• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Bowlers with similar bowling actions

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Stunned at the lack of Morrison/Lillee in this thread. Caddick/Hadlee too.
Caddick had Hadlee's smoothness of foot (especially remarkable given his great height) but his actual whirl of arms was different. The only really comparable thing was the way he drew back his bowling arm.

Caddick also changed his action substantially over the course of his career. Look at some footage of the 1994 tour of West Indies and compare it to his at-last series against New Zealand in 1999. Added an extra whirl or two.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Yeah, think Malik - who was originally a bowler-who-batted-a-bit wasn't he? - ostensibly modelled his action on Saqlain's. Not so sure about Hafeez, who, despite his ODI performances, was always a batsman who bowled.
 

GuyFromLancs

State Vice-Captain
Has anyone mentioned Thomson and Tait? The former being a bit less mechanical but similar slingshot styles.
 
Last edited:

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
I used to consider Vaas a mini Wasim. Slower and not as potent but a similar style.
Apart from being left-armers who get considerable swing I don't see much similarity. Wasim was all about everything going quickly - dashed in, rushed action, incredibly fast arm. Vaas was - is - just about simplicity - everything in his action just looks like he was born to do it, looks like the easiest thing in the world to him.
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
I used to consider Vaas a mini Wasim. Slower and not as potent but a similar style.
Nothing was similar with them IMO other than being left arm swing bowlers. Wasim was faster, unpredictable with major variatons. Vaas was more accurate, subtle variations, who preyed on technique and concentration of the batsmen. Wasim has refused to demonstrate the reverse swing to Vaas, but he mastered it himself, by novel techniques to get it reverse swinging at 75mph. The reverse swinging actions of Pakistanis and Sri Lankans differ distinctly. Only pacy ones like Malinga and Fernado adopt Pakistani technique of slinging the reverse swingers. Slower ones do it with the same high arm action that was inherited from Vaas. He is a real trend setter for SL fast bowling, and still I haven't seen anyone getting reverse swing at Vaas' pace up to now.
 

Faisal1985

International Vice-Captain
Yeah, think Malik - who was originally a bowler-who-batted-a-bit wasn't he? - ostensibly modelled his action on Saqlain's. Not so sure about Hafeez, who, despite his ODI performances, was always a batsman who bowled.

Yes, Malik was originally a bowler who batted a bit. But after he realized the only way in on top of Saqi is to bat better and then he improved his batting.

Mohammad Hafiz has always been a batsman who can bowl. I am not a great fan of his batting or bowling though. Always thought he was lacking quality.
 

zaremba

Cricketer Of The Year
Caddick had Hadlee's smoothness of foot (especially remarkable given his great height) but his actual whirl of arms was different. The only really comparable thing was the way he drew back his bowling arm.

Caddick also changed his action substantially over the course of his career. Look at some footage of the 1994 tour of West Indies and compare it to his at-last series against New Zealand in 1999. Added an extra whirl or two.
Caddick's similarity to Hadlee was often remarked on early in his career. There was a similar ultra-controlled quality to both actions.

He claimed to have modelled his action on Lillee though, IIRC.
 

Top