Glenn McGrath Vs Wasim Akram?

[shravi]

The problem with these vs threads is that once someone decides one player is better in their head, all he does is talk trash about the other one, rather than actually justifying his own selection's credentials.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

But McGrath was boring, shravi. Name me one non-Australian who would tune in just to watch a 'hostile' spell of McGrath.

 

[Sedition]

Ying Pao Kow

 

[Papa_Smurf]

I stand corrected.

 

[puddleduck]

Me. I loved watching McGrath bowl. It was mesmeric. Not to mention there was always the hilarious possibility he had a bad day and spent his whole time chuntering to himself at long on.

Chuntering, a word surely designed to describe an angry McGrath?

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Really? Watching him run in and plant the same ball in the same spot? Ball after ball. Over after over. Session after session.

*yawn*

Don't get me wrong - he was great bowler (his stats speak for himself), but I never got excited watching him. I've tuned on just to watch hostile spells of Bond, Akhtar, Flintoff, Asif, Steyn, Murali, Warne etc... Bowlers who got you excited. McGrath wasn't one of them.

 

[puddleduck]

The fact that every spell against England seemed like a wicket, or 5 might fall, gave him all the tension he needed. Any more nervousness watching him bowl and I'd have failed to make it out the 90's haha

 

[Papa_Smurf]

The same can be said about every other other great fast bowler of the 90's agaist England

The 2 W's, Ambrose and Donald were all better to watch.

 

[shravi]

I would watch McGrath bowl, all day. I was in awe whenever he came into bowl. He didn't bowl fast but he always put it on the spot and asked questions, not extracting extravagant movement but just enough to put doubt in the batsman's mind.

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

mcgrath is boring, but in fairness to him a lot of people would defend batsmen against the same accusation. I personally can't be bothered watching Kallis bat, but whenever I say this is I get accused of not being able to appreciate him.

 

[sifter132]

Really? Watching him run in and plant the same ball in the same spot? Ball after ball. Over after over. Session after session.

*yawn*

Don't get me wrong - he was great bowler (his stats speak for himself), but I never got excited watching him. I've tuned on just to watch hostile spells of Bond, Akhtar, Flintoff, Asif, Steyn, Murali, Warne etc... Bowlers who got you excited. McGrath wasn't one of them.

I think Steyn and Jimmy Anderson bowl more in the same spot over and over than McGrath did. McGrath bowled a lot more bouncers than those 2 do for example. I think McGrath is seen as boring because he didn't swing it much and he wasn't super fast. See Steyn - he's faster and swings it more, yet is he more exciting to watch? To some/most yes, to me no. I liked watching McGrath because he seemed to always have something in mind, manipulating the batsman rather just trying to beat him with swing and pace. That's also why I liked watching Asif - although he surely was more 'boring' than McGrath because he was slower and he aimed for the same spot more I think.

 

[Keeper]

I would watch McGrath bowl, all day.

I couldn't. I'm English

 

[StinkyBoHoon]

I couldn't. I'm English

the english never had a chance to watch mcgrath all day. he had them all out by tea.

 

[Keeper]

Yup, exactly.

Scarred generation

 

[Hybrid]

Akram was the better bowler. There's no question in that. His abilities and skill were far greater than that of McGrath, and I'll have to think for a long time to think of a more skilled bowler than him. McGrath was the more efficient, yes. But he only had two attributes - extreme patience and metronomical accuracy.

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Hey, I guess.

Disagree completely. Stats it self shows you what good line and length can do. Landing the ball in the same spot hours after hours is what takes real skill and Akram could never do that. In that sense I say McGrath was by far more skilled then Akram hence why he was a lot more successful. I can't see any justifiable argument to suggest that Wasim was more "skilled" than McGrath.