Ajmal vs Herath

[Maximas]

Nice, but Herath's last two series' against SA (recently at home and away in 2011/12) were both quite impressive IMO, wouldn't call them particularly good players of spin compared to Australia or Pakistan either. I don't really support the idea of Herath 'fading' either, his best year was arguably 2012, three years after he was recalled to the test team and his recent series against SA suggests he is still near the height of his powers

 

[smash84]

Good analysis man. Even if didn't throw up too much. Herath probably gets a lot less credit than he deserves. He has been quite impressive over the past few years. Which is why I set up the poll.

 

[cnerd123]

A few bad series a bit pre-mature to say he is fading, yes. Lets see how he goes against Pakistan now (currently 2/68 in 26 overs on Day 1 at Galle). My gut tells me that his best seasons are past him now, and sides are going to just play him off, but he could prove me wrong.

 

[hendrix]

haha that was a gun analysis.

I do think Herath might be fading just a touch. But then Ajmal probably doesn't have much left in him either.

 

[simonlee48]

I expect you Simon to be clever enough to realise that having more five-fers isn't an objective measure of a bowlers wicket-taking prowess, but a subjective one that compares him to his teammates. Shakib takes a lot of five-fers, possibly more than a guy like Ajmal (I haven't checked), but that's more to do with him being the only bowler in the BD lineup capable of taking wickets than to do with him being a better wicket-taking bowler.

Argument has a flaw in it. It's not as if other bowlers from Pakistan pick up wickets quickly and as result Ajaml gets less overs to bowl and pick up 5-fers. In given period,

Ajmal bowled 28 overs in each inning
Herath also bowled 28 overs in each inning.

Both bowled 28 overs in each inning and had equal time to pick up 5-fers. Herath has 18 and Ajmal has 9. If you are going to bowl 28 overs in each inning then you should pick up more wickets with better bowlers due to pressure from the both ends. You are actually making the case for Herath stronger for picking 5-fers. Based on what you said, Imagine if Herath is still bowling 28 overs and has better bowlers with him. He will pick up 5-fer even more frequently as long as he does bowl 28 overs.

Your argument of better bowling side allowing less 5-fer can have merit only if Ajmal was forced to bowl less overs due to others wrapping up opposition quickly but that's not the case here. Ajmal bowls as much as Herath.

 

[Maximas]

Pretty easy to 'sit on' Herath on flat pitches when you just want to defend eh

 

[viriya]

Herath > Ajmal

it's decided.

 

[cnerd123]

Haha, I was meaning to come back to this and add onto my earlier post.

There definitely seems to be merit to the idea that Herath is preferable on flat pitches to Ajmal. He works batsmen out better. Ajmal wasn't bad tho, bowled without luck (could have had Sanga twice) and still ended up with a five-fer.

I was planning on doing a check later on to try and understand how Herath has so many more five-fers without a significantly better average or strike rate. I suspect he has more wicket-less spells than Ajmal does...which could point to inconsistency? Or Sri Lanka playing on better batting tracks than Ajmal?

 

[OverratedSanity]

Herath to now get a flood of votes on the back of this performance because of people's ridiculous memories. He deserves those votes, though.

 

[smash84]

Ajmal very unlucky in the first dig. Should have ended with much better figures

 

[OverratedSanity]

Herath very unlucky in the first dig. Should have ended with much better figures

Yep

 

[viriya]

In all seriousness I don't think Herath is clearly better, but I don't think you can say Ajmal is clearly better either. Just talking Tests of course.

 

[Maximas]

Nor do I, it's very close, I've always thought Herath had the tougher job as more of a lone agent yet they performed at about the same level

 

[smash84]

Yeah, it is definitely close. And I don't think many people would say one or the other clearly better.

 

[smash84]

Having said that Pakistan bowlers definitely suffer significantly more due to poor fielding

 

[slowfinger]

They're both so different players, but honestly, for pure aggression and wicket taking factor alone, i'd rather have Ajmal in my side purely for the fact that he can produce a wicket from nothing

 

[hendrix]

People keep saying that Ajmal is more dangerous but it just doesn't stack up.

The reality is that a bowler who forces a batsman to play every ball is just as dangerous as someone who might bowl a couple more unplayable deliveries every hundred balls.

Herath bowls some absolute grenades but also has the ability to work over good batsmen. Misbah and Younis aren't the type of batsmen who just miss straight deliveries.

 

[smash84]

I think it might be that people think that Ajmal has that additional x Factor. But fact is that Herath is definitely much closer to ajmal tha I thought he was.

 

[simonlee48]

In all seriousness I don't think Herath is clearly better, but I don't think you can say Ajmal is clearly better either. Just talking Tests of course.

I had this view for some time now. Herath runs through sides more frequently than Ajmal despite Ajmal having X-factor. I will put them at the same level in recent years in the longer format. Last 5 years or so,

 

[Maximas]

Herath rightly takes his place above Ajmal on the bowling rankings