Who is the greatest ODI bowler of all time?

[stephen]

PFK with his usual rational posting I see. McGrath only in an "alternate" attack. And there are 4 Indians of course.

 

[Jack1]

Wrong thread. McGrath seemed an idea to me before I thought about stats. I will have to go into them in greater detail later

 

[trundler]

PFK with his usual rational posting I see. McGrath only in an "alternate" attack. And there are 4 Indians of course.

Could be worse. Could've had Symonds as the fifth bowling option.

 

[stephen]

Wrong thread. McGrath seemed an idea to me before I thought about stats. I will have to go into them in greater detail later

Is 71 wickets at an average of 18 and an economy under 4 and three titles across three world cups plus a man of the series award not enough?

Or perhaps his 381 wickets at an average of 22 (better than anyone who has more wickets than him) and an economy of 3.88 isn't enough either?

 

[TheJediBrah]

McGrath would be my first choice bowler in all formats tbh

 

[Naheed]

McGrath would be my first choice bowler in all formats tbh

McGrath could consistently bowl in the good length area creating that
corridor of uncertainty for the best of batsmen. He excelled across all
the conditions at the global level.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

PFK with his usual rational posting I see. McGrath only in an "alternate" attack. And there are 4 Indians of course.

Anything Wrong there?

Sachin - greatest opener
Lara - arguably 2nd greatest opener and an ATG number 3
Viv - Greatest middle order batsman
Kohli - alltime top 4 batsman easily
ABdV - only batsman to combine High avg + Exceptional SR + reasonable longevity after Viv and Sachin
Dhoni - Greatest WK Batsman
Kapil - Greatest All rounder
Hadlee - No ATG bowler batted better bar Pollock.
Akram - Greatest ODI cricketer
Saqlain - Greatest ODI spinner
Garner - 2nd greatest ODI bowler after Akram

Actually, i had to make two tough decisions to select this team, 1st one Pollock or Hadlee ? Statistically its Pollock (mainly number of matches). But I believe Hadlee is better in both bowling and batting only that he played in a wrong time period.
2nd one Garner or McGrath ?
I can select only one... ARGHHH.. Ok its Garner for today.. In my Mind Mcgrath is 999.99 and Garner is 1000.. Micro difference.. Besides i already have Hadlee with similar style.

I believe, normally people wont complain the selection of Sachin, Dhoni and Kohli.. All three features regularly in people's alltime 11s. So it is Kapil you are not ok with.
I think of Kapil as a combination of Pollock Bowling and Klusner batting. Close to ATG bowling + Match winning batsman. Kapil is the only option available.

This is my team and i am confident No one can make a better team, without adding Sobers/ Bradman/ Procter/ Miller.

 

[Himannv]

I see lots of conflicting opinions on Garner vs McGrath. Interesting comparison in ODIs I think. I find it hard to think anyone was better than McGrath - I mean I'm willing to place only Akram higher and that's because of variety and not accuracy.

 

[karan_fromthestands]

I see lots of conflicting opinions on Garner vs McGrath. Interesting comparison in ODIs I think. I find it hard to think anyone was better than McGrath - I mean I'm willing to place only Akram higher and that's because of variety and not accuracy.

Are you looking only at pace bowlers? What do you think of Murali?

Also, Garner looked far more difficult than McGrath IMO.

 

[Himannv]

Are you looking only at pace bowlers? What do you think of Murali?

Also, Garner looked far more difficult than McGrath IMO.

Yeah, only pace bowlers and basically ones who play similar sort of roles.

 

[Migara]

I see lots of conflicting opinions on Garner vs McGrath. Interesting comparison in ODIs I think. I find it hard to think anyone was better than McGrath - I mean I'm willing to place only Akram higher and that's because of variety and not accuracy.

Both are same in every way, height, pace, accuracy and modus operandi. McGrath had the chance to bowl at a better subset of batsmen than Garner. On the other hand, McGrath in his latter stages of the career had the chance to use the bouncer. Very difficult to separate the two, so I;s do for the one with longer career.

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Both are same in every way, height, pace, accuracy and modus operandi. McGrath had the chance to bowl at a better subset of batsmen than Garner. On the other hand, McGrath in his latter stages of the career had the chance to use the bouncer. Very difficult to separate the two, so I;s do for the one with longer career.

Is there any chance Hadlee to be a better (not greater ) ODI bowler than McGrath?

 

[stephen]

Tendulkar
Gilchrist+
Richards
Kohli
De Villiers
Bevan
Klusener
Warne
Wasim
Garner
McGrath

Toss up between Klusener and Kapil but Klusener was the better batsman and not much worse as a bowler. Warne's big game presence and X factor gets him a gig over Saqlain who was perhaps a bit more consistent.

I was very close to picking Ponting over Kohli, who has done nothing to dispel the perceptions of being a bottler, but that average is too high.

Lara doesn't deserve a spot in the first XI in an ODI team, despite being a gun.

Bevan a better finisher than anyone else in a more difficult time to bat.

Garner, McGrath and Wasim are all locks and anyone who leaves them out are kidding themselves. You don't pick a Mustang over a Ferrari.

 

[Jumno]

Sehwag
Tendulkar
Viv Richards
ABDV
Bevan
Buttler
Imran Khan/Kapil Dev/Pollock
Wasim
Warne/Murali
Donald
McGrath

Bowler I'd say either Donald or Wasim

 

[Jumno]

Warner
Roy
ABDV
Kohli
Stokes/Taylor
Buttler
Neesham
Starc
Cummins
Zampa
Boult

 

[TheJediBrah]

Don't know how Warne makes an ATG team. Even just for Australia Hogg was a better ODI player.

 

[stephen]

Don't know how Warne makes an ATG team. Even just for Australia Hogg was a better ODI player.

He really wasn't. He was Haddin to Gilchrist a good enough player that you didn't miss the original but not as good.

 

[TheJediBrah]

He really wasn't. He was Haddin to Gilchrist a good enough player that you didn't miss the original but not as good.

false

 

[ankitj]

Each of Garner, McGrath, Akram and Muralitharan have a claim to be considered greatest ODI bowler. These 4 are a cut above the rest IMO.

EDIT: Hadlee is pretty close too.

 

[ankitj]

Here is something I had done to rank the ODI bowlers.