How highly should Dale Steyn be rated?.

[StinkyBoHoon]

I would rate him similar to how I rate Ponting as a batsman.

very, very good, and certainly worth being mentioned in any conversation about great players, but not pushing onto the elite tier yet.

It's true bowling today is much harder but his numbers are largely down to performances against the dross end of test cricket: the windies, bangladesh and new zealand.

His record against India is very good though, and if he continues this series as he started then it's a major feather in his cap. He was excellent in australia as well.

 

[Aoun13]

Dale Steyn for me is No.1 bowler at present and rest are quite behind. He is a mixture of pace, accuracy, swing, seam and variety and he know when to use what which makes him more lethal.

 

[mohit_dude10]

Steyn is definitely worlds no.1 bowler right now, He is a kind of bowler who can bowl on any kind of wicket and still create problems for the batsmen. Also another good thing about him is, he gives it his all. Whether it is his 1st over or 20th over he goes in with same attitude, He never gives up.

 

[War]

87cm.

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Are you nuts? Apart from his last few years of mediocrity what has Ponting done to not deserve being in the elite tier? Tendulkar was Ponting's current age when he began his Renaissance. Haters gotta hate, but you just watch out Stinky

Yea Ponting is definately in the elite.

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I don't know why but I always think of Imran as an all rounder even tho I know that he was a brilliant bowler. He could easily round of my top 5 at this moment, I just cant decide on that 5th spot.
Lille I don't rate as high as the ones in my top 4 (or5) because he didn't play a test in India and struggled against Pakistan in Pakistan.

THat whole trying to look down on Lille because of his record in India is oe of the great myths & misguided position in cricket history to be honest.

 

[Dare]

THat whole trying to look down on Lille because of his record in India is oe of the great myths & misguided position in cricket history to be honest.

No it isn't. The likes of Marshall, McGrath, Donald, Hadlee and other great bowlers from the past played allot more matches in the subcontinent and were allot more successful then Lille. Not to mention Imran who was from the subcontinent and had to play there more than most others.
To me you are not a complete pace bowler if you cant do good in conditions that arent necessarily bowler friendly.

 

[Garson007]

Kallis about to overtake Ponting in hundreds scored too, and with less innings.

 

[War]

No it isn't. The likes of Marshall, McGrath, Donald, Hadlee and other great bowlers from the past played allot more matches in the subcontinent and were allot more successful then Lille. Not to mention Imran who was from the subcontinent and had to play there more than most others.
To me you are not a complete pace bowler if you cant do good in conditions that arent necessarily bowler friendly.

Ye no doubt the sign of complete bowler is one who took wickets in greentops & flat decks (like the ones found in the subcontinent).

But Lillee's limited test in IND & PAK doesn't mean he couldn't bowl on flat pitches. For all the talk that the 70s & 80s was full of bowler friendly pitches in AUS & ENG for, flat pitches where where present in those countries too.

Adelaide & MCG, Oval almost always had flat pitches like the ones seen in PAK & IND & Lille got wickets/good performances on those tracks. Most famously the 2nd innings of 1977 MCG test.

 

[shravi]

I know his record is great but what makes me rate him so highly is just my gut feeling. I know I'm watching something special when I watch Dale Steyn run in.

 

[Dare]

Ye no doubt the sign of complete bowler is one who took wickets in greentops & flat decks (like the ones found in the subcontinent).

But Lillee's limited test in IND & PAK doesn't mean he couldn't bowl on flat pitches. For all the talk that the 70s & 80s was full of bowler friendly pitches in AUS & ENG for, flat pitches where where present in those countries too.

Adelaide & MCG, Oval almost always had flat pitches like the ones seen in PAK & IND & Lille got wickets/good performances on those tracks. Most famously the 2nd innings of 1977 MCG test.

Pitches in the subcontinent weren't necessarily flat but more suitable for spin because of India's selection of 2-3 spinners (or 4). It takes a change in a pace bowlers approach to the game to be successful in the sub continent. From what he showed he wasn't successful in the subcontinent. No doubt he was a great bowler but the others were more complete.

 

[War]

Pitches in the subcontinent weren't necessarily flat but more suitable for spin because of India's selection of 2-3 spinners (or 4). It takes a change in a pace bowlers approach to the game to be successful in the sub continent. From what he showed he wasn't successful in the subcontinent. No doubt he was a great bowler but the others were more complete.

He was not complete statistically mainly because he didn't get enough oppurtunities in the SC. But he showled in other countires on flat pitches/turning like pitches simialr to the ones found in IND/PAK during his time that he certainly was complete skillwise to bowl on those surfaces.

So one cant say Lillee couldn't bowl in the sub-continent based on two test he played in PAK. Thats why its one of the biggest myths & mischaracterisation of DLs career.

 

[MUFC1987]

For me, Steyn is brilliant. I think he does perhaps get some cheap wickets, but he has that ability to get good batsmen out when they're well set, anywhere in the world. I think he's certainly of a similar level to Donald and Pollock, but perhaps slightly behind at the moment, simply because he hasn't had a full career yet and he could go either way. I think Pollock and Donald could produce great deliveries but also kept the pressure up more on the batsman, so it'll be interesting to see if Steyn can improve slightly in that department.

Steyn is certainly the best pace bowler around at the moment too, with Zaheer probably his closest competition.

 

[War]

For me, Steyn is brilliant. I think he does perhaps get some cheap wickets, but he has that ability to get good batsmen out when they're well set, anywhere in the world. I think he's certainly of a similar level to Donald and Pollock, but perhaps slightly behind at the moment, simply because he hasn't had a full career yet and he could go either way. I think Pollock and Donald could produce great deliveries but also kept the pressure up more on the batsman, so it'll be interesting to see if Steyn can improve slightly in that department.

Well to be fair as i highlighted early in this thread. Steyn has has been a world class bowler for 4.5 years now & his peak has been more lethal than Pollock peak of 1995-2001/02 already.

Steyn is certainly the best pace bowler around at the moment too, with Zaheer probably his closest competition.

Yea i guess. Although Asif/Aamir would be Steyn's real competition if they weren't banned.

 

[MUFC1987]

It's subjective though. Would you rather face the batting lineups now, or in the 1990's? I know which I'd prefer. I just went off what I've personally seen. Hence why I didn't mention any of the pace bowlers from before my time.

 

[Adarsh]

It's subjective though. Would you rather face the batting lineups now, or in the 1990's? I know which I'd prefer. I just went off what I've personally seen. Hence why I didn't mention any of the pace bowlers from before my time.

Are you trying to say the batting sides of the 1990s were better than the batting sides of 2000s ? Or vice versa ?

 

[MUFC1987]

I don't just mean the abilities. I think batsmen these days have to score quicker, so are more aggressive, which helps with wicket taking. There aren't as many batsmen around that you have to prise out because they won't offer you an easy chance.