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

[wellAlbidarned]

Yeah it certainly would, but I can only assume that he hasn't yet because it compromises the rhythm of his outswinger too much. Kind of like how Warne didn't bother with a genuine googly for most of his career.

[Prince EWS]

It's interesting I guess to compare him to Anderson on that front, who swings his outswinger as much as Steyn and does have a very good inswinger. Obviously they are two different bowlers with different actions but Steyn's control and consistency is better than Anderson's and he's a far more effective bowler despite having less in his armoury as a result. Swinging it both ways is a bit of a party trick IMO; it's nice if you can control it but I think you're probably better off perfecting the art of swinging it one way at pace and having a reliable cutter to go the other way off the deck.

[wellAlbidarned]

Originally Posted by Prince EWS

It's interesting I guess to compare him to Anderson on that front, who swings his outswinger as much as Steyn and does have a very good inswinger. Obviously they are two different bowlers with different actions but Steyn's control and consistency is better than Anderson's and he's a far more effective bowler despite having less in his armoury as a result. Swinging it both ways is a bit of a party trick IMO; it's nice if you can control it but I think you're probably better off perfecting the art of swinging it one way at pace and having a reliable cutter to go the other way off the deck.

^yeah that. Should carry PEWS around wherever I go so he can re-word everything I say.

[the big bambino]

Ambrose bowled to some great Aussie batsmen though. I'm not a big fan of Lillee and there were times on flat pitches he looked pretty pedestrian.

[CricAddict]

Originally Posted by Monk

Yeh, maybe. Viv, Lillee and Warne were the cricketers (imo) that had a real aura or presence.

Sachin or Lara? To me, these two are the first names that come to mind..Right now, its Steyn..

[smalishah84]

Originally Posted by CricAddict

Sachin or Lara? To me, these two are the first names that come to mind..Right now, its Steyn..

[Гурин]

Originally Posted by Inferno

Hell even if you don't take those thing into account there is a difference of .70 between them (.4 between him and Ambrose). A class apart indeed.

Bah, this is just ridiculous. When I tried to compare wicketkeepers by sheer averages of balls per dismissals (same bowler), there were lots of problems being rightfully singled out, the pitch, the bowler, the opposition, the weather, all of this to (unfairly) demonstrate that eventually those numbers are absolutely useless.

On the other side, bowling average is considered something much less questionable. We make such a big deal out of a player averaging 2 or 3 runs more per wicket in the same era and same country, but nevermind that the fact that one player had one fielding unit around him and the other player another could possibly inflate of deflate his average by a much bigger margin. I'm not talking about pitches or grounds, because at least people seems to recognize that they might have actually an impact, just how, as usual, fielding is criminally overlooked, and we're discussing that similar averages means players are of the same level.

NOTE: I'm not saying that everybody does this assumption that averages in one country have some kind of quasi-mystical status because fielding teams are all considered roughly the same, but reading some of the posting around this forum it seems that some people do never consider fielding. Which is a shame.

[vic_orthdox]

Originally Posted by SJS

By the way, why is Steyn not popular amongst young cricket fans ? I am amazed. People talk so much about old-foggies (meaning people like yours truly) never being able to appreciate the modern cricketer and infatuated with cricketers of their own youth and here is a really great fast bowler living in our times and we find it so difficult to be unreservedly appreciative and thankful for the opportunity of being able to see him perform before our own eyes.

He is a truly great bowler. . . take an old-foggy's word for it

Want to make the disclaimer that I rate him so highly, and love watching him bowl.

But there is something so intensely personal about each wicket celebration, that pause after the decision is made, the deep breath and then the roar and fist pump in recognition of victory in battle. It strikes me as the type of celebration one would make after finding out that he'd made a representative team, and then excusing himself from everyone else, and going nuts in private.

It's sort of anti-showmanship, and I appreciate him all the more for it on a personal level; he'd probably do the same thing each time he took a wicket in backyard cricket, but I can see how his whole personality doesn't see people find him like others from the past.

[vic_orthdox]

Originally Posted by Spark

Nah I'm with the "inswinger would make him unplayable" camp. Assuming it doesn't compromise his wrist position for the outie, it'd make batsmen even more likely to play at wider ones. Would make him a much bigger threat to the left handers, too.

Nah, it's like those blokes at each cricket club who try and bowl big outties, and then go the big inswinger. Looks sexy, not as effective.

An off-cutter is all he needs to have the full arsenal, far more effective than an inswinger.

[Spark]

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

Want to make the disclaimer that I rate him so highly, and love watching him bowl.

But there is something so intensely personal about each wicket celebration, that pause after the decision is made, the deep breath and then the roar and fist pump in recognition of victory in battle. It strikes me as the type of celebration one would make after finding out that he'd made a representative team, and then excusing himself from everyone else, and going nuts in private.

It's sort of anti-showmanship, and I appreciate him all the more for it on a personal level; he'd probably do the same thing each time he took a wicket in backyard cricket, but I can see how his whole personality doesn't see people find him like others from the past.

Yeah I love his celebration, personally.

[Cabinet96]

Originally Posted by SJS

By the way, why is Steyn not popular amongst young cricket fans ? I am amazed. People talk so much about old-foggies (meaning people like yours truly) never being able to appreciate the modern cricketer and infatuated with cricketers of their own youth and here is a really great fast bowler living in our times and we find it so difficult to be unreservedly appreciative and thankful for the opportunity of being able to see him perform before our own eyes.

He is a truly great bowler. . . take an old-foggy's word for it

Originally Posted by Coronis

I love Steyn, I don't understand why people hate on him so much.. Nostalgia, perhaps?

I don't think I've ever met someone who doesn't like Steyn though, both in real life and on the internet. He probably doesn't get talked about as much as his Australian, Indian and English counterparts, however, and that's probably because there are very few South African's on cricket forums. Think the same could be said for Kallis and SM Pollock.

[popepouri]

Originally Posted by vic_orthdox

Nah, it's like those blokes at each cricket club who try and bowl big outties, and then go the big inswinger. Looks sexy, not as effective.

An off-cutter is all he needs to have the full arsenal, far more effective than an inswinger.

His cross-seam delivery is very effective.

Dale Steyn vs Ian Bell - Deadly Inswinger - YouTube

[flibbertyjibber]

Originally Posted by Spark

Yeah I love his celebration, personally.

I love it but hate it being done against my own team for obvious reasons.

[Agent Nationaux]

Originally Posted by flibbertyjibber

I love it but hate it being done against my own team for obvious reasons.

This.

[centurymaker]

i love his celebration too.

he has this cheetah look to him..