Ponting was averaging 46 by end of 2000, yeh his 2001 put him down and his 2002 took him back up. You're splitting hairs but you're not really establishing anything.
Whilst Waqar hit the ground running, that is generally not the norm. So people, when ranking cricketers, generally don't penalise players for not being all-time class from the get-go. Ponting's average in his initial period is not his trough - as Waqar's is in his down-period - but an adjustment phase and a very good one.
Ponting had a very good average for that period, especially considering the era of bowlers and the stage of his career. Waqar in his weak period is already established but has lost stature due to injury and form. This contextual fact makes all the difference.
I'm not splitting hairs. He had a tough time in 2001 and that sure as hell is not a part of his peak period. He faced some good bowling/tough conditions in that year and didn't do all that well.
From what I saw of him in that period, I'd say he was just good , not excellent. Flashes of brilliance , but that's about it.
That's kind of the point; Waqar hit his stride and burned out not far into his career. If we consider Ponting burned out, then it started after him already having a 100+ Test career.
To reiterate, if Waqar had retired by his burn out time, where he still had impressive ratios, how many people do you think would have considered him the greatest bowler of all time? His stature had already diminished by then.
This is where you are missing my point. Waqar didn't have a big dip all of a sudden after his peak. he was still pretty good for some time and afterwards had a big dip.
His peak was from 90-94.
Was affected by injuries in 95 and had a bad year.
Then from 96-98 , he was still pretty good .....
Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPN Cricinfo
17 matches, 75 wickets, avg of 24, S/R 44.8
A dip from his former standards, but still very good figures.
It was only since 99, that he really declined.
Contrast with Ponting, if he had retired at his burn-out, where he still had great figures, he'd still have had a full ATG career and would have retired as the best batsmen of the world at the time.
Not sure it gets any simpler than that, really. To use an example you might not desire to be compared to Waqar, consider Tendulkar. Had he retired at the start of 07 he'd have had great overall ratios, had already had a ATG career, and you wouldn't be comparing him to Waqar because even if he had a trough towards the end of his career his class had already been established.
^^
Again, see my point above ... for this ....
Waqar from 96-98 was still good . So if he had retired in 98, he'd still be an ATG. The main difference b/w him and Ponting would the no of tests, which of course matters. But that is due to the difference in no of tests their respective sides played and also the fact that Waqar being a fast bowler was more prone to injury ....
Again, reiterating, I'm not saying they are similar in many ways.
But one similarity is the big difference in their peak & non-peak periods - not just because their peak periods were that good, but also that their non-peaks were quite a bit lesser than the other ATGs ...
