Now I have to choose another quick bowler, whom I’ve decided I will choose between Sydney Barnes (England), Alan Davidson (Australia), Sean Pollock (South Africa), Joel Garner (West Indies), Curtley Ambrose (West Indies), Glenn McGrath (Australia), Fred Trueman (England), Alan Donald (South Africa), Richard Hadlee (New Zealand), Imran Khan (Pakistan), Ray Lindwall (Australia), Waqar Younis (Pakistan), Wasim Akram (Pakistan), Michael Holding (West Indies), Dennis Lillee (Australia), Brian Statham (England), Alec Bedser (England) and Ian Botham (England).
The career records for each are:
Curtley Ambrose 405 wkts at 20.99 1439 runs at 12.40 Sydney Barnes 189 wkts at 16.43 242 runs at 8.06 Alec Bedser 236 wkts at 24.89 714 runs at 12.75 Ian Botham 383 wkts at 28.40 5200 runs at 33.54 Alan Davidson 186 wkts at 20.53 1328 runs at 24.59 Alan Donald 330 wkts at 22.25 652 runs at 10.68 Joel Garner 259 wkts at 20.97 672 runs at 12.44 Richard Hadlee 431 wkts at 22.29 3124 runs at 27.16 Michael Holding 249 wkts at 23.68 910 runs at 13.78 Imran Khan 362 wkts at 22.81 3807 runs at 37.69 Dennis Lillee 355 wkts at 23.92 905 runs at 13.71 Ray Lindwall 228 wkts at 23.03 1502 runs at 21.15 Glenn McGrath 420 wkts at 21.35 431 runs at 6.43 Shaun Pollock 270 wkts at 20.85 2385 runs at 33.12 Brian Statham 252 wkts at 24.84 675 runs at 11.44 Fred Trueman 307 wkts at 21.57 981 runs at 13.81 Waqar Younis 369 wkts at 23.24 958 runs at 10.08 Wasim Akram 414 wkts at 23.62 2898 runs at 22.64
Now the player that I’m looking for isn't necessarily going to be a game breaker or someone who will come and may pick up 6for or may do nothing. This player has to be the mister consistent of the 3 quicks. Marshall is my main man and Miller is likely to also have the new ball, although that may vary depending on who on pick, and could change from innings to innings. This 3rd bowler will have to the player I can rely if things aren't going the way I want them too and they will usually pick up 2 or 3 wickets each innings, without picking up a whole heap of 5fors. A left handed bowler would also be nice, although not essential especially since Gary Sobers already provides that variation.
Curtley Ambrose is one of everyone favourites. Standing at about 6 foot 7 inches tall and arms that came down to his knees allowing him to deliver the ball from about 10 or 11 feet above the deck, capable of delivering thunderbolts that the keeper struggled to see (partly because he was standing so far behind the stumps and partly because the ball was moving so quick ;)), Curtley struck fear into any batting line-up. Despite being renowned as a destroyer of batting line-ups, he's consistency is quite remarkable which is one quality I’m looking for in this spot - he only picked up 3 10wkt matches in 98 tests. He went 4 tests where he bowled over 20 overs wicket less. Another plus for Ambrose is that he is strong against all teams on all surfaces except against India. Also strong is his ability to play second fiddle to another bowler, although he does prefer to be the spearhead, he can let someone else take the reins and still perform. Strong right throughout the game, particularly the 4th innings, while his record when losing is good. Definitely moving to the short list.
Sydney Barnes is very hard to analyse. Playing a period where his average of 16.43 is somewhat flawed. Barnes could be either quick or spin, but mainly bowled medium-fast. Also helping his average is his 83 wickets at 9 against he hapless South African's, therefore making his average of 21 with 100 wickets against Australia fairly stock standard for that day considering the runs weren't quite the same as today. During the period he played Australia average 25.7 runs a wicket, while South Africa average 18.7 runs a wicket. Therefore Barnes definitely was a quality bowler and regarded by the vast majority of players at the time to be the best going, however given that it is so hard to truly know how great his bowling records are, and the fact that his averaged is flawed because of record in just 7 tests against an ordinary South African team, we'll have to write him off at this point.
Alec Bedser is rated extremely highly, most of all by the great Don Bradman, who had Alec in his best XI team of all time. A great partner to Fred Trueman and Brian Statham, Alec has a sound technique without ever displaying raw brilliance, rather opting for consistency. Has a significant difference in his records from home/away, and he also has a very poor record when his team is going down. The fact that he's never not taken the new ball (or at least 2nd new ball) does worry me as well, and hence means I won't need to take another look at Alec.
Ian Botham is an interesting proposition. Immensely talented, however I don’t know if he fits in with what I’m looking for. In fact, his erectness really doesn't make me give much of a thought for him, although he is a top batsmen, which could be very useful batting at number 8, and the fact he is a good 2nd/3rd bowler makes me like the way he is. He's record though in losing is very poor. I'll consider him again later, but I don’t think that Botham will get into the team - not consistent enough for mine.
Alan Davidson is always up there in peoples thought when considering the great quicks of the game. Davidson constantly picked up wickets, and his left-handedness is definitely a nice feature. Has a great record in all countries (33 wkts at 25.45 in England his worst), however he has rarely not bowled the first ball in an innings, which in this team he probably won't be doing (not much anyway). Very strong when his team is down (averages 17.13 in losing teams), however my major concern is that he may not be suited to the role he would have in this team - as not being the spearhead of the attack. Definitely still on the short list to have a look at later though.
Alan Donald literally held the South African bowling together by himself in the early 90's. Unbelievably quick with the best action, constant bowling took its tole and he finished with shocking injuries. He didn't take a 5for in any of his last 11 tests, however still picking up lots of 2s and 3s and the occasional 4for ensured his average didn't skyrocket. Donald did struggle against and in Australia though, which isn't a good sign. Only once didn't pick up a wicket in a test, while most often picked up between 3 to 6 wickets with the occasional performance on either side. Definitely going to be worth considering although his record against Australia, who were the best he played against and his record in losing teams is going to cause concern.
Joel Garner really catches my fancy within this team playing this role because it is exactly the same thing he did with the West Indies in the 80's to great success. Garner is consistently good anywhere around the world, while his never failed to pick up a wicket in a test and on only 3 occasions managed just the one wicket but has never taken a 10wkt match and only 7 5fors (only nine 7+ wkts in a match). He is also well suited to the role as being a second opener and first change bowler as that is what he did for the West Indies - has also taken the new ball and bowled later on in the innings with much success. Consistent in all innings, and remaining solid when his team was going down. Definitely going to have a look later on and his consistency has definitely caught my eye for this 3rd quick bowling spot.
The undisputed king of Kiwi cricket is Richard Hadlee, whose 431 wickets are miles in front of any other New Zealander. The focal point of the Kiwi attack Hadlee bore the full brunt of extensive bowling. He was successful all around the world, however he's hardly not played a match not taking the new ball, which doesn't really fit into this teams game plan. His late match bowling was superb, however when he performed poorly the Kiwis got done, which is a sign of how important he was. Will be in the possible pile, but probably not in the team.
Michael Holding is often seen as a poor mans Joel Garner which is harsh on the big man. Holding was one of the quickest of the Windies quicks, and could bowl at times better than the lot of them. Has a good record all around the world although he struggled in the 4 games he played in New Zealand. Good with the new ball and good as a first change bowler. His performances tend to tail away when the Windies got beat. Not quite as consistent as some of the others, Holding is a top bowler but is in essence a step down from Joel Garner.
We've already assessed Imran Khan so we know where his strengths and weaknesses lie, however one big strength within this group is his batting ability, which is much greater than most of this lot.
Dennis Lillee was the Australian hero in the 70s, being Australia’s leading wicket taker up until Warne broke his record recently. Quick and menacing, he was good in most places but struggled in his few games on the subcontinent. Useful batsmen, but still a genuine tailender, his problem for this team is that he was a spearhead bowler, and like the new ball which he wouldn't get here, and he did struggle in losing teams, which is a key feature of this team. However, what must be remembered is that between 76 and 79 he played very little test cricket due to the World Series cricket and injury. Probably not going to be picked because his role in the team is not something he is suited to, but always in consideration as a back up for Marshall as Lillee was one of the best with the new ball.
Ray Lindwall was considered the complete bowler in his team, with his ability to bowl quick and move the ball both ways off the pitch and in the air, it’s also worth noting he was a late starter for his career due to WWII. Lindwall has a slightly better record at home, however he is generally pretty good anywhere in the world. Lindwall is also a very good batsman, scoring two test centuries and averaging in the 20s. Big problem is that he was very poor when not given the new ball however, and did struggle considerably when not given help from the others. In a similar vein to Lillee, will not get into this team, but is definitely one of the great new ball bowlers after Mal Marshall.
Glenn McGrath is the man at the moment within Australian cricket, possibly even more indispensable the Shane Warne. Not possessing great pace, he is just accurate and always reliable in any situation. Can bowl late in the innings, with an old ball, and plays well regardless of the result. Is good all over the world, and is definitely going to be on the short list for this team. Genuine number 11 bat though, however a good outfielder with a strong-arm.
Shaun Pollock is the fiery red headed South African opening bowler, who is a very useful number 8 batsman, with an average in the low 30's. Pollock has performed well against all teams, although his record against Australia isn't great (average 27) and he also does have a slight weakness when playing away. Is extremely good bowling with the second new ball, but is also capable of playing as a 3rd string bowler, which is a big plus for this team. Pollock's batting is also a big strength in this team, with an average of 33, he is very capable of batting at 8, and combined with Miller at 7, those two would effectively make one batsmen and would make up for the team going in a batsmen short. Also a brilliant slips fieldsmen. Definitely a big candidate to look at later.
Brian Statham was part of the great England bowlers of the early 50's consisting of himself, Alec Bedser, Fred Trueman and spinner Jim Laker, Statham was accurate and had great ability to move the ball of the seam and to a lesser extent, in the air. He wasn't of great pace, although you'd know it if he hit you, but his line and length is his big strength. His weakness in this context is his record against Australia (ave. 30), which is very ordinary, and against the best, you'd expect more. Another problem is that he's rarely bowled without the new ball, and does struggle when England didn't win. Overall, a top bowler, but not one that will be good enough for this team.
Fred Trueman was the king of English cricket in the immediate post WWII era. He and Statham formed a great partnership, although Trueman was clearly the leader of the two. Trueman was menacingly quick, swung the ball a long way and both ways, and picked up 307 wickets at 21.54. Trueman has never failed to take a wicket in a test, and very rarely only picked up 1. Strong fielder, particularly at short leg, and also a good outfielder. He performed well against all teams, but did have a significantly better record at home. Never not bowled without the new ball, and did struggle when losing. A great bowler, but not suited to the position that he would take in this team - definitely one of the great new ball bowlers though.
Waqar Younis is quick, bowls a great inswinger and uses reverse swing late in the innings to great effect. Waqar's method is to bowl fast, full and swing the ball late. Has a strike rate of 43.11 (the best ever with over 200 wickets). In his youth was one of the quickest bowlers ever, however back injuries cut him down in his prime. His record against Australia, however, isn't great which is not a good sign. Has struggled with injuries at the end of his career, when at one stage he had a record of 187 wickets at 18.85 (after 94/95) and 267 wickets at 21.52 (after 97/98), his record now stands at 369 wickets at 23.24. Waqar was a great new ball bowler and a terrific leader, and he could also bowl without the new ball. A hard bowler to judge as there were two sections to his career - pre injury and post injury and it is clear that his injuries have hampered him, which have detracted from his record. Still a chance though.
Wasim Akram is perhaps the master of swing and reverse swing. Bowling at a very brisk pace, the two qualities combined to take over over 400 test wickets at just above 23. Wasim has a good consistent record against all teams on all surfaces. Wasim is a very handy number 8 or 9 batsman, scoring 257 in one innings, albeit against Zimbabwe. Wasim is a superb finisher of a team, hence his brilliant second innings record (ave. 20.68), and has consistent records in winning and losing teams. Is a new ball bowler primarily but can bowl first change. Definitely one to consider, although he may not be suited to this team, but his batting would be an asset at number 8.
Curtley Ambrose, Alan Davidson, Joel Garner, Imran Khan, Shaun Pollock and Wasim Akram are going to the be the final six bowlers whom I will choose this bowling position from. They are not necessarily the best 6 from that list, but they are the six who I believe would be the most suited to playing the role that I’m looking for in this team. A player who is devastating as a spearhead may not be what I’m looking for, because he may struggle when he has to play second fiddle to another bowler. I am looking for someone who will ball mainly as a first change bowler, possibly opening bowler now and then, and be my "plan b" bowler as such - the man who I can rely on to take wickets when the chips are down.
Here is a bit of a breakdown of each player in various areas:
All players have similar records against each area of the batting scale: all have between 64-72% of their dismissals of batsmen batting from 1-7, with Wasim Akram only having 64.57% of his dismissals of batsmen batting 1-7, while Ambrose has the best record with 72.47% of batsmen batting 1-7, so there is really no clear winner in that area.
One interesting area is their records against set batsmen - Ambrose (dismisses 12 batsmen for 100 or more), Imran (10), Pollock (11) and Wasim (10) all have similar records against batsmen who have scored tons, but Davidson and Garner have only ever dismissed 2 batsmen for more than 100.
In terms of strike rates, Garner has the best at a tad over 50, while Ambrose, Wasim, Imran and Pollock are all between 54 and 55, with Davidson the man lagging in this department with a SR of 62. Davidson’s economy rate of under 2 is significant though as tight bowling at one end can lead to wickets at the other. The others are all between 2.5 and 3.
All bowlers were exceptionally good against all teams although Ambrose (v India - 15 wkts at 38.96 from 9 tests), Garner (v India - 7 wkts at 43.00 from 4), Imran Khan (31 wkts at 28.19 from 7), Pollock (27 wkts at 27.64 from 8) were the only weak teams those players had, while Wasim had 3 teams (Australia, England and South Africa) that he struggled against, which has practically ruled himself out of contention for this position.
All players were similar at home or away with only Imran Khan (ave. 19 at home, ave. 25 away) having a significant difference in record. Of the 6 bowlers, only Pollock and Garner have excelled when being the number 2 or 3 bowler, which is a big plus for them. Imran Khan, Wasim Akram and Ambrose were good as second bowlers, but had very rarely bowled without the new ball, while Davidson has barely played without being the spearhead of an attack.
Given that this role is as a second or third bowler, I’m going to narrow it down to between Joel Garner and Shaun Pollock for this position within the team.
I've given myself the choice between a very quick tall bowler who can be relied to come on and bowl at any point during an innings, and a bowler who has a similar record but is much is slower and relies more on line and length but is a great batsmen and fielder. Ultimately I think Garner is a much better bowler despite their averages being so close, but Pollock's batting and fielding does give him a big tick. There are two ways of looking at their style of bowling as well - Pollock offers variation as he is in between medium and medium-fast, but then Garner's sheer pace makes him a 3rd genuine quick and doesn't give the bats a chance to settle if they see of Miller and Marshall, they are then faced with Garner who is just as quick.
It’s a hard choice, but I'm going to pick Joel Garner in the team. The big West Indian offers a third genuine quick option that is capable of picking up the wickets of any batsmen in any situation at any stage in an innings. His the next line of attack once Marshall and Miller have finished, in come Garner who is just as quick and just as devastating.
This means we now have the team looking like
Herb Sutcliffe (England)
Len Hutton (England)
Don Bradman (Australia)
Graeme Pollock (South Africa)
Gary Sobers (West Indies)
Adam Gilchrist (Australia) - wicketkeeper
Keith Miller (Australia)
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Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
Joel Garner (West Indies)
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