Some very interesting stats

[masterblaster]

Now, for all those people who have unfairly criticised India's pace duo of Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji so many times.

Here is some food for thought:

"The spotlight has mostly been on Virender Sehwag, Rahul Dravid and co, but the surprise packets of the series were the raw and inexperienced Irfan Pathan and Lakshmipathy Balaji, who easily outshone their more famed counterparts from the Pakistan line-up. As the table below indicates, the Indian duo were runaway winners, taking ten more wickets at a considerably lower average and a far better strike rate."

Irfan/Balaji vs Shoaib/Sami

Balaji & Pathan: 24 wickets at 29.63
Shoaib & Sami: 14 wickets at 52.29

Now, will people see that pace isn't really everything. Control, line, length, seam movement and swing are. And to Balaji and Pathan's credit, they got that spot on in every game.

Their performances cannot be overrated, yet one shouldn't criticise and underrate them either. Hats off to Pathan and Balaji, when everybody said the Indian duo were hopeless and the Pakistani duo were supreme.

 

[a massive zebra]

Send that to the England selectors it might convince them to pick fine line and length bowlers like Saggers, Bicknell or Kirtley instead of erratic pacemen like Simon Jones! In addition to what you have said, it should be noted that the most effective pace bowlers of recent times have been Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath, and before them, Ambrose. They were all more focused on accuracy, line, length and seam movement than out and out pace.

On the other hand Shoaib has been unplayable at times and Harmison has done well recently.

 

[Mr. P]

Ive never doubted Pathans ability. He was very very impressive when he came over to Australia

 

[Sehwag309]

Can the Balaji/Pathan average be attributed to Pakistani batting

 

[Lions81]

Send that to the England selectors it might convince them to pick fine line and length bowlers like Saggers, Bicknell or Kirtley instead of erratic pacemen like Simon Jones! In addition to what you have said, it should be noted that the most effective pace bowlers of recent times have been Shaun Pollock and Glenn McGrath, and before them, Ambrose. They were all more focused on accuracy, line, length and seam movement than out and out pace.

On the other hand Shoaib has been unplayable at times and Harmison has done well recently.

I think Ambrose was indeed focused on out and out pace, except his talent was that he could bowl fast as hell, and he managed to make it straight, on the stumps and gave it swing. Nasty.

 

[biased indian]

Can the Balaji/Pathan average be attributed to Pakistani batting

i dont think so

 

[chicane]

And it's not just their consistency........their fitness and attitudes have also been praised a lot

 

[marc71178]

Send that to the England selectors it might convince them to pick fine line and length bowlers like Saggers, Bicknell or Kirtley instead of erratic pacemen like Simon Jones!

I can't see there being changes to the quartet we had in the Windies unless injuries happen.

Anderson is next in line anyway.

 

[anzac]

Now, will people see that pace isn't really everything. Control, line, length, seam movement and swing are. And to Balaji and Pathan's credit, they got that spot on in every game.

Their performances cannot be overrated, yet one shouldn't criticise and underrate them either. Hats off to Pathan and Balaji, when everybody said the Indian duo were hopeless and the Pakistani duo were supreme.

IMO they were only underrated based upon their inexperience at this level in comparison to the PAK seam attack.........both PAK speedsters are known to be able to bowl inswinging yorkers at pace........

similarly it surprised the hell out of me that they managed to obtain more swing off a genuine length than the locals (apart from Gul perhaps) - particularly after seeing what the PAK duo had done with swing & pace to the NZ batting lineup, not only in the last series but also on their own turf........

I'd also include exploitation of bounce & delivery variety in that list..........as IMO this is what the PAK bowlers lacked when they couldn't get their pace & late inswing to work for them....

 

[Langeveldt]

Check out the worlds best bowlers today.. McGrath and Pollock..
Line and length merchants, no speed any more, just an incredible knowledge of the game and an ability to perform