Who would you select as your two dream strike bowlers from any era?

[Zaz]

If ur talking about 2 of the best strike bowlers then look no further than

Marshall n
Waqar

 

[Robert]

If some Pakistani 'cultists' are indeed deluded, they are in good company.

Allan Border said that Akram was the cricketer he would like to come back as. Graham Gooch said he would make his world 11 alongside Marshall, Warne and Lillee and that he would rather face Michael Holding than Wasim.

Brian Lara rated him as the best he had faced, adding that “with Wasim Akram you can play the best forward defensive and he can get through that." Mark Taylor rated him the best bowler he faced along with Ambrose and summed up the breathtaking variety that Akram possessed, by noting that he could land the ball on the same spot for four times and do four different things with it. Other Australians, Michael Slater, Justin Langer and Ian Healy agreed with Taylor, that Wasim was the greatest they faced.

In a recent Sky debate when discussing the greatest, Nasser Hussain, Ricky Ponting (and David Lloyd) were unanimous: Wasim was the best. Jacques Kallis who never even faced Wasim at his peak concluded "In my opinion Wasim Akram of Pakistan was the best pace bowler that I ever faced."

Respect was not only forthcoming from batsmen. He was rated the best of his generation by Allan Donald. Curtly Ambrose was even more emphatic: "I think Wasim Akram is the greatest. He has done things with the cricket ball no other fast bowler has."

Wasim Akram did not so much make the ball talk, as Peter Roebuck once observed, but he made it sing instead.

They are talking about the last few years only, not all of cricket history. And while they thought Wasim was the best they faced, how did Steyn get them out more often for fewer runs?

David Gower said the most difficult bowler he ever faced was Andy Roberts; not Lillee, Imran, Hadlee or Marshall. In which case how did Marshall do better against him?

 

[Buffet]

Surely not to the current Indian team though

Yah, you have a point there.

 

[WrexEverything]

Marshall
McGrath

 

[IndianWillow]

Like some people observed, Akram is not a unanimous choice like Marshall. While Marshall-Akram pair makes for a terrific left-right combo, Akram cannot be held unanimously superior to the likes of McGrath, Steyn, Lillee, Imran, Waqar, Hadlee, Holding etc. Akram is the greatest left armer ever. But Marshall is the undisputed king of fast bowling, whether left or right.

For example, I definitely think Imran was superior to Akram, though I think Marshall-Akram combo is superior to Marshall-Imran due to the variety it brings.

 

[Bilal7]

They are talking about the last few years only, not all of cricket history. And while they thought Wasim was the best they faced, how did Steyn get them out more often for fewer runs?

David Gower said the most difficult bowler he ever faced was Andy Roberts; not Lillee, Imran, Hadlee or Marshall. In which case how did Marshall do better against him?

Maybe they felt that they gave away their wickets to Marshall, whereas Wasim bamboozled them whenever they took up strike against him. They have no reason to lie.

 

[Chrish]

Marshall and McGrath ( despite my dislike toward him).. Don't think they will ever go without taking 20 wickets in any match..

 

[KB]

They are talking about the last few years only, not all of cricket history.

Nowhere did I claim that they were talking about 'all of cricket history'.

And while they thought Wasim was the best they faced, how did Steyn get them out more often for fewer runs?

Curious argument, given that 'they' comprise only of Ponting as I don't believe any of the others that I mentioned actually faced Steyn in Tests.

David Gower said the most difficult bowler he ever faced was Andy Roberts; not Lillee, Imran, Hadlee or Marshall. In which case how did Marshall do better against him?

Extending this argument, Hanse Cronje dismissed Tendulkar more times than Shane Warne and troubled the great Indian more. Not sure that makes him a better bowler than Warne.

 

[Farhansk]

1) Young Waqar
2) Marshall

 

[Haroon786]

For those picking young Waqar or Waqar at his peak, than IK had the greatest peak of any bowler ever.

 

[Sunzi]

So much love for McGrath, understandably - but little to no mention of a similar (IMO better) bowler in King Curtly.

@1:07 - "This Ambrose is unreal"

Of course he would be partnered by the orignal Waqar, head-band and afro to boot.

 

[UpInTheAir]

Wasim, and Rana

 

[hafizexpress]

Joel Garner and Courtney Walsh

Second option will be Wasim and Ambrose!!!

Both will be fine for either tests or ODIs!

For t20is I'll choose B Kumar and Umar Gul!!!

I'll gladly take feedback

 

[ChachaCricket]

Shoaib and Waqar.

 

[Hasan123]

Waqar and Donald.

 

[marlonbrowndo]

Wasim and Marshall

 

[TestMatch]

Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner. Two bowlers with a nice low average of 20.

Or Ambrose on one end and Steyn at the other.

 

[TestMatch]

So much love for McGrath, understandably - but little to no mention of a similar (IMO better) bowler in King Curtly.

@1:07 - "This Ambrose is unreal"

Of course he would be partnered by the orignal Waqar, head-band and afro to boot.

Cheers for this video. Some great footage of his yorkers; unlike the WI fast bowlers of the 1980s, Ambrose didn't rely on incessant short pitch bowling.

And he was such a character. Like a lanky, giant, catapult.

 

[Bilal7]

The two greatest strike bowlers of all time are the two greatest fast bowlers of all time: Malcolm Marshall and Imran Khan.

I wouldn't pick Hadlee and McGrath as two of the greatest strike bowlers of all time because they relied on a consistent line and length to pick up their wickets, instead of being able to blast through opposing batsmen. Both are in my life of the top five pace bowlers of all time, however, along with Wasim Akram and the aforementioned Imran and Marshall.

Waqar Younis was an absolutely devastating strike bowler too but his record has a few holes in it, which means that he is just edged out by Marshall and Imran. He is definitely in the running as the first change however, along with Steyn and Donald.

 

[Shahvaaaaaaaiz]

Imran khan Juniour and Subashish Roy

 

[Shahvaaaaaaaiz]

But on a serious note, definitely Wasim Akram and Malcolm Marshall, pace and swing, or even curtley ambrose/joel garner.

 

[Romali_rotti]

Test: Mcgrath & Steyn, batting line-ups would struggle to get going in any game, regardless of the condition of the wicket.

ODI: Wasim, Mcgrath, left hand, right hand combo would destroy opposing batting lineups.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Marshall and Akram - I prefer right-left combo.

 

[Al-Canon]

As pure STRIKE bowlers, Waqar and Garner. Garner would choke the top while Waqar takes them out and than they can clean up the tail with Yorkers.

 

[ask_analyse_act]

Tests: Mcgrath and Ambrose

ODIs: Wasim and Marshall

 

[BabarAkmal_Fan]

Wahab Riaz and Hasan Ali

 

[ExpressPacer]

Anderson and Steyn. They would be one hell of a nightmare.

 

[aniket1911]

Wasim akram and Richard hadlee.

 

[Haz95]

Peak Waqar/Peak Mitchell Johnson
Akram/Marshall
Warne/Murali

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Wasim and Akhtar