Is mitchell johnson once in generation fast bowler?

[Prince EWS]

West Indies - Ian Bradshaw, Pedro Collins, Deighton Butler, Kenroy Peters.

And Sobers...

 

[adharcric]

The quality of threads is seriously dying these days ... no offense but does anyone actually say "yes" to the title of the thread at this point in his career?
Come on, he's barely started his international career.

 

[Josh]

Lillee saw him at the age of about 18 and nominated him as such. He was reputedly quicker then than what he is now, has lost some yards because of the numerous back injuries he's had.

Wild claims on minimal impressions, tbh.

 

[pup11]

guys if someon like dennis lille said something like this about a bloke he certainly is something and i agree he has just started his career but he is so unique in comparision with all the left arm bowlers there are today so thats why i am he has it in him to touch heights of greatness.

 

[luffy]

I haven't seen alot of Mitchell Johnson, but from what i've seen he has great potential but he will never be a great of the game like McGrath or Lilliee etc etc

 

[social]

Wild claims on minimal impressions, tbh.

Lillee judged him on pace and being left-handed - apparently he was Brett Lee/Shoaib type pace at 16 or 17

Since then he's only played on a regular basis in the past 18 months due to back problems

 

[pup11]

but even with loss of pace he bowls around 145kmph so thats still pretty sharp and quicker than any left hand bowler in current scenario and batsmen don't get to play such bowlers often who swing the ball at that pace so they will surely be troubled and bowling left arm also is an added variety.

 

[Richard]

Aust. cricket history has had very few fast left handers (Matthews)

That great one-Test wonder...

 

[Richard]

Seem to be more common in Asia as well, with the likes of Pathan, Vaas, Zoysa, Khan, Rasel etc.compared with relatively few from the other nations.

Not to mention Perera, Rutra Pratap Singh and Nehra...

The number of Asian left-arm seamers in the last 3 or 4 years has been incredible.

 

[Richard]

He's got a good action... dunno what Dennis is on about, though. Bit early for those type of calls, imo.

Indeed it was... 7 years ago... and it'd be too early now, too.

 

[Richard]

guys if someon like dennis lille said something like this about a bloke he certainly is something

No, not neccessarily.

Like his mate Rodney Marsh, he can be prone to hyperbole... Marsh who once called Chris Read one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen in The World... and Lillee who said Harmison could be one of The World's best...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

It is quite amazing when you think about it, all of those bowlers you have listed would not even come close to an all time WI fast bowling line up, and apart from Alan Davidson and maybe Bill Voce no lefties from Aust. Eng, WI, NZ or Sth Afr (can't think of a great one from there?) would be rated too highly either.

Can anyone think of a reason for this? After all more then 10% of the pop. is left handed

In the case of the West Indies, I'd think it's because the left-arm seamers that I listed are from a generation and a team plagued by mediocrity. Imagine if the likes of Pedro Collins - with such ability - had the chance to play in the era of Holding, Marshall etc. Fitness regimes were much better then and generally fast bowlers developed far better (obviously).

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

No, not neccessarily.

Like his mate Rodney Marsh, he can be prone to hyperbole... Marsh who once called Chris Read one of the best wicketkeeper-batsmen in The World... and Lillee who said Harmison could be one of The World's best...

I don't know about Read, but the comment about Harmison isn't without merit. He's certainly not amounted to a great deal, but it's not hard to see why Harmison could have been very good.

Anyway, people often speak for impact in situations like these. What Lillee meant was clearly that he thought Johnson was incredibly talented and needed to be watched closely by Australia's cricketing authorities, and his comments certainly achieved that. Whether he ends up as a once in a generation bowler, merely a very good one or a total failure due to injury or whatever doesn't necessarily mean much about what Lillee saw at the time.

Obviously it's way too early to rate Johnson as an international cricketer though. He's probably shown that he's good enough to play ODIs, but the guy hasn't even played a test yet, and rating him in any sort of serious way in comparison to other bowlers is silly.

 

[Richard]

Very true, when I think of FLA for England only Bill Voce and Frank Foster come to mind. I have a feeling one of the Lever brothers may have been a lefty?

How dare you forget Alan Mullally and Mark Illot.

Sorry I missed them, but my mind is lost in the past

John was a left-armer, Peter a right. They weren't brothers, though. The only other one that comes to my mind is Jeff Jones.

Ryan Sidebottom.

Not to mention Mike Smith and Simon Brown... who have 1-cap-wonder status in common along with left-arm-seam-bowling... and Paul Taylor who played 2.

 

[Richard]

I don't know about Read, but the comment about Harmison isn't without merit. He's certainly not amounted to a great deal, but it's not hard to see why Harmison could have been very good.

It is.

He never, ever possessed the requistite accuracy and to simply assume that he'd acquire it was pure folly. As a matter of fact, of course, he did temporarily acquire it (in those 7 Tests at the start of 2004) but that was never going to last.

I was one of the few who didn't expect it to, and of course was shouted-down for it.

Anyway, people often speak for impact in situations like these. What Lillee meant was clearly that he thought Johnson was incredibly talented and needed to be watched closely by Australia's cricketing authorities, and his comments certainly achieved that. Whether he ends up as a once in a generation bowler, merely a very good one or a total failure due to injury or whatever doesn't necessarily mean much about what Lillee saw at the time.

No, it doesn't, but you could say that about many 17-year-olds.

 

[Richard]

It is quite amazing when you think about it, all of those bowlers you have listed would not even come close to an all time WI fast bowling line up, and apart from Alan Davidson and maybe Bill Voce no lefties from Aust. Eng, WI, NZ or Sth Afr (can't think of a great one from there?) would be rated too highly either.

Can anyone think of a reason for this? After all more then 10% of the pop. is left handed

Approximately 10% is gay, too... and I honestly don't recall a single openly gay cricketer. There surely must've been one or two, but well... I think it says a good deal.

 

[silentstriker]

Especially considering that being left handed has the same social stigma as being a homosexual in sport.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Been pleasantly surprised in the one day games as I thought he was a bowler who got wickets and go for plenty but he has pretty good control.Unproven in the test arena but will probably get the nod ahead of Tait and Bracken.I thought Australia didn't have many up and coming players to turn to?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Been pleasantly surprised in the one day games as I thought he was a bowler who got wickets and go for plenty but he has pretty good control.Unproven in the test arena but will probably get the nod ahead of Tait and Bracken.I thought Australia didn't have many up and coming players to turn to?

Ok, so we count one. Tait? Two, though he has a LOT to prove. Aaaand.....?

 

[Richard]

Both Johnson and Tait still have a lot to prove.

Plenty have done well for 5 or 6 ODIs before.