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Pick one of Imran Khan or Wasim Akram as a bowler for your Test team

Imran Khan or Wasim Akram your pick as a Test bowler?

  • Imran Khan

    Votes: 67 58.8%

  • Wasim Akram

    Votes: 47 41.2%
  • Total voters
    114
Strike Rate

Strike Rate

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Joined
Oct 23, 2013
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You have to pick one of them just as a Test bowler (not as an allrounder) . Wasim was the most skillful bowler and can get wicket anytime in any situation on any surface no doubt about that but on performance Imran looks slightly ahead in this format. Here are some of the numbers.

Imran Khan

vs West Indies avg 21.18
vs Australia avg 24.96
vs England avg 24.63
vs India avg 24.04
vs New Zealand avg 28.19
vs Sri Lanka avg 14.63

Imran got at least one 10 wicket haul against all the teams he played except New Zealand and got two 10 wicket hauls against India.


Wasim Akram

vs Australia avg 25.76
vs West Indies avg 20.82
vs South Africa avg 29.76
vs England avg 30.66
vs India avg 28.86
vs New Zealand avg 17.01
vs Sri Lanka avg 21.26

One 10 wicket haul against Australia, One against West Indies, One against Zimbo and two against New Zealand. None against India/England/Sri Lanka/South Africa


Imran's Strike Rate 53.7, Average 22.81, Six 10 Wicket Hauls, Best 14/116

Wasim's Strike Rate 54.6, Average 23.62, Five 10 Wicket Hauls, Best 11/110


Your pick?
 
Both were great bowlers but because I don't like Imran as a person, I would pick Wasim bhai.
 
The_KING said:
Both were great bowlers but because I don't like Imran as a person, I would pick Wasim bhai.
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That's your opinion i respect it but i have a question for you just because of your liking disliking comment. Are you going to prefer a person who was involved in fixing over a person you don't like? (even though the person you don't like was never involved in any fixing and had a better bowling record)
 
Imran all the way for me. He was, simply, more effective.
 
Wasim was a great bowler, but he did not show his ability at times against the best of oppositions like Australia or South Africa whereas Imran seemed to relish the challenge of playing better opponents and upped his game against them. The fact that his average is better against West Indies then his career average proves that and hence I would pick Imran.
 
I haven't really seen Imran bowl, so would go for Wasim.

But from what I have heard and looking at the numbers, Imran seems like a better test bowler.
 
This is no comparison, Imran all the way....

Heck, both Imran and Wasim also Will choose Imran as bowler
 
Robert said:
Imran all the way for me. He was, simply, more effective.
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As someone who hasnt had the privilege to watch Imran. How good was he ? What was his style ? And how high do you rate him as a bowler ?

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 
Just from stats and performances against the best teams of his era would have to go with IK.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk
 
The OP has indicated as a Test bowler, as if he wants Imran to win. If it was over all formats than Akram would win against any fast bowler let alone IK
 
silent ischemia said:
The OP has indicated as a Test bowler, as if he wants Imran to win. If it was over all formats than Akram would win against any fast bowler let alone IK
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Akram will win in ODIs any day of the week no doubt about that but the comparison is about Test performance that many of us rate higher and why i want Imran to win? I have even excluded the all rounder or captaincy etc criteria so that it don't favor IK and just limited it to bowling.
 
Strike Rate said:
Akram will win in ODIs any day of the week no doubt about that but the comparison is about Test performance that many of us rate higher and why i want Imran to win? I have even excluded the all rounder or captaincy etc criteria so that it don't favor IK and just limited it to bowling.
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Fair enough. Many of the readers wont be able to comment fairly as they like me didnt see Imran at his peak; late 70s early 80s that is.
 
Imran Khan is probably in the top 5 pacers of all time - that's how damn good he was.

Wasim was great but his aesthetical bowling glossed over his lack of wicket taking ability at times.
 
Adil_94 said:
As someone who hasnt had the privilege to watch Imran. How good was he ? What was his style ? And how high do you rate him as a bowler ?
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He was extremely fast in his heyday - the quickest in the world for a spell after Holding started to slow down and Marshall appeared. He always attacked.

He relied on his big inswinger, which nobody else could do at the time except Sarfraz (and nowhere near as quick). During Packer cricket Lillee taught him how to bowl the 90 mph leg-cutter and that made him even better because he could move it away from the right hander.

My key memory is that huge leap in the delivery stride which seemed to get bigger and bigger. Like all the absolute top fast bowlers he was viscerally thrilling to watch.

I'd put Marshall at #1 (maybe Steyn is on the same level too now) and then Imran right behind him, as good as any other fast bowler who ever played.

And on top of that you got a capable test match #6 batsman too!
 
Imran Khan was the better test bowler. Both would find a place in my top five pacers ever.
 
If you answer the question the OP posed ie Imran or Akram in your Test XI?
The response can be more of Akram or probably both because being the greatest left arm fast bowler ever Akram will find place in most test XIs compared to IK to add variety to the attack
 
I think Imran was more impactful as a test bowler despite Wasim having greater overall skill with the ball. Plus, Imran was the superior batsman.

It's Imran for me.
 
Haroon786 said:
Imran was the better bowler.
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Maybe, (although I dont agree), but there are better right arm bowlers than Imran. So a test team selection would also involve looking at other factors. Once you have the best right armers, you would add the best left arm pacer.
 
hussain.r97 said:
I think Imran was more impactful as a test bowler despite Wasim having greater overall skill with the ball. Plus, Imran was the superior batsman.

It's Imran for me.
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which is why OP asks "whom would you pick as bowler"
 
Imran at his peak was like Wasim and McGrath combined - had the variety of Wasim and the accuracy of McGrath. And he had more pace too.
 
Pete Rose said:
Maybe, (although I dont agree), but there are better right arm bowlers than Imran. So a test team selection would also involve looking at other factors. Once you have the best right armers, you would add the best left arm pacer.
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McGrath, Marshall, Steyn, Hadlee and Lillee - Imran is up there with them and you can make a case that barring Marshall, Imran is at least on par or better than the others.

Sure simply as a bowler, IK might not get into an all time lineup but he would get in as the GOAT - the fearsome strike bowler, the #7 batsman and a great captain.
 
Haroon786 said:
McGrath, Marshall, Steyn, Hadlee and Lillee - Imran is up there with them and you can make a case that barring Marshall, Imran is at least on par or better than the others.

Sure simply as a bowler, IK might not get into an all time lineup but he would get in as the GOAT - the fearsome strike bowler, the #7 batsman and a great captain.
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yes thats the point...in all time test BOWLING attack, he would not get in, but he would ALWAYS get in as an allrounder
 
Pete Rose said:
yes thats the point...in all time test BOWLING attack, he would not get in, but he would ALWAYS get in as an allrounder
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Yes he could - they're subjective choices and the OP hasn't specified any criteria - thus the better bowler should be chosen, which in Tests is comfortably IK.
 
Take out the minnow of that time Sri Lanka and IK's avg is 24

Take out Zim and Bang Wasim's avg is still 23 :najam
 
How come if Imran was the better bowler Wisden and cricinfo both had Wasim in their all time test team and not IK :uakmal
 
Wasim Akram obviously.

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emclub said:
How come if Imran was the better bowler Wisden and cricinfo both had Wasim in their all time test team and not IK :uakmal
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It's simple because of variety he was a left arm and Cricinfo already had right Lillee and Marshall in their bowling line while Wisden also had Bernes and Marshall in their line up. Marshall is number 1 no doubts about that but you have to question these 11s when you see Bernes (someone from a bowling era and Lohman was better than him) and Lillee who is a great bowler no doubt about that but obviously behind a few other great test bowlers.
 
Strike Rate said:
It's simple because of variety he was a left arm and Cricinfo already had right Lillee and Marshall in their bowling line while Wisden also had Bernes and Marshall in their line up. Marshall is number 1 no doubts about that but you have to question these 11s when you see Bernes (someone from a bowling era and Lohman was better than him) and Lillee who is a great bowler no doubt about that but obviously behind a few other great test bowlers.
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Anyone who saw Imran in the 80's (and possibly Late 70s which I didn't watch) would be hard pressed to think there were any better bowler in World Cricket (apart from Marshal) at the time - in all conditions. Lillee, Hadlee, Botham were useless in the sub continent - if they toured at all - lethal in favorable conditions though. Imran took the attack to the English, the Indians and above all the West Indies both home and away and made Pakistan competitive with his bowling. He had only one other bowler in support cast worth anything usually - Sarfaraz or Qadir for a decade - before Waqar and Wasim came along.

In my opinion, he is under rated as a bowler. I remember watching test matches and one dayers at that time where Pakistan would be struggling in their bowling - until Imran would come on to bowl and inevitably things happened. There is a reason he averaged 22 with the ball - he was very, very good.

I'd go for Imran over Wasim - just having watched the two in action and being a huge admirer of both.
 
Corridor of Uncertainty said:
Anyone who saw Imran in the 80's (and possibly Late 70s which I didn't watch) would be hard pressed to think there were any better bowler in World Cricket (apart from Marshal) at the time - in all conditions. Lillee, Hadlee, Botham were useless in the sub continent - if they toured at all - lethal in favorable conditions though. Imran took the attack to the English, the Indians and above all the West Indies both home and away and made Pakistan competitive with his bowling. He had only one other bowler in support cast worth anything usually - Sarfaraz or Qadir for a decade - before Waqar and Wasim came along.

In my opinion, he is under rated as a bowler. I remember watching test matches and one dayers at that time where Pakistan would be struggling in their bowling - until Imran would come on to bowl and inevitably things happened. There is a reason he averaged 22 with the ball - he was very, very good.

I'd go for Imran over Wasim - just having watched the two in action and being a huge admirer of both.
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That's the reason i picked him too during 80s nobody came close to him when he was at peak and we also have to consider the fact he got injured at peak otherwise who know how much more wickets and better performance? (played 1983 wc just as a batsman). Rested himself in Test matches against SL and NZ and always stepped up against the biggest opponent like West Indies. I agree he is really underrated as a test bowler (not as allrounder or captain)
 
Imran Khan vs Wasim Akram - Who was the better bowler in Tests?

Alright, I really, really needed to create this thread. I never saw Imran Khan bowl, but I've seen Wasim Akram bowl and he was a bowler of extra ordinary skills. Certainly one of my favorite bowlers of all time.

But the reason I've created this thread is for a different reason. A lot of my cousins who are much older than me, a lot of my older fiends and family members still tell me that as good as Wasim Akram was, Imran Khan was even better. It's because of that I've assumed that Imran Khan was better.

Those are people who have seen both Imran and Akram bowl on television sets. So their opinion certainly holds a lot of weight.

I want to know from fans who saw both those stalwarts bowl, who is your opinion was the better, more skillful bowler?
 
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Wasim Akram was the better bowler. Best left arm quick of all time and out most skilful fast bowler. Most batsman (Lara, VVS etc) who played against him rated him as one of the hardest bowlers to face

Character wise, and in terms of impact on the team, Imran is way above him.
 
Wasim Akram had greater skill's with the ball but his run up meant he was very injury prone. He had a massive "no ball" problem through out his career as well. IK had the much smoother run up that has been admired and imitated by many after him.
 
Wasim was more talented and underachieved. Imran Khan is still the best bowler that Pakistan has ever produced and in my opinion, no one will be taking that away from him. Very balanced records all around the world, a fantastic peak (probably the best of all time) and several match-winning performances, all despite losing two of his best years to injury.

IK was the second best test pacer of the modern era while Wasim is fifth on that list.
 
Imran is the BIGGEST legend in the history of Pakistan cricket, However, wasim is the better bowler.
 
Was watching a prorgame about Imran and his career. They were showing him bowling and he was bowling extremely quickly and had a devastating bouncer.

Unless you watched imran live I don't think people of this era will realize how good a bowler he was.
 
Wasim the better bowler, pak fans are emotionally attached to imran for 92, but wasim had more tricks in his bag, he can reverse it both ways, had a mean bouncer and the most amazing yorker , I would put wasim ahead of imran.
 
I often wonder how many wickets IK would have taken had that long shin injury not effected his career. It was similar to how Muhammad Ali lost the peak years of his career.
 
Instead of us speculating as to who is the better bowler, I thought why not dig up some players who have actually faced both of them and try and get their opinion

Mohammad Azharuddin says Wasim - http://www.hindustantimes.com/bolly...-azharuddin/story-oMoprq4wg9KVBC1p2Yp1aM.html

Viv Richards says Wasim - http://www.pakpassion.net/ppforum/s...was-the-best-bowler-I-faced-quot-Viv-Richards

Graham Gooch says Wasim - http://tribune.com.pk/story/1026715...owler-to-play-against-former-england-captain/

Ambrose, Kapil, Alec Stweart - All say Wasim. http://www.dawn.com/news/1185948
 
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Wasim was more talented but in Tests he underachieved. Imran Khan was the better bowler and you can see that in his match winning performances.
Wasim should've had 500+ test wickets but injuries and match fixing led to him underachieving.

Imran Khan's peak is the best ever among fast bowlers. Not to mention he lost almost two years of his career at his peak. He also played several Tests as just a Batsman and hardly bowledi in some games later in his career. His Test record is superior to Wasim's.
 
Wasim for me,Richie Benaud in the cricket legend said how Imran was a great bowler who increased his pace and swing at around 87 mph, Wasim too bowled at that range but he increased it much more depending on the conditions and imo he set the batsmen up,was defn the most exciting bowler who i have seen bowling overall.

Imran was a better captain and player overall but IMO seeing all the videos of Imran (could be bias) found Wasim to be faster and much more smarter bowler not to forget the best Left arm ,whereas Marshall was defn the best right arm pacer.

Imran's Peak was defn better than Wasim,which might be what people might like here.

Thinking about it how much Pakistan bowlers have actually regressed one can guess thinking how awful their plans are nowadays.
 
Wasim is the GOAT odi bowler, there has been no one close to him in the format until the emergence of Starc. In tests, there was a time he was competing with Walsh for the most wickets but he faded in the format towards the end of his career post-2000, but so did Imran post-1989/90. People talk about Imran's shin injury but Wasim had diabetes, in-fighting, team disharmony, captaincy removals, match-fixing all to deal with. Wasim played in an era with more frequent tours, tournaments, and teams so he got more games including those against minnonws.

Taking all variables aside and just looking at how they bowled on tv Wasim was the better bowler, with every ball in his armoury but Imran was far more effective in tests often bowling as the only spearhead in the attack. Wasim had far superior bowling partners throughout his career. Imran's 40 wicket series against India on flat subcontinental decks is something Wasim never came close to in the format even though it can be argued that he had to share more of his wickets.

People will have different opinions but from all I saw Imran is Pakistan's greatest Test bowler, a man with a perfect career that helped him make a cancer hospital and launch a political career in a country where power is in the hands of only a few. Wasim is the GOAT odi bowler, 2nd best Pak test bowler and overall Pakistan's greatest bowler across both formats even if you place a much higher weightage on tests. But Wasim had a career clouded by dubious dealings and even though he has moved on his shady past blunts his aura and stature.
 
A.A.Z said:
Wasim is the GOAT odi bowler, there has been no one close to him in the format until the emergence of Starc. In tests, there was a time he was competing with Walsh for the most wickets but he faded in the format towards the end of his career post-2000, but so did Imran post-1989/90. People talk about Imran's shin injury but Wasim had diabetes, in-fighting, team disharmony, captaincy removals, match-fixing all to deal with. Wasim played in an era with more frequent tours, tournaments, and teams so he got more games including those against minnonws.

Taking all variables aside and just looking at how they bowled on tv Wasim was the better bowler, with every ball in his armoury but Imran was far more effective in tests often bowling as the only spearhead in the attack. Wasim had far superior bowling partners throughout his career. Imran's 40 wicket series against India on flat subcontinental decks is something Wasim never came close to in the format even though it can be argued that he had to share more of his wickets.

People will have different opinions but from all I saw Imran is Pakistan's greatest Test bowler, a man with a perfect career that helped him make a cancer hospital and launch a political career in a country where power is in the hands of only a few. Wasim is the GOAT odi bowler, 2nd best Pak test bowler and overall Pakistan's greatest bowler across both formats even if you place a much higher weightage on tests. But Wasim had a career clouded by dubious dealings and even though he has moved on his shady past blunts his aura and stature.
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Good debut post, welcome to PP. :shezzy
 
Imran Khan for me. Wasim was a master of swing, but people forget Imran taught him how, so he could bowl the lot too.

Both express at their very peak but fast medium most times.

Imran is slightly better in all statistical categories and I also feel that as well as being more durable & reliable, he was also as destructive or more overall (10 wicket hauls- these are going to win you games), if not quite as spectacular in sight. In fact I think it was Imran's strength & fitness which gave him the edge in 10 wicket hauls- he was fitter than the modern guys and could back up both innings.
 
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People sometimes forget just how good Imran was at his peak - between 1981 and 1985 he took 121 wickets at an average of 15.

Also consider how flat subcontinental pitches were in the 80s.
 
Well, Imran was a wicket taker - and that's what matters most in Test cricket..

Wasim was my favorite bowler. After all he could make the best of batsmen clueless - and that's why he is rated so highly as one of the most difficult bowlers to face. But the fact is that Wasim Akram was never wicket taker as many of his deliveries outside the stumps were unplayable even for the best batsmen in the business. An out of context sentence, but just to elaborate what I mean: Mcgrath played in same era (more or less) as Wasim, but Mcgrath was boring to watch due to his impeccable line/length and just enough deviation on the ball to make the best nick to slip cordon - But Mcgrath was a superior Test bowler than Wasim due to this reason

So Wasim was the best bowler to watch, but out of Wasim n Imran - Imran was the better wicket taker. So my vote is Imran Khan !!
 
It would be interesting to compare the top order wickets of these two bowlers.

If I remember correctly, Wasim took a lot of tailender wickets.
 
will like to see opinion of [MENTION=132062]Harsh Thakor[/MENTION] on this
 
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