Who reigns supreme in Test Cricket: Kagiso Rabada or Waqar Younis?

[anikrc1]

There’s been a lot of focus on Bumrah lately, but let's shift the attention to another fascinating comparison: Kagiso Rabada vs. Waqar Younis. Their stats in the Test format are quite similar—so, who do you rate higher?

Waqar Younis Career Stats​

Bowling

Format	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10w
Tests	87	154	16224	8788	373	7/76	13/135	23.56	3.25	43.4	28	22	5
ODIs	262	258	12698	9919	416	7/36	7/36	23.84	4.68	30.5	14	13	0
FC	228	-	39182	21350	956	8/17	-	22.33	3.26	40.9	-	63	14
List A	411	-	19811	15083	674	7/36	7/36	22.37	4.56	29.3	27	17	0
T20s	7	7	156	181	5	3/21	3/21	36.20	6.96	31.2	0	0	0

Kagiso Rabada Career Stats​

Bowling

Format	Mat	Inns	Balls	Runs	Wkts	BBI	BBM	Ave	Econ	SR	4w	5w	10w
Tests	69	126	12657	7026	321	7/112	13/144	21.88	3.33	39.4	14	16	4
ODIs	103	101	5291	4465	162	6/16	6/16	27.56	5.06	32.6	6	2	0
T20Is	65	65	1393	1928	71	3/18	3/18	27.15	8.30	19.6	0	0	0
FC	89	163	16605	8938	396	9/33	14/105	22.57	3.22	41.9	17	19	5
List A	121	118	6199	5312	183	6/16	6/16	29.02	5.14	33.8	8	2	0
T20s	211	209	4633	6219	264	4/21	4/21	23.55	8.05	17.5	7	0	0

 

[FearlessRoar]

I will go with Kagiso Rabada for his strike rate and sheer consistency in red-ball cricket, and he still has a long way to go.

 

[SpiritOf1903]

For whatever reason, so-called goats ultimately achieved nothing.

Waz won a World Cup under IK's genius and underwhelmed, deliberately or otherwise, thereafter

 

[Cricket Warrior]

Sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story so i think Rabada may appear better on paper but Waqar Younis at his peak was on a completely different level. Facing him with the ball reverse swinging was almost impossible.

 

[GLORY OF '92]

Rabada has a big advantage with SA pitches. Waqar played a lot in Pakistan and even England had some very dry pitches in those days.

So I'd go for Waqar.

 

[Ab Fan]

Very good comparison.

Two players whom I rate at same level in Test cricket.

Among the top 12-15 test pacer of all-time. Let’s compare the stats by removing actual minnows.

Waqar( excluding BD and Zim):-

Matches - 73
Wkts - 293
Avg - 25.16
SR - 46.1

Rabada( excluding WI, Zim and BD):-

Matches - 59
Wkts - 266
Avg - 24.33
SR - 42.3

I think both are at same level. Rabada plays for SA so understandably higher WPM. Don’t fool by strike rate, it is due to the era they played in. Difference in SR of 4 is understandable.

Things may change in future we don’t know.

 

[Savak]

Rabada blows hot and cold. In his conditions pace, bounce, swing/seam he looks hot. But i have seen his body language drop and he resorts to bowling well within himself at low pace when the pitches become flat and easy for batting. He was a huge dissapointment on the tour to Pakistan in 2021. His record in India is not great either.

 

[chinaman00]

Waqar is an all time great. Rabada falls in the category of Bumrah, Malinga, etc. a couple tiers below the all time greats. No comparison at all.

 

[Buffet]

Both are top 15 test bowlers, but Rabada takes it. Few more years, gap may become wider.

Waqar was very ordinary for the last 8 years(65% of his career). Waqar has 1 5-fers in entire 8 years against non-minnows. How many will survive 8 years with 1 5-fer or 1 ton in test cricket?

He was good bowler pre injury, but gets overhyped. People cite mythical peak, he wasn't that great against good teams taken together even in his peak.

Rabda has his own shortcomings, but he takes this.

 

[kron]

Sometimes numbers don’t tell the whole story so i think Rabada may appear better on paper but Waqar Younis at his peak was on a completely different level. Facing him with the ball reverse swinging was almost impossible.

That's true. It's pretty close. Away performances wise in Asia rabada is slightly better as waqar was let down by poor performance in Australia and somewhat average performance overall in SA on helpful wickets.

And vs india also he was poor.

I will give rabada the edge here.

 

[kron]

But rabada benefited alot from seaming tracks. Waqar apart from reverse swing had nothing in Pakistan.

Asian bowlers I guess should have an advantage but Waqar record vs top sides wasn't too good away from home hence I am marking him down.

 

[BouncerGuy]

I think Rabada has been fantastic so far. He is pretty under-rated but I think Rabada is a bit ahead of waqar here.

 

[Cricket Warrior]

That's true. It's pretty close. Away performances wise in Asia rabada is slightly better as waqar was let down by poor performance in Australia and somewhat average performance overall in SA on helpful wickets.

And vs india also he was poor.

I will give rabada the edge here.

yeah i will go like this: Rabada with new ball and Waqar with the old ball

 

[Fenrir]

Waqar was a deadly bowler when he was at his peak. Rabada is second best to Waqar. Ask Alec Stewart who played with Waqar at Surrey.

 

[Buffet]

Waqar was a deadly bowler when he was at his peak. Rabada is second best to Waqar.Ask Alec Stewart who played with Waqar at Surrey.

Was he that deadly to compensate for 8 years of very ordinary career?

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Top 6 tests nations during Waqar's peak:




Pacers performance during Waqar's peak in tests involving top 6 teams:



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Last 8 years ( 43 tests) of Career of Waqar against non-minnows : Avg 31-32 with 1 5-fers.

 

[The Bald Eagle]

What a spell that was

https://twitter.com/x/status/1934911478173147544

 

[Ab Fan]

Rabada is better. He has been performing at higher level than Waqar for longer period now and without any unfair advantage.

 

[RexRex]

What a spell that was

https://twitter.com/x/status/1934911478173147544

I remember watching this live. Probably the last great performance from Waqar in his twilight years.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Waqar. But this is an interesting comparison because of the stylistic similarities between the two and the exceptional bowling strike-rates. Rabada also broke Waqar's record for fastest to 300 test wickets last year. And he has even mentioned that Waqar was a big inspiration on him growing up.

 

[Mamoon]

Rabada by far.

Waqar was a huge beneficiary of bowling with doctored balls. He wouldn’t have had a stellar career had he played today. Would be one of the most expensive bowlers going around.

 

[TheSultan]

What a spell that was

https://twitter.com/x/status/1934911478173147544

I actually hate that spell - that was nothing like Waqar. Medium pace, dibbly dobbling. Good game awareness to let the pitch do the job for him, but certainly didn’t enjoy watching it.

The match before that was more impressive - 10-2-20-2. He was bowling at 87-90+mph at the tail end of his career.

But even that was a far cry from his peak years.

 

[shamaan]

Rabada is better. He has been performing at higher level than Waqar for longer period now and without any unfair advantage.

Waqar bowled on flat pitches.

 

[shamaan]

Rabada is better than Waqar.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

If Waqar was playing today with his pace and his swing would make mincemeat of modern batsman who cannot play the ball when it moves.

 

[Devadwal]

Easily Rabada.

 

[Local.Dada]

Rabada and it is a no contest. Also in the current day and age with bigger bats, better power hitting techniques, better understanding of reverse swing someone like Waqar would disappear consistently if he was bowling those swinging Yorkers (unless the ball is super worked on) because that was his go to ball when in doubt. Rabada has more range. Waqar would get the Jadeja treatment every other T20 game.

Waqar was a better bowler in the later part of his career when he could bowl with the new ball.