Waqar Younis vs James Anderson

[PlayerComparisons]

Two bowlers with very high ceilings

 

[Johan]

with bottle caps, Waqar

without bottle caps, Jimmy

tho overall, Jimmy was brilliant for a longer amount of time than Waqar had a career, and Waqar was really just brillaint for a few years, had an insane peak for like 27 tests in a bowling dominated era, outside of that he was a 29+ bowler. Tho again, is it really fair for Jimmy when he didn't have the Bottlecap amplification?

 

[Patience and Accuracy+Gut]

Peak Waqar was the best bowler ever. Anderson longevity was very insane. Although, Waqar was a different beast.

 

[capt_Luffy]

with bottle caps, Waqar

without bottle caps, Jimmy

tho overall, Jimmy was brilliant for a longer amount of time than Waqar had a career, and Waqar was really just brillaint for a few years, had an insane peak for like 27 tests in a bowling dominated era, outside of that he was a 29+ bowler. Tho again, is it really fair for Jimmy when he didn't have the Bottlecap amplification?

What about Murray mints??

 

[BazBall21]

I prefer Waqar for his considerably more devastating peak and how good he was at taking the pitch out of the equation. Can understand votes for Anderson though. Waqar's production post-1994 is a bit more underwhelming than I recalled.

 

[shortpitched713]

Can go either way here. Absolute opposite ends of the peak vs longevity argument.

 

[Arachnodouche]

I prefer Waqar for his considerably more devastating peak and how good he was at taking the pitch out of the equation. Can understand votes for Anderson though. Waqar's production post-1994 is a bit more underwhelming than I recalled.

Not just underwhelming, Waqar post-94 and especially in the last seven years is a completely different and lesser bowler in all respects: run-up, action, pace, movement, swagger. Anderson if anything kept refining his art the older he became.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

As a NZ fan in the early 90s Waqar scared me more than any bowler ever.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

As a NZ fan in the early 90s Waqar scared me more than any bowler ever.

How much did Anderson scare you?

 

[sayon basak]

Did Anderson scare you?

Much better question to ask.

 

[Johan]

What about Murray mints??

I'm sure Waqar and Imran could afford mints too etc

 

[Coronis]

Unsure if they were used outside the Ashes but Anderson wasn’t picked for 05 was he?

 

[Johan]

Unsure if they were used outside the Ashes but Anderson wasn’t picked for 05 was he?

Nope, his first ashes was the 2006-7 Ashes down under iirc (got murdered), also funnily Waqar manages to average 40 to Anderson's 34 in Aus.

 

[Johan]

Peak Waqar was the best bowler ever. Anderson longevity was very insane. Although, Waqar was a different beast.

Was he really? averaging 25+ against Aus and Eng, a home series against a fading Windies where Akram/Bishop/Ambrose all outbowled him too, he was great but he made a lot of his stats on the back of bullying hopeless attacks at home.

Marshall better.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Waqar was taking like 7 wickets a game during his peak. Insane.

 

[Johan]

I prefer Waqar for his considerably more devastating peak and how good he was at taking the pitch out of the equation. Can understand votes for Anderson though. Waqar's production post-1994 is a bit more underwhelming than I recalled.

after Dec 1994 (to 2003)

Darren Gough – 53 matches, 206 wickets @ 27.92, 50.8 SR, 9 5fers
Andy Caddick – 54 matches, 211 wickets @28.27, 55 SR, 11 5fers and 1 10fer
Javagal Srinath – 53 matches, 197 wickets @29.68, 60.3 SR, 10 5fers and 1 10fer
Chris Cairns – 46 matches, 169 wickets @ 26.79, 50.6 SR, 10 5fers and 1 10fer
Angus Fraser – 25 matches, 92 wickets @ 26.8, 56.6SR, 7 5fers and 2 10fers
Jacques Kallis – 73 matches, 155 wickets @29.54, 65.52 SR, 4 5fers
Dominic Corc – 37 matches, 131 wickets @29.80, 58.6SR, 5 5fers
Waqar Younis – 54 matches, 183 wickets@28.13, 51.1SR, 3 5fers and 1 10fer

Yikes, what a fall off, and this is like 60-70% of his career, his ability to bowl away from home also completely dissipated.

 

[sayon basak]

Waqar was taking like 7 wickets a game during his peak. Insane.

Mentioning against whom did he get his wicket would give some context to work with.

 

[Johan]

Mentioning against whom did he get his wicket would give some context to work with.

Against Australia, 10 wickets from 2 games, Average – 25.8
Against England, 22 wickets from 5 games, Average – 25.3
Against Newzealand – 56 wickets from 7 games, Average – 14.3
Against the West Indies – 35 wickers from 6 games, Average – 19.42
Against Sri Lanka – 30 wickets from 5 games, Average – 17
Against Zimbabwe – 27 wickets from 3 games, Average – 13.8

so even at peak, he was rendered mortal against top teams bar a fading Windies, and then he had 8 years of just being a good bowler even with minnow bashing, honestly Waqar is like Gooch tier, an insane peak but his overall career is meh, and he has ball tampering involved.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

In the recent cricketer rankings poll, Waqar was voted in at #47 while Gooch didn’t even make the top 100

CW's 100 Greatest Cricketers Poll

Maybe we should put up the final top 100 in a new thread and allow for debates. Thanks @capt_Luffy for running this. I didn't vote after first 3 rounds but followed this thread closely. Great effort. I think this is the first time we have collectively made a top 100 list at CW like this.

www.cricketweb.net

 

[sayon basak]

In the recent cricketer rankings poll, Waqar was voted in at #47 while Gooch didn’t even make the top 100

CW's 100 Greatest Cricketers Poll

Maybe we should put up the final top 100 in a new thread and allow for debates. Thanks @capt_Luffy for running this. I didn't vote after first 3 rounds but followed this thread closely. Great effort. I think this is the first time we have collectively made a top 100 list at CW like this.

www.cricketweb.net

103 to be precise.

Don't think he means gooch is as good as Waqar, think he means their career construction is similar.