Monday 11 January 2010

Who Is Better ?

This is why Afridi is better than kaneria:

1) Kaneria was a mammoth failure in ODI. True good bowlers or matchwinners can perform in any format or should be able to.
2) Afridi has more variety. He can bowl the leg break, flipper, googly, off break and quicker one. Kaneria hasn’t mastered the full repertoire like Warne or Qadir. But moreover, he doesn’t use his variation effectively and wisely whereas Afridi does. That’s why his change up/ variation is much more lethal.
3) Afridi is a lot harder to get hold of and hit for boundaries whereas Kaneria is much easier. Top order players have encountered difficulty when facing Shahid and tail enders have been clueless but with Kaneria tail enders can hit him for boundaries and read him well too often. Kaneria hasn’t got the ability to be ruthless against the tail.
4)Afridi can capture astonishing set of figures like that 6-38 vs Aus in UAE 1st ODI last year. Also, he has produced many matchwinning spells in T20. I can’t imagine Kaneria getting anywhere near that level of brilliance with his marathon spells in test matches.

Nevertheless, in despite on that Kaneria SR and average in tests are up there with the best. He has been labelled as a threat. He has got ambition so he can aspire to climb. He has got the skills and has dismissed some top players. He is also a hard working country committed player. But, surely he has to actually win more matches in order to be labelled as only one of Pak’s finest in TESTS ONLY. No way was he better than Mushy or Qadir as they were dominating and genuine matchwinning bowlers who played an instrumental role in many Pakistani victories. Stats can be deceptive one has to remember as they don't reveal the whole picture of one's ability which is the case in Danish’s position. He is above average, nothing above that. As for my opinion, I feel he is overrated.

5 comments:

Stani Army said...

Completely agree Maz. I'm actually in the middle of doing a post about Kaneria...will post soon.

His stats do read well but I dont think any batting side fears him. Afridi can easily do better and it would mean we could squeeze Ajmal in the team to if Afridi was picked instead of Kaneria.

If he is dropped though, people will just make excuses that its because of his religion. This is the same argument used when people say he is underrated.

Abdullah said...

Stani, I am gutted for Imran Tahir. He has got formidable and phenomenal stats in the FC arena and had been waiting patiently for his international opportunity but yet is denied it when it comes. I don’t understand this ineligibility. It was similar to that Azeem Rafiq saga in 2008 which resulted in Yorkshire’s exit from the T20 competition. Surely when they are qualified everything should be sorted out. Even more so gutted because the guy is a personal friend of mine. Top down to eartch guy. He should have played for Pak long ago but his performances weren’t recognised. He would go down as the greatest spinner never to have played for Pakistan.

If Afridi played Ajmal would have complemented him very well due to the different styles of operation. They are superb combination that have formed a superb partnership in the limited version of the game. Afridi is such a well-transformed bowler. He’s one the best in the world currently. In my opinion he is a bowler primarily as batting is an extra although he has matured with it. His bowling is threatening, attacking and striking.

Btw, do u use pp (pakpassion)? If so what is your username?

Stani Army said...

In Rafiq's case, Yorkshire badly cocked up. I think his career's taken a bit of a knock because of that.

Are we really that well endowed in the spin department to let the likes of Tahir go? I'm not sure. Certainly, Afridi is our best spinner and he'd take the all-rounder slot in my team. The spinners place I'd give to Ajmal. Is Tahir better than Kaneria? He does look like it doesn't he. His celebrations are better! I love 'em!

No Maz, I don't use PakPassion.

Abdullah said...

Yes the celebrations are better because that’s in his character. But nothing can get better than that Johnson dismissal in which Kaneria went bezerk. Absolute madness but it was all in vain at the end of the day! Kaneria actually tried to fly!

Anyway I am keenly following the U19WC and Azeem Rafiq is captain of the England team. A tad peculiar because Pakistan’s captain is also a talented batsman named “Azeem”!

I personally feel Tahir is better. He can bat and field much better for certain. I wish him all the best in playing for his adopted nation, as he’s a top person and player as well. His time will come again as he’s too good not to get selected as his dear friend said. He has got all the variations to be labelled as the “finished article”. An excellent wrong’un and flipper but average stock delivery.

Anyhow what’s your view on ball tampering? Because Stuart Broad was quite clearly and conclusively caught on camera but gets away with it. I don’t know why he was let off the hook. Whether he his white or his dad being a match referee I don’t know? But whatever the case, the ICC has clearly shown that they are a nepotistic and slightly racist organisation. Had Pak been in that position much more fuss would have been created as a matter of fact.

Anyhow reverse swing is an art. It’s exciting and good for the game. Therefore, even if one has tampered with the ball it shouldn’t be seen as such a negative subject matter. I mean batters can pat down the pitch can’t they? After all batting has slightly overshadowed bowling in this current era so why shall one not let them utilise an art in order to add means of an equal balance for bowlers and excitement for spectators. Reverse swing is not such a height of difficulty that’s it’s unplayable and just adds challenge to batsmen when the game is getting a one-dimensional discipline. Its not as if its just a scientific invincibility. Plenty of skill is needed in order to accomplish it and utilise it effectively.



Everything we seem to be best at doesn’t appear fully legitimate such as bowling doosra with a clean action and utilising full reverse swing.

Unknown said...

I have to agree...Kaneria's in ability to dominate sides and run through them has been visible many times in last few yrs, and he definitely is not able to use his variety as effectively as his predecessors did...and this is something even the Aussie commentators have been saying during the ongoing series in Australia...especially Shane Warne has pointed out that Kaneria tries to do too much...


Afridi should be in test team...he's a much improved bowler and he's an IMPACT player...a GAME CHANGER...something Pakistan lacks currently...

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