IIRC Imran was averaging lower than Marshall during his bowling peak in the 80s. So it's not like there was a huge gap between Marshall and Imran at their peaks. Marshall was arguably better than any other fast bowler but that doesn't mean that other bowlers were any sort of mugs and that having Marshall in your side would give the team some sort of cheat mode. The WI side was already great when Marshall came into the side and they had a bunch of great bowlers who allowed them to win even without him.
My point being that the top 10 bowlers are fairly close in ability to each other. A 14 run difference in batting average is huge.
Interestingly Marshall makes my side precisely because he wasn't a meme tailender unlike McGrath and being comparable in quality.
Yes Imran had a lower average, it was also highly influenced by a disproportionate record at home, which in turn was highly influenced by the shenanigans that was associated with that.
He's not nearly rated as the best, 2nd best, 3rd best or even by some, the 4th best bowler of the era and he's never listed by batsmen when asked about the best bowlers of said era.
The WI team was indeed a great team before him, but during the streak when they elevated themselves to the greatest team of all time during the all conquering era, he wasn't only the best and most impactful player, and the best bowler in the world, but when he was absent the team simply wasn't the same.
No one's calling the other bowlers mugs, but he's very arguably the best and greatest bowler of all time, he has the a combination of skill set and and all round record in all conditions unmatched by any other bowler.
So while he isn't a cheat code, no member of an AT team would be with the possible exception of Bradman and Sobers, and he's still the best of all the available options to be the spear head.
The top 10 fast bowlers very arguably aren't that close in quality. There's a clear top 3 (or 4 if including Barnes) but imho, there's a 2 man race for GOAT with Hadlee arguably joining them in the top tier. Steyn's record is no nearly as well rounded, wasn't as versatile, and could be loose at times. Ambrose and Imran were on the higher range for strike rates, according to some having "penetration issues" , Imran also wasn't nearly the same bowler away from Pakistan, and we're aware of what benefits Pakistan offered him, and lacked the versatility of a viable or consistent away swinger to assist in those away conditions. The truth is that the only country that he's been consistently great in is Pakistan, arguably England. Lillee had minimal away exposure and with the conditions that he did have, his numbers very arguably should have been better. Wasim probably had more challenges than any other pacer, but he too had a slightly skewed record in some facets, but with a strong peer rating.
For all the accomplishments and accolades of the rest, Donald, Holding, Lindwall etc, aren't of the level of a first AT team selection, and neither would Imran without his batting. So the narrative that the top 10 are so very close has just been an empty narrative that's been parroted for a while now.
As far as the 14 runs of batting goes. In such a team as I've referenced previously, it's very arguable how much that should factor into selection when you have such a lineup, to select bowlers who simply aren't the absolute best.
And finally with regards to your team, it's extremely interesting how you did advocate and vote for McGrath previously only to change your vote this very week to make this point. He wasn't a rabbit all along?
In a team where you have the absolute greatest batsmen and batting lineup of all time: Hobbs, Hutton, Bradman, Richards, Tendulkar, Sobers etc etc
1. Why are we focusing on batting so heavily for the bowlers
2. Doesn't the wicket takers, who actually win games brw, not also deserve to have the absolute best at that as well?
Why is it a one way philosophy? Since when has the importance of bowlers been diminished?
Given the chance, is Australia kicking McGrath for Imran during their run? India kicking Bumrah for Imran? No.... I would go as far as to suggest that Australia wasn't swapping Lillee either, I can definitively say the same for the Windies and Marshall as well. That's your opening bowler and most important and key member of your team, why does it value less now?
In any event, the poll here, despite your vote change, is pretty conclusive.
