Anybody who's familiar with me here knows I don't entirely trust stats... but this mistrust gets much worse when it comes to ODI's. Trusting stats in ODI's is silly if you ask me.
First off if your in a bad team then you wont go for many runs since there's no need to risk making quick runs.
You could be somebody who bowls in the middle of an innings when runs are flowing.
Much worse you could be bowling at the death.
You might only get wickets because you are bowling at the death.
ODI's are weird in that the better team you are in, the more likely you are to go for runs. You may be more likely to get wickets. But you'd go for more runs per match so you RPO rate may be high, but your average may not change despite going for more runs because you can get wickets. Just weird that you, on a bad day, can be hurt more if your in a good team because runs are paramount.
I honestly believe I could come up with 25 complaints about how scenarios change in ODI's. That's what makes ODI's exciting, but it's what makes stats hard to trust.
There's is one stat I sort of trust. In the first innings the team is trying to make as much runs as possible. It's 10 times different in the second innings when you can pace yourself and may not have to hit the best bowlers out of the park. Nothing too merky about it, make runs as fast as you can.
Of course there are scenarios that hurt it, such as weather or not you have support to go for those runs. And there's more... but it's a more solid stat in my eyes.
My question is, who is the best 1st innings bowler ever?
I need to do some more thinking but I get the sense Glenn McGrath or Wasim Akram will be my pick. Both are awesome at getting early wickets and use their head well normally at the death.
First off if your in a bad team then you wont go for many runs since there's no need to risk making quick runs.
You could be somebody who bowls in the middle of an innings when runs are flowing.
Much worse you could be bowling at the death.
You might only get wickets because you are bowling at the death.
ODI's are weird in that the better team you are in, the more likely you are to go for runs. You may be more likely to get wickets. But you'd go for more runs per match so you RPO rate may be high, but your average may not change despite going for more runs because you can get wickets. Just weird that you, on a bad day, can be hurt more if your in a good team because runs are paramount.
I honestly believe I could come up with 25 complaints about how scenarios change in ODI's. That's what makes ODI's exciting, but it's what makes stats hard to trust.
There's is one stat I sort of trust. In the first innings the team is trying to make as much runs as possible. It's 10 times different in the second innings when you can pace yourself and may not have to hit the best bowlers out of the park. Nothing too merky about it, make runs as fast as you can.
Of course there are scenarios that hurt it, such as weather or not you have support to go for those runs. And there's more... but it's a more solid stat in my eyes.
My question is, who is the best 1st innings bowler ever?
I need to do some more thinking but I get the sense Glenn McGrath or Wasim Akram will be my pick. Both are awesome at getting early wickets and use their head well normally at the death.