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Imran Khan vs Richard Hadlee

The better cricketer

  • Imran Khan

    Votes: 37 74.0%
  • Richard Hadlee

    Votes: 13 26.0%

  • Total voters
    50

Fuller Pilch

Hall of Fame Member
Hadlee was a better bowler and much better fielder, but Imran's batting and captaincy win the day. I voted for Imran.

However, I'd pick Hadlee in a World XI ahead of Imran as Imran's superior batting is less valuable (due to Gilchrist's runs at 7) than Hadlee's more incisive bowling. I'd only want absolute elite bowlers in my attack (apart from Sobers as 5th bowler) so Hadlee for World XI. Also with Bradman as captain, Imran's captaincy wouldn't be needed.
 
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subshakerz

International Coach
Never understood the logic of “not even close” or “no contest” when comparing two very fine players..
Yeah its hyperbole, especially in this case. Imran is a better cricketer, but Hadlee is a tick better as a bowler so the difference can't be much between them unless we factor in captaincy then it's a clear difference.
 

Chrish

International Debutant
Guy like Shane warne consistently gets rated as a top 5 cricketer in those list.

you don’t need to be an elite all rounder to be considered top player. Excelling into one discipline sometimes suffices..
 

Bahnz

Hall of Fame Member
I'd probably take late career Hadlee over late career Imran. But talking about the two of them at their respective peaks (both around 1980-86) and it's Imran all the way, as great as Paddles was. During that period Imran took 184 wickets at 15.9 and scored over a thousand runs at 37. Don't think there's ever been a bowling allrounder like him, not even peak-Botham.
 

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