Bowlers and Bowling

[1000yardstare]

Who has the best bowling unit from recent squads? There are a few injuries to bowlers and some line ups will be stronger when they return. Some teams have 4 bowlers and others 5 with their all rounders. I havent included part time bowlers. Returning bowlers in brackets.

Australia - Lee, Johnson, Clark, Symonds, Hogg (387) - McGill
South Africa - Steyn, Ntini, Nel, Kallis, Harris (793) - Morkel
New Zealand - Martin, Mills, O'Brien, Oram, Vettori (447) - Bond/Gillespie
England - Hoggard, Sidebottom, Harmison, Panesar (568) - Flintoff
India - RPSingh, Pathan, Sharma, Kumble (749) - Khan/Sreesanth
Sri Lanka - Vaas, Fernando, Malinga, Murali (1229)
West Indies - Powell, Taylor, Edwards, Bravo, Lewis (241)
Pakistan - Akhtar, Sami, Arafat, Kaneria (486) - Gul/Naved

[elven highlord]

You missed out Asif for Pakistan. Him, Shoiab, Gul and Kaneria, with Afridi the 5th looks good to me if they were ever fit/elligible at the same time.

India look to have plenty of potential, although Kumble doesn't have a lot more left in him.

[High Druid Nathan Barley]

Mervyn King's going big guns, but expect Jason Greenslade, Paul Foster and Les Gillett to show their class.

[Huda]

Best attack will be probably South Africa and Pakistan, in terms of potential and IF they stay fit. Morkel and Steyn could be lethal but that is yet to be proven, same goes with Shoiab and Asif, who are rarely fit, plus both sides seem to have a balanced attack. Indias bowling unit is grooming into a nice unit, with a resurgence of Pathan, RP is very good, and Sreesanth can be on his day, and there's Chawla, brilliant player, next big spin sensation will be him. Australias bowling attack is good and will do the job and maybe is the most reliable out of the lot.

[Fatslogger]

There's no real way of making a call on any of those attacks until a test match line up is actually named, so many have been the injuries affecting test fast bowlers recently. Even without injuries, there's something to be said against every one of those line ups. No wonder batsmen have been so much in the ascendency recently. I probably like the South African attack best but there are serious doubts about the merits of Harris, Kallis is a bit of a part timer, Steyn needs to sustain recent form, Ntini may well be on the downslope and Nel is pretty hit and miss.

[1000yardstare]

I think the Indians have the biggest choice of very good bowlers should injuries occur. Can any of the other teams afford to lose their two opening bowlers?

Khan, RPSingh, Pathan, Sharma, Sreesanth, Patel, Harbhijan, Kumble and then they have part time bowlers like Sehwag, Tendulkar and Ganguly.

We are seeing quite a few new bowlers recently in all the teams, when for years there have been settled attacks.

[Michelle Fivefer]

Originally Posted by FastBowlersUnion

I think the Indians have the biggest choice of very good bowlers should injuries occur. Can any of the other teams afford to lose their two opening bowlers?

Khan, RPSingh, Pathan, Sharma, Sreesanth, Patel, Harbhijan, Kumble and then they have part time bowlers like Sehwag, Tendulkar and Ganguly.

We are seeing quite a few new bowlers recently in all the teams, when for years there have been settled attacks.

Maybe it's because they've just beaten Australia (and beat us!) but India seems to have a great selection of bowlers at the moment, and each bowler brings something different to the party. And Sharma's emergence is very exciting.

[1000yardstare]

Originally Posted by Michelle Fivefer

Maybe it's because they've just beaten Australia (and beat us!) but India seems to have a great selection of bowlers at the moment, and each bowler brings something different to the party. And Sharma's emergence is very exciting.

Well there aren't many left arm bowlers that can bowl both sides of the wicket and swing it both ways. Our batsmen were a bit taken aback.

First time I have seen Ponting put under pressure, and by a 19 year old.

[1000yardstare]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai.../scscyl120.xml

Berry seems to think because India have left arm bowlers and they beat Australia that Sidebottom will be a good weapon to have.

The thing is Khan and RPSingh are better bowlers. If you look at our meeting with India

Khan 18 wickets at 20.33
Singh 12 wickets at 28.91
Sidebottom 8 wickets at 37.87

If England need a second spinner then Swann or Saqlain.

[zxb]

Originally Posted by FastBowlersUnion

First time I have seen Ponting put under pressure, and by a 19 year old.

Short memory?

[elven highlord]

Originally Posted by zxb

Short memory?

Still sends shivers down the spine that does.

[Michelle Fivefer]

Originally Posted by FastBowlersUnion

First time I have seen Ponting put under pressure by a 19 year old.

I think that's how it should read.

Originally Posted by zxb

Short memory?

Ah, those were the days. *sigh*

[1000yardstare]

Originally Posted by Michelle Fivefer

I think that's how it should read.

Thanks MF.

[Fatslogger]

Originally Posted by FastBowlersUnion

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/mai.../scscyl120.xml

Berry seems to think because India have left arm bowlers and they beat Australia that Sidebottom will be a good weapon to have.

The thing is Khan and RPSingh are better bowlers. If you look at our meeting with India

Khan 18 wickets at 20.33
Singh 12 wickets at 28.91
Sidebottom 8 wickets at 37.87

If England need a second spinner then Swann or Saqlain.

Well of course Berry is a blithering idiot half the time. Even by his standards Saqlain is a pretty stupid call though, for all sorts of reasons. His recent FC and injury records are enough on their own though.

[Huda]

However Saqlain is a quality bowler, one of the best ODI spin bowlers ever IMO, but like you said form is the thing, i wouldn't pick him, bred and play English spinners, Saqlain has had his time for Pakistan, stick to playing county cricket.

[Rey]

Originally Posted by Fatslogger

Well of course Berry is a blithering idiot half the time. Even by his standards Saqlain is a pretty stupid call though, for all sorts of reasons. His recent FC and injury records are enough on their own though.

FC average 2007: 17.55

But no - I saw him at Yorks v Sussex at Hove, and he looked pretty unfit. Could manage the steps up to bowl, but made Monty look like Jonty Rhodes when he wasn't off the field. I've even seen a comment that he needs a walking stick to get around, although surely Surrey wouldn't have signed him if he was that bad.

[1000yardstare]

Well here's something to lift Harmison's spirits in The Mirror today -

Harmy's Finished.

Steve Harmison's future as an England bowler has been written off by Australian pace legend Jeff Thompson. Durham star Harmison is gradually making his way back to the form he was in when he was rated the world's No. 1 bowler.

But Thommo, who along with Dennis Lillee formed one of the great opening bowling partnerships three decades ago is far from convinced.

The last time Harmison was in Australia, he bowled the first ball of the 2006-07 Ashes campagin and it ended up in the hands of England captain Andrew Flintoff at second slip.

And Thomson 57, does not believe things will get much better when England open their tour of New Zealand next month.

Steve Harmison is the most inaccurate fast bowler I have ever seen, Thomson told Sunday Mirror Sport.

He's got no future in the game because he doesn't know where the ball is going.

Yes he has got ability, but there is nothing between his ears and he's just not up to it mentally.

Asked if he had any advice to rectify Harmison's wayward radar, Thomson who took 200 Test wickets at 28.00 for Australia, rapped I couldn't care less - he a Pom.

[Fatslogger]

Originally Posted by °Rey de España°

FC average 2007: 17.55

From about 3 games, no, which was sort of my point?

But no - I saw him at Yorks v Sussex at Hove, and he looked pretty unfit. Could manage the steps up to bowl, but made Monty look like Jonty Rhodes when he wasn't off the field. I've even seen a comment that he needs a walking stick to get around, although surely Surrey wouldn't have signed him if he was that bad.

In fairness, spinners don't need to be all that cardiovascularly fit to bowl but they do need to be able to do a modicum of fielding. Test cricket is a whole ocean less forgiving than the county game too.

[1000yardstare]

When do we play two spinners in England. We didn't even do it in Sri Lanka. I wonder if he had been drinking when he wrote the article.

[Minor Maggie]

Originally Posted by FastBowlersUnion

Well here's something to lift Harmison's spirits in The Mirror today -

Harmy's Finished.

Steve Harmison's future as an England bowler has been written off by Australian pace legend Jeff Thompson. Durham star Harmison is gradually making his way back to the form he was in when he was rated the world's No. 1 bowler.

But Thommo, who along with Dennis Lillee formed one of the great opening bowling partnerships three decades ago is far from convinced.

The last time Harmison was in Australia, he bowled the first ball of the 2006-07 Ashes campagin and it ended up in the hands of England captain Andrew Flintoff at second slip.

And Thomson 57, does not believe things will get much better when England open their tour of New Zealand next month.

Steve Harmison is the most inaccurate fast bowler I have ever seen, Thomson told Sunday Mirror Sport.

He's got no future in the game because he doesn't know where the ball is going.

Yes he has got ability, but there is nothing between his ears and he's just not up to it mentally.

Asked if he had any advice to rectify Harmison's wayward radar, Thomson who took 200 Test wickets at 28.00 for Australia, rapped I couldn't care less - he a Pom.

Clearly Thomson hasn't seen Mahmood on one of his bad days!