Lillee vs Ambrose

[Slifer]

Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop were each taking wickets for fun.

Was this partially because the pitches were more sporting than your average Pakistan tracks? Or was it simply because they were great bowlers? I would probably need to watch more footage of this series before making assumptions one way or the other.

In one of Lillee's three tests in Pakistan though, the match score was something like 1000-12! It would be an astounding effort for 4 pace bowlers to be making hay on a pitch like that.

Because they were/are all greater bowlers almost at the peak of their craft. Regardless of wickets, they're going to keep the runs down, especially if they're bowling in tandem.

Regarding the lillee 3 tests in Pakistan, the wickets very well may have been flat but WI played three series after that in Pakistan and Pakistan never passed 400 in any test (10 tests in all). I'm not convinced Pakistan prepared more bowler friendly wickets for the much better wi bowling. Wi bowling just adapted well.

Ambrose's howler in 1997 was due to Pakistan just getting the better of him nothing more nothing less. Ambrose was ineffective. It happens.

 

[BazBall21]

Because they were/are all greater bowlers almost at the peak of their craft. Regardless of wickets, they're going to keep the runs down, especially if they're bowling in tandem.

Yeah but they did more than kept the runs down. They were running through. But it might be just down to bowling quality.

 

[Slifer]

Yeah but they did more than kept the runs down. They were running through. But it might be just down to bowling quality.

Yeah but remember in 86, Pakistan bundled out WI for 53 in the 1st test and in the very next test, WI defeated Pakistan by an innings even after only scoring 200 odd. As a matter of fact, but for fog (if I recall correctly) that 2nd test would have been done in 2 days. My point? '86 was more of a run through by both teams than anything else.

 

[subshakerz]

Here's a question I have to ask. If Ambrose played on bowler friendly wickets in 1990, it's fair to say that the Pakistan bowlers also played on those wickets? Yes. Is it also fair to assume that Pakistan has and will produced bowler friendly wickets at home from time to time or was it only that 1990 series???

It doesn't matter much what sort of pitches were there in 1990 because Ambrose was hammered historically in the next series and ended up overall with middling figures in Pakistan. But I agree we shouldn't try to discredit his 1990 performances too much unless we know the pitches for a fact.