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AFLW 2024 - Round 6 - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
By all reports was a bit of a character too .Barnes is my immediate nomination, and still to me one of the most fascinating players ever. His figures are nuts for starters, and he only bowled against Australia and South Africa so zero cheap wickets. The thing is it wasn't like he was in the mix as one of the top bowlers then - most contemporaries said he was universally the best. The visiting West Indians in the late 20s said he was the best bowler they faced and he was in his fifties! Must have been one hell of a player.
Cool thing too - he STILL holds the record for the most wickets in a series. Over 100 years later.
How about Sarfraz Nawaz, he would have been close
Mohammad Asif is the great coulda-been Medium Pacer.
Generally bowled around the high-120's but he could make the ball sing; genuine shame that he was busted for match fixing as he might well have been a generational talent for Pakistan.
Mohammad Asif is the great coulda-been Medium Pacer.
Generally bowled around the high-120's but he could make the ball sing; genuine shame that he was busted for match fixing as he might well have been a generational talent for Pakistan.
James Anderson
i wonder if the over rates have anything to do with it?
Once upon a time if you wanted a circuit breaker from a ‘non-specialist’ all rounder it was 50-50 if that bowler would be a spinner or a medium pacer.
When I was a kid England would turn to Graham Gooch to bowl his garbage medium pace here and there, the West Indies would turn to Viv Richards bowling off spin, Australia had Allan Border bowling left arm tweak, Steve Waugh bowling medium pace, Mark Waugh bowled both.
For most of these guys who were batsmen first and foremost, they probably also did what most gun cricketers have always done and practiced their general skills in the nets just as a matter of habit: you go to the nets, you bowl at least a bit, they can all bowl at least a bit at varying qualities.
But nowadays if you are going to toss the ball to someone to bowl 4-5 overs to give the main bowlers a break and try and buy a wicket chances are you are already behind the over rate and you want to rush through them as quick as you can so the guys who are a bit stronger with spin get a start
Australia under McDonald has been pretty good at using part timers, I think.Great point, I also think the sport including all the talent pathways has put so much emphasis on stats that blokes who don’t regurlarly bowl just get overlooked unless sides are getting absolutely pumped and are desperate. It’s rarely used offensively, mainly as a well what the **** do we do here approach