McGrath Vs Akram!

[marc71178]

Wasim - 414 Test @ 23.62, 502 ODI @ 23.52
McGrath - 430 Test @ 21.17, 284 ODI @ 22.38

Note that Wasim has played 104 Tests and 356 ODI's to McGrath's 95 and 185, and you cannot say there is no comparison.

 

[Swervy]

Wasim Akram - Greatest bowler of modern era. Mcgrath is good but can not be compared to Wasim.

The greatest bowler of the modern era...do me a favour.
Lillee, Marshall,Ambrose,Hadlee to name just four that ican think of that were better bowlers than Akram.

Akram was great at knocking over the tail and yes he was a great bowler,but give me McGrath to get rid of the openers any day of the week.

and to that person who said he was bland etc.....so what,he has been for the last decade the most accurate and indeed one of the most successful bowlers of all time...and to the claim that he bowls without intelligence...he has bowled intelligently enough to know that metronomic line and length is the best way of frustrating and ultimately dismiss top class batsmen.

To say Akram is miles ahead of McGrath is a joke...look at the figures

 

[Armadillo]

Take issue with no ability or enthusiasm batting - he's just talentless.

Made 50 for Worcestershire (?) in the CC in 2001.

and the winner for the flukiest innings of all time goes too....

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

and the winner for the flukiest innings of all time goes too....

Surely one of Walsh's 8 (?) FC fifties.

 

[Armadillo]

yes but mcgrath was a worse batsman

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

yes but mcgrath was a worse batsman

True, but not by much IMO. Walsh is definitely the more entertaining batsman. IMO the most entertaining batsman ever.

 

[Langeveldt]

Surely one of Walsh's 8 (?) FC fifties.

Absolute madness


Did Patrick Patterson get any?

 

[nibbs]

Akram fo sho is the better player. He can bat 37 times better than McGrath, and his bowling was just as good.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Patterson's highest FC score is 29. If my Math serves me correctly, I'd say he's not scored any fifties. The is some fairness in the game after all.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Akram fo sho is the better player. He can bat 37 times better than McGrath, and his bowling was just as good.

His average would suggest that he's more around 4 times better with the bat.

 

[Anil]

As bowlers, they are really very different bowlers. In terms of consistency, McGrath is ahead, in terms of variety, Akram wins easily.

Overall if I was given a choice between picking both in their prime purely as a bowling option, I would opt for Wasim.

 

[marc71178]

IMO the most entertaining batsman ever.

Devon challenges him IMO.

I still remember my pleasure hearing him follow my idea of giving Warne the charge back in 95.

The theory was that it would put him off his length and nullify the threat.

Big Dev heaved him for six in accordance with my theory, then was bowled all over the shop next ball

 

[masterblaster]

Wasim Akram, no doubt about it.

He is one of my favourite players of all time, and personally, a bowling idol. Even though I bowl Right Arm Fast Medium, Wasim has been an inspiration to me.

His batting is 100 times better than McGrath's and his all round leadership capabilties, ability to swing (and reverse swing) is the best in the business.

Although McGrath is a great bowler, Wasim is that much better than him. He is a true entertainer, a true inspiration, a true once in a lifetime cricketer.

 

[Craig]

The mere fact Wasim makes my all-time XI and considering how many greats didnt make it (even Bradman and Sobers didnt make it), I must consider him truely a great bowler.

So it is obvious I go for Wasim.

But both great bowlers.

 

[godofcricket]

The greatest bowler of the modern era...do me a favour.
Lillee, Marshall,Ambrose,Hadlee to name just four that ican think of that were better bowlers than Akram.

Well unfortunetly for you these were the only bowlers who could be compared with Akrams quality. And it is only your opinion to say all of them were better than Akram.

Akram was great at knocking over the tail and yes he was a great bowler,but give me McGrath to get rid of the openers any day of the week.

So you mean Mcgrath was better in getting the openers comparing Akram? Both had there own style in getting rid of the top order. And yes akram wasn't just great he was the best bowler you will find in blowing apart the tail enders and slowing the runs down in the depth which Mcgrath could never do.

 

[iamdavid]

And as far as personality goes, I think there is only one winner!
Wasim is an exciting, interesting and friendly guy whilst McGrath is arrogant, bad tempered and insensitive. Competitive aggression on the field is one thing, but he really does act like an unsocial, nasty d*ckhead.

Errmm this is just a little fresh for someone who has never met the man.

Sure on the feild your description may not be far wrong , but whos pretending Wasim was an angel out in the middle :rolleyes:

If you ever got the chance to have a chat with Glenn I think you'd discover he was a very nice down to earth sort of guy , now sure on feild the heat of the moment gets to him & he acts like a bit of a tool.

But thats no basis to make a judgement on his personality off it.

BTW I voted for Wasim , hasnt got McGrath's consistency but when on song he was amazing.

 

[iamdavid]

The mere fact Wasim makes my all-time XI and considering how many greats didnt make it (even Bradman and Sobers didnt make it), I must consider him truely a great bowler.

So it is obvious I go for Wasim.

But both great bowlers.

Umm please take this the right way Craig but what kind of cricket fan in their right minds would choose an all time world XI not featuring Bradman & Sobers.

I think they are probably the first 2 men 95% of people would pick.

 

[Swervy]

right so McGrath has never been able to slow the run rate down....ok....just a couple of stats here

Tests

McGrath Ave 21.71 rpo 2.5 strike 52.0
Akram Ave 22.38 rpo 2.59 strike 54.6

ODI
McGrath Ave 22.38 rpo 3.89 strike 34.4
Akram Ave 23.52 rpo 3.89 strike 36.2


There is not one of those 6 key stats that Akram has bettered McGrath on...on ODI runrate, he is bang on with McGrath (you must bare in mind that for 8 years before McGrath was playing, Akram was playing in a time when the average runrate was a lot lower than now!!!!!)

So who has been the more effective bowler?

fair enough, its great watching those booming swingers that Akram bowled occassionally, but can you really say that the gap between Akram and McGrath is that big.

 

[Craig]

Umm please take this the right way Craig but what kind of cricket fan in their right minds would choose an all time world XI not featuring Bradman & Sobers.

I think they are probably the first 2 men 95% of people would pick.

Simple it was a side I picked to play against Bradman's XI, and I liked it so I stuck to it.

 

[godofcricket]

One huge advantage which McGrath had was he had the support of the best fielders in the world. They could stop so many runs for him and could get him wickets which came from brilliant catches which only the Australians or South Africans could do. On the other hand there batting is also world class and very consistent which could always give there bowlers support. Pakistan had the most unpredictable line-up in the world.

Although you might say I am being a bit unfair. But when I read what Akram had to go through in his cricketing life, which is quite disturbing. In short, he had many match fixing scandals, and then he received threatening phone calls when he was the captain in 96/97. At this point he thought of retiring from cricket. He had diabetes. We can only imagine what heights he could reach if he had a normal and a simple career like Mcgrath.