Makhaya Ntini

[Pratters]

How would you rate him and how does he compare according to you to the fast bowlers around? Not a bad test record but the ODI record is very impressive.

Also, break ups of his career and seeing how he has improved would get interesting.

 

[Turbinator]

He sucks compared to the Indian pace attack

 

[Loots]

I think that ever since the start of the last South African Summer, Makhaya has surpassed Shaun Pollock in terms of being our best bowler. Shaun is still a great bowler, but Makha is now our main attacking threat IMHO. Having said that, he had some pitches that really favoured his game in the Home test series against New Zealand (10fer in first test, 5/37 in the Third Test) - But I like to think that he is still improving his game, and he will have a good few years as the spearhead of this South African attack, hopefully helping to bring Steyn on as well. Assuming he stays injury free of course...

 

[shortpitched713]

Hes up there for sure, definitely top 10, maybe among the top 5 test bowlers in the world right now. Haven't seen too much of him in ODIs lately but that average really doesn't lie. I think hes still slightly underrated because of the way that he initially came into the team. Hes probably one of the hardest working fast bowlers in cricket, and of late I think he really has improved on his consistency, which used to be lacking.

 

[R_D]

A very good fast bowlers, was really impressed with his tour to Aus. He seems to have improved alot in last few years. He's excellent at home but still struggles away in alienated condition bit like Harmison really.

How do you put someone on your ignore list ?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Ntini is a fine bowler. He's never going to be a great, but he's very consistent and leads the attack well, and he can tear a side apart in helpful conditions. He's even better in ODIs, and for a bowler of fair pace he's quite accurate.

I'd rate Ntini in the same sort of group as Matthew Hoggard and Shoaib Akhtar. Certainly not in McGrath's class, but among the better bowlers in the world.

 

[C_C]

Ntini IMO is in the same bracket as the Walshes,Gillespies,etc. of the world- a fine bowler who'd have done a lot better if he had a great one beside him for most of his career.
Right now though, i'd rate him ahead of everyone but McGrath. Though McGrath is jaded currently, he is too good to be written off. But after Glenn, he is the primier bowler in the world today.
And i wouldnt be surprised if he too, like Walsh, ended up taking a heapload of wickets at a 25-26 average.

 

[Goughy]

As has been mentioned, he is now SA's premier quick bowler.
And as also mentioned previously he will never be anything more than in the very good category.

He is very fit and hardworking and deserves to have a successful career based on how much effort he has put in.

He is an interesting proposition. If you break him down, then he should not be that successful. He is quick but not express, is virtually straight up and down with the ball and lacks guile and variation.

Watching him makes you wonder how he can take wickets.

What he does have in his favour, is that he bowls from an unusual angle at the crease, can play with the confidence and freedom of the knowledge that he will never be dropped, he bowls a good bouncer and he comes hard every ball.

One reason (apart from his improvement) that he has had increased success in recent years is that it is obvious that not too many top players really respect him.

Ive never seen a bowler that batsmen take on so often. The shots guys play against Ntini are different to the norm. Guys feel confident in going after him.

 

[shortpitched713]

can play with the confidence and freedom of the knowledge that he will never be dropped

To be fair, he really hasn't done that much of late to justify being dropped anyway.

I think overall your judgement of him is a little harsh. You say that not too many batsmen respect him, and for that reason they aren't afraid to take him on and get out to him in that manner. And while that may be fine in one day cricket, I don't think it can really explain away his recent great form in test cricket. You don't get too many five-fers with batsmen just throwing away their wickets to your bowling.

 

[Pratters]

One day cricket:

His one career summary can be viewed here.

He has had an excellent last two years:

2005 (27y 179d) 21 172.1 818 36 4/46 3/29 22.72 4.75 28.6 1 0
2006 (28y 179d) 7 66.3 312 14 6/22 2/33 22.28 4.69 28.5 0 1

However, he has had a poor record over all against some of the countries:

v Australia 19 170.3 841 29 6/22 4/33 29.00 4.93 35.2 2 1
v India 13 114.5 518 17 3/36 3/37 30.47 4.51 40.5 0 0

He has a good record some others like Pakistan and England but if he does improve his figures versus Australia and India, he will be regarded much more highly as a one day bower.

Also, what is missing in his career are 5 wicket hawls. Just three in 131 matches doesn't set the world on fire.

He does have a very good record in finals and if he does improve on it, that can lead to him being regarded much more, i.e. if RSA does play more finals:

all finals 6 45 208 11 5/31 2/26 18.90 4.62 24.5 0 1

Coming to test cricket:

His career summary can be viewed here.

Last two years have again been very impressive:

2005 (27y 179d) 10 378.1 1168 47 7/37 13/132 24.85 3.08 48.2 3 1
2006 (28y 179d) 8 291.1 1030 44 6/100 10/145 23.40 3.53 39.7 4 2

We see three seven wicket hawls in his last 18 tests compared to 7 in 51 tests before that.

Ntini is still just 29.25 years old and if he can put in a good 2-4 years, we might find him being regarded much more by every one. However, for that, he has to put in match winning performances while having impressive stats.

Should be interesting what comes out of him.

 

[Goughy]

And while that may be fine in one day cricket, I don't think it can really explain away his recent great form in test cricket. You don't get too many five-fers with batsmen just throwing away their wickets to your bowling.

Ive pretty much watched every ball he has bowled in Test cricket over the last 2 years and contrary to what you state, he gets many wickets at Test level from overly aggressive shots and taking him on.

If you ever have a look at his wickets, he has got many from batsmen playing shots they would not do to many other bowlers. And yes, you can get a lot of 5fers that way.

Im not being harsh. I already stated he is SAs #1 bowlers but I am being realistic.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Ive always thought Makhaya was, still is, one of the worlds best fast bowlers. And I reckon he will be the best bowler at the ICC Champions trophy. Honest.

 

[C_C]

Ive pretty much watched every ball he has bowled in Test cricket over the last 2 years and contrary to what you state, he gets many wickets at Test level from overly aggressive shots and taking him on.

You dismiss Makhaya for this, yet in the same breath, talk up the biggest exponent of taking wickets from 'wide balls that batsmen wanted to desposit into the stands but ended up nicking', aka Botham ?
Wow.
Every bowler has taken wickets of nothing deliveries, with the batsman getting out to a delivery that should've ended up in the stands.
However, Botham was the one true exponent of it.

 

[haroon510]

ya he is the best right now in s. african bowling attack. with shoun pollak being out of form he is the head and leader of s. african bowling pace attack.

 

[Goughy]

You dismiss Makhaya for this, yet in the same breath, talk up the biggest exponent of taking wickets from 'wide balls that batsmen wanted to desposit into the stands but ended up nicking', aka Botham ?
Wow.
Every bowler has taken wickets of nothing deliveries, with the batsman getting out to a delivery that should've ended up in the stands.
However, Botham was the one true exponent of it.

Its a skill both of them had. How can I be dimissing Ntini when I happily recognise that he is the #1 SA bowler ahead of the likes of Pollock, Nel, Steyn etc.

Yes Botham had a similar skill, the only difference I would make is that Botham took a number of wickets with bad balls whereas Ntini has batsmen going after him on most things fractionally short and length balls.

Also, Botham made the ball talk. Batsmen seem to think they can line Ntini up and have a go as he is pretty much gunbarrell straight at quick fast medium.

If Ntini keeps gtting wickets in the way I have stated then it is fair play too him and something he should be proud off, as he is taking advantage of the mentality of certain batsmen.

Im just a little worried that he may find it a little more difficult in the future if guys start to play him a little more judiciously.

 

[open365]

I think that he's improved a lot over the last two years and is now defintely in the top 5 pace bowlers in the world.

When the conditions suit him, he is lethal and when they don't i think he's now more accurate so he can come away with respectable figures.

I really like the way he bowls, especialy to left handers from over the wicket.

 

[silentstriker]

I think that he's improved a lot over the last two years and is now defintely in the top 5 pace bowlers in the world.

When the conditions suit him, he is lethal and when they don't i think he's now more accurate so he can come away with respectable figures.

I really like the way he bowls, especialy to left handers from over the wicket.

Top 5?

McGrath
Lee
Flintoff
Harmy
Asif
Jones

 

[open365]

Top 5?

McGrath
Lee
Flintoff
Harmy
Asif
Jones

He's better than Lee.

 

[Beleg]

McGrath

Bond, Akhtar

Ntini
Flintoff, Asif

etc etc etc

 

[silentstriker]

McGrath

Bond, Akhtar

Ntini
Flintoff, Asif

etc etc etc

Bond is injured too often to have a rating, but my question is: You rate Ntini to be better than FLINTOFF?