ESPNcricinfo World XI

[Avada Kedavra]

Andrew Miller went with Gavaskar and Sehwag as his openers!Amazing how Sehwag splits opinion-some swear that he is a FTB and some have him in their AT side.

 

[vcs]

Ian Chappell also has Sehwag in his team.

 

[Ikki]

I still feel quite strongly that Imran got done by that stupid one all rounder rule for ESPN. With 2 all rounders you could have had such a good balance.

You could have had two all-rounders. They obviously didn't want it.

 

[Ikki]

You can use this argument for just about any other bowler. Not only Wasim. Considering that Waqar's in-swinging yorkers were more effective than Wasim's why not include him???

You can as every bowler is different and will bring their own kind of natural variety; but it's pretty pronounced when you consider right arm v left arm. I'm not saying that this point by itself is good enough; but it's worth considering.

 

[Himannv]

Wasim > Waqar IMO. Far more consistently good for more than a decade. Could do pretty much anything he wanted with a ball. Pretty much the best ever left arm seamer of all time.

 

[weldone]

Wasim > Waqar IMO. Far more consistently good for more than a decade. Could do pretty much anything he wanted with a ball. Pretty much the best ever left arm seamer of all time.

This.

 

[Athlai]

Wasim > Waqar IMO. Far more consistently good for more than a decade. Could do pretty much anything he wanted with a ball. Pretty much the best ever left arm seamer of all time.

Waqar > Wasim

Waqar at his peak > everyone

And hypothetically speaking I only want him at his best.

(Note: This argument doesn't apply to the peaks of every player since Waqar was exceptionally good for a period of 3+ years, consistency over a period of time is important but that doesn't necessarily mean that a guy who is B+ to A- bowler every year over 12 years is better than a guy who for 3 years was an A+ bowler and a B to B- bowler over 9 others. Excellence over a decent patches of time is important. )

 

[vcs]

Wasim > Waqar IMO. Far more consistently good for more than a decade. Could do pretty much anything he wanted with a ball. Pretty much the best ever left arm seamer of all time.

I have to agree with this. As awesome as Waqar was in his peak, I'd take Wasim's well-roundedness against all opposition. But Wasim also loses some points in my book if he was involved in dressing-room politics, undermining team unity etc. Not sure about all that.

 

[Faisal1985]

I have to agree with this. As awesome as Waqar was in his peak, I'd take Wasim's well-roundedness against all opposition. But Wasim also loses some points in my book if he was involved in dressing-room politics, undermining team unity etc. Not sure about all that.

He was not just involved in that stuff, his brother is one of the biggest bookies in Lahore apparently.

How do you end up owning a golf course and so much highly luxurious stuff when there was no IPL or big bucks from the board with ways of central contracts and stuff.

But regardless still the best left arm fast bowler imo.

 

[smash84]

Waqar > Wasim

Waqar at his peak > everyone

And hypothetically speaking I only want him at his best.

(Note: This argument doesn't apply to the peaks of every player since Waqar was exceptionally good for a period of 3+ years, consistency over a period of time is important but that doesn't necessarily mean that a guy who is B+ to A- bowler every year over 12 years is better than a guy who for 3 years was an A+ bowler and a B to B- bowler over 9 others. Excellence over a decent patches of time is important. )

With some pretty ordinary last few years in test cricket Waqar still finished with a strike rate of 43. YES 43. Ian Chappell called Dennis Lillee a captain's dream and a batsman's nightmare. I think it would have applied to so much well to waqar in his heydays. That reverse swinging yorker was phenomenal and will always stick in my mind. Maybe as Athlai once said we should call the in-swinging yorker as "The Waqar".

I remember an analysis of bowlers on cricinfo and in quality of batsmen dismissed it was Imran who led the way amongst Pakistani bowlers, followed by Waqar and then Wasim was a distant third.

And yeah sorry to say but Wasim because of his politics did ruin Waqar's career post 1997

 

[Teja.]

I read from pretty unreliable sources that Wasim deliberately underbowled during the mid-nineties when the rivalry between them was particularly pronounced. Dunno If it's true.

Anyway, My point is, Waqar was so good in those five years that his stats even if considered for the period of a decade are pretty much arguably better than anyone else. It was the 3 years he carried on when he was a particularly poor aging bowler and Pak happened to play a lot of cricket that, you could say, 'diminished' his record i.e. If you say 400 wickets @ 23 looks anything like a diminished record. He should have just retired in 2000 like Ambrose did.

 

[smash84]

I read from pretty unreliable sources that Wasim deliberately underbowled during the mid-nineties when the rivalry between them was particularly pronounced. Dunno If it's true.

Anyway, My point is, Waqar was so good in those five years that his stats even if considered for the period of a decade are pretty much arguably better than anyone else. It was the 3 years he carried on when he was a particularly poor aging bowler and Pak happened to play a lot of cricket that, you could say, 'diminished' his record i.e. If you say 400 wickets @ 23 looks anything like a diminished record. He should have just retired in 2000 like Ambrose did.

Are you talking about Wasim or Waqar in this bold part????

 

[Ikki]

I'd like to see Waqar's career break-up representing his trough. Because even in the latter part of his career he still had an excellent average and strike rate.

 

[smash84]

]I'd like to see Waqar's career break-up representing his trough.[/B] Because even in the latter part of his career he still had an excellent average and strike rate.

Where can we get that?????

 

[Ikki]

Actually, just looked it up, from 99 onwards he averaged 29 and struck at 51. Excellent SR but merely pretty good average. Having said that, his 99 year - especially the series against India - is the one that's really bad.

 

[aussie]

See.. it is already happening.. Whatever Sehwag scores in SA won't count..

No. It will count once he scores runs againts a full-strenght SA attack. Which i cannot see happening, given his career failures againts quality pace bowling on bowler friendly decks. Along with most worrying for him that fact that AUS kept him quiet in IND just recently with the @ the body short pitched bowling tactic on flat pitches.

On SA pitches with more bounce. Steyn & Morkel will be all over the weakness along with his age old weakness againts inswingers. ATS i dont see where is runs are going to come from againts a full strenght SA pace attack.

 

[Ikki]

Essentially, the planets have to align. Sehwag has to hope a) S.African attack are all fit, b) they are firing and c) the pitch is lively.

So everybody else in the Indian team has to be bowled out cheaply with Sehwag scoring runs.

 

[aussie]

Essentially, the planets have to align. Sehwag has to hope a) S.African attack are all fit, b) they are firing and c) the pitch is lively.

So everybody else in the Indian team has to be bowled out cheaply with Sehwag scoring runs.

He doesn't have to hope for anything. Just has to score runs againts the best SA attack possible & counquer his weakness that caused him to average 14 in the last series in SA 06/07. By doing that he would have conquered the SA challenge like other top batsman have done & would have proved his greatness. Failure similar to his 06/07 performance will prove my criticism of him all these years was justified.

 

[silentstriker]

He doesn't have to hope for anything. Just has to score runs againts the best SA attack possible & counquer his weakness that caused him to average 14 in the last series in SA 06/07. By doing that he would have conquered the SA challenge like other top batsman have done & would have proved his greatness. Failure similar to his 06/07 performance will prove my criticism of him all these years was justified.

Let me make it easy for you mate:

 

[Jarquis]

Post. of. the. year.