Who Is The Best Pace Bowler Pakistan Have Ever Had?. >

[Milo]

Imran, without a doubt. His performances against the best (often when others were not delivering) is second to none.

[Narasim Iyengar]

All I would ask is that people look at the series averages of the Pakistan/India series from 1982/3. There is only one candidate for this particular honour in my view.

Wasim comes second, Waqar a very distant third. Wasim bowled possibly the best over I've had the privilege to see - in a Roses match from the early 90s I guess it must have been. 6 balls of perfection, outswing beating the outside edge, inswing causing the batsman to almost fall over, outswing beating the outside edge, inswing played uncomfortably bacl to the bowler, outswing beating the outside edge, outswinger - faint edge to the keeper. You can't get beter.

Waqar is all well and good for the yorkers and the kids who want someone who can bowl fast, but as another member of this board has mentioned before, he's the last person you'd want in your team if you had to bowl a side out for under 150. Sure, he may take 5 wickets, but he'd go 70 in 15 overs in the process and cost you the game.

[Ernest]

Yes Narasim Iyengar, I probably saw that Roses match, I remember his days at Lancashire well, I will never forget them, how many times in those domestic one dayers did Wasim bowl us out of defeat, what he could not do with a ball. is not worth doing.

Ern

[Maranello]

Narasim Iyengar, definitely agree with you. Wasim had the variety and the natural talent to do almost anything...and yes, there would be an immense sense of expectation and excitement as an on-looker...

but for sheer lethal destructiveness, for hard work and for shouldering the burdern on his own in some very unfriendly conditions, it would have to Imran

Waqar would be a third by any standards...yes, the fastest and definitely, for a brief period, the most effective fast bowler around, he did not have the consistency of Akram or the metal attitude of Imran to be excellent over a long period.

[Maranello]

I thought I'd educate myself and some others on this great from Pakistan's past... he was not as fast as Imran or Waqar, or had as much variety and cunning as these two... but in an era when a new nation was finding its feet in the world, he was a hero for Pakistanis...and his role in the memorable victory over England at The Oval in 1954, in Pakistan's first ever tour, ensures his status as a Pakistani legend for ever...

He was considered by some to be the best Asian pace bowler of his era, and though not Pakistan's best ever, remains a true-great.

In 34 Tests from 1952 to 1962, he had a more than decent record, as shown below:

Bowling			1639	560 3434 139 24.70 7-42 13 4 70.7 2.09

Some quotations and profiles:

EW Swanton, The Cricketer :
There were few better bowlers of his type than this tall, strong fellow who at medium-pace allied exemplary control with regular movement off the pitch. Before partition Fazal Mahmood played in the Ranji Trophy for Northern India, was a member of the Pakistan side to England in 1954, and had the major share in his country's first Test win at The Oval in August. He took 12 for 99 there and followed, on Australia's first visit to Pakistan, by taking 13 for 114 at Karachi, which enabled his side to win what also was a first Test victory. On the retirement of A. H. Kardar he was the natural successor as captain, and led in three successive series against the West Indies (1958-59), Australia (1959-60) and India (1960-61). The Indian series, resulted in five draws on the Indian pitches, as had the previous rubber between them, played on the mat in Pakistan. He took 139 wickets in 34 Test matches, including five in an innings thirteen times. In helpful conditions he could be almost unplayable.


Wisden overview - Scyld Berry:
A hero to men and boys, and a heart-throb for the ladies, Fazal was the Imran Khan of the 1950s. As a medium-fast bowler, he delivered both offcutters and legcutters at will, and was especially effective on matting pitches at home. For his part in Pakistan's win at The Oval in 1954 he was one of Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year.


John Arlott on Fazal after The Oval Test of 1954:
http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_data...14JUN2004.html

His action was not prepossessing; but he was strong, immensely fit, built like the policeman he was and, in many ways, was the ideal fast-medium bowler. His length was consistently accurate, he took punishment well, his stamina and determination were such that he never flagged and, given the opportunity of a breakthrough, he would persist untiringly. His stock in trade, like his pace, was similar to that of Alec Bedser; although originally a wrist-spinner, he developed sharp swing; but probably his keenest weapons were his cutters, which, particularly from leg, he bowled outstandingly and, in helpful circumstances, with deadly effect.

He comes from Lahore and had played effectively for Northern India. He was as immensely successful a bowler on matting as he later was on turf; and was unlucky not to tour England with Pataudi's side in 1946. He was, in fact, chosen to go with the 1947–48 Indian team to Australia, but Partition prevented him from making the tour. So he became one of the first few major `pure' Pakistani Test cricketers and, although he did not play his First Test until 1952 (against India), when he was 25, he went on to appear 34 times for his country and to take an impressive 139 wickets (an average of over five a match) at 24.70. He often hit hard and usefully in the lower part of the batting order and had a safe pair of hands: a cheerful, good-hearted cricketer.
[...]

Fazal had poor luck; at least three close catches went down; but, typically, he showed neither irritation nor disappointment, but simply seemed eager to bowl the next ball.


Agha Akbar on Fazal Mahmood:

Fazal, however, deserved his place in the sun. He was an extraordinary match-winner, and was acknowledged as the best swing bowler of his era with perhaps only England's Alec Bedser said to be a shade better. The Oval in 1954, may have seen Fazal at his devastating-best, but it neither was his first such performance nor his last. Fazal had great control over his swing and he had an absolutely lethal leg-cutter. He carried a reputation of being enormously deadly on matting, but then three out of his four 12-wicket hauls have come abroad on turf pitches, which amply shows that, regardless of surface, he was an exceptional swing bowler.


Fazal Mahmood - Master of Nagging Length
Shoaib Ahmed
He was the best pacer produced by Pakistan until the arrival of the great Imran Khan, averaging more than four wickets a Test. This green-eyed strongman was often unplayable on Pakistan's matting wickets and almost as formidable on turf. Many referred to him as the Alec Bedser of Pakistan for the distinct similarity in their methods. Both were masters of nagging, persistent length and concentrated on swing and a mixture of leg-cutters and breakbacks.
[...]
It is no exaggeration if one states that without Fazal's telling contribution as a front-line bowler, Pakistan would have struggled to gain Test status as early as 1951. His great services to the game of cricket in Pakistan have ensured his name among the most respected cricketers of his generation.

[Shaka]

Originally Posted by Narasim Iyengar

Wasim bowled possibly the best over I've had the privilege to see - in a Roses match from the early 90s I guess it must have been. 6 balls of perfection, outswing beating the outside edge, inswing causing the batsman to almost fall over, outswing beating the outside edge, inswing played uncomfortably bacl to the bowler, outswing beating the outside edge, outswinger - faint edge to the keeper. You can't get beter.

I think for me this is what encapsulates Wasim's sheer brilliance. There isn't anything that Wasim couldn't do with a ball. Outswing, inswing, pace, hostility, lift, skidders....Imran didn't come close to having Akram's natural ability which he would always be the first to admit. But then Imran's sheer force of will seemed to see many batting line ups crumble under his onslaught.

One thing I would add though is that Waqar does deserve to be mentioned up there with those two; he came back twice from serious setbacks to his career. Firstly from a back injury which meant he had to re-model his action to a more front on style, secondly after an absence of two years having been dropped from the team. I was always a bit sceptical about Waqar but watching him tear through a quality South African line up in a Sharjah final when Pakistan was really up against the wall reminded me of the guy's sheer refusal to lie down and be counted out.

Waqar re-built his career twice and that takes something special by anyone's standards.

[Maranello]

But the second Waqar come back was not really that great, he was not the bowler that he once had been....

yes the first one was definitely something special, coming back and changing his action after a stress fracture of the back in 1992...and in fact many of his best moments came after that break!

But the same happened to Imran, he was laid-off for on and off 2 years with a broken leg, an injury aggravated by him being forced to make early come-backs etc... but once he did eventually return, his figures were impressive.

[Shaka]

The second comeback wasn't that great? I disagree...Waqar had a couple of years where he led Pakistan very successfully before things broke down. A successful one day tour of England before the Ashes stands out, where Waqar took 7 wickets in one game. I think the fact that he wasn't the Waqar of old yet was still so successful is what makes his 2nd comeback more special!

The really great sportsmen like Ali or Alan Shearer can still perform at the top level when their primary speed or reflexes have gone. It's what seperates them from the rest I suppose.

[Rachael]

I think i saw Michael Owen quoted earlier in the week.. saying something to the effect that he was sick of all the talk of his pace.. and that in his experience... 9 times out of 10 it was quickness of thought, not of reflex or limb, that created goal-scoring chances.

How much more true is that of cricket...

[Maranello]

yep Mikey is right...otherwise Sheringham would not have got a single goal in his career!