We are done picking up the best batsmen of modern era...what about the bowlers?
who would be your top three bowlers of modern times?
my choice....
Fast bowlers:
1.Wasim Akram
2.Glenn Mcgrath
3.Alan Donald
Spinners:
1.Murali
2.Warnie
3.saqlain mustaqh

Unfortunately like batsman there is no Don Bradman in bowling department. So who is the best bowler will always be debatable. In past there have been thompson, lillie, malcom marshall, holding, robers. hadlee, and so on.

But what I have seen, I have to rate like this


1. Curtley Ambrose
--- Ambrose wasn't deadly quick but I have been ambrose breaking nose of David boon to arm of Jayasurya. He used to get that awkward bounce that can terrorize the batsman. Despite his looks and bowling he was always a gentleman. I have seen allan Donald, wasim Akram , Mcgrath getting smacked around the park but you rarely see ambrose getting hit for fours and sixes. Probably the most miser bowler in the modern time he used to take wicket at every 21 runs a lot better than mcgrath, wasim or waqar. Nobody can of course forget 1 run victory in test in Adelheid in 1992 ,  and taking 7 wickets by giving just 1 run in 32 ball spell in perth, or for that matter bowling out england for 46 runs. 

But most incredible one,
South Afirca were 122-2 in the end of the day needing 200 to win the test. Overnight southafrican players started partying, opened champagne, celebrated as if they won. Next day South Africa was bowled out for 148.

2. Glenn McGrath
There isnt too much exiting about mcgrath because he was like a computer programme. Programme to bowl at right area.  His duel with Brian lara will always linger in the mind of cricket fans.  Mc Grath dual with sachin was mostly stalemate no one getting upperhand. But his dual with Lara was never a stalemate that made the most fascinating contest in the cricket. Either Mc Grath got lara out cheaply or lara piled huge runs. Mc Grath of course have upper hand against Michael Athorton the English Captain.

3. Wasim Akram/Alan Donald
Ask Sachin Tendulkar/Brian Lara and they will say wasim was the most difficult bowler to face. His reverse swing was incredible. With Waqar he made a deadly duo for 2 years. However, this duo was not as effective as Walsh and Ambrose in the long run as waqar faded away.

Named as white lightening, alan donald was nothing short of flash. Who can of course forget 1992 world cup, or his dual with Michael Athorton in one test in which atherton somehow survived.  But it was most exciting contest i have seen and still gives shiver down my spine when i watch it in youtube.


http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=JojnoSO4MDc


Spin there isnt much of a contest as Murali and warne leads the way..



Best current fast bowlers-

1. Dale Steyn
2. Brett Lee
3. Makhaya Ntini / Ryan Sidebottom

fast: wasim akram....!!!

spin: cant really say ...warnie or murli,,....

hahaha....i don't follow cricket these days...but couldn't resist this thread to name my favorite cricketer of all time. i watched him bowl for the first time in the '92 world cup (i was a school going kid then)...wasn't able to understand cricket a whole lot then but i knew he did something magical in the final (in that particular spell)...the batsman was in ALL defense with a near-about perfect footwork and yet the ball swung late and managed to topple the bells, foxing the batsman.  his team went on to win the cup that year... since then, it didn't take long for the world to know that this guy can bowl 6 deliveries of 6 different types --all wicket taking ones.

i have been the greatest fan of his talent/skill ever since...(man you gotta respect the talent where it's due) my admiration for him went to  its zenith when he clean bowled the rock of zibrealtar (dravid) of his arch rival team (india) in the sole asian test series held in India in the year '99.

he's been an inspiration for me. the inspiration was so big that i found myself rolling my arms over (and succeded threatening some batters with some swing i, somehow, happened to generate) in my small cricketing career as a local-tole cricketer .
 
hats off to Wasim Akram :D

(i can still watch him and warne bowl all day and night ...sadly both have retired from the game :( )

1) Lootekukur--His googly beats every bowler here in Sajha

Just Kidding--How r u doing Loote DOUG?

Best Three:

1)  Murali

2)  Alan Donald

3) Shane Warne

 

yo database! oracle or SQL? ki MS "Access"? hahaha.. :P

Alan Donald personified perfect bowling action....smooth as a silk, like bullets from AK-47 rifle (Siddhu style ma hahah).....not a great swinger of the ball but his yorkers were deadly...

most of these newbies (shoaib akhtar including) think that speed is everything in fast bowling. you can be some 20 units slower than the fastest bowler in teh world but still be more lethal than anyone if you can swing the ball both ways and have control over the swing. the sultan of swing knew that i believe..:D

.
Couldn't get my temptation off this thread, blame it on the maniac monday! ;-)

I do not know what "modern era" includes the period of time, but certainly have enjoyed a handful of bowlers of my time.

The ever flamboyant Akram - Oh boy! where does he get reverse swings from?
McGrath - Talk about his line and length. Even the Master blaster takes the back seat.
Murali - A nightmare to batsmen.

Not to mention, Ambrose, Walsh and Warne - without them there is no fierce in the bowling department.

no_quiero - You have interestingly laid down your rating.

Hello to long lost "bhow-bhow-ing" friend. Hope all is well.

oh wow....look who's here! that's why they call it - "gentlemen's" game

good list though ;P

Akrams reverse swing
Warneys spin
Murlis doosra
... theyare the best cricket have ever seen

New boys to see....
Dale Steyn
Ajantha Mendis
Tim Southee
somehow, Ishant Sharma

the pool is :

pace/swing/seam : Malcomm Marshall, Michael Holding, Jeff Thompson, Imran Khan, Richard Hadlee, Ian Botham, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis (early days), Dennis Lilee, Andy Roberts, Frank Tyson, and the other bodyline bowler I forgot the name.

Spin: Warne, Murali, Abdul Qadir, the Indian quartet of 70s (Prasanna, bedi, Venkatraghavan, and the 4th one I forgot name).

But if I only had to take one name, it's so simple for me : WASIM AKRAM (PAKISTAN).

Why ? I'll explain later. I might be able to write a whole book on Wasim's bowling.

One of Wasim Akram's best overs , Batsman been bamboozled, foxed and they have no idea whatsoever as what the hell happened and how were they cleaned.

1.Waqar Younis in his prime was the best bowler (that's what i think)
2.Malcolm Marshall
3.A.D

Hey friends,
How can u forget about curtley ambrose accuracy?

We just love the fireworks

Forgot to include some very very special names. : Allan Donald (the white lightning), Curtly Ambrose.

Wasim to me was the most skillful bowler. Early on when he was spotted by the great Imran Khan when he was just 18, he was lightning fast and unplayable. But later he had to cut down on his pace and his run up, and guess what, he became more lethal. He was master of swing, reverse swing at a high pace. Reason why I give batsmen of 90s more credit because there were some like Sachin, lara, AB, who played him really well..at the same time there were plenty (specially England players 92 series, NZ batsmen)  who never had an idea what the ball's gonna do, in swing, out swing, reverse swing. He could bowl 6 deliveries of 6 different kinds and the lesser batsmen would never figure out what in the name of god just happened.

2003 World cup, India vs Pak, if anyone noticed, Sehwag..though in good form, was literally shielded from Wasim Akram by Sachin Tendulkar, who played most of Akram's deliveries and left Sehwag to face Shoaib and Waqar. Waqar was very fast, I have this feeling he was probably faster than Brett Lee or even Shoaib Akhtar...I don't give a damn to these speedometers, u got to ask the batsmen who faced him, and he would bowl mostly the fuller  those inswinging yorker deliveries at a very very high pace, which would do either of 3 things, clean up ur stumps, crush ur toes or a plumb lbw. But his peak was just few years after which he was not the same force. Akram was always the most versatile, no batsman could ever afford to relax while playing him even to his later days.

And Yes, the duel between Athers and Allan Donald has to be the most thrilling spectacle in test cricket's history. Hats off to u Athers.

 

Nodoubt

Washim Wakram

Glenn Mcgrath

Shoab Akhttar

 

Why I believe Curtley Ambrose was better bowler than Wasim Akram?

Although it is difficult to compare Ambrose and Akram in ODI's because Ambrose didn't even played half the matches as Akram (amost less than 200 matches), however, their test records runs very parallel.  Ambrose has better record than Akram in almost every aspect.

In 98 test matches Ambrose has taken 405 wickets at a bowling average of 20.99  at miserly economy rate of 2.3 and strike rate of 54.5.

In 104 test , Akram has taken 414 wickets at a bowling average of 23.62 with economy rate of 2.59 and strike rate of 54.6.

As you can see, Ambrose is not only more miser but also takes wicket in lesser number of balls while giving lesser number of runs. Ambrose specialty was he use to take wickets right at the top of the order with a new ball, Wasim on the other hand was a master of an old ball.

Ambrose was nicknamed  THE RAGING BULL because he was as lethal as raging bull. And his  hi five celebrations after taking the wicket will linger in the mind of people forever. He made top teams bite the dust. Dont forget pakistan was bowled out for 43 and 71 in one day matches and england were bowled out for mere 46 in port of spain.

BEST BOWLER EVER??

No Doubt.

WASIM AKRAM

Ambrose was a miserly bowler, had impeccable line and length, had the advantage of height and got extra bounce but the more I hear from you no queiro the more I get an impression that our views can never ever match, but then who cares right !!!! By the way I respect ur views and strongly disagree with them.

U don't compare the bowlers with the statistics only. A cricketer is judged by statistics as well as skills. Akram played most of his cricket in Asian dead pitches where Dennis Lillee refused to tour. Ambrose and Walsh were never as effective in flat tracks of India, Pak.

One must be day dreaming to say that Wasim was only good with old ball. He was equally good with both good and old ball. The fact that he was deadly with old ball gives him advantage over other great fast bowlers.

To me , Wasim Akram is by far...I repeat by far...the best bowler ever to me. Period.

To say Ambrose was better bowler than Wasim is so unimaginable.

When you say wasim bowled in dead pitches, then you should also take record away from Indian and paksitani batsman than because record shows there are more dead pitches here and alot more runs are scored in Indian and Pakistan than anywhere else.

The fact is you adapt to the place where you learn. If Wasim had such a great record in Pakistan (and statistically still falls behind Ambrose) that means he doesnot pick as much wicket outside pakistan as ambrose does.

If we say Australia have been generally the best team in last 15 years and judge by the performace against them, then curtley still have staggering record against them.

27 test matches with mind boggling 128 wickets (almost 5 wickets per test match) at an average of 21. Akram only have 50 wickets in 13 test at an average near 26.

 If you say pitches in Pakistan are dead than Akram's record in Australia or that matter south africa is nothing to write home about. 36 wickets in 9 test matches at an average of 25 in Australia and in south africa it falls as low as 39. Compare that to Ambrose record 78 wickets in 14 test at an average of just 19 which is incredible.  ambrose still magages to pick wickets every 23 runs in south Afirca.  It is generally assumed that Australia and South Africa have been the best team in last decade or so.

Akram better performances have come against Sri Lanka, Westindies and New Zeland who in anybody's book are not the top side.

Another reason why amborse is better bowler because he is more consistent bowler than Akram. He has better record than Akram in every continent that including Asia which is generally considered dead. The table below gives how much run each bowler gives before taking up the wicket  (i.e bowling average)

                          Ambrose                                       Akram
In Asia               22.50                                             22.53
Africa                 23.76                                             30.02
Americas           21.19                                              26.88
Europe              20.77                                              28.73                  
Ociena              19.96                                              20.05
Home                21.19                                              22.22     
Away                20.78                                              24.61                

Shane warne in his top50 cricketer's put Curtley Ambrose in number 3 (although I am not that big fan of his rating ) behind Sachin and Lara, Steve waugh  always said Ambrose as the best bowler in the world. Lara always regarded ambrose as the best and said he was thankful that he didnt have to face him, Micahel Atherton always regarded Ambrose as the most difficult bowler to face.