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The balls of the century

Arachnodouche

International Captain
I'm so happy to see Shoaib being remembered for the right reasons these days. What a phenom.
Yeah, he was a spectacle, especially during those first three years (though the Colombo spell is still a favorite). The thing that catches my eye when I look at his bowling now is just how precariously poised his body must've been when he flung himself into and through the crease. All fast bowling beats the heck out of the body at the point of delivery, but Akhtar was practically taking flight at the end of his run-up like a high jumper. The explosive power generated and the stresses on his body must have been immense.
 

Migara

Cricketer Of The Year
Yeah, he was a spectacle, especially during those first three years (though the Colombo spell is still a favorite). The thing that catches my eye when I look at his bowling now is just how precariously poised his body must've been when he flung himself into and through the crease. All fast bowling beats the heck out of the body at the point of delivery, but Akhtar was practically taking flight at the end of his run-up like a high jumper. The explosive power generated and the stresses on his body must have been immense.
He must have been a bio mechanical freak. Even after his retirement, in friendly matches he was touching 90mph, when none of the Pakistani test bowlers managed it at the time.

Hope that balls that don't go off the rough, cracks or horrific bounce gets the accolades eventually.
 

Kirkut

International Regular
Yeah, he was a spectacle, especially during those first three years (though the Colombo spell is still a favorite). The thing that catches my eye when I look at his bowling now is just how precariously poised his body must've been when he flung himself into and through the crease. All fast bowling beats the heck out of the body at the point of delivery, but Akhtar was practically taking flight at the end of his run-up like a high jumper. The explosive power generated and the stresses on his body must have been immense.
He's had a knee surgery recently, this after retiring in 2011. Very lively persona but can make cringe youtube content sometimes.
 

Aaron510

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Speaking of the ball of century!!!

why this doesn’t get the same accolades as the Shane warne one???

 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
Speaking of the ball of century!!!

why this doesn’t get the same accolades as the Shane warne one???

Not as impressive as Warne IMO because of the angles involved. Here Flower has full view of the ball's trajectory, but the one to Gatting drifted across to the relative periphery of his vision and then spun across again.
 

Aaron510

School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Not as impressive as Warne IMO because of the angles involved. Here Flower has full view of the ball's trajectory, but the one to Gatting drifted across to the relative periphery of his vision and then spun across again.
I was really referring to the Strauss one mate!!!


My personal take is that Warne has been gassed up as this great bowler.. when I personally would pick Murali, kumble and hell even saqalin (only in odi) over him.
 

Nintendo

Cricketer Of The Year
I was really referring to the Strauss one mate!!!


My personal take is that Warne has been gassed up as this great bowler.. when I personally would pick Murali, kumble and hell even saqalin (only in odi) over him.
Kumble over warne is nearly as bad as the "shoehorn symonds into an odi atg side at 7" philosophy.
 

Arachnodouche

International Captain
I was really referring to the Strauss one mate!!!


My personal take is that Warne has been gassed up as this great bowler.. when I personally would pick Murali, kumble and hell even saqalin (only in odi) over him.
Why is the Mushtaq ball better than the one to Strauss? Both are bowled to left-handers from round the wicket and spinning out of the rough; if anything Warne's ball is fuller and wider and has to be spinning at virtually right angles (therefore more sharply) to clip the leg stump.
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
While many similarities between Warne's and Mushtaq's balls, there are some differences :
- Warne's ball turns more acutely than Mushtaq's
- Warne's ball has Strauss not offering a stroke, Flower does offer a stroke but misses
- Warne's ball hits about middle of middle and leg stump (comprehensively castled), Mushtaq's clips top of leg stump
 

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