Wasim Akram's 257*

[deira]

how do you rate this innings of Wasim Akram: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/match/63722.html

 

[Lillian Thomson]

It was the greatest innings ever played. In fact I believe it was the innings that finally persuaded Lady Hamilton to lose her virginity.

 

[deira]

^ this was a great innings, 12 sixes in a test match. amazing

 

[DaRick]

A great innings, particularly from someone who had a Test average of around 22. However, both Henry Olonga and Bryan Strang have dreadful overseas records, Andy Whittall wasn't up to much, his cousin Guy was a bits-and-pieces allrounder and Paul Strang was nothing more than an adequate Test legspinner.

 

[deira]

A great innings, particularly from someone who had a Test average of around 22. However, both Henry Olonga and Bryan Strang have dreadful overseas records, Andy Whittall wasn't up to much, his cousin Guy was a bits-and-pieces allrounder and Paul Strang was nothing more than an adequate Test legspinner.

but still i remember that day it was a very bowler friendly ptich, thats why all the main stream pakistani batsmen got out quick, wasim saved pakistan from a possible embrass loss to zimbabwe

 

[Xuhaib]

It was entertaining no doubt but it was Saqi who stole the show with him dead-batting every delivery.

 

[deira]

ye amazing defensive batting

 

[DaRick]

but still i remember that day it was a very bowler friendly ptich, thats why all the main stream pakistani batsmen got out quick, wasim saved pakistan from a possible embrass loss to zimbabwe

Really? I didn't know that (I had just turned 7 when it occured), but, yeah, I did say it was a great innings for someone who averaged 22.

 

[funnygirl]

It was the greatest innings ever played. In fact I believe it was the innings that finally persuaded Lady Hamilton to lose her virginity.

It was a decent innings .Not that bad . Since it was against Zimbabwe ,people took it light .

Like had pakistan lost that test ,they lost to Zimbabwe .losers !

They won ,so it was only zimbabwe .

so basically that innings was a ''no win'' innings.

 

[Athlai]

It was a decent innings .Not that bad . Since it was against Zimbabwe ,people took it light .

Like had pakistan lost that test ,they lost to Zimbabwe .losers !

They won ,so it was only zimbabwe .

so basically that innings was a ''no win'' innings.

No they didn't.

 

[funnygirl]

No they didn't.

Oops my bad ,pakistan didn't win that match ,i thought they.

 

[_Ed_]

It was the greatest innings ever played. In fact I believe it was the innings that finally persuaded Lady Hamilton to lose her virginity.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

A great innings, particularly from someone who had a Test average of around 22. However, both Henry Olonga and Bryan Strang have dreadful overseas records, Andy Whittall wasn't up to much, his cousin Guy was a bits-and-pieces allrounder and Paul Strang was nothing more than an adequate Test legspinner.

I actually think there's a case for Paul Strang as a pretty good Test legspinner. He struggled at the start, only taking 7 wickets in his first 7 matches and averaging over 78. But over his next 17 Tests he took 63 wickets, including some pretty good batsmen, namely Tendulkar, Inzamam, Atherton, Stewart, Thorpe, Hussain, Astle, Aravinda de Silva, Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail and Saleem Malik.

3.7 wickets per match and an economy rate well under 3. Under-rated, for mine.

 

[Richard]

I actually think there's a case for Paul Strang as a pretty good Test legspinner. He struggled at the start, only taking 7 wickets in his first 7 matches and averaging over 78. But over his next 17 Tests he took 63 wickets, including some pretty good batsmen, namely Tendulkar, Inzamam, Atherton, Stewart, Thorpe, Hussain, Astle, Aravinda de Silva, Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail and Saleem Malik.

3.7 wickets per match and an economy rate well under 3. Under-rated, for mine.

Don't disagree at all with your assessment of Strang's Test career, have always thought of him as a pretty decent bowler, but dismissing Alec Stewart is a basic requirement for a spinner of any note (provided, obviously, that you bowl at him). Especially in the pre-Duncan Fletcher days when he could of times be embarrassingly clueless against good-quality spin (be it wristspin or fingerspin on a turning pitch).

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Don't disagree at all with your assessment of Strang's Test career, have always thought of him as a pretty decent bowler, but dismissing Alec Stewart is a basic requirement for a spinner of any note (provided, obviously, that you bowl at him). Especially in the pre-Duncan Fletcher days when he could of times be embarrassingly clueless against good-quality spin (be it wristspin or fingerspin on a turning pitch).

Was certainly Strang's bunny (and that of somewhat high profile spinners...), given the number of times he faced him. (<-- tongue-in-cheek) But my memory of Stewart is limited, as my only experience of watching live footage of England before 2001 consisted of West Indies succumbing 3-1. In that series the closest West Indies came to posing a spinner was Mahendra Nagamootoo, who was really just a slow-bowling workhorse. No spin in sight.

I saw a lot of the Ashes in 2001, but I don't remember seeing much of him facing Warne. Though I believe he was out to him 2 or 3 times to Warne in that series. Certainly twice at the Oval. But basically most of my experience of Stewart was against fast bowlers, so I admit ignorance in his abilities against spin.

 

[DaRick]

I actually think there's a case for Paul Strang as a pretty good Test legspinner. He struggled at the start, only taking 7 wickets in his first 7 matches and averaging over 78. But over his next 17 Tests he took 63 wickets, including some pretty good batsmen, namely Tendulkar, Inzamam, Atherton, Stewart, Thorpe, Hussain, Astle, Aravinda de Silva, Saeed Anwar, Aamer Sohail and Saleem Malik.

3.7 wickets per match and an economy rate well under 3. Under-rated, for mine.

Maybe I did underrate him. That being said, he was in that 'struggling phase' during the test match in question.

 

[DaRick]

Was certainly Strang's bunny (and that of somewhat high profile spinners...), given the number of times he faced him. (<-- tongue-in-cheek) But my memory of Stewart is limited, as my only experience of watching live footage of England before 2001 consisted of West Indies succumbing 3-1. In that series the closest West Indies came to posing a spinner was Mahendra Nagamootoo, who was really just a slow-bowling workhorse. No spin in sight.

I saw a lot of the Ashes in 2001, but I don't remember seeing much of him facing Warne. Though I believe he was out to him 2 or 3 times to Warne in that series. Certainly twice at the Oval. But basically most of my experience of Stewart was against fast bowlers, so I admit ignorance in his abilities against spin.

From what I heard, Mahendra Nagamootoo spun the ball as much with his fingers as with his wrist. All he could do, according to Gideon Haigh, was put the ball on a spot...which basically meant that he had to try and bore batsmen out using a defensive line (ala Steve Waugh Sydney 2001). Apparently, batting came easier to him, as well.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Maybe I did underrate him. That being said, he was in that 'struggling phase' during the test match in question.

Actually, that Test match came during the month following Paul Strang's breakthrough series. So it was when he was really emerging as pretty good, as opposed to his 7-Test struggle. In that very innings he had 4 wickets before Wasim Akram entered, then got his 5th (Moin Khan) 54 runs later (at 237-7). So he had a pretty cheap 5-wicket haul by the looks of things, then Akram took his toll and it blew up to 5 for 212.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

From what I heard, Mahendra Nagamootoo spun the ball as much with his fingers as with his wrist. All he could do, according to Gideon Haigh, was put the ball on a spot...which basically meant that he had to try and bore batsmen out using a defensive line (ala Steve Waugh Sydney 2001). Apparently, batting came easier to him, as well.

A good domestic performer, but not a spin bowler in any genuine sense, and certainly nowhere near international calibre. He was a stop-gap selection, owing to his strong domestic performances, and was never an attacking option. He said he enjoyed batting more than bowling, and was pretty good at it too. Then again, a lot of spinners are decent batsmen.

 

[masterblaster]

Wasim was an amazing cricketer and he's probably one of my favourite cricketer's of all time. For a bowler to score 257 not out irrespective of the side is a superb achievement. That Zimbabwean attack certainly looks stronger than their current bowling attack.