Is Murali the greatest test bowler ever?

[Parm]

Much better spinner than Warne.

Funny thing is its only the Aussies who ever complain about his action. Aussies who work at the ICC especially

so true,
look the guy will always be contreversial, but I do rate him very highly, he cant help having been born with the defect in his arm.
I think overall the fact that Warne got a lot of his wickets against top class teams would swing the vote for me, but only on that basis. But then again a wicket is a wicket and you can only beat who is put in front of you. Murali has carried Sri Lanka for many years and has always come up trumps despite the **** storm surrounding his action. I cant see anyone beating his records for years, esp given the amount of matches he has acheived it in.

[Tee]

Malcolm Marshall was a little beast of a bowler.

It's clearly down to the volume of cricket played these days - all it takes is a glance at the top 4 wicket-takers.

Also, Makaya Ntini has taken 70 more wickets than Michael Holding!!!

Says it all.

Those West Indian bowlers did amazing considering how many great bowlers, and I mean great, were in the same side. Talk about fighting over who is going to bowl... let me think... Garner, or Marshall, or Holding, or Roberts....

Greatest team of all time without doubt IMO.

You are right about the volume of cricket played now, so perhaps there should be other ways to gauge the best bowlers.

[Parm]

Malcolm Marshall was a little beast of a bowler.

It's clearly down to the volume of cricket played these days - all it takes is a glance at the top 4 wicket-takers.

Also, Makaya Ntini has taken 70 more wickets than Michael Holding!!!

Says it all.

all those West Indies Bowlers of the the 70's/80's and Curtley and Courtney were brilliant, **** even going back a few yeat Wes Hall
very sad to see the decline of the fast bowler over there.

[Shaggy]

Those West Indian bowlers did amazing considering how many great bowlers, and I mean great, were in the same side. Talk about fighting over who is going to bowl... let me think... Garner, or Marshall, or Holding, or Roberts....

Greatest team of all time without doubt IMO.

You are right about the volume of cricket played now, so perhaps there should be other ways to gauge the best bowlers.

all those West Indies Bowlers of the the 70's/80's and Curtley and Courtney were brilliant, **** even going back a few yeat Wes Hall
very sad to see the decline of the fast bowler over there.

Yup.

I think it's pretty clear from the lists my mate's produced today, that the greatest bowler of all time is neither Warne or Murali, and is in fact Malcolm Marshall.

[Parm]

Murali had the England batters in a spin today

[SouthAfricaRed]

Does anyone have any stats on how many wickets Warne and Murali have taken outside their countries?

The stat I'd like to see is how many of the Pairs wickets were questionable umpiring decisions

[Red_Al_77]

Malcolm Marshall for me is the best test bowler ever. Murali might have the wickets but that isn't the be all and end all when you judge the 'greatest'. I would also rate the likes of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh as greater than Murali. Also for me Shane Warne is a better all round player. Murali is a great bowler but his ability is somewhat dictated by his deformities. As to the greatest cricketer of all time...Don Bradman.

[SouthAfricaRed]

Malcolm Marshall for me is the best test bowler ever. Murali might have the wickets but that isn't the be all and end all when you judge the 'greatest'. I would also rate the likes of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh as greater than Murali. Also for me Shane Warne is a better all round player. Murali is a great bowler but his ability is somewhat dictated by his deformities. As to the greatest cricketer of all time...Don Bradman.

Never got to see him play .... A Bit too Young

The Best player that I saw was Graeme Pollock

I have been told though that Garfield Sobers was pretty useful as well

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Best batsmen in my young years that i have seen is Kallis, Lara, and Tendulkar

[Red Chilli]

Best batsmen in my young years that i have seen is Kallis, Lara, and Tendulkar

Lara- batsman

Marshall-bowler

Rhodes-fielder

Akram-All rounder

Healey- Keeper

IMO

[Tee]

Batsman - Viv Richards by a mile. Seriously.

Bowler - Malolm Marshall (bias view says Wasim Akram)

Fielder - Rhodes

All rounder - Imran Khan / Shaun Pollock

Wicket keeper - Gilchrist

[Red_Al_77]

Batsman - Don Bradman

Bowler - Malcolm Marshall

Fielder - Derek Randall

All rounder - Gary Sobers

Wicket keeper - Alan Knott

[Snigger]

Murali is a better bowler, better strike rate, more wickets, better average all in less games.

As Warne said yesterday i wouldn't be suprised if he got 1000 wickets.

Murali is not a bowler, how the ICC let him continue playing is beyond me, his action is against the rules of what a bowler is allowed to do. If Warne could have thrown the ball instead of bowl it he would have over 1000 wickets by now.

Warne still holds the record as far as I'm concerned, and I don't even like the bloke.