Progression of the 'best fast bowler' title post war

[OverratedSanity]

Imran averaged like 15 for a 4-5 year stretch... should be in the list somewhere

 

[Black_Warrior]

In cricket, when we're talking about 'fast bowlers', we're not really talking their pace. It's a general and broad term that includes medium pacers because a lot of the genuinely quick pace bowlers become medium pacers as their career progresses.

McGrath, Walsh, Pollock, Hadlee are absolutely fast bowlers. Donald, Wasim, Ambrose who started off as really quick, were bowling early 130s in the last few years of their careers.

 

[Black_Warrior]

From the 70s onwards

In chronological order

Lillee/Holding
Imran/Marshall
Wasim/Waqar
Ambrose/Donald
McGrath
Steyn

 

[Burgey]

Imran averaged like 15 for a 4-5 year stretch... should be in the list somewhere

Averaged 2-3 per night when he was out here staying at the Connaught while playing for NSW.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

From the 70s onwards

In chronological order

Lillee/Holding
Imran/Marshall
Wasim/Waqar
Ambrose/Donald
McGrath/Binga
Steyn

Fixed

 

[jimmy101]

Boycott's nan was better than Brett Lee.

So was Shane.

 

[Midwinter]

Could Wes Hall be between Truman and Lillee .
What about Tyson for those couple of seasons

 

[jimmy101]

Could Wes Hall be between Truman and Lillee .
What about Tyson for those couple of seasons

Yes and yes IMO.

 

[Black_Warrior]

Fixed

If you're going to lower the bar to this level to include Binga or whatever his name is, then you have to open it up for a lot of other guys

Walsh
Pollock
Anderson
Akhtar

 

[Burgey]

Lee was awful bar the first 18 months of his career and one 12 month period towards the end. Worst bowler to take 300 test wickets. Spud. Tory spud at that.

His LO efforts are bloody over rated as well. Prefer many others.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Lee was awful bar the first 18 months of his career and one 12 month period towards the end. Worst bowler to take 300 test wickets. Spud. Tory spud at that.

His LO efforts are bloody over rated as well. Prefer many others.

This. The guy was lucky to even make the team for most of his career. Kept Kasprowicz and Bichel out more than he should have.

He could be considered a genuine ODI ATG though (or ATVG). I don't think anyone's been as unplayable with the new white ball as he was at times. But he often leaked a **** load of runs at the end of innings, usually through edges over and past the keeper but it still counts as runs.

 

[ankitj]

From the 70s onwards

In chronological order

Lillee/Holding
Imran/Marshall
Wasim/Waqar
Ambrose/Donald
McGrath
Steyn

Dude, Hadlee​.

 

[trundler]

I forgot about Wes Hall completely but was supposed to be in the list after Truman

 

[trundler]

This. The guy was lucky to even make the team for most of his career. Kept Kasprowicz and Bichel out more than he should have.

He could be considered a genuine ODI ATG though (or ATVG). I don't think anyone's been as unplayable with the new white ball as he was at times. But he often leaked a **** load of runs at the end of innings, usually through edges over and past the keeper but it still counts as runs.

That sounds a lot like Waqar.

 

[jimmy101]

Yeah it pissed me off too when they kept selecting Waqar ahead of Bichel & Kasprowicz.

 

[Starfighter]

Interestingly Fazal is actually the highest ranked pace bowler in the late fifties, although he was only 5th ranked bowler at points. Trueman's career was really only taking off around then when they finally ran out of excuses to not select him.

Also, we're forgetting a certain A.K. Davidson. You know, the guy who averaged 20.53.

 

[fredfertang]

Sylvers missing - list lacks credibility

 

[Starfighter]

For what it's worth I've got all the end of year highest ranked pace bowlers. I'm sure a more computer/stats savvy person here could make a more useful measure. The earlier rankings are hampered by infrequent play, for example SA didn't play India, Paksitan or WI at all before isolation. Some of these are very close with only a few points separating the highest ranked and the next.

40's 47 Toshack 48-49 Lindwall	50's 50-52 Johnston 53 Bedser 54-55 Lindwall 56-59 Fazal	60's 60-61 Davidson 62 Hall 63 Trueman 64 McKenzie 65-66 Pollock 67 Higgs 68 Pollock 69 McKenzie	70's 70-72 Snow 73 Arnold 74 Walker 75 Lillee 76 Roberts 77 Lillee 78 Willis 79-80 Botham	80's 81 Lillee 82-83 Imran 84 Marshall 85-88 Hadlee 89-90 Marshall
90's 91-92 Ambrose 93-94 Waqar 95 Ambrose 96-97 McGrath 98 Donald 99-00 Pollock	00's 01-02 McGrath 03 Pollock 04-05 McGrath 06 Ntini 07 Clark 08-12 Steyn	10's 13 Philander 14-16 Steyn 17 Anderson 18 Rabada

 

[Mr Miyagi]

For what it's worth I've got all the end of year highest ranked pace bowlers. I'm sure a more computer/stats savvy person here could make a more useful measure. The earlier rankings are hampered by infrequent play, for example SA didn't play India, Paksitan or WI at all before isolation. Some of these are very close with only a few points separating the highest ranked and the next.

40's 47 Toshack 48-49 Lindwall	50's 50-52 Johnston 53 Bedser 54-55 Lindwall 56-59 Fazal	60's 60-61 Davidson 62 Hall 63 Trueman 64 McKenzie 65-66 Pollock 67 Higgs 68 Pollock 69 McKenzie	70's 70-72 Snow 73 Arnold 74 Walker 75 Lillee 76 Roberts 77 Lillee 78 Willis 79-80 Botham	80's 81 Lillee 82-83 Imran 84 Marshall 85-88 Hadlee 89-90 Marshall
90's 91-92 Ambrose 93-94 Waqar 95 Ambrose 96-97 McGrath 98 Donald 99-00 Pollock	00's 01-02 McGrath 03 Pollock 04-05 McGrath 06 Ntini 07 Clark 08-12 Steyn	10's 13 Philander 14-16 Steyn 17 Anderson 18 Rabada

Excellent effort. Have a "like".

 

[trundler]

Davidson big oversight on my part.