Glenn Mcgrath vs Wasim Akram

[satyam1729]

Mcgrath has a better average, better bowling strike rate, high percentage of his wickets were of top order, dismissed most number of player on ducks, played on flatter wickets(2000 decade). Is there even a comparison?

[EnterTheVoid]

Akram also chickened out the '96 WC QF :marchmellow:

[satyam1729]

Akram also chickened out the '96 WC QF :marchmellow:

Not to mention in test series against OZ in 2002.

[Jadoo]

No comparison, Mcgrath pwns Akram Chakram.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

McGrath on any given day. I don't look at talent, I look at results. McGrath became great after about 1 or 2 years after his debut, and remained great until he bowled the last ball in International cricket. I'm a big fan of Akram, have always been. But it's laughable to hear some fans give excuses on how Akram was unlucky to have poor fielders around him or he didn't enjoy the same infrastructure that McGrath did. Let me tell you that Richard Hadlee got no support what-so-ever by any other bowler in his career, and in the batting department Martin Crowe was the only one whom he could share some burden with. Did it stop him from achieving extra ordinary results? Interestingly, he achieved better results than Imran Khan did with the ball. This despite the fact that Imran Khan got far better support from his players than Hadlee did from his players. Not that Akram wasn't great, he obviously was. I'd even say he was more talented than McGrath, much more. But McGrath achieved much better results and will feature much ahead of Akram in a list of All Time Great Cricketers, just like he featured way ahead of Akram in the recently (2009) compiled list by CMJ on his Top 100 Greatest Cricketers.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

No comparison' date=' Mcgrath pwns Akram Chakram.[/quote'] Let's not call names. We wouldn't like it if Pakistani posters called our players names in any of their forums.

[satyam1729]

No comparison' date=' Mcgrath pwns Akram Chakram.[/quote'] No name calling.

[Sachinism]

Bublu you can't ignore things like fielding because they do make a difference. If Pakistan could catch they may have even won a test in Aus recently. On to the question posed by OP. I used to be a big fan of Wasim, as I'm a left-arm swing bowler myself, but watching McGrath was even more special, there were so many spells he went through when you could just feel a wicket was about to fall and it usually did. He had immaculate control.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

No name calling.

Exactly. If we can't respect players who are considered heroes in other countries, we don't have the right to expect their fans to respect our heroes either.

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Bublu you can't ignore things like fielding because they do make a difference. If Pakistan could catch they may have even won a test in Aus recently. On to the question posed by OP. I used to be a big fan of Wasim, as I'm a left-arm swing bowler myself, but watching McGrath was even more special, there were so many spells he went through when you could just feel a wicket was about to fall and it usually did. He had immaculate control.

Of course fielding makes a difference. But that would hold true for a bowler from Bangladesh. Was Pakistan such a poor fielding unit till 2003, like it's now? It might not have been as good as Australia or South Africa but it surely was good. Not pathetic by any means.

[satyam1729]

Of course fielding makes a difference. But that would hold true for a bowler from Bangladesh. Was Pakistan such a poor fielding unit till 2003' date=' like it's now? It might not have been as good as Australia or South Africa but it surely was good. Not pathetic by any means.[/quote'] Not to forget home -umpiring and ball-tampering.

[Lord]

if i have to pick some one-McGrath if i have to pay to watch one-Akram

[satyam1729]

if i have to pick some one-McGrath if i have to pay to watch one-Akram

Who is the better bowler?

[Lord]

Who is the better bowler?

McGrath,but Akram had flashes of brilliance that no one could match.

[satyam1729]

McGrath' date='but Akram had flashes of brilliance that no one could match.[/quote'] Brilliance against tail-enders

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Not to forget home -umpiring and ball-tampering.

Home umpiring benefits basically ended around 1990. And usually it was Miandad, being a batsman, who profited from it the most. He would have never averaged more than 50 if games were played fair and center in Pakistan during those days. He averages 45 away from home and a phenomenal 60 at home. Looking at those figures alone you can say that he would have ended with an average much below 50 if only neutral umpires were implemented during that time. Yes, ball tampering does put a bad spot on your career, specially when you are a bowler. Can a Pakistani fan refute the claim if someone tells them to their face that Akram got a lot of undeserving wickets by tampering with the ball? Nope, he won't be able to refute it because facts are against him. That's why I firmly believe that bowlers should never under any circumstances try tampering with the ball, simply because it takes away a lot of credit from them, that too unfairly.

[Lord]

Brilliance against tail-enders

McGrath's 8-24 was also against tailenders:winky:

[Bublu Bhuyan]

Brilliance against tail-enders

Now, please. Let's not be hypocrites. Only a hypocrite will deny Akram's greatness. The debate is about who's better between the two.

[satyam1729]

McGrath's 8-24 was also against tailenders:winky:

Have you seen how many times Mcgrath dismissed Sachin, Lara, Sehwag, Dravid ?:winky:

[satyam1729]

Now' date=' please. Let's not be hypocrites. Only a hypocrite will deny Akram's greatness. The debate is about who's better between the two.[/quote'] I don't want to be hypocrite. But Akram never proved himself against mighty Aussies of 2000. He averaged 55 in 1999 tour,averaged 45 in OZ tour of Pak.