Dale Steyn fastest to 400 Test wickets

[div]

For a SA batsman' date=' it is technically more challenging compared to SC batsmen (but many SC wickets also demand technical excellence against spin so this aspect is neutralized). But pace bowling is physically lot more demanding on both lifeless surfaces as well as dust bowls - if you keep playing on these wickets you are going to lose all interest for pace bowling. So comparison with batsmen is somewhat out of place.[/quote'] My point is ,playing pace is tougher, even among Indian bowlers,I think Zaheer has better strike rate than Bhajji.So SA batsmen who play more matches in SA>Indian batsmen who play more on spinner friendly pitches..

[Marut]

That just shows that those bowlers should be rated higher because their home was in the subcontinent. Playing 11 matches in the subcontinent (excluding Bangladesh) requires a lot less effort then playing over half your matches in the subcontinent (which is what happens if your home is in the SC). Lillee played 4 matches in the subcontinent so you can not judge him from those records. Ambrose averages 22.5 in the subcontinent over 5 matches.

Yes, pace bowlers outside Asia typically take only 10-20% of their wickets on the slow and low wickets of Asia. It is relatively easier to play an average of two tests an year on these surfaces compared to playing fulltime year after year. Steyn has played 11 tests in Asia in nine years - average of 1.2 tests/year. Srinath averages about the same as McGrath in Asian conditions - playing in the SC is that hard for a pacer. Unless any pacer outside Asia has taken 100 wickets in Asia I find it difficult to rate the performance as such, because of the low sample size. Playing here once in a while is no where physically demanding compared to playing here all the time. Asian pacers are considerably underrated, they have done a lot more than what their stats suggest.

[Scarves]

Yes, pace bowlers outside Asia typically take only 10-20% of their wickets on the slow and low wickets of Asia. It is relatively easier to play an average of two tests an year on these surfaces compared to playing fulltime year after year. Steyn has played 11 tests in Asia in nine years - average of 1.2 tests/year. Srinath averages about the same as McGrath in Asian conditions - playing in the SC is that hard for a pacer. Unless any pacer outside Asia has taken 100 wickets in Asia I find it difficult to rate the performance as such, because of the low sample size. Playing here once in a while is no where physically demanding compared to playing here all the time. Asian pacers are considerably underrated, they have done a lot more than what their stats suggest.

Wait Srinath averages 23 in Asia?

[Marut]

My point is ' date='playing pace is tougher, even among Indian bowlers,I think Zaheer has better strike rate than Bhajji.[b']So SA batsmen who play more matches in SA>Indian batsmen who play more on spinner friendly pitches..

That is partly true, it is reasonable to attribute more worth to the runs made by SA batsmen in their home conditions. But the situation still does not compare with bowlers.

[HippoSucks]

Wait Srinath averages 23 in Asia?

He averages 26 in Asia.

[Scarves]

He averages 26 in Asia.

That's still pretty damn solid.

[Marut]

Wait Srinath averages 23 in Asia?

Srinath averages 26.43 and McGrath 25.54 in the SC. And Srinath played twice as many games. Srinath has better strike than McGrath (60 vs 55) in the SC. McGrath has one five wicket haul in the SC compared to Srinath's six.

[Scarves]

Srinath averages 26.43 and McGrath 25.54 in the SC. And Srinath played twice as many games. Srinath has better strike than McGrath (60 vs 55) in the SC. McGrath has one five wicket haul in the SC compared to Srinath's six.

Actually Cricinfo says McGrath's average is 23.02. Also the better the strike rate, the lower the number is. McGrath takes a wicket every 55 balls.