Shoaib Akhtar Vs Brett Lee - The battle of the speedsters

[BreadPakoda]

Stars of the late 90s and 00s, Akhtar and Lee terrorized even the best batsmen of their era. Leaving aside off-field issues and team performances that were greatly impacted by the other 10 players, who would you rate as the better of the two?

@ mods - would be great to have a poll added

 

[street cricketer]

Both were lethal due their sheer pace and intimidation but both also had average returns against the best batting sides of their era that sort of pegged back their legacy a bit. Talking about test cricket here.

Akhtar was the better bowler of the two though and he had much lesser holes in his record as Lee did. Lee was a bit of a weak link in that great bowling attack of McGrath, Gillespie and Warne.

 

[Robert]

Shoaib should have been world class for a really long time but wasted his vast ability.

Lee was an excellent ODI bowler but not great in tests, particularly against England. If he had not had McGrath at the other end to help him he would not have got to 300 test wickets.

 

[Ab Fan]

Akhtar was better in tests, Lee in ODIs..

 

[Hasan123]

Brett Lee is the better bowler.

 

[Kashmirilion]

Rawalpindi express daylight then Brett Lee. Shoaibs run up the best run up any bowler ever had. The style the charisma the cockiness.

 

[Zaz]

Akhter was the better bowler if you include tests Lee was a bog avge test bowler who avged 30 plus

Its just a big shame akhter didnt play more test cricket than he did

 

[Manzy2599]

Akhtar was more talented and fierce than Brett Lee but overall because of consistency and longevity Brett Lee was ahead. Akhtar didn’t play enough and was part of many controversies and injuries plus the jealousy and injustice he faced from Wasim/Waqar combo early on his career where he could’ve won many matches for Pakistan and the way Waqar sidelined him in the Mohali semi vs India which could’ve been a fairytale ending for him and Pakistan in 2011. The problem is Pakistan cricket structure and management who are very average and incompetent hence the whole system suffers.

 

[Rana]

Shoaib Akhtar is the better bowler, premier bowler who took big wickets.

Bret Lee overall is the better cricketer, athlete and down to earth human being.


You can ask Bret Lee and he will always tell you that Shoaib was better than him. You can ask Shoaib and he will always tell you Shoaib Akhtar was the best of his generation.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Shoaib Akhtar in Tests
Lee in odis.

 

[jeeteshssaxena]

Akhtar was better at :
Pace
Ability to move the ball
Ability to hit consistent lengths
Also had awkward bounce due to that action.

Lee is quite similar to starc, bothe can't hit a length consistently in tests, their bowling style is suited to lois.

 

[Savak]

Don't think any team was ever really scared or terrified of Brett Lee

 

[Mamoon]

Shoaib Akhtar is the better bowler, premier bowler who took big wickets.

Bret Lee overall is the better cricketer, athlete and down to earth human being.


You can ask Bret Lee and he will always tell you that Shoaib was better than him. You can ask Shoaib and he will always tell you Shoaib Akhtar was the best of his generation.

Shoaib has openly admitted in an interview with Mohammad Wasim that Shane Bond was a much better bowler than him.

 

[Rana]

Shoaib has openly admitted in an interview with Mohammad Wasim that Shane Bond was a much better bowler than him.

Yeah but he would say that about guys who didn’t go on to make it, or the fantastic potential careers of such players was short lived. He also says the same about Mohammad Asif.

Deep inside, the Shoaib Akhtar brand alter-ego knows that it was the ‘bestest fastest bowler’ of his generation.

 

[sweep_shot]

I rate Shoaib higher. His presence was more intimidating and also a bigger matchwinner.

 

[WengerOut]

Shoaib Akhtar hands down. My favourite bowler ever.

 

[OMB]

Shoain Akhtar - for his run in, sheer pace and the fear that he created in minds of so many batsmen. Not going by statistics here

 

[Markhor]

Lee was a bit one dimensional in Test cricket - it was often either short or full. However I feel he's very underrated in ODIs and was better in that format.

Akhtar was the better Test bowler.

 

[MenInG]

Known as the Rawalpindi Express, Shoaib Akhtar is considered to be one of the fastest bowlers in cricket history. The former Pakistan pacer was known for his aggressive personality during matches along with his speed. The 46-year-old recently spoke with Brett Lee in a podcast and the former Australian speedster revealed an interesting anecdote about a "big spell" by Akhtar against his country. The Aussie also stated that one delivery by Akhtar made him feel as if he "had been taken out by a sniper."

The incident occurred during a Test match between Pakistan and Australia in Colombo.

"Well, you know, I could tell you that Test we were talking about in Colombo and it was so hot, the conditions. Shoaib was bowling around about 148 kmph most of the day and he was steaming in. His speed dropped off to about 145 and then they asked him to come on for one more big spell. One more big push from the captain, was asked from Shoaib Akhtar", said Lee.

"He knocked over Gilly with a ball that seemed like it left the hand and blew his stumps away before Gilly could even get the bat down. It seemed like it was about 180 clicks an hour. Then I came out facing the hat-trick ball and this ball is swinging around corners, reversing massively. I got hit on the face on the first ball. Shoaib steams in, he is running in, the black hair's flowing everywhere. Let's go. This ball hits me on the hip."

He further added, "On the fall, I thought I had been taken out by a sniper. I thought I had been shot. He runs down like sorry sorry sorry".

Akhtar also spoke about the spell and stated that Steve Waugh was "just a wall".

"I think I bowled my heart out and I got in fights with many other Australian players during the game. You must understand one thing that you know I am up against one of the toughest batsmen on the planet earth. I mean Steve Waugh is just a wall. He is just a character; he's not going to give it up. I mean no, I wish one day that Brett Lee bowled against his own teammate then he would understand what we had to go through", he said.

Brett Lee himself was known for being an extremely quick bowler. He and Akhtar constantly competed with each other for the tag of the fastest paceman in the first decade of the 2000s.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/tak...being-hit-by-a-shoaib-akhtar-delivery-2740293

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Lee had the most efficient action to generate pace according to the likes of Ian pont and other renowned bowling coaches. But it never really got him results at least in tests. Always wondered why

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Akhtar was the more complete bowler, particularly in tests where Lee had a Malinga style one dimensional approach consisting on bouncer or full ball. There was nothing else.

He has better ODi statistics but its difficult to compare in isolation. Lee was bolstered by a fierce bowling line up and a batting line up that put the opposition under pressure with big scores.

 

[finalfantasy7]

ok, so admin took down my post, i brought this thread back- with a post yesterday, havent received a message from admin.

so if you go on shoaib akhtar youtube channel - he's just interviewed brett lee- around 30mins long, its a good watch - spoiler their not happy with the current fast bowing generation