Your top ten TEST bowlers of ALL-TIME

[JBMAC]

In no particular order

S F Barnes
S Warne
C Walsh
M Marshall
R Lindwall
D Lillee
F Trueman
R Hadlee
W O'Reilly
R Benaud/L Gibbs (can't separate them)

 

[Sanz]

Didn't Wasim also have a better record as Captain?

Let's leave captaincy out of it and analyze it from a pure bowling's perspective.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

In no particular order

S F Barnes
S Warne
C Walsh
M Marshall
R Lindwall
D Lillee
F Trueman
R Hadlee
W O'Reilly
R Benaud/L Gibbs (can't separate them)

It has to be in a "particular order" otherwise it makes the awarding of points rather tricky.

 

[subshakerz]

Didn't Wasim also have a better record as Captain?

In terms of victories, maybe, but he had the advantage of captaining a better side and playing against weaker opposition. Doesnt mean he was better.

Imran won a World Cup and drew three consecutives series against the best side of his time (West Indies).

Wasim lost the World Cup final horribly and was easily beaten by the best side of his time (Australia).

Almost every Pakistani player whose played under both feel Imran was the best.

 

[Sanz]

In terms of victories, maybe, but he had the advantage of captaining a better side and playing against weaker opposition. Doesnt mean he was better.

Imran won a World Cup and drew three consecutives series against the best side of his time (West Indies).

Wasim lost the World Cup final horribly and was easily beaten by the best side of his time (Australia).

Almost every Pakistani player whose played under both feel Imran was the best.

And that automatically means that Imran was the better bowler and acieved more as one ?

 

[Ikki]

Because world-class spinners such as Warne are a rarity in cricket compared to fast bowlers, and the cricket community tends to magnify his achievements as they are accustomed to fast bowlers usually taking the wickets.

This also tends to hide the fact that McGrath is more consistent and effective bowler with a better record in nearly all respects. Just not as flashy and appealling.

Yeah, he also tends not to be as much of a match-winner either.

And McGrath and co. aren't saying Warne is the greatest spinner ever (although that is a given), they said he was the greatest bowler ever.

 

[JBMAC]

It has to be in a "particular order" otherwise it makes the awarding of points rather tricky.

OK then ....having considered the list number them 1 to 10 as they appear in the post for poll counting

 

[subshakerz]

Err How did Imran achieve more than Akram as a fast bowler or a greater match winner than the later ?

Imran had a much better record against the best side of his time than Akram, and is much more balanced against all countries.

Imran has an overall better record than Akram despite never playing minnows and being a part-time bowler towards the end of his career.

Imran has a markedly better record in matches won.

Imran singlehandedly has won matches in Australia and West Indies, the best players of pace, Akram never did.

Imran was more likely than Akram to run straight through a batting lineup on his lonesome (he had three 7-fors and two 8-fors, compared to one 7-for for Akram against New Zealand).

So, like I said, while Akram had more talent, Imran's sheer willpower took his performances to another level.

 

[subshakerz]

Yeah, he also tends not to be as much of a match-winner either.

And McGrath and co. aren't saying Warne is the greatest spinner ever (although that is a given), they said he was the greatest bowler ever.

Murali has an even better claim than Warne for the top spinner, objectively-speaking.

You're the first person who I have seen say McGrath is not much of a match-winner. He's the single greatest reason Australia have been so dominant, no opposition had an answer to him.

Remember when Australia lost in India in 1997, or recently in the Ashes? It's no coincidence McGrath was crucially injured both times, and Warne's presence then didnt change the result. McGrath was the Aussie trumpcard, not Warne.

Give me a single tangible reason or two other than the the fact that his teammates lauded him that you consider Warne the better bowler.

 

[silentstriker]

Neither warne nor murali did much against the best players of spin (Australia and India, in Muralis case and India in Warnes). The other bowlers certainly proved themselves against the best players of pace. It doesn't hurt the spinners, because they are so far ahead of all the other spinners, that it doesn't matter. But if you compare them as bowlers, its a big huge red flag.

 

[FRAZ]

Imran's sheer willpower took his performances to another level.

But still I consider Shoaib Akhtar a better bowler than him cuz Shoaib's willpower to come out of controversies and performing at his best all the times makes him surpass Imran by miles .

 

[FRAZ]

Neither warne nor murali did much against the best players of spin (Australia and India, in Muralis case and India in Warnes).

Such tactics are usualy used to elongate the final verdict !

 

[Beleg]

If we are going to fly around terms like 'sheer willpower' (sic) then Wasim's amazing tenacity in face of presistent hostility, and unbridled ferocity - coupled together with an hitherto peerless versatility - set him up a step or ten above Imran in the cricketing echelon.

 

[Salamuddin]

1. Malcolm Marshall
2. Curtly AMbrose
3. Glenn Mcgrath
4. Wasim Akram
5. Imran Khan
6. Dick Hadlee
7. Steve Harmison
8. Murali
9. Waqar Younis
10. RS Sodhi

 

[pasag]

I have a list, but I can't rank them tbh. Any ranking would be even more arbitary than usual and I can't even decide on a number one, so will have to abstain from this one.

 

[subshakerz]

If we are going to fly around terms like 'sheer willpower' (sic) then Wasim's amazing tenacity in face of presistent hostility, and unbridled ferocity - coupled together with an hitherto peerless versatility - set him up a step or ten above Imran in the cricketing echelon.

Ok, perhaps willpower might not have been the right choice of words. I just felt that he put more hard work into his bowling and had a bit more ambition to be the best than Wasim (not that Wasim slacked off or anything). After all, Imran started off as an average medium pacer, completely remodeled his action and was still a potent matchwinning bowler till his mid-thirties. No small feat.

Having said that, Wasim is my favorite bowler, and watching him in full flow is cricketing spectacle like Lara and Warne.

 

[Days of Grace]

1. Malcolm Marshall
2. Curtly AMbrose
3. Glenn Mcgrath
4. Wasim Akram
5. Imran Khan
6. Dick Hadlee
7. Steve Harmison
8. Murali
9. Waqar Younis
10. RS Sodhi

Are you being serious? Should I count this list?

 

[Fiery]

Steve Harmison made me chuckle

 

[Salamuddin]

Steve Harmison made me chuckle

Always happy to be of service

 

[Fiery]

Always happy to be of service