Choose one : Donald, Steyn & Holding vs O'Reilly, Murali & Warne

[ataraxia]

Please live in reality.

Donald/Steyn/Holding are slicing through almost any lineup you can bring. And it's three bowlers who can rotate.

Otherwise why aren't Steyn and Donald dropping dead in their own careers?

And it's such a jump in logic to say that whenever pacers mop up spinners will do so also automatically.

There is only a few narrow scenarios where spinners are more effective. Pacers dominate.

Both these teams are "slicing through almost any lineup you can bring". And winning most of their games. Maybe the pacers do it slightly cheaper. But both sides still win almost all the games.

Cricket is won or lost in close games. Generally, games will become close if of neither of these teams skittle the opposition for sub-200 scores. The advantage in bowling quality after the 60th over of the first inning from the spinners as compared to the pacers is genuinely gargantuan. If one of the pacers gets injured and can't bowl – which is reasonably likely given how they're not used to averaging a third of their teams overs – the pacers have practically lost the game. They won't be bowling at their best, anyway.

With few exceptions, genuinely close games aren't decided on day one and two. These are the three best spinners in history – three of the best eight bowlers in history. Whatever minor balance advantage the pacers have is absolutely washed away by the difference in quality after they get tired. And start bowling spin.

 

[DrWolverine]

Both these teams are "slicing through almost any lineup you can bring".

The spinners are not going to do much in first 2 days.

 

[DrWolverine]

Even though he was fast, “White Lightening” Allan Donald was someone who could maintain bowling at 85-90mph for 8-10 overs at a stretch.

Allan Donald bowled more than 105,000 balls in his test, one day, first class and list A career in his relatively short career. That’s more balls than what traditional workhorses and slower bowlers like Stuart Broad, Kapil Dev and Shaun Pollock have bowled in their careers.

 

[Bolo.]

Are the people arguing in favour of the quicks assuming that there will be extra bowlers? If it's literally just the three bowlers, they aren't taking 20 wickets without collapsing with any kind of regularity. The spinners would have a miserable time by themselves, but the over load is at least theoretically vaguely manageable.

With some level of extra bowler, I would also go for the quicks though.

 

[reyrey]

Are the people arguing in favour of the quicks assuming that there will be extra bowlers? If it's literally just the three bowlers, they aren't taking 20 wickets without collapsing with any kind of regularity. The spinners would have a miserable time by themselves, but the over load is at least theoretically vaguely manageable.

With some level of extra bowler, I would also go for the quicks though.

No. They think they can adequately rest and rotate 3 90mph plus fast bowlers, and blow batting line ups away twice without the bowlers losing venom or suffering any physical issues

 

[subshakerz]

No. They think they can adequately rest and rotate 3 90mph plus fast bowlers, and blow batting line ups away twice without the bowlers losing venom or suffering any physical issues

Yeah because it's not mentioned which is the opposition so I assumed mid tier sides.

 

[subshakerz]

Even though he was fast, “White Lightening” Allan Donald was someone who could maintain bowling at 85-90mph for 8-10 overs at a stretch.

Allan Donald bowled more than 105,000 balls in his test, one day, first class and list A career in his relatively short career. That’s more balls than what traditional workhorses and slower bowlers like Stuart Broad, Kapil Dev and Shaun Pollock have bowled in their careers.

On second thought, I have switched my vote to the spinners.

Mainly because with three bowlers, there is no effective way to rotate the bowlers. So inevitably you will have one bowler taking an overload.

Any time the inning goes over 60/70 overs the attack is in trouble. Either they will be forced to bowl half pace or get injured.

If they even had a part timer who could bowl 2-3 rest overs, I would chose them.

 

[Coronis]

fun stat: Warne is closer to the fast bowlers in overs per match than he is to Tiger.

 

[Sliferxxxx]

The ATG West Indies sides had 4 great pacers and even they were regularly neutralised (drawn tests)

Malcolm Marshall generally bowled with other elite placers. He played in 81 Tests and won only 43.

Now imagine they had only 3 pacers and no part time bowling support.

I have gone through multiple times why there were more draws during 80s. But I'll give you two examples. First two tests Australia in WI 1985, both rain affected and time not made up. Would've been wi wins had they been.

Replace the 4 wi pacemen from the 80s with 4 spinners lol lol, they'd have definitely lost a lot more. And I can't help but notice the comparison is between essentially the 3 best spinners ever. Why not compare them to their pace equivalent: Marshall, McGrath, Hadlee/Steyn.

 

[DrWolverine]

Why not compare them to their pace equivalent: Marshall, McGrath, Hadlee/Steyn.

I want the spinners to get at least one vote

 

[Sliferxxxx]

I want the spinners to get at least one vote

Ok.

 

[shortpitched713]

They are the only ones who could bowl in team

Why? And how do we accomplish this? We kidnap the families of all the part timers in the team?

So no one's giving the quick trio a break, or taking the frsh new ball for the spin trio until it softens up a bit? Seems a bit in the silly hypothetical realm.