Saqlain Mushtaq vs Graeme Swann?

[mr_mister]

Raw test stats nearly identical.

Both averaged 29 point something, with strike rates in the 60s and economy rates under 3


Who was better?

 

[AldoRaine18]

Saqlain during those 3-4 odd years was a nightmare to face.

 

[mr_mister]

Both had a knack for taking wickets at the start of their spells too

 

[smash84]

both were pretty awesome

Swanny probably mentally stronger. Saqlain definitely more innovative.

Hard to choose.

 

[91Jmay]

Swann never had the pressure of being the focal point of his team, Saqlain bowled in more favourable conditions. Very similar players, I'd possibly plump for Mushie as he bowled more destructive spells.

 

[Migara]

Well, manhandling Indian batting jaggernaut of late 90s on Indian soil, as a spinner is special enough. No one managed that other than Saqlain

 

[duffer]

Bowled Saqie, shabash, shabash...

 

[ankitj]

Saqlain for nostalgic reasons. His bowling mesmerised me. Such a champion.

Will never understand why he had such a short career. In any other team he'd have got close to 400 teset wickets IMO.

 

[Xuhaib]

Saqlain for nostalgic reasons. His bowling mesmerised me. Such a champion.

Will never understand why he had such a short career. In any other team he'd have got close to 400 teset wickets IMO.

His knee injury coincided with worst era of PCB chairmen. Was virtually left on his own as pakistan got behind the kaneria train this was an era when we rarely played with more then one spinner.

 

[Black_Warrior]

His knee injury coincided with worst era of PCB chairmen. Was virtually left on his own as pakistan got behind the kaneria train this was an era when we rarely played with more then one spinner.

The last few years of his career had an interesting trajectory. He was in and out a lot, when he was in he was given the same preference but then he was just as quickly left out. I also remember he had skipped a few Pak series for extended county stints. Wonder if that had anything to do with ruffling some feathers. In 2002, he was in and out a lot for inexplicable reasons because they had not yet jumped on the Kaneria train yet.

 

[longranger]

Destructive bowler. Find him to be very underrated by many. On his day, he could do a lot of damage

 

[smash84]

Destructive bowler. Find him to be very underrated by many. On his day, he could do a lot of damage

Saqlain or swann?

 

[longranger]

Saqlain.

Was that Q necessary ?

 

[smash84]

of course it was. it wasn't clear who you were talking about

 

[OverratedSanity]

Well, manhandling Indian batting jaggernaut of late 90s on Indian soil, as a spinner is special enough. No one managed that other than Saqlain

Swann had a superb series in 2012 too. Admittedly, Sehwag and Tendulkar were shells of their former selves but it was still a damn good performance from Swann. Just saying you can't use that one series from Saqlain as the reason to choose him.

 

[Migara]

Swann had a superb series in 2012 too. Admittedly, Sehwag and Tendulkar were shells of their former selves but it was still a damn good performance from Swann. Just saying you can't use that one series from Saqlain as the reason to choose him.

I do agree about Shewag, but Tendulkar was no way the best spin player in late 90s batting jaggernut. Sidhu and Azhar were as good as Shewag, and clearly superior to SRT when came to attacking the spinners. Early version of Ganguly, I arte above Tendulkar when it comes to playing spin. The line up Swann bowled to, is a shadow of what hit Warne and Murali like a tornado, but ripped apart in to pieces by Saqlain.

 

[Contra]

I do agree about Shewag, but Tendulkar was no way the best spin player in late 90s batting jaggernut. Sidhu and Azhar were as good as Shewag, and clearly superior to SRT when came to attacking the spinners. Early version of Ganguly, I arte above Tendulkar when it comes to playing spin. The line up Swann bowled to, is a shadow of what hit Warne and Murali like a tornado, but ripped apart in to pieces by Saqlain.

I think you are confusing being attacking vs being good. Tendulkar probably wasn't as dominating a spin player as say Lara, Sidhu, Sehwag, Azhar etc but that doesn't make him inferior necessarily, because after all, in that same 1999 series Tendulkar did hit 136 on a slow and turning pitch in the 4th innings, probably not something the likes of Azhar and Sidhu are capable of doing in all honesty. Also the thing with Tendulkar is the ridiculous pressure that he was under during the 90's, there is simply no legitimate way to account for something like that.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I do agree about Shewag, but Tendulkar was no way the best spin player in late 90s batting jaggernut. Sidhu and Azhar were as good as Shewag, and clearly superior to SRT when came to attacking the spinners. Early version of Ganguly, I arte above Tendulkar when it comes to playing spin. The line up Swann bowled to, is a shadow of what hit Warne and Murali like a tornado, but ripped apart in to pieces by Saqlain.

2012 also had Gambhir... brilliant player of spin.

 

[91Jmay]

Pujara was in god mode that series as well.

 

[AldoRaine18]

I do agree about Shewag, but Tendulkar was no way the best spin player in late 90s batting jaggernut. Sidhu and Azhar were as good as Shewag, and clearly superior to SRT when came to attacking the spinners. Early version of Ganguly, I arte above Tendulkar when it comes to playing spin. The line up Swann bowled to, is a shadow of what hit Warne and Murali like a tornado, but ripped apart in to pieces by Saqlain.

Only if playing spin was only about slogging. Ask Warne and the bloke in your avatar who they found more difficult to bowl to between Sachin and Navjot Sidhu.. and I've watched all of Sidhu's innings against Warne before you start digging up cricinfo.