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Is Dale Steyn the worst ever best fast bowler in the world?

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Very true - though he's one of those bowlers who seemed by all accounts to be better than his figures in that time suggested (if such a thing can ever be the case). The Australians who played against him in 46/47 and 48 virtually all rated him exceptionally highly, despite his numbers not being great. Bradman was one of his greatest advocates, although he was almost certainly influenced by the success Bedser personally had against him.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I'm quite prepared to believe he was better than his figures suggested, but with figures like that it's impossible to construct any case for him being a patch on Lindwall. Lindwall for at least the first 4 years post-WW2, if not the next 5 after that, was the best seamer around. But both Lindwall and Bedser are two of the best ever, better IMO than Steyn is or very, very probably will ever be.
 

Briony

International Debutant
I don't think it is sustainable no, not the sort of stuff we've seen from him the last 3 years, but that's a separate matter. I just think that the way Steyn has bowled in the last 3 years has been inferior to the way just about any of the aforementioned have bowled. His figures are indeed good, but not as good as those of the very, very best at their best.
Steyn is bowling in an era of flat pitches and big bats. Some from the earlier decades such as Lindwall and Bedser didn't bowl on the sub-continent. In England on uncovered pitches it would have favoured the bowlers. With the weather generally hotter, even in England, there is less swing about. There are so many variables to consider. Currently Steyn's strikerate is great, though probably unsustainable. But some people do tend to look at the past a bit through rose-coloured glasses.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
There are a good few things that work the other way as well, if you look closely enough. It's also far from a given that there was more sun in England in 2008 than any of the summers Bedser had his great success in (1954 was indeed the wettest of them all in the 20th-century). However, you should note that damp was often a great disadvantage to seamers in the era of uncovered wickets - the runup and followthrough was uncovered as well as the pitch. This meant that once it rained too much, the seamer was essentially taken out of the game, as they obviously could not keep their footing on the wet pitch.
 

Briony

International Debutant
There are a good few things that work the other way as well, if you look closely enough. It's also far from a given that there was more sun in England in 2008 than any of the summers Bedser had his great success in (1954 was indeed the wettest of them all in the 20th-century). However, you should note that damp was often a great disadvantage to seamers in the era of uncovered wickets - the runup and followthrough was uncovered as well as the pitch. This meant that once it rained too much, the seamer was essentially taken out of the game, as they obviously could not keep their footing on the wet pitch.
True, but how often do we hear that batting was so much more difficult because of the uncovered pitches? It works both ways. The problem is we'll never know just how good some of these guys from past eras were. Sometimes the footage probably doesn't do justice to them either, some look like shortish pie chuckers.
But the English and Aussie players until relatively recently mainly bowled in just two countries.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
This is a very very good time to bump this topic.. I have been a big fan of Steyn since 2007..I think he still has 3-4 years of quality fast bowling left in him.
 

Black_Warrior

Cricketer Of The Year
mate I know he is very quick and lethal now..I was talking about in 4-5 years time..thats why I said he has 4-5 years of quality fast bowling left in him.
 

irfan

State Captain
mate I know he is very quick and lethal now..I was talking about in 4-5 years time..thats why I said he has 4-5 years of quality fast bowling left in him.
My point was I can still see India implode to Steyn in 6 years time even if he is on the wrong side of his peak
 

Briony

International Debutant
He's probably got a few more years at his peak and a few more of pretty good bowling after that. But quick bowling is a tough caper. In his favour is his smooth action and he doesn't carry an ounce of fat.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
There's actually little point of bumping this topic because it was dealing with the Steyn of right then and there (1 year ago). Everything that came after is more or less inconsequential.
haha..was not a knock on you.Wanted a Steyn appreciation sort of thread after watching that fantastic spell so instead of creating a new one just decided to bump an existing one.:)
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
I think Umer Gul should have a hard look at how Steyn bowls ofcourse he is not even half skilled as Dale but this similar bowling style will yeild him better results.
 

zaremba

Cricketer Of The Year
I think Umer Gul should have a hard look at how Steyn bowls ofcourse he is not even half skilled as Dale but this similar bowling style will yeild him better results.
Do you think there are enough similarities between them as bowlers for Steyn to be a good role model for Gul? Personally I tend to see Gul as more of an upright, hit-the-deck merchant and Steyn a skiddy swinger. Both are really good bowlers, but of quite different types.
 

Xuhaib

International Coach
Do you think there are enough similarities between them as bowlers for Steyn to be a good role model for Gul? Personally I tend to see Gul as more of an upright, hit-the-deck merchant and Steyn a skiddy swinger. Both are really good bowlers, but of quite different types.
Gul is a strange case when he started he was hit the deck somebody who would thrive on a seamer but generally struggled when pich got flat.Had an injury came back worked with Waqar and next you saw was pitch it up seamer who got massive swing especially inward but was able to shape it away a bit aswell.

This clip is a good example.
YouTube - Umar Gul Rocks West Indies

Last year he had another injury and since his return it seems he is confused at what should be his bowling plan atm he is neither hit the deck nor pitch it up just a casual pie thrower.
 

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