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Interesting that despite being an ATG test bowler, Steyn hasn't been as good in ODIs. Others like Lillee, Hadlee, Akram, McGrath and Ambrose were also ATG ODI bowlers (Marshall less so).
Dale Steyn for me is somewhere is the top 15 bowlers perhaps, maybe top ten.
I give him credit for being a fantastic match-winner. But he was dominated too often for me to put him in with Marshall, McGrath, Hadlee and Imran, who I put as the top tier. He had a tendency to blow hot and cold in the same series. In India in 2010 for example, he took that amazing 10-fer in Nagpur but seemed pedestrian in the next test. In Australia in 2012, he was taken apart in the first two tests before ripping into Australia in Perth. If you study his career, this was his tendency, a single match-winning performance in every series.
People point to his terrific strikerate but ignore the fact that his R/O is quite high. This means if he wasnt taking wickets, he was usually going for runs. Whereas guys like Marshall, Ambrose and McGrath would still manage to keep things tight even when they were not getting wickets.
Last edited by subshakerz; 09-10-2017 at 01:58 AM.
Damn I miss watching McGrath bowl. Fatal harmony.
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Perhaps I'm biased, but this is the best bowler I've ever seen:
https://youtu.be/EdCQfGh1KEY
Here's his record in South Africa: Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo
And his record outside of South Africa: Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo
So I think you raise a valid question, but he still has a very good away record. The average might be higher than the career averages of the players he's being compared against, but the strike rate beats everyone except Waqar Younis's 43.4.
In his era he is so far ahead of the rest just like a Syd Barnes for example. It is so hard to compare across era's but Steyn has been a monster among his fellow contemporaries and he was one for a long period which included Asian success of which many great fast bowlers couldn't quite do.
It isn't too far fetched to rate him as highly as you want.
To me I have agony doing so, so I won't. Too many Great fast bowlers. Just enjoyed reading or watching what each one did.
Last edited by SeamUp; 09-10-2017 at 03:06 AM.
LILLEE c WILLEY b DILLEY
LAMB c KOURIE b RICE
It's another one of those things. Won't rate current batsmen as highly because easier pitches. Yet won't rate Steyn that highly because <sumfin sumfin>
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#408. Sixty three not out forever.
I think Marshall is certainly considered the best in general. Whilst McGrath was obviously a great bowler as well he seems to be one like Imran and indeed Steyn that seems to have an element of schoolboy crush about it.![]()
Marshall is a cut ahead of the rest, he has everything going for him (I'm just judging statistically, he was before my time).
SR of 45, plenty of big hauls while having to compete with several other great fast bowlers, dominated in all conditions/countries, could do everything with the ball, etc.
Going on records Ambrose, McGrath and Marshall are the standouts, nothing between them
Steyn is maybe more like Lillee, who was a bit more expensive than those but smashed batting lineups on demand and was miles ahead of the next best at the time
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