James Anderson vs Glenn McGrath - Similarities and differences

[GotSpin]

KP fondling the ball in his hand is good too

 

[ankitj]

Probably the best sledging clip ever.

Not even close.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Not even close.

Sanga v Pollock will always be the best

 

[Top_Cat]

Boucher/Taibu runs it very close, personally.

 

[Daemon]

been the number one bowler in the world for ages now

ffs man how's the view from under that rock

never gets old

 

[Furball]

That just simply isn't true. His Ashes record is really not that flash.

He has 2 excellent series in Australia, and 2 mediocre ones, one where he should never been picked (2006) and one where he bowled injured and was on a hiding to nothing due to repeated batting failures (2013, pretty sure Anderson's first innings bowling in that series was decent)

 

[Furball]

Still averages over 32 against Aus if you take out 2006/07

also averages nearly 33 against SA. Never realised before but seems like he was a real bully of minnow and Asian teams

He's never really done himself justice in South Africa - England have only had 3 tours in his career, one of which he played 1 Test in in 04/05, he bowled fine in 2009/10, and he was injured for 14/15.

 

[Groundking]

Speaking of SA, surely we're due another tour there soon?

 

[Slifer]

He has 2 excellent series in Australia, and 2 mediocre ones, one where he should never been picked (2006) and one where he bowled injured and was on a hiding to nothing due to repeated batting failures (2013, pretty sure Anderson's first innings bowling in that series was decent)

Bro Anderson sucks in the ashes, stop with the excuses.

 

[Hicheal Michael]

Anderson from 2013-18 = Gooch from 1988-1993?

 

[Victor Ian]

I think Anderson is to bowling as Cook is to batting. Great bowler who fits in that null space between atvg and atg.

 

[trundler]

ATVVG or All Time Semi Great.

Inb4 Borges.

 

[greg]

Perhaps a more productive debate to be had, given especially the difficulties between comparing different bowlers of different types in different eras is to ask who are the most valuable players to their teams (ie. who had the most differential influence on team performance).

 

[trundler]

Perhaps a more productive debate to be had, given especially the difficulties between comparing different bowlers of different types in different eras is to ask who are the most valuable players to their teams (ie. who had the most differential influence on team performance).

Well that isn't much fairer. A player like Garner would rate quite low and a Kapil quite high.

 

[greg]

Well that isn't much fairer. A player like Garner would rate quite low and a Kapil quite high.

I think you misunderstand. It’s unfair if you see it as a proxy for “who was the best bowler”. But I just think it’s an interesting alternative debate worth having in itself.

 

[trundler]

I think you misunderstand. It’s unfair if you see it as a proxy for “who was the best bowler”. But I just think it’s an interesting alternative debate worth having in itself.

It seems I did indeed.

Hard to go past Hadlee. Got so many daddy hauls playing for a weak team. A true match winner..

 

[Furball]

Bro Anderson sucks in the ashes, stop with the excuses.

Yeah he was awful in 2010/11.

 

[wpdavid]

Anderson from 2013-18 = Gooch from 1988-1993?

Gooch's period of excellence is a bit briefer than that. He didn't really move up a gear until being made captain in 1990. From memory he was really poor in 1989, probably respectable in 1988. Again from memory, I think his form tailed off in 1993, but he was getting on by then.

 

[Agricultural]

It's important to note that Anderson hasn't played Bangladesh or Zimbabwe away. He's played them twice at home. His figures aren't stat padded. (Nor are McGrath's).

 

[Black_Warrior]

There was very little difference to McGrath's wicket taking prowess between home and away. He was the same threat in South Africa that he was in India or West Indies. Anderson falls way behind McGrath simply because he is just not the same Anderson when he goes outside of England. This isn't to say he is a bad bowler or Clouderson. He is still extremely skillful to be a potent bowler, but he is not going to bowl in South Africa or India the way he bowls in England. And yes one good series in India (2012) and Australia (2010) does not change this. And this is where the whole ATG status comes in and why there's really no such thing as ATVG.

If you look at an ATG bowler's record like McGrath's you will find his entire career filled with performances like Anderson's India 2012 or Australia 2010. Anderson belongs in a tier or two below where he will have a handful of great away performances over the course of his career, which still places him comfortably ahead of most of his current peers, but considerably behind the ATGs.