Which is harder?

[Sir Alex]

Well, then Sultan Zarawani had better take his bat and go home. He's obviously playing the wrong game. When we're talking of a sport that has had at its highest level, for the majority of its history, batsmen batting without adequate protection, then a comparison of skills involved in negotiating the variety of bowling on offer takes precedence over the probability of getting hurt. When Ponting walks out to bat, he's thinking about where his runs are going to come from, not about which hospital he'd prefer gaining admission into.

Ponting will say playing spin in India is difficult than playing Donald in South Africa.Tendulkar will say playing McGrath in Australia is difficult than playing Warne on a dustbowl in India. It is all down to individual perceptions.

 

[G.I.Joe]

TBF to Goughy and aussie, they're blurring the distinction between 'harder' and 'riskier' without even realizing it. When it comes to the riskier-safer divide, its a no brainer. Pace is almost always more risky to face than spin. However we're not talking risky-safe here, we're talking of the harder-easier divide. That is a totally different question. Its possible to hold valid opinions in favour of either pace or spin in response to the latter, but "ball hits man in groin" is not a valid argument as an answer in that case, at the top level.

 

[Sir Alex]

TBF to Goughy and aussie, they're blurring the distinction between 'harder' and 'riskier' without even realizing it. When it comes to the riskier-safer divide, its a no brainer. Pace is almost always more risky to face than spin. However we're not talking risky-safe here, we're talking of the harder-easier divide. That is a totally different question. Its possible to hold valid opinions in favour of either pace or spin in response to the latter, but "ball hits man in groin" is not a valid argument as an answer in that case, at the top level.

Good though GIJOE. It is like asking who is harder to face McGrath or Patterson. Patterson is certainly riskier and has a higher chance of landing one in a hospital bed than McGrath but McGrath is certainly harder to face than Patterson.

 

[G.I.Joe]

Good though GIJOE. It is like asking who is harder to face McGrath or Patterson. Patterson is certainly riskier and has a higher chance of landing one in a hospital bed than McGrath but McGrath is certainly harder to face than Patterson.

130kph is quick too tbh But yeah, discounting for individual preferences and ability, that's pretty much true.

 

[Richard]

Well no, not really, because then you aren't actually equally good at both, are you?

As I say, it's really not possible to be equally good at both, because there's no quantification for what constitutes "good against spin\seam".

 

[Richard]

The same probably applies for Saffies or Aussies and quick bowling or Poms and swing.

Swing is a part of "quick bowling". The quicker you bowl a delivery, the more effective any swing is likely to be.

You seem to be implying that swing and "quick bowling" are two different things, as seam and spin are.

 

[Richard]

You need more power and stamina against spin. You can't keep using the bowlers pace like you can against the pacers. There's no cheat code.

If you're a skilled late-cutter\glancer you can use the pace to get plenty of runs against both seam and spin. 50 mph may be nothing compared to 80 mph but they're both easily quick enough to deflect the ball to the boundary unless it's a hell of a long one (in which case you'll probably get three anyway).

Your point about requiring more stamina may have some merit as if you face spin all day you're likely to receive more deliveries than if you face seam all day, but I don't see that the pace-on-the-ball argument has anything much going for it. Some batsmen need to use the pace on the ball and play behind the wicket because they don't have much natural power; some have plenty of power and thus play in front of the wicket more often.

 

[Matt79]

Swing is a part of "quick bowling". The quicker you bowl a delivery, the more effective any swing is likely to be.

You seem to be implying that swing and "quick bowling" are two different things, as seam and spin are.

I spoke casually.

 

[Richard]

I see.

 

[Matt79]

Excellent.

 

[Shri]