Here are some interesting statistics comparing the two great Ws:
(btw in ODIs Wasim and Waqar top the all time list for no of wkts being 1st and 2nd by a long long way…)
If we look at all of the important figures for fast bowlers–primarily the strike rate and the average then we see that in both of these Waqar is ahead of Wasim in both forms of the game. He also has a higher wkts per match ratio too.
This is the comparison for both types of games combined from wisden:
BTW the last table is in order and shows the top 5 of all time–Waq and Was are streets ahead of the rest. Though Was has more overall wickets
Waq has better figures in every other dept!
Wasim or Waqar-this is a question that should not be an hard to answer as ppl make out. The stats tell only half the picture and leave a major half out. That Waqar has a better S/R and Ave does not make him a better bowler-and as much as I love Waqar Younis-he really was like a shooting star-brilliant for a relatively short time span. Akram has been brilliant for the best part of 2 decades, and certainly from his arrival on the test scene in 1984/5 V NZL to about 1996/7 he was amongst the greatest consistant exponents of quality pace bowling of alltime.
If you look at Waqar's stats post his 1994/5 injury-they will read distinctly like those of an ave (world class) mortal. His record is still kept sky high by his awesome start-until 1994 his S/R was 36 and his ave 18! That can be clarified by reading "Letting Rip-the fast bowling threat from Lillee to Waqar".
Wasim's mastery of all things bowling have allowed him to keep consistancy in his game all the way through, he has not scaled the dizzy heights Waqar did, but remained at a constant level of success throughout. Waqar held such dominance for 4/5 of his 14 odd years that he is still eating of the success he had then. A break down of his stasts will confirm that Waqar had a greater peak-the best ever-but overall throught there respective careers Wasim has been (1) more consistant and (2) a better and more complete bowler.
Waqar's raliance on his pace was shown by his staggering fall in success post 95, and coupled with his limited new ball variations he cant possibly be put against Wasim. Waqar (with the new ball) can only really move it away-his inswing is still largely an old ball issue-Wasim is the master of all swing and seam variations-not to mention he can mix up his pace, length and line far better then Younis.
A great pace merchant or the ultimate bowling magician is the choice your faced with-Akram by a mile.
I apologise to Younis for making it sound like he just fell off-his stats post 95 are not what they were before that, but there still quite awesome-ranging in ave from 20.72 (98) to 58.25 (99) across a years tests.
Waqar's ave from 95-
wkts: 165
runs: 4518
Tests: 47
Thus an ave of 27.38 in tests since his injury-compared to about 18 before hand-still decent, but a massive drop. Thats why Akram is better-the level consistancy.
My vote goes to WASIM AKRAM but not becasue of AQ's logic of waqar's performance against INDIA but just because WASIM has SOMETHING jo kisee aur meen nahee :)
AQ : with your logic here is world's best batting line up again Pakistan
SACHIN
Against All 99 8351 217 57.99
Against PAK 7 395 136 32.91
GANGULY
Against All 61 3971 173 43.16
Against PAK 3 172 62* 34.40
DRAVID
Against All 63 5118 200* 52.76
Against PAK 3 162 53 27.00
LAXMAN
Against All 38 2349 281 41.21
Against PAK 3 138 67 23.00
Baywaqoof on a role! :k: :k:
World’s best batting side my a$$.
I turly feel sorry for Waqar, he would have been the greatest if it wasn’t for 3 different surgerieshe had in in 93.
But the time before the World Cup when Waqar was still young on the seen, he was the best at that time, and his performance at that time was better than Wasim had been ever.
But talking about level of consistency and being at the level of greatness for a long period of time than my pick would be Wasim.
I can truly say that there is no bowler ever can come close to the greatness of Wasim and Waqar.
Out of the current bowlers I don’t see anyone breaking Wasim’s one day record, except for maybe Shoaib Akhtar but you can’t guarentee his fitness.
