Almost forgot, my favorite cricketing story involves one of those 4. It is said that during the test match between England and the West Indies at the Oval in 1976, Brian Johnson (best cricket commentator ever) uttered the immortal line when England batsman Peter Willey was facing Michael Holding "the bowlers Holding the batsman's Willey." Could be urban legend, but Henry Blofeld, Johnson's co-commentator always swore it was true.
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- Thread starter EdWeatherall
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Came to say the same about McGrath. 560 odd at just over 21 is staggering.
As a trio, Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood is the best I’ve seen. Individually, McGrath could lay claim to being the greatest pace bowler of all time.
As a trio, Starc, Cummins and Hazlewood is the best I’ve seen. Individually, McGrath could lay claim to being the greatest pace bowler of all time.
There's no way mcgrath Gillespie and Lee only played 22 tests together? I can't believe it. They've played 22 against England themselves in my mind.
This, maybe some younger sub 30 year old posters who didn't see him much but he was phenomenal
McGrath was great, but my personal favorite Australian bowler (favorite might be the wrong word to describe an Aussie) was one DK Lillee. Richie Benaud had him in his all time test team in 2004. Like Andy Roberts, he was a nasty bastard, but just like when I was describing Andy, it's a compliment not a criticism. You always knew you were going to get 100% with Dennis and at times he definitely crossed the line about what was acceptable and what was not. Even so, you still had to admire him. Definitely, the ultimate competitor.
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I remember the first day of the 2005 Ashes, I was so excited, saw England had knocked them over cheap and ran back from school to watch the last session to watch McGrath completely destroy the England top order using the Lords’ slope. England don’t win that series if he doesn’t tweak his ankle on that ball at Edgbaston.
Have a very similar memory myself.
Mcgrath is the greatest seam bowler I've ever seen, Cummins is class but would barely have him close.
Mcgrath in England was unplayable with a ridiculous aura. Cummins has been 'very good'.
Warne and McGrath. Complete cheat code. We may never see the likes again.
The thing with McGrath is that it's so difficult to leave him.
4th wicket line, top of off stump length. 6/6 deliveries.
Can't play forward to him. Can't leave him. You just have to have impeccable defensive technique and nurdle your way with 1s and 2s.
Never seen a bowler like him before, not seen a bowler like him since.
4th wicket line, top of off stump length. 6/6 deliveries.
Can't play forward to him. Can't leave him. You just have to have impeccable defensive technique and nurdle your way with 1s and 2s.
Never seen a bowler like him before, not seen a bowler like him since.
When I first started watching cricket in 1999 I wanted to bowl rockets like Shoaib Akhtar but then I saw Ambrose/Walsh in 2000, followed by McGrath in 2001 and I thought bowling fast was a waste of time, top of off with lateral movement either way all day baby. Fast bowling will always be about skill more than anything else, pace only works if the skill is there.
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Exactly. Australia had absolute pace merchants in Lee and Tait at the time but they all played second fiddle to McGrath.
I'll never rate Shoaib Akhtar highly because his actually ability got diminished by the fact that he was a wanker of the highest order.
Akram was the goat seamer for me with McGrath close second.
How so? McGrath is statistically better in ODI's and Test's. Lower Economy, Lower Average, Lower Strike Rate.
Wasim Akram has a blemish on his record - which is his ability to bowl is diminished on pitches which don't degrade the ball therefore not allowing for reverse swing.
He was fantastic in the subcontinent, in Australia where the ball degraded and in NZ where the pitches are all greentops.
But in England and South Africa, where after the new ball is degraded, there's no reverse, he struggled. He averaged 30 in both England and South Africa. This is reflective across both tests and ODIs.
McGrath had no obvious shortcoming in this regard.
The top 3 for me are McGrath, Steyn and Marshall.
I think I'll take Steyn personally - played in the least bowler friendly era and towards the tail end of the peaks of some of the all time great batsmen.
The same way Viv Richards & Tendulkar's records stand head and shoulders above other batsmen in the 80/90s - his record stands out in his era.
I think I'll take Steyn personally - played in the least bowler friendly era and towards the tail end of the peaks of some of the all time great batsmen.
The same way Viv Richards & Tendulkar's records stand head and shoulders above other batsmen in the 80/90s - his record stands out in his era.
Though it's correct that Steyn played in the least bowler friendly era, it has to be said Steyn's home was where the most perpetual greentops were during this period.
I don't mean this rudely but are you South African? Loved Steyn, top player and the stats are fantastic.
But I never once watched him at any point and thought wow this guy is top 3 ever.
the only time I've thought that was when he was ripping through Mohammed Hafeez for the 4th time in a series
Also keep in mind that Steyn missed something in his Arsenal which was the lack of an inswinger.
I know some people will laugh at this and that's fine - but id only just have Steyn above a Stuart Broad (well aware his stats hammer him).
A bowler of lethal spells.
Been watching cricket religiously since the mid 90s. I don’t even think it is a debate personally, Glenn McGrath is by far the best. Don’t think the current set of bowlers even come close. Akram the greatest left arm pacer and Warne the greatest spinner (and bowler in general).
Still remember absolutely buzzing when news broke that McGrath had stood on that ball and fecked his ankle up at Edgbaston
He was so fecking good.
He was so fecking good.
Just as a matter of interest. Are all you guys too young to have seen Dennis Lillee or do you just not rate him? Like I said earlier, Richie Benaud, who I definitely thought knew something about the game had him in his all time test 11 back in 2004. I know McGrath was still going at that point but he was certainly towards the tail end of his career yet Benaud chose Lillee over him.
Yeah can't comment mate. I'm 33. Ambrose, Walsh, Akram, McGrath, Warne were the stars of my childhood.
Donald and Vaas worthy of a mention to.
IMLTHO, the three best bowlers from my youth were Marshall, Lillee and Garner. As I've said previously, I think it's really difficult to compare eras (well it is for me anyway). As far as present day is concerned, for me it's Bumrah and then the rest. I'd have Cummings, Starc, Hazelwood and Rabada as my second tier.
34 so same era. Be interesting in our all time lineups
I actually started watching test cricket very late in 2008, and similar age
Cook, Hayden, Ponting, Sachin, Steve Smith, de Villiers, Stokes/Jadeja, Warne/Murali, Steyn, McGrath, Bumrah
Bench: Kallis, Lara, Akram, Lyon or Swann
Haven't digested this fully but kallis is far far better than stokes. He could and maybe even should get into the team as a batter himself.
He is but I can’t put him in at 7.
he has to be between 3-5 and I rate ponting, Sachin and smith as superior batters.
Cook
Hayden
Lara - sorry Sachin
Ponting (c)
Smith
Sangakara (wk) - sorry Gilly
Kallis - sorry Imran
Akram
McGrath
Murali
Warne
rest of the squad: Sachin, Gilly, Imran Khan, Dravid, Dale Steyne
Hayden
Lara - sorry Sachin
Ponting (c)
Smith
Sangakara (wk) - sorry Gilly
Kallis - sorry Imran
Akram
McGrath
Murali
Warne
rest of the squad: Sachin, Gilly, Imran Khan, Dravid, Dale Steyne
Jadeja? Maybe in India but his record just about anywhere else is awful
Yup. Shocking inclusion.
main issue with cook is he didn’t really have a presence on the field. with any “best ever” line-ups, they all need to have that aura about them where you’re not quite sure they’re human.
Sangakarra averaged 40 as keeper and 66 as a pure batter. I always find this an unbelievable stat. It's not a trivial sample size either. 50 games as keeper and 86 as pure batter
Gavaskar
Hayden
Richards
Tendulkar
Smith
Sobers (c)
Gilchrist
Marshall
Warne
Lillee
McGrath
Torn between Gilly and AB de Villiers, but AB just didn't have the longevity and just wasn't as good a WK. Would also include Bumrah if he wasn't so injury prone.
Hayden
Richards
Tendulkar
Smith
Sobers (c)
Gilchrist
Marshall
Warne
Lillee
McGrath
Torn between Gilly and AB de Villiers, but AB just didn't have the longevity and just wasn't as good a WK. Would also include Bumrah if he wasn't so injury prone.
It said Stokes/Jadeja as a horses for courses thing obviously..
I'm not really sure you can have shocking inclusions in people's subjective best X1s
C'mon you can't have two players for each position and then also have a bench.
It's a fictional game
Stokes record in Asia is worse than Jadeja's record in SENA
I struggled to think of someone better. Cook was good in all conditions and against all the opposition.
The thing that stopped me putting Sehwag was that he was poor outside asian conditions. Putting in Langer would make the lineup too Aussie.
But you're putting Kallis on the bench.
But you're putting Kallis on the bench.
He's a boring plodder. Did he ever dominate a great game like all his contemporaries often did?