Why have there been so few ATG left-arm fast-bowlers in cricket?

[jaf348]

It's commonly accepted in cricket that a left arm bowler has an advantage against right handed batsmen (who make up around 80% of batsmen according to stats) due to the larger angle of attack that he can create.

However there have been a lack of ATG left arm fast bowlers to date barring Wasim Akram who is a bonafide ATG and Davidson who mostly played during the post-war era where arguably the standard of cricket was lower. Next in line beyond these 2 you have bowlers like Vaas, Zaheer Khan and Johnson who are nowhere near ATG status.

Meanwhile, there's been no shortage of ATG left handed batsmen however ie Lara, Sangakkara, Sobers, Border, Gilchrist, Hayden, G Smith, Chanderpaul, etc.

 

[todfod 11]

Bowlers get alot more injuries compared to batsmen. Thats why alot of bowlers fade away soon wasim was exceptionally fit and was a natural athlete. Spinners still get less injured compared to fast bowlers. Alot of bowlers like Johnson zaheer nehra lost alot of years of cricket in their prime.

 

[leatherface58]

There were going to be a lot many great left arm fast bowlers but they watched Sir Jadeja and decided to either quit the sport or become left arm spinners instead.

 

[Madplayer]

I think the difficulty in bringing the ball back into right hander is not appreciated enough. it's very difficult art especially at pace and hence there are not many all time great left handed fast bowlers.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Bowlers get alot more injuries compared to batsmen. Thats why alot of bowlers fade away soon wasim was exceptionally fit and was a natural athlete. Spinners still get less injured compared to fast bowlers. Alot of bowlers like Johnson zaheer nehra lost alot of years of cricket in their prime.

Even Wasim suffered diabetes. But he battled through it for the champion he is.

 

[jaf348]

Bowlers get alot more injuries compared to batsmen. Thats why alot of bowlers fade away soon wasim was exceptionally fit and was a natural athlete. Spinners still get less injured compared to fast bowlers. Alot of bowlers like Johnson zaheer nehra lost alot of years of cricket in their prime.

Zaheer played 92 tests and Johnson played 73 tests so I don't think a few more years of cricket would have turned them into ATGs. Nehra was an average bowler at best.

It's quite an anomaly even in the great era of fast bowling in the 80s and 90s we have only seen a single ATG left arm fast bowler emerge.

 

[todfod 11]

Even Wasim suffered diabetes. But he battled through it for the champion he is.

Zaheer played 92 tests and Johnson played 73 tests so I don't think a few more years of cricket would have turned them into ATGs. Nehra was an average bowler at best.

It's quite an anomaly even in the great era of fast bowling in the 80s and 90s we have only seen a single ATG left arm fast bowler emerge.

Wasim Akram was exceptionally talented even with diabetes his pace came down but the swing skill he possesed kept him in the game.

Zaheer and Johnson did play good amount of test but still they did get injured alot in their prime.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Simple reason. Right arm seamers significantly outnumber left arm seamers. There was a period India had several left arm seamers at the same time. Zaheer, Nehra, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan. If out of the fast bowlers 50% are lft armers chances of finding more legendary left armer is high. Right now i would roughly put 80% righties.

 

[Madplayer]

Simple reason. Right arm seamers significantly outnumber left arm seamers. There was a period India had several left arm seamers at the same time. Zaheer, Nehra, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan. If out of the fast bowlers 50% are lft armers chances of finding more legendary left armer is high. Right now i would roughly put 80% righties.

Hasan ali is the only right hander in Pakistan it seems (exaggerating). Pakistan can donate 2 left handed fast bowlers to each cricketing nation and still have a few left.

 

[jnaveen1980]

Hasan ali is the only right hander in Pakistan it seems (exaggerating). Pakistan can donate 2 left handed fast bowlers to each cricketing nation and still have a few left.

Just look at current scenario

Left

Wagner, Starc, Boult, Amir, Riaz, Rahat, Mustafizur, Parnell

Right

Rabada, Anderson, Broad, Hazlewood, Woakes, Gabriel, Morkel, Stokes, Shami, Philander, Umsh, Southee, Lakmal, Holder, Cummins, Ishant, Bhuvsneswar, Pradeep, Sohail Khan, .. keeps going

Amount of righties that are actually playing are always going to outnumber lefties. Whether it is bowling a cricket ball or writing. Left handers make up only about 10% of the total population.

 

[jaf348]

Amount of righties that are actually playing are always going to outnumber lefties. Whether it is bowling a cricket ball or writing. Left handers make up only about 10% of the total population.

Lefties tend to be over represented in certain sports like cricket, baseball, boxing, etc. I read an article once that approx 20% of county cricketers are lefties. In theory you should get 1 leftie ATG for every 4 righties but the numbers don't add up for fast bowlers. No shortage of batsmen however as I've pointed out earlier.

 

[Madplayer]

Just look at current scenario

Left

Wagner, Starc, Boult, Amir, Riaz, Rahat, Mustafizur, Parnell

Right

Rabada, Anderson, Broad, Hazlewood, Woakes, Gabriel, Morkel, Stokes, Shami, Philander, Umsh, Southee, Lakmal, Holder, Cummins, Ishant, Bhuvsneswar, Pradeep, Sohail Khan, .. keeps going

Amount of righties that are actually playing are always going to outnumber lefties. Whether it is bowling a cricket ball or writing. Left handers make up only about 10% of the total population.

I get what you are saying. Obviously right arm pacers will be more. I was just trying to point out the abundance of left arm pacers in Pak.

From Pakistan alone :
Amir, wahab, rumman, sohail tanvir, usman shinwari, junaid khan, rahat ali

I am not counting players who can potentially play for Pakistan like sadaf hussain, shaheen shah afridi, Mir hamza, Imran khan jr., Zia ul Haq etc etc All potentially international class left arms pace bowlers.

 

[Chrish]

It’s genes.. Lefties are far less common than right

 

[Robert]

I can't think of a significant English left-armer unless you go back to JK Lever who was FM. Even he didn't play that many tests.

 

[jaf348]

I can't think of a significant English left-armer unless you go back to JK Lever who was FM. Even he didn't play that many tests.

Sidebottom was another one that should have been given more chances. A very miserly bowler.

 

[jnaveen1980]

I can't think of a significant English left-armer unless you go back to JK Lever who was FM. Even he didn't play that many tests.

Alan Mullally is one guy i remember who is better known for a his batting efforts in one of the test where he was sledged. Open chested action.

 

[James]

They usually end up getting the yips. Many left-arm bowlers wake up one day and their body has suddenly forgotten how to bowl. Nobody really knows why. The only bowler I have seen successfully come back from the yips was Mitchell Johnson, who looked ruined several years before his famous Ashes performance and mini end of career revival.

 

[bujhee kom]

Wasim Akram and Alan Davidson are the only 2 great LH quicks.

Sidelining into all bowlers, a couple of great SLA exist with Herath being the pick.

 

[Hasan123]

Lefties are less common than right handed people.

 

[Convict]

Another thread were everyone forgets Davidson.

 

[Convict]

Lefties tend to be over represented in certain sports like cricket, baseball, boxing, etc. I read an article once that approx 20% of county cricketers are lefties. In theory you should get 1 leftie ATG for every 4 righties but the numbers don't add up for fast bowlers. No shortage of batsmen however as I've pointed out earlier.

A lot of left handed batsmen are right handed normally but bat left handed as it allows them to use their dominant eye more.

Right handed bowlers however have no reason whatsoever to bowl left handed.

 

[Zaz]

I guess lefties are at a disadvantage straight away as its the fact that youve got to swing the ball in to the right handers who are the majority of batsmen or you wont get bowled / lbws decisions

It makes Wasim and Davidson efforts even more significant

 

[Robert]

Another thread were everyone forgets Davidson.

I don't think Davo was fast exactly.

Miserly bowler, good late order hitter, fantastic catcher.