What is your ultimate 4 man pace attack in Tests of all time?

[TheGreatest]

I'll have Andy Roberts. Such a clever bowler who knew the art of taking wickets. Plus on his day can be very nasty.
Lillee
Marshall
Imran
Roberts

 

[Red]

Probably twice faster than when Garner delivered it.

As if.

 

[Migara]

As if.

This is not referring to pace, rather strike rate.

 

[Coronis]

Actually, I expect Waqar to win over Garner here in a poll

Basically comes down to the classic peak vs consistency doesn’t it? If I’m picking for one test or series with guaranteed health, I’d pick Waqar. But if I’m picking a bloke to bowl for my team for his whole career, I’ll take Garner.

 

[Starfighter]

Lohmann
Barnes
Spofforth
Turner

It says pace. Medium is a pace. (Spofforth took most of his wickets by cutting his pace to medium).

 

[Victor Ian]

Who are the best medium Pacers ever?

 

[The Sean]

Who are the best medium Pacers ever?

I suppose it depends on exactly where we draw the "medium pace" line, and who counts as medium vs medium fast vs fast medium if indeed it is even possible to make an accurate delineation.

I tend to include anyone I'd think of as medium or medium fast in that category, by which Starfighter has listed four of the absolute best ever right there. I'd add to that - chronologically - Jack Ferris, Maurice Tate, Alec Bedser, Bill Johnston and Fazal Mahmood.

There were a lot of very good but not truly great ones from the 1960s onwards as genuinely fast bowlers took the limelight, but I reckon we've been blessed in the modern era to see one of the very greatest who stands comparison with anyone in history - Vernon Philander. Perhaps he might be considered a little too quick to be a classic medium pacer but he always felt in that category to me.

 

[The Sean]

I should note that I'm not including in my answer blokes like McGrath, Pollock or Anderson who I remember being genuinely sharp in their younger days before mastering their craft with age and cutting their pace.

 

[Bolo.]

I should note that I'm not including in my answer blokes like McGrath, Pollock or Anderson who I remember being genuinely sharp in their younger days before mastering their craft with age and cutting their pace.

These guys were more fast or FM down to MF.

Pollock doesnt belong here. He got better after losing a couple of klicks, but his quality declined proportionally to his speed once he dropped below genuine fast. He didnt have the same level of control of ball movement as the other guys you are mentioning. Philander and Anderson in particular could choose which way they want a ball to go. Pollock just used to wobble it and hope for the best.

 

[Stefan9]

Steyn-Marshall-McGrath-Hadlee

 

[Teja.]

I suppose it depends on exactly where we draw the "medium pace" line, and who counts as medium vs medium fast vs fast medium if indeed it is even possible to make an accurate delineation.

I tend to include anyone I'd think of as medium or medium fast in that category, by which Starfighter has listed four of the absolute best ever right there. I'd add to that - chronologically - Jack Ferris, Maurice Tate, Alec Bedser, Bill Johnston and Fazal Mahmood.

There were a lot of very good but not truly great ones from the 1960s onwards as genuinely fast bowlers took the limelight, but I reckon we've been blessed in the modern era to see one of the very greatest who stands comparison with anyone in history - Vernon Philander. Perhaps he might be considered a little too quick to be a classic medium pacer but he always felt in that category to me.

Obligatory Praveen Kumar mention even though he’s not quite the best. He bowled 125 kph but was a master of his craft imo. He only got to play 6 tests but was excellent throughout including his debut series where he was the only respectable Indian bowler in a thrashing of epic proportions in England.

Would’ve got more a lot more chances if he was not a psychopath who beat up umpires.

 

[Razi]

Ideal combination:

Fast Attack - Imran Khan with Shoaib Akhtar

Swing/ Economy - Richard Hadlee

Spinner - Shane Warne

 

[Razi]

All pace would be:

Imran Khan
Wasim Akhtar
Glenn McGraw
Richard Hadlee

 

[trundler]

Combining two bowlers is an interesting strategy I hadn't thought of. Glenn Marshall, Richard Steyn, Curtly Lillee and Wasim Garner would be my choices.

 

[weeman27bob]

Combining two bowlers is an interesting strategy I hadn't thought of. Glenn Marshall, Richard Steyn, Curtly Lillee and Wasim Garner would be my choices.

James Curtly Ambrose

 

[Starfighter]

Combining two bowlers is an interesting strategy I hadn't thought of. Glenn Marshall, Richard Steyn, Curtly Lillee and Wasim Garner would be my choices.

I'd try at least get them all contrasting combinations. Hadlee and Steyn were very similar in method.

 

[trundler]

I'd try at least get them all contrasting combinations. Hadlee and Steyn were very similar in method.

I just listed them in the order they popped up in my head tbh. Ambrose and Akram would probably be an even crazier combo.

 

[Daemon]

Dodda Akhtar

 

[Victor Ian]

Glenn Warne would be crazy difficult.

 

[harsh.ag]

Glenn Warne would be crazy difficult.

Also known as Sydney Barnes