for a players entire career to be looked at lol?

He’s still a great bowler but I’d probably put him at the same level as Walsh.
I do, and I don't mind posters downgrading Imran a bit compared to Marshall and Hadlee because of his latter career, it is fair.

Imran >> Walsh though.
 

TheJediBrah

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Anyway are you guys really saying that Kapil Dev had extended periods where his bowling was as good as peak Ryan Harris? It runs counter to everything I've heard but I'm not going to dismiss it completely
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Anyway are you guys really saying that Kapil Dev had extended periods where his bowling was as good as peak Ryan Harris? It runs counter to everything I've heard but I'm not going to dismiss it completely
It depends what you mean by extended period.

If its one calendar year, I don't think that counts.

His statistical peak period was 79 to 83 which is a five year period similar to Harris, and he doesnt do as well as Harris.
 

Jayro

U19 12th Man
And frankly nor should they. He had a few decent years when he scrubbed the ball dry with bottle tops, then reverted to basically being pretty average again. The extent to which Imran cheated is always glossed over here for some bizarre reason. It's an open secret among blokes who played with and against him at every level. The man set a standard for ball tampering which has never been surpassed.
Not to mention the umpiring support that he got at home grounds, they were cheaters.
 

h_hurricane

International Vice-Captain
Anyway are you guys really saying that Kapil Dev had extended periods where his bowling was as good as peak Ryan Harris? It runs counter to everything I've heard but I'm not going to dismiss it completely
Had posted in the same thread earlier

Peak 1 : 27 tests 118 wickets@ 23. (Jan 1979 - Nov 1981).

Peak 2 : 19 tests 80 wickets@ 23 (Dec 1982-Dec 1983)

In his peak 2, he played 11 tests against full strength WI. I am not sure Harris played against a batting lineup as strong as that one, though SA between 2010-2014 was very good.
 

GoodAreasShane

Cricketer Of The Year
Mate tbh Harris was barely getting picked in the Shield earlier in his career. he was cod ordinary. Like, he was never going to be near the test side sooner than when he daybooed.
Exactly this. If anyone was talking about selecting Harris in those days, it was about whether he should get a game for the SACAs over Paul Rofe or Mark Cleary

The answer to which, at that point of his career, was no
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Had posted in the same thread earlier

Peak 1 : 27 tests 118 wickets@ 23. (Jan 1979 - Nov 1981).

Peak 2 : 19 tests 80 wickets@ 23 (Dec 1982-Dec 1983)

In his peak 2, he played 11 tests against full strength WI. I am not sure Harris played against a batting lineup as strong as that one, though SA between 2010-2014 was very good.
This isn't how you determine a bowler's peak though. You are ignoring around a dozen ordinary tests in 82 because it doesnt suit you. You have to include tests in between that are bookended by the quality performances for it to be representative of Kapil at his best. Kapil has basically one extended peak from 79 to 83. Or are you suggesting that after Nov 81 Kapil suddenly regressed as a bowler and then magically peaked again in Dec 82?

The question shouldnt be whether Kapil could string together enough quality performances in a row but how good was he exactly at his best compared to Harris whose best coincided with his entire international career.
 
Last edited:

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Anyway are you guys really saying that Kapil Dev had extended periods where his bowling was as good as peak Ryan Harris? It runs counter to everything I've heard but I'm not going to dismiss it completely


Span
MatInnsOversMdnsRunsWktsBBIBBMAveEconSR510
unfiltered1978-19941312274623.21060128674349/8311/14629.642.7863.9232Profile
filtered1979-198356902022.541361302349/8311/14626.193.0351.8182

Harris played 27 tests and took 113 wickets. Kapil took 90 wickets off 20 tests in 1979-80 alone with a much better average and SR than Harris's career.
 

subshakerz

Hall of Fame Member
Is... that not how it works?
It's like saying that when Botham played Australia in 1977 he was in his peak, then when he played the WI in 1980 he wasn't in his peak because he didnt perform but when he played Australia in the 81 Ashes he was in his peak again.
 

TheJediBrah

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This isn't how you determine a bowler's peak though. You are ignoring around a dozen ordinary tests in 82 because it doesnt suit you. You have to include tests in between that are bookended by the quality performances for it to be representative of Kapil at his best. Kapil has basically one extended peak from 79 to 83. Or are you suggesting that after Nov 81 Kapil suddenly regressed as a bowler and then magically peaked again in Dec 82?

The question should be whether Kapil could string together enough quality performances in a row but how good was he exactly at his best compared to Harris whose best coincided with his entire international career.
This is some moderate-level stats manipulation but it still shows that Kapil was at least close to Harris' level for relatively extended periods which is more than I thought tbh
 

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