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Roar Guru
Joined July 2012
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Life Long Brisbane Rugby League supporter, first Redcliffe and now Broncos. also a mad cricket follower and casual everything else follower. Now under a new profile https://www.theroar.com.au/author/matth2/
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Smartest bowlers would be interesting and I’d have Akram, Lille and Hadlee right up there. As well as (I hate to admit it) Jimmy Anderson. From the olden days it might be Alec Bedser.
It’s usually spin bowlers who are considered smart and there you have of course Shane Keith Warne. I also thought Anil Kumble was very clever.
The elegant eleven
On the bowling front, Mohammed Amir at his peak was beautiful to watch
The elegant eleven
Here is an ugly but effective eleven to take your side on:
Kepler Wessels
Graeme Smith
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Alan Border
Chris Harris
Lance Kluesner
Kamran Akmal
Paul Adams
Max Walker
Muttiah Muralitharan
Jeff Thomson
Apologies to Maxi and Thommo. I was struggling to come up with arms flapping, legs everywhere style of pace bowling. Maybe Shaun Tait?
The elegant eleven
I submit three more: Michael Vaughan, Mohammed Azharuddin and Very Very Special Laxman
The elegant eleven
Here’s a couple more. Before he became an insufferably smug commentator, Michael Vaughan was a sublime batsman.
And then there is Very Very Special Laxman. One of the most stylish of them all. In fact we have neglected the subcontinent player a little here. I know he turned out to be a dirty cheat but Mohammed Azharuddin was great to watch.
The elegant eleven
No idea in the world. DP and I were getting off topic on another article about elegant batsmen and bowlers and he got a good article out before I’d even thought of it. So I think it might soon be me saying DP of Roar fame.
But I will redeem myself. In the next month or so I’m about to hit the rugby League tab in a big way …
The elegant eleven
Martin Crowe! Good call.
I think DP has the master though. Mark Waugh made it look so easy that you wondered how he ever failed. And his slips catching where he made the impossible look everyday.
The elegant eleven
All your suggestions are class. I would consider Keith Miller for the all rounder spot and from the same era cricketing heart throb, Dennis Compton.
Everyone has their favorites, I always thought Richard Hadlee made bowling look so damn easy.
The elegant eleven
Turner is a good choice. He’s been impressive for a while now. I have noticed that he is bowling less these days, not sure whether that is just the product of playing in WA, or a conscious choice.
And he has the best spin bowling name in cricket. Turner!
Reminds me of a rugby league player a few years ago who was pretty average, but had the excellent footballing name of Paul Upfield.
Wade snubbed again as Australia reveal ODI squad for India tour
Slightly off topic, but does Shaun Marsh have the dodgiest hamstrings in the history of world sport? this must be something like the 347th time he’s been out with hamstring trouble. They must be as tight as guitar strings. I can well imagine Brian May wailing away on Shaun Marsh’s hammies.
Wade snubbed again as Australia reveal ODI squad for India tour
This could have been a 6 world article. “Because the series is in England”.
Why Australia are still firm Ashes underdogs
It was nice to see the English come over to play it in Australia recently. Why should it always be in England? They already have the advantage of being further along in their season.
To be honest Super League set the concept back, despite their good intentions. Back in 1997 when they played the World Club Challenge as a series between the Australian and English sides, it became obvious that in anything more than a one-off the English were badly overmatched.
The World Club Challenge has to stop stumbling from one year to the next
The only thing that was correct in that post was oh Jimmy, Jimmy. If Jimmy can maintain the rage for another few months that in itself makes England favourites.
I’m pretty sure you’d take our openers over yours, and maybe Travis Head, but it’s really comparing who is the least worst.
England's Ashes weaknesses exposed by Windies
“solid but unspectacular West Indies attack”.
Well if you look at their attack compared to ours, according to the ICC rankings (and just add up the ratings points for the top three bowlers) they have a total of 2,240 (rankings of 6,10 and 12) and we have 2,325 (2,13 and 15) (I’ve used Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins). That’s a difference of around 4% and is all due to Cummins.
Their fourth bowler Joseph is inexperienced and well down the list compared to Lyon.
But having three bowlers in the top 12 ranked in the world is better than you think.
Let’s look at averages. Using all for bowlers this time (as Joseph’s inexperience doesn’t affect his average like it does the ICC rankings). the ‘average of the averages’ for Australia is 27.4 at a strike rate of 54.7. for the West Indies it’s 29 and 56.8. Not quite up to our ‘world’s best attack’, but pretty close.
England's Ashes weaknesses exposed by Windies
As someone who has spent some time at the Fair Work Commission trying to defend an employer’s comments on an employee dismissal, I can well see why you never get anything out of these statements
Bombshell dropped as Australian bowling coach quits
Turner just got picked for our India series, so I would say he is a chance
If Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis fire, Australia will win another World Cup
So strike rate obviously not a consideration in limited over cricket there David?
Maxwell 121.64
Stoinis 96.87
Hussey 87.16
Bevan 74.16
It surely has to be a consideration. Any batsman scoring at 74.16 strike rate in modern cricket would be dropped. Especially if they dawdled along so that they remained not out in 34% of their innings.
Let’s try a fairly common metric: average x strike rate / 100 – designed to see who is the best with a balance between scoring lots between dismissals and scoring fast – i.e. provides balanced value to the team
Hussey 41.97
Stoinis 41.14
Bevan 39.73
Maxwell 39.30
On that basis Hussey is the best, but there is actually only around 6% variance between them.
If Glenn Maxwell and Marcus Stoinis fire, Australia will win another World Cup
It rubbed me up the wrong way. It went against the grain., etc
After demolishing Sri Lanka at home, here's how Australia's Ashes squad is shaping up
If you are advocating taking in 5 top line bowlers that’s fine, but if you think for a minute that Steve Smith is capable of being one of them then really you are picking your six batsman and four bowlers. Smith is a part timer at best, like Labuschagne, Head, or in the old days Blewett, Mark Waugh, Doug Walters or Greg Chappell.
So are you really saying you want some of our bats to be able to roll the arm over? Is that what you mean by 5th bowler?
There is a reason that throughout history many teams have played 6 bats a keeper and 4 bowlers. They have only regularly played a 5th bowler when there are terribly flat pitches or when they actually have a top line all rounder. And they have been rare throughout the ages.
Ideally you have that all rounder and get your five bowlers, but if you don’t have it, you don’t sacrifice batting to get it.
The best sides have picked a top 6 and gone from there. There was a reason Australia used that formula during their best period. It works. And having Gilchrist at 7 was devastating for tiring opponents. West Indies were the same – 6 bats and one or two of them could bowl some holding overs.
Better to have your six bats but have one or two of them be capable holding bowlers – Head, Maxwell, Labuschagne can all take this role. Smith barely, he bowls too many four balls.
The ultimate Australian Test 13
I believe the old saying is “S#$% in S#$% out”. Any system is only as good as its assumptions.
There is a place for metrics and algorithms to inform the selectors’ decision making. At the moment it is too skewed towards gut feel and the “glory pick”. This is the Greg Chappell influence.
But you also need the human element. Sometimes you just have to have a feel for these things. Any AI or metric in the world would have dropped Steve Waugh well before he made his first century.
And there is the experience factor. Pat Cummins has never bowled in a test match in England and I’m not sure he has played much County either. How can you reliably make a solely data-based assessment on that basis?
The problems in Australian cricket won’t be solved by the current selectors or any former great
Bookies love that. It’s when the favourite gets up that they lose (although they never actually lose)
Super League Round 1: The wrap
I’d love to see them both. I think Toulouse would give that derby as you say. My concern is how long Toronto’s benefactor will persist if they don’t go up.
Super League Round 1: The wrap
I loved Deano in the whites. The way he ran between wickets changed the game.
The elegant eleven