Battle of the Cricketers

[sledger]

Kapil Dev

 

[The Baconator]

Roberts

 

[Hazza]

Gotta be Roberts

 

[cameeel]

Kapil Dev

 

[BoyBrumby]

Bowling alone I'll go for Roberts.

 

[archie mac]

Miller.

Despite being unquestionably one of the better bowlers of his time, an analysis of the statistics will show Lillee to be probably the most overrated bowler of all time, and only in about 20th place in the Pantheon of greatest fast bowlers. If Australians like Slow Love or Top Cat want to bring their blatant national bias into the frame again that is up to them, but the fact of the matter is that the team that scores the most runs wins the match, not the team that bats most stylishly or with the most charisma, and Lillee's reputation far outweighs his actual on field performance.

He failed completely in Pakistan, then pulled-out of subsequent subcontinental series - which does say something about his character. He had just one good series against West Indies, the best batting team of his time, and was a failure against them overall. He even failed in Sri Lanka who were complete novices during his time. Marshall, Hadlee, Ambrose, McGrath, Akram are considered by the general cricket media to be either worse or at least no better than Lillee, but they all have far less holes in their resume - performing against everybody and doing well almost everywhere (much more varied places than Lillee).

Lillee is thought of as pretty much the complete fast bowler despite even Rod Marsh admitting that he had a weakness against the left handers and that he also struggled to run through lower orders due to the lack of a good yorker. Lillee was not the complete fast bowler and his reputation as the king of fast bowlers is just another example of Australians and inconsistent matchwinners being remembered more fondly than consistent non Austalians/Englishmen (a la Murali vs Warne where Murali is clearly much better than the overrated Australian matchwinner, yet does not get the credit he deserves).

Please note im not questioning his status as a great bowler, just think he is overrated and not among the very best. Lillee's on field performances are less impressive and FAR less consistent than McGrath even though he played 85% of his matches in the pace friendly countries of England and Australia, and in a lower scoring era. Furthermore McGrath is rarely thought of as the very best fast bowler. IMO Malcolm Marshall is the best paceman ever, closely followed by Hadlee.

It seems to be the favourite thing on this site to find fault with the reputation of one DK Lillee in my opinion the greatest fast bowler ever.

Apparently he was an overated bowler who could not bowl out side of Aust. or Eng. He was no good in SL? True but he did only play one Test there, so I will say big deal!

He was no good in Pakistan, true? But he only played three Test there. The great Imran only claimed six wickets in the series, and told Lillee not to play the 2nd and 3rd Test as they would be roads! Imran did not play in the 2nd Test, but did play in the 3rd because 'I need the money'. So I will say big deal!


He was no good in the WI True? but he did only play one Test there and broke down with a career threating back injury, so I will say big deal!

The Windies were the best during his playing days by quite a distance he claimed 55 at 27.74 not too bad I would think. He also claimed Viv Richards wicket 9 times, not bad for an overated bowler.

He also lost two years to WSC where he bowled against the best players in the World at the time and also did fairly well. If these wickets were included he would have claimed 500+ Test wickets.

Every contemporary player including both Hadlee and Marshall rate him the best fast bowler they played with or against. To quote Marshall 'I didn't see much of him in his prime in the early 70s yet in my opinion he was surely the best of all fast bowlers'.

To quote Sir Richard Hadlee: ' 'To me he was the complete fast bowler' ' in many respects I copied Lillee'

Now as neither of these great players are Australian, I take it they must have been brained washed by the Australian media?

 

[Slifer]

Roberts

 

[chaminda_00]

Roberts

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

If Australians like Slow Love or Top Cat want to bring their blatant national bias into the frame again that is up to them.

I'm not going to bother with the rest of the post, as you will quote from your notepad files at me and refuse to listen to any non-statistical argument anyway, but I do think it's quite funny that you accused two of the least biased posters on the entire forum of being clear examples of bias.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Roberts.

 

[Jono]

Even though Kapil is underrated with the ball, I'll go Roberts.

 

[honestbharani]

Roberts

 

[a massive zebra]

Kapil.

 

[luckyeddie]

Andy Roberts

 

[Jamee999]

If Australians like Slow Love or Top Cat want to bring their blatant national bias into the frame again that is up to them.

Oi, they can vote for who ever they want to, if it's Bradman over Rikki Clarke, or Hick over Sobers, it doesn't matter.

Please respect their views.

 

[luckyeddie]

Oi, they can vote for who ever they want to, if it's Bradman over Rikki Clarke

Impossible. Not even AMZ would be that twisted.

 

[a massive zebra]

Oi, they can vote for who ever they want to, if it's Bradman over Rikki Clarke, or Hick over Sobers, it doesn't matter.

Please respect their views.

How is that post disrespecting their views? I said if people want to bring their blatant personal bias into the frame then that up to them. As far as I am concerned that does not imply that they must vote neutrally, but that they can vote for who they want.

 

[Jamee999]

9-3 Roberts

ROUND ONE ----- BATTLE TWELVE

Frank Tyson

Wes Hall

 

[a massive zebra]

Tyson by a mile.

 

[Slifer]

Wes Hall