Shoaib Akhtar's crazy record against New Zealand in the first half of his career

[mr_mister]

was just a bit bored and having a look at some of Shoaib's best performances of his career and I noticed they pretty much all came against NZ - and a ridiculous amount of these dismissals were him clean bowling clueless kiwis


Firstly in the '99 WC SF against them he took 3/55. It doesn't look like that great on paper but it won him the MOM award - all 3 dismissals were clean bowled and all 3 came at crucial times just as NZ looked to be making headway. He struck when the score was 0/20, 3/152 and 5/209 and was deemed to be a huge factor in Pakistan winning this match

Then we get to the really nuts stuff.

In April 2002 in an ODI series he took 6/16 against them, with 4 dismissals bowled. Pakistan put on 275 so it was certainly a decent batting wicket, but that doesn't matter when Shoaib's pitching them up and at the stumps. NZ skittled for 122.

Then barely a week later in a test against them he basically repeated the task. Pakistan notched 643 in only 157 overs on what must have been a road. But then NZ could only offer 73 in reply due to Shoaib demolishing them with 6/11. Again he took the flat pitch completely out of the equation by clean bowling 5 of his 6 dismissals. The other one was a plum LBW. In ten days he'd taken his best ever ODI and test figures against virtually identical batting lineups.

Unfortunately it seems he injured himself during the first dig and didn't get a chance to get to bowl in the second, missing out on guaranteed 10fer.

He got his 10fer though in 2003 when he got to play his 2nd and final test against them in the next series Pakistan played against them.

After missing out on the 1st test for reasons I can't be bothered looking into, in the 2nd test he managed to turn around a 170 run deficit in favour of NZ at the completion of each sides' 1st innings by taking 6/30 in NZ's second dig to skittle them for 103. This combined with 5/48 in the first dig gave him match figures of 11/78 and the MOM award in what was eventually a comfortable Pakistan victory. Only 4 dismissals were bowled this time, but 2 were LBW to continue his general modus operandi of aiming fast and straight at the feet of these blokes.


Has anyone ever had such an extreme grip on a bunch of batsmen like Shoaib did with these guys around this time? I think the amount of dismissals bowled or lbw is what really makes this stand out for me, moreso than perhaps McGrath or Ambrose finding the edge of countless English batsmen. Of the 26 wickets taken in these 4 matches, 19 were bowled or LBW(with 16 of these just being bowled). This just seems so much more destructive and dare I say... alpha. I imagine by that final test they were simply just scared of him and folded to him before the batttle began

All hail Shoaib Ahktar, the destroyer of NZ

 

[trundler]

Minnow basher

 

[Athlai]

It was clearly due to biased umpiring. Nothing says biased umpiring like majority bowled dismissals.

 

[vcs]

Waqar had an insane record against pretty much everyone for the first few years of his career, demolishing stumps and toes galore on the way.

 

[vcs]

Other examples of one bowler having the wood over a team : Warne against the English, Herath against Pakistan was hilarious LMAO.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Weird. Given that they spent most of their lives facing the pure heat of Chris Harris, Craig McMillan, Nathan Astle, Gavin Larsen and Scott Styris you'd think they would be used to the pace of Shoaib

 

[mr_mister]

It's such an embarrassing way to keep getting out if you're a top order batsman. Nicking off against a swinging ball isn't that humiliating, when a ball is moving there's not much you can do. Coming unglued against short stuff can be put down to valuing your health over your wicket sometimes, and few batsmen really appreciate the ball coming at their face all too often. Also, often both of these type of dismissals generally at least happen when a batsman is trying to play a shot and take the attack to the bowler.

Just continually being bowled while trying to block the ball is an indication that you're not good enough. can't even get the bat in the way of the ball to keep it out. of course it could also be a testament to Shoaib's extreme pace

 

[Daemon]

In before migara comes up with a murali example

 

[TheJediBrah]

It's such an embarrassing way to keep getting out if you're a top order batsman. Nicking off against a swinging ball isn't that humiliating, when a ball is moving there's not much you can do. Coming unglued against short stuff can be put down to valuing your health over your wicket sometimes, and few batsmen really appreciate the ball coming at their face all too often. Also, often both of these type of dismissals generally at least happen when a batsman is trying to play a shot and take the attack to the bowler.

Just continually being bowled while trying to block the ball is an indication that you're not good enough. can't even get the bat in the way of the ball to keep it out. of course it could also be a testament to Shoaib's extreme pace

True, but there's something particularly emasculating about getting out to the short-ball often. Maybe that's an antiquated concept these days though.

 

[Line and Length]

It was clearly due to biased umpiring. Nothing says biased umpiring like majority bowled dismissals.

Obviously. The majority were no balls.

 

[trundler]

They're all no balls if you chuck though

 

[sledger]

bloke got so fat

 

[Flem274*]

i remember one of those test performances, it was insane. the fastest bowling i've ever seen this side of shaun tait in the 2007 commonwealth bank series, but actually good.

as to why, well i suspect taking a new rock against the likes of mathew bell gives you a head start. mark richardson, our one good opener between wright and mccullum, is on record as hating facing him. richardson was a triumph of big dick energy over talent, but i think 160kph was just too fast for him.

at least the boss got us a bit of revenge at the 2011 wc, and pakistan haven't enjoyed playing us since shoiab's prime. #1 test side blasted out by lord colin was a highlight.

 

[Spikey]

If I were facing a 156kmh yorker I would simply bop it over long on for six

 

[mr_mister]

imagine fielding for all of 2 days in the heat and leaking 600+ runs to not even make 100 in reply. depressing

 

[mr_mister]

also, looks like he did his injury right on that final ball that got his 6th wicket. the way he was bowling if he got to bowl in the second innings he could have produced the match figures of a lifetime one feels. A 13-14fer for about 40 runs was on the cards for sure

 

[h_hurricane]

NZ batsmen always had problem with Pakistani bowlers, Shoaib and Waqar in particular. On the other hand, Indian bowlers were dealt with far more comfortably. May be, the key was to just bowl fast and straight. Not every one could do it though. These are special men.

 

[vcs]

If I were facing a 156kmh yorker I would simply bop it over long on for six

That's brutal. Incredible bowling.

 

[honestbharani]

If I were facing a 156kmh yorker I would simply bop it over long on for six

Lol.. that ball to Fleming, I think, was 145 kph and it almost seemed like Fleming was early on the defensive shot. They were expecting 155 so much that 145 ended up looking like a slower delivery.

 

[duffer]

Generational talent. Should have done so much more.