Just to remind you, you said if you select Knott, picking Imran would be mandatory based on batting (!)
I did, and gave reasoning for same.
I've also said it more than once and either created a thread or just posed the question related to which combo was better. Gilly and Wasim or Knotty and Immy.
You think I hate Imran, I just think they're better options, but without Gilchrist the depth might be necessitated. Considering that the spinner is Warne, and that he's not missed much vs the great man, I think less is lost with him, let me explain.
What are the 3 main reasons I don't rate Imran the bowler as much as you do? And let's just do it, because you'll literally never drop it.
1. The vast majority of his legacy is build on his performances at home. Yes he was a great bowler and has one good series in most countries, but the consistency wasn't there. Away from home he isn't in the same tier as the other contenders.
2. He wasn't the same bowler until the ball started to reverse. He was often much more effective when he came on for his second spell and the ball was more suited for compliance with reverse. With the pitches, outfields and other modern features of the game, reverse is not longer a guarantee to occur, and definitely not as early. Without it, he's not the threat with the old ball as he otherwise would be.
3. But the main reason, and the one that make me rethink everytime I go to type in his name is, that he's the most limited of all the bowlers up for consideration. He was primarily, predominantly even, an inswing bowler. I've watched so many of his spells and clips and it's a sustained feature of his game. Against high quality batsmen I need, not prefer, but need someone who can move the ball both ways.
When I reference Wasim and why he's selected, the three reasons I put forward are best old ball bowler of all time (reverse or not), can move the ball both ways and ridiculous peer rep.
Even with regards to his secondary skill, his batting is overplayed. Everyone loves to cite that for a decade he averaged 50 with the bat (to his credit ORS has shattered this perception), but literally for the duration of his preferred bowling career, he maintained a rpi of 27. That's really handy, it's not paradigm shifting, especially compared to Gilchrist.
At the end of the day, Wasim gives me more with the ball, and even though he's not close with the bat, he too has clutch knocks and has Marshall and Warne as extremely capable 9's and 10's.
Most conditions in which we play cricket, or even the iconic grounds which are normally proposed for such at contests, outswing is the most effective means of dismissal. And because of that I do prefer Wasim or Steyn.
This isn't anti Pakistani, or even anti Imran, he's not part of what I would deem a perfect attack. Yes, there will be scenarios, probably even later today or tomorrow where I would genuinely wish I had an Imran level bat coming in at 8, but it can't be at the expense of that.
Is that so heinously unreasonable?
Now the real challenge is what happens if Bumrah makes that push and is a viable candidate. Can he and McGrath be in the same tail? That would be the interesting conversation, but for now Wasim (for me) is good enough that it isn't an issue.