Who is the best pace bowler of all time?

[Richard]

Only if the boss allowed him to.

 

[Flem274*]

Only if the boss allowed him to.

He'd let me, I'd just keep nagging. Always works.

 

[Richard]

Heheh, Sriram AKA Agent TBY has been nagging for about 3 years now or summat, still hasn't got anywhere.

 

[Athlai]

But isn't he a kiwi? It would be a joyous occassion, tips the scales to Flem393*

 

[Richard]

He is, but once someone's established an identity with one posting-ID he's usually reluctant to change it.

Mind, he allowed "broncoman" to finally become Simon after about 4 years and 15,000 posts.

 

[Flem274*]

But isn't he a kiwi? It would be a joyous occassion, tips the scales to Flem393*

I'm betting it will be 374* vs Sri Lanka in Colombo. He always scores heavily in Sri Lanka and comes away with something seventy four not out. It's on his century record.

 

[The Sean]

Hadlee (rehashed)

* A natural, born to play cricket. Comes from great cricketing pedigree.
* Throughout his career responded to dramatic situations to win historic games and series for NZ on his own, e.g India '76, England '78, Australia '85/86 to name just a few.
* He could bowl off-cutters, leg-cutters, in-swingers, out-swingers, yorkers and a viscious short ball as quick as anyone.
* His captains would throw him the ball and he would simply get wickets...he got wickets at the start of the innings, got vital breakthroughs and cleaned up the tail.
* Was solely responsible for NZ going from strugglers to world-beaters.
* He played the least number of tests of all the guys who have taken over 400 test wickets.
* He timed the shortening of his run to perfection to maximise his effectiveness and career length despite opposition.
* Has the most 10 wicket bags and most 5 wicket bags in history for anyone with a ligitimate bowling action.* Has the 5th best ever ODI economy rate.
* Underrated by overseas people because he comes from an unfashionable cricketing nation
* Has big feet

Warney's actually gone past him there.

 

[Richard]

Hadlee (rehashed)

* Has the most 10 wicket bags and most 5 wicket bags in history for anyone with a ligitimate bowling action.

I regret to inform you that that's actually Bert Oldfield. See, a basic requirement for having a legitimate bowling-action is to never have bowled, and Oldfield is one of few Test cricketers who never did.

Otherwise, everyone has an illegitimate one by the old (false) ideals that are still held dear by some.

 

[archie mac]

Well, this thread is about PACE bowlers, so define what a pace bowler is then? To me, it's a bowler that doesn't bowl for the sole purpose of putting spin on the ball.

Barnes is a tough one, I know he had a coversation with Cardus where he was asked whether he thought he would have been a better bowler if he could bowl the Googly, Barnes responded that he never needed one. That suggest that he bowled spin, but he is often considered with Tate and Bedser and they were not spinners

 

[Richard]

People often consider freaks part of something they weren't - and Barnes certainly was a freak, possibly a bowler better than anyone has ever come close to.

 

[Anil]

I regret to inform you that that's actually Bert Oldfield. See, a basic requirement for having a legitimate bowling-action is to never have bowled, and Oldfield is one of few Test cricketers who never did.

Otherwise, everyone has an illegitimate one by the old (false) ideals that are still held dear by some.

there is no point man...

 

[Fiery]

I regret to inform you that that's actually Bert Oldfield. See, a basic requirement for having a legitimate bowling-action is to never have bowled, and Oldfield is one of few Test cricketers who never did.

Otherwise, everyone has an illegitimate one by the old (false) ideals that are still held dear by some.

Triple

 

[Dasa]

No.

 

[Richard]

Triple

Well I did consider using it, but on the whole decided that the response I came-up with was better.

 

[Fiery]

Well I did consider using it

on yourself?

 

[Richard]

No, on your post, fairly obviously. Yours deserved it, mine was a statement of 'ow it is.

 

[Fiery]

No, on your post, fairly obviously. Yours deserved it, mine was a statement of 'ow it is.

Of course...it's sacrilige to ever question anyone's action

 

[Athlai]

Of course...it's sacrilige to ever question anyone's action

I don't really see the point in questioning any action thats anything but quite obviously wrong.

 

[Fiery]

I don't really see the point in questioning any action thats anything but quite obviously wrong.

 

[Richard]

Of course...it's sacrilige to ever question anyone's action

It's a sacrilage to say unequivocally that one person has the most X\Y "with a legal action". It's just stupid. If a bowler has played for an extended period, he has a legal action, no two ways about it. Those with illegal actions either get weeded-out, or they correct their actions.

To try to make a case for one player over another "because he has a legal action" is something that annoys me more than most things.

Especially when you base "being legal" on false ideals.