"Some of the bowling by Pakistan was brainless" : Steve Harmison

[Nikhil_cric]

Even though I would agree that what Harmison said is over the top but again just saying that no one can bowl well in this era is ridiculous. We have bowlers like Bumrah, Rabada, Chahal, Kuldeep, Rashid Khan, Cummins, Starc et all who have taken a stick here an there but have largely been brilliant with the ball taking wickets and also keeping the runs down. As a bowler even on this wicket you should be able to go under 6 runs per over with some skills which none of the Pakistan bowlers were able to do. England were poor as well but again the chase which should have been difficult was walk in the park which is ridiculous.

Chasing 359 in 44.5 is just poor bowling. I don't know about Harmison but a prime Waqar, Wasim, Saqlain, Donald, Pollock, Warne, McGrath, Ambrose etc would have at least made it difficult. So don't agree that greats from the past cannot do much on these wickets.

First of all let us exclude Chahal, Kuldeep and Rashid from that list since I was talking specifically about fast bowling . Nowhere did I say that Pakistani bowlers have done well. Bumrah, Starc, Rabada and Cummins are exceptional for various reasons but even they can be taken for plenty when they are not at their best. Im not sure on what basis you are claiming that those former fast bowlers would have done any better. McGrath and Pollock played until 2007 and in the 2003-2007 period they could not control runs the way the used to in the 99-2003 as the pitches had gone flat just about everywhere. Bowling has gotten much harder since then as well and it's likely
they would have gone for more in this era. Pollock in particular was exposed brutally. The likes of Donald , Wasim and Waqar did not even play after 2003. Average run rate was around 5 an over back then and Ambrose played only until 2000. They might have done slightly better than what happened the other day but it's speculation at best. Ambrose rarely played on flat ODI wickets his entire career .

 

[Afhan Ali]

Our Fast bowling is mediocre from previous 1 decade but our weak batting was always to blame for our failures but as now our batting is become stable with good top 3 our poor bowling is just exposed more often.

Blaming Azhar Mehmood as a poor bowler is not the right way because Mickey Arthur never play international cricket at all.

 

[giri26]

First of all let us exclude Chahal, Kuldeep and Rashid from that list since I was talking specifically about fast bowling . Nowhere did I say that Pakistani bowlers have done well. Bumrah, Starc, Rabada and Cummins are exceptional for various reasons but even they can be taken for plenty when they are not at their best. Im not sure on what basis you are claiming that those former fast bowlers would have done any better. McGrath and Pollock played until 2007 and in the 2003-2007 period they could not control runs the way the used to in the 99-2003 as the pitches had gone flat just about everywhere. Bowling has gotten much harder since then as well and it's likely
they would have gone for more in this era. Pollock in particular was exposed brutally. The likes of Donald , Wasim and Waqar did not even play after 2003. Average run rate was around 5 an over back then and Ambrose played only until 2000. They might have done slightly better than what happened the other day but it's speculation at best. Ambrose rarely played on flat ODI wickets his entire career .

Please read my post again, I never said they would have done better, I said they would at least make it difficult. I also said the pacers I mentioned get carted around as well but majority of the times they do pull through. Pakistan over the last 18 months have been poor, no matter what conditions they have bowled in. New Zealand pacers ran through Pakistan on wickets which was considered good for bowling last year and despite that Pakistan bowling struggled to win a single game for them. So the criticism is warranted. Also if you can say that the legends from the past cannot do well in the current era without evidence I can state the contrary without evidence as well. It is a two way street. No bowler in the world is not carted around in a match or two, that does not make him a bad bowler. If someone is getting hammered continuously for over a year then there is a problem.

They were legends for a reason. The fact that bowlers are able to keep their economy under 5 with a good SR and Average even in this era means that it is possible, does not matter if they get hit around in a game or 2.

 

[slipcatch]

Talunt without brain.

None of the bowlers knows what do when their deliveries are being sent to boundary without a bounce.

 

[SecularPakistanii]

Does Steve really think someone like Faheem really even has a brain?

 

[Nikhil_cric]

Please read my post again, I never said they would have done better, I said they would at least make it difficult. I also said the pacers I mentioned get carted around as well but majority of the times they do pull through. Pakistan over the last 18 months have been poor, no matter what conditions they have bowled in. New Zealand pacers ran through Pakistan on wickets which was considered good for bowling last year and despite that Pakistan bowling struggled to win a single game for them. So the criticism is warranted. Also if you can say that the legends from the past cannot do well in the current era without evidence I can state the contrary without evidence as well. It is a two way street. No bowler in the world is not carted around in a match or two, that does not make him a bad bowler. If someone is getting hammered continuously for over a year then there is a problem.

They were legends for a reason. The fact that bowlers are able to keep their economy under 5 with a good SR and Average even in this era means that it is possible, does not matter if they get hit around in a game or 2.

We'll have to agree to disagree here. They were legends for sure, but only in their respective eras. And please read my initial post again. Nowhere have i said that with any certainty that they will not do well in this era. I said I doubt it. Besides i was talking about very specific conditions - namely the current pitches in England and while bowling to this English batting line up not about this era as a whole . And yes,purely in my opinion,most these legends of yesteryear would not have done better against this English lineup on these pitches.

 

[Abdullah719]

Harmison quite impressed with Hasnain.