Imran vs Wasim

[sunilz]

Border, Pollock, Headley

Pollock , Headley sample size too small.
Border I think is highly debatable considering the position he batted .

 

[smash84]

Imran

 

[subshakerz]

Not sure about this.

Imran's bowling career is pretty much rising to meet every challenge. His top moments are ones with big significance for Pakistan, like his 12 wickets for Pakistans first victory in Australia in 1976 and his tenfer in England to lead them to their first series victory in 1987, or his tenfer in Wi in 1988 to become the only team to win a test in that country in the 80s.

 

[Slifer]

Imran's bowling career is pretty much rising to meet every challenge. His top moments are ones with big significance for Pakistan, like his 12 wickets for Pakistans first victory in Australia in 1976 and his tenfer in England to lead them to their first series victory in 1987, or his tenfer in Wi in 1988 to become the only team to win a test in that country in the 80s.

Seriously underrated achievement imo....

 

[subshakerz]

- The best bowler during World Series Cricket
- The best bowler against and in WI during their reign
- The best bowling peak in cricket history
- Arguably the best ever series performance by a pace bowler (40 wickets against a strong Indian lineup in 82)
- One of if not the most destructive pace bowling when on song (Two 8fers and three 7fers in his career, better than any pacer when it came to monster hauls)
- All this while becoming the first great high pace bowler from the subcontinent (something almost unthinkable at the time), rebuilding his bowling action from a medium pacer to fast bowler, mastering reverse swing and establishing a pace bowling legacy that lasts till today

The above reasons are why I rate Imran so highly and why I lock him in the top five pacers ever. Wasim doesnt have any achievements to compare to the above.

 

[subshakerz]

Let's Try. You can add later.
ENG = 3 openers, Hammond
AUS = Bradman, Smith , Ponting, Steve Waugh , Chappell
WI = Sober, Lara, Viv Richard's
IND = Gavaskar, Sachin
SL = Sangakkara
SA = Kallis

Add more if I missed someone.

Can add Allan Border, Graeme Pollock and maybe Barry Richards.

 

[smash84]

Imran was an incredible bowler. Due to his captaincy, mentorship, batting, off the field antics, etc it gets forgotten how incredible he was as a bowler. Arguably the greatest peak of any bowler in history.

 

[sunilz]

Can add Allan Border, Graeme Pollock and maybe Barry Richards.

Still he would be in 20.
However if you won't consider longevity (Pollock and Barry)both Holding and Garner can be considered superior to Akram. So Akram would also struggle to make top 15.

 

[Slifer]

- The best bowler during World Series Cricket
- The best bowler against and in WI during their reign
- The best bowling peak in cricket history
- Arguably the best ever series performance by a pace bowler (40 wickets against a strong Indian lineup in 82)
- One of if not the most destructive pace bowling when on song (Two 8fers and three 7fers in his career, better than any pacer when it came to monster hauls)
- All this while becoming the first great high pace bowler from the subcontinent (something almost unthinkable at the time), rebuilding his bowling action from a medium pacer to fast bowler, mastering reverse swing and establishing a pace bowling legacy that lasts till today

The above reasons are why I rate Imran so highly and why I lock him in the top five pacers ever. Wasim doesnt have any achievements to compare to the above.

I'm curious to know your top 5. In no particular order...

 

[subshakerz]

Still he would be in 20.
However if you won't consider longevity (Pollock and Barry)both Holding and Garner can be considered superior to Akram. So Akram would also struggle to make top 15.

Akram to me is a top ten lock but even if Garner and Holding are better (they arent), he would still be in the top 15 which Dravid is not.

Akram will always be a contender for an ATG XI lineup which Dravid Is not.

 

[subshakerz]

I'm curious to know your top 5. In no particular order...

Marshall
McGrath
Hadlee
Imran/Ambrose (both are close, hard to split)

 

[sunilz]

Akram to me is a top ten lock but even if Garner and Holding are better (they arent), he would still be in the top 15 which Dravid is not.

Akram will always be a contender for an ATG XI lineup which Dravid Is not.

Top 15 in bowling = Top 25 in batting because there are 4 bowlers and 6 batsman in every team.

Akram is picked in ATXI because he is the greatest Left arm fast bowler ( variation factor ) .

And more people pick Akram in their ATXI than Imran ( Because of sobers) . That doesn't make Akram better than Imran.

 

[subshakerz]

Top 15 in bowling = Top 25 in batting because there are 4 bowlers and 6 batsman in every team.

Akram is picked in ATXI because he is the greatest Left arm fast bowler ( variation factor ) .

And more people pick Akram in their ATXI than Imran ( Because of sobers) . That doesn't make Akram better than Imran.

Imran and Akram are both in the shortlist for consideration for an ATG XI because they are recognized among the best of the best. Akram was considered by most peers as the best pacer of his time regardless of leftarmer. His name is already up with Lillee, Marshall, etc.

Nobody would seriously put Dravid in that shortlist with Viv, Tendulkar, Lara, etc. He just isnt there. He is a regular great, not an ATG.

 

[Slifer]

Imran. Imran is in the mount Rushmore of cricket (imo) along with WG, Bradman, and Sobers. Probably the greatest peak of all bowlers and very good consistent record vs all comers. Only reason more people pick Akram ahead in ATG teams is because of the supposed Left handed variety. Therefore the only competition Akram has is Davidson (RIP).

 

[Coronis]

Did a quick search and couldn't find any direct comparisons.
So who was better purely as a bowler and would be a better fit in an ATG side as first change, and are either better than Steyn?

Imran was a better pure bowler, Wasim is a better fit for my XI. Imran is comparable to Steyn, if I have to choose between the two I’d probably take Steyn.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Tests - Akram
ODIs - Akram

Without considering Barnes,
Tests
1. AKRAM
2. Marshall / Hadlee
3. Hadlee / Marshall
4. Lillee / STEYN
5. STEYN / Lillee
6.Mcgrath
7.Murali
8.Trueman
9. Warne
10. Donald
11. Ambrose
12. IMRAN

Akram > Steyn > Imran

 

[subshakerz]

Imran was a better pure bowler, Wasim is a better fit for my XI. Imran is comparable to Steyn, if I have to choose between the two I’d probably take Steyn.

Imran was more destructive, consistent and dominant than Steyn.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Akram is the greatest ever bowler, Dravid is not even top 5 batsman of his generation.

Akram is like bowling equivalent of Sobers, Dravid is batting equivalent of Shaun Pollock.

Bradman
Gavaskar
Sobers
Sachin
Lara
Viv
Hutton
Pollock
Hobbs
Headley
Hammond
Grace
Ranji
Trumper
B. Richards
Chappell
Smith
Ponting
Sanga
Waugh
Border
Miandad
Worrell
Weekes
Sutcliffe
Kallis
Barrington
Boycott
Walcott
Compton

You can easily exclude Dravid from top 30.
And he wont feature in most people's 4th AT 11. Whereas Akram is one of the most popular choice for AT 11.
In fact, Akram is the most popular AT 11 candidate from Pakistan and Dravid is 5th popular Candidate from India ( after SRT, SMG, Kapil and Sehwag )

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Did anyone ever rate Imran as the best of his time?

 

[subshakerz]

Did anyone ever rate Imran as the best of his time?

I think in 83 before his shin injury he was recognized as the best bowler in the world.

When he came back in 85, Hadlee and Marshall were already in their peaks and it would be hard to outshine them.