Top three bowling attack in the test cricket.

[Adamc]

Australia, England, Pakistan. In that order.

Outside of the top three I'd say South Africa, India, New Zealand, West Indies, Bangladesh.

Don't rate Sri Lanka?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Don't rate Sri Lanka?

Whoops.

Sri Lanka behind India, ahead of New Zealand.

 

[open365]

Australia used to be miles ahead of everyone else, but then England got the 4 seamers working in the ashes and the Aussies bowling has been getting worse since then, they still have Mcgrath and Warne but only for a couple more years.

Apart form that, i would say Pakistan's attack is very good, and India's will be very good in the next 5 years.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I'd actually say with the emergence of Lee and Clark that Australia's bowling is looking a bit better now than it was after the Ashes, especially if Gillespie's stint out of test cricket brings him back to his former glory. After the Ashes it seemed like it was just Warne and McGrath standing between Australia and a truly awful bowling attack.

Now there's McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Warne as the bulk of the attack with Clark and MacGill as support, which looks quite good.

 

[Francis]

Yeah it's Australia, England and then South Africa.

England have the better pace attack though. If England just had that quality spinner. I can remember seeing on Sky News when England won the Ashes, a reporter was asking, "And Shane Warne, incredible! When is England going to have a spinner like that." To which the man replied with something like, "probably never."

If there was just that world class spinner it would be England easily for me. Even Kumble would be awesome (though less effective away from the sub-continent).

 

[DanielFullard]

Australia, England and India or South Africa. I think Ntini at this moment is one of the best bowlers in the world but based on depth Id have to give India the nod.

 

[Ikki]

1) Australia
2) England
3) South Africa

 

[Jono]

My only worry with the idea that India will have a very good bowling line-up in the next couple of years is whether Kumble will still be around then, and if he is how good he will be. He bowls a hell of a lot of overs, and whilst him not playing tests will lessen his workload, he's already fairly old and can't have too many years left (although I hope he does).

Patel and Sreesanth may have plenty of potential and could meet it in the next couple of years, however removing Kumble from India's attack may just counter the gain India gains in the pace department. Harbhajan would have to show a lot more to prove that he could become India's premiere spinner once again, a title he held for a little while a few years ago.

 

[Pratters]

Its a shame that England doesn't have a match winning spinner, otherwise England attack would have been the best in the world, even better than Australia.

What is Ian Blackwell then?

 

[adharcric]

What is Ian Blackwell then?

Ian Blackwell is a legend.
Ian Blackwell is the heir to champion spinner Shaun Udal's throne.

 

[adharcric]

My only worry with the idea that India will have a very good bowling line-up in the next couple of years is whether Kumble will still be around then, and if he is how good he will be. He bowls a hell of a lot of overs, and whilst him not playing tests will lessen his workload, he's already fairly old and can't have too many years left (although I hope he does).

Patel and Sreesanth may have plenty of potential and could meet it in the next couple of years, however removing Kumble from India's attack may just counter the gain India gains in the pace department. Harbhajan would have to show a lot more to prove that he could become India's premiere spinner once again, a title he held for a little while a few years ago.

Kumble doesn't seem to be declining in any sense, but the fact that he is 35 is certainly a concern. I'd say he's good for another 2-3 years ... as long as Warne is around, Kumble should stay too. By the time he's ready to retire, hopefully Piyush Chawla or Amit Mishra are seasoned and ready to replace the great one.

 

[GIMH]

England-Australia-South Africa

 

[quick4mindia]

Really, I can see Asif becoming the next McGrath.

Yeah!!!!
Would love to see him bowl in Australia and England. What he has................
1 Decent pace
2 Dead Accurate
3 Pretty decent bouncer
4 Slower one
5 Swing

 

[Wasimullah]

I'm surprised quite a few people are putting South Africa ahead of Pakistan.

Surely Shoaib, Asif, Gul, Kaneria, Razzaq > Ntini, Pollock, Nel, Boje and Kallis

 

[Wasimullah]

My top three would be England, Australia, Pakistan.

 

[Jono]

I'm surprised quite a few people are putting South Africa ahead of Pakistan.

Surely Shoaib, Asif, Gul, Kaneria, Razzaq > Ntini, Pollock, Nel, Boje and Kallis

I thought about it, but let's look at this at the moment.

If we split it up:

3 primary pace bowlers:
Shoaib is Pakistan's premiere strike bowler, and probably the best from both teams. On his day is probably the most destructive bowler around, and can turn a match in a session. Ntini is easily SA's premiere strike bowler right now, and is not too far behind Shoaib. Still Shoaib's the better bowler. Ntini has fitness on his side though, to my knowledge he's only ever been injured once. IMO he's the fittest guy in cricket. Asif looks like he'll be a dead set champion in about 12-18 months and is already IMO one of the best around, but is unproven, Nel is getting better and better every test he plays and has experience on his side. Gul has barely done anything bar a few tests and is hardly ever fit, Pollock may be past it but is still 10 times the bowler Gul is. SA win IMO.

Batting all-rounder:
Kallis and Razzaq. Eh, pick em. They're both generally serviceable and can be damaging on their day. Kallis has experience on his side though.

Spin:
Fair enough Kaneria beats Boje, but Boje is cooler.

As a unit:
Those mentioned bowlers for SA, as a unit, have bowled together far more often than that Pakistan line-up has. That's a vital cog in determining a bowling line-up IMO, and that is why England's is so strong when they're at full strength. They all add something to the team and work as a unit very well.

 

[Xuhaib]

Yeah!!!!
Would love to see him bowl in Australia and England. What he has................
1 Decent pace
2 Dead Accurate
3 Pretty decent bouncer
4 Slower one
5 Swing

I would call Asif more of a seam bowler then swing bowler, though he can get the ball to swing at times.

 

[silentstriker]

Batting all-rounder:
Kallis and Razzaq. Eh, pick em. They're both generally serviceable and can be damaging on their day. Kallis has experience on his side though.

Err Kallis averages 56 with the bat, while Razzaq averages 28.

That's exactlty double. I don't think its fair to call it 'pick-em'.

 

[Xuhaib]

I thought about it, but let's look at this at the moment.

If we split it up:

3 primary pace bowlers:
Shoaib is Pakistan's premiere strike bowler, and probably the best from both teams. On his day is probably the most destructive bowler around, and can turn a match in a session. Ntini is easily SA's premiere strike bowler right now, and is not too far behind Shoaib. Still Shoaib's the better bowler. Ntini has fitness on his side though, to my knowledge he's only ever been injured once. IMO he's the fittest guy in cricket. Asif looks like he'll be a dead set champion in about 12-18 months and is already IMO one of the best around, but is unproven, Nel is getting better and better every test he plays and has experience on his side. Gul has barely done anything bar a few tests and is hardly ever fit, Pollock may be past it but is still 10 times the bowler Gul is. SA win IMO.

Batting all-rounder:
Kallis and Razzaq. Eh, pick em. They're both generally serviceable and can be damaging on their day. Kallis has experience on his side though.

Spin:
Fair enough Kaneria beats Boje, but Boje is cooler.

As a unit:
Those mentioned bowlers for SA, as a unit, have bowled together far more often than that Pakistan line-up has. That's a vital cog in determining a bowling line-up IMO, and that is why England's is so strong when they're at full strength. They all add something to the team and work as a unit very well.

As usual good post Jono.

If i have to make a comparison between SA and Pak it would go like this.

Currently
Shoaib = Nitini
Asif = Pollock
Nel > Gul
Razzaq > Kallis
Kaneria > Boje
SA backup (Steyn , Zondeki, Langevald) = Pak backup ( Sami , Rana ,Arafat)

Now talking about future say about next 12-18 months
Nitini > Shoaib
Asif > Pollock
Nel = Gul
Razzaq > Kallis
Kaneria > Boje
Steyn > Pak backup

Now the key over here are Asif and Steyn.If Asif fulfills his initial promise (inshallah) then i have no doubt he will be the best fast bowler not only in Pakistan but in world while on the other hand if Steyn continues to develop he could well turn out to be an excellent test class fast bowler.

 

[kvemuri]

At full strength, Aus, England & Pakistan

I agree..my order would be though England, Australia & Pakistan. I consider the combination of Freddie, Harmy, Hoggie and Jones to be more potent than McGrath, Lee and Warne today.
Ashes in November might just change that but will wait till then.