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Best Bowling Combination Possible

harsh.ag

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
What features do you look for in the perfect Bowling combination? For the sake of ease and uniformity, maybe we should only look at a 4-person combination. Do you prefer 3 pacers-1 spinner, or 2 each? What variations do you look for in the combination? Is a left handed pacer a significant add-on? I am listing down some combos on which maybe you could give your opinions:


1: Marshall | Warne | Murali | McGrath
2: Wasim | Marshall | Murali/Warne | Barnes
3: Wasim | Marshall | Murali/Warne | Lillee
4: Marshall | Lillee | Murali/Warne | Barnes
5: Marshall | Garner | Murali/Warne | McGrath
6: Hadlee | Wasim | Murali/Warne | Roberts |

I personally like 5 a lot with Murali.

Also, for the purpose of this discussion, maybe we could try and come up with a few standards like which bowlers are quite similar so that the variation bit is easier to discuss. For example, Hadlee and McGrath are quite similar bowlers, both with respect to style and achievements.

I hope this turns out to be an enlightening discussion :)
 

Agent TBY

International Captain
McGrath - Wasim - Murali - Warne

Give me Imran as an allrounder too and there's not an attack in the world I would take over this one.
 

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
Marshall - Hadlee - Imran - Barnes - Murali

Imran because he provides depth to batting. Else it would be either Ambrose or McGrath
Barnes because no one knows if he is a pacer or spinner
 
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Himannv

International Coach
I'm tempted to go with the usual combination of bowlers but I think my opinion tends to change from time to time. These days I'd really love to see an attack featuring the following 4 bowlers: Barnes, Hadlee, Ambrose and Warne.

Barnes - Barnes gets the new ball because he simply wouldn't have it any other way. Also, he would bring so much variety to the attack with both medium pace and spin.

Hadlee - Consistent, probing and a bit quicker that McGrath (imo), Paddles is the complete bowler and the ideal player to share the new ball with Barnes.

Ambrose - Need some West Indian brutality in any bowling attack and the raging bull is probably the best at that so he's in there. Very tempted to play him as an opening bowler because he can really dominate and bowl some incredible spells.

Warne - I think Murali is awesome and is unrivaled in terms of natural ability, but Warne is just so cunning and wily with his bowling that I might just have him ahead. He'll be at the opposition all day and he'll find a way to be a threat even on his worst day.
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
Marshall, Warne, Linwall, Imran/Akram and Sobers.

Not neccerily the best bowlers, but best varity and options.
 

doesitmatter

U19 Cricketer
Roberts -- Marshall -- Holding -- Garner -- Warne/Qadir...

swing in and out , seam cut in and out, bounce, accuracy, speed, spin ..this attack has everything and has done it all over the world..there is proof :)
 

Eds

International Debutant
If I were picking the most well-rounded bowling attack I'd go for:

Marshall - Davidson - Imran - Barnes - Muralitharan
 

AndyZaltzHair

Hall of Fame Member
Barnes- O'Reilly- Warne- Muralitharan

I was thinking about what's the possibility of this attack succeeding; they will be deadly with the old ball and with the new ball they won't lag far behind as O'Reilly can open with Barnes. What are the odds that this attack will be successful more than the traditional 3 pace and 1 spin attack?
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
I usually go for the three best quicks and the best spinner. If picking an ATG team, I always have Sobers at #5 or 6, so there is a high quality fifth bowler.

So, for me it's-

Lillee
Marshall
McGrath

and

Warne


The others I consider strongly are Wasim (left arm and a wizard), SF Barnes (but I find that early era thing hard to gauge), Ambrose (who I think was a better bowler than McGrath, but McGrath was more consistent. Ambrose could be hot and cold depending on his attitude) and O'Reilly (really hard to split him and Warne, but Warne's mongrel and will to win is so good).
 

Red

The normal awards that everyone else has
For 'well-rounded' I'd go Larwood, Davidson, Waqar, Warne and Miller.
I have to ask....why Larwood and Waqar over Lillee and Marshall (not that I'm right, but I'd be especially interested why you rate them over Marshall in particular).
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
I usually go for the three best quicks and the best spinner. If picking an ATG team, I always have Sobers at #5 or 6, so there is a high quality fifth bowler.

So, for me it's-

Lillee
Marshall
McGrath

and

Warne


The others I consider strongly are Wasim (left arm and a wizard), SF Barnes (but I find that early era thing hard to gauge), Ambrose (who I think was a better bowler than McGrath, but McGrath was more consistent. Ambrose could be hot and cold depending on his attitude) and O'Reilly (really hard to split him and Warne, but Warne's mongrel and will to win is so good).
Exactly how I feel about Mcgrath vs Ambrose, very similar to Tendulkar vs Lara, the former has the weight of numbers and consistentcy, while though at their respective bests few if any can top the latters.

Back on topic, Wasim is very tempting to put in such a conversation because of his variety and use of the old ball, Barnes is so hard to rate because no one alive has seen him bowl and most reports of his bowling is so conflicting. Also shared your thoughs on Warne and Tiger, but Awarne's pace and variety is better suited for the modern game. Like your reasoning though.
 

kyear2

Cricketer Of The Year
I have to ask....why Larwood and Waqar over Lillee and Marshall (not that I'm right, but I'd be especially interested why you rate them over Marshall in particular).
+1

Loved Waqar growing up and a big part of me still thinks him the better over Akram, but his peak was so short and he was a high risk, high reward bowler, and regarding Larwood, well ..................that always boggles my mind.
 

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