Brett Lee & Shaun Tait - World's Fastest Bowling Attack

[sayed.jaffar]

I read the story in an online Australian newspaper where Ponting said he wants to see both of his fast bowlers to share the new ball attack. I think Australian's bowling attack will become even more stronger and faster. I dont see any other country including Pakistan and SA to come close to the quality of bowlers which Australia possess. What you guys think about this Aussie fast bowling lineup?

[Avenger]

They are gonna leak runs. They may get wickets but the opposition if they attack them can make them pay as well. I would prefer facing this aussie attack rather than one in which Mcgrath and Warne are operating in tandum together. Aussie bowling is weaker.

[Sean]

It would be a great site to watch. But if both players have a bad day, we would be chasing quite alot of leather.

[Easa]

It would be the fastest bowling attack in the world but not necessarily the best. Lee and Tait both have the tendency to have a lot of bad days, especially in Tests, from which the batsman can capitalize upon.

McGrath and Warne would be far harder..

[billlal]

shoaib and asif will be the best bowling pair. no doubt wat se ever.

[Wazeeri]

I can't remember the last time two 95+ bowlers bowled together.

[Noman]

Originally Posted by Wazeeri I can't remember the last time two 95+ bowlers bowled together.

Sami and shoaib at a time bowled both 95 plus... Sami didnt did that well because he was trying to hard to bowl faster than Shoaib akthar

[Taurus]

Shaun Tait has a long way to go, and Lee's likely to lose pace now he's getting older. I'd much rather face this pair than McGrath and Clark in tandem. Still got pleasant memories of KP taking Tait to pieces at The Oval.

[safehands46]

runs dont matter as long as both of your bowlers are match winners meaning players who run through sides. I believe they have that!

[Punter]

tait and lee will be a great attack tru cuase when mcgrath got older he lost a lot of pace but was still a great bowler

[faisalm]

Well if i was a decent batsman i would be licking my lips ready for alot of 'hit me' balls. They won't be anywhere as good as good as Mcgrath, a better choice would be Clark.

[mos123]

Originally Posted by billlal shoaib and asif will be the best bowling pair. no doubt wat se ever.

you are right

[Amjid Javed]

Intresting to see what aussies bowling attack looks like in tests and odis without glen mcgrath. brett lee should return. Intresting to see if Lee and Tait can co-exist in the same team.

[iZeeshan]

Nathan Bracken is miles ahead! He won;t ever be as effective first change.

[12thMan]

Bracken has not done well in tests. Three bowlers from - Lee, Tait, Suart Clark, some newcomer like Hilfenhaus (spelling???) or return of Gillespie for a series or two. McGill will be there as the fourth bowler and there will be Watson or Symonds. I think they need 2-3 matches to decide if they can they go with 4 bowlers and for that time Watson probably gets the nod over Symonds

[Amjid Javed]

Originally Posted by 12thMan Bracken has not done well in tests. Three bowlers from - Lee, Tait, Suart Clark, some newcomer like Hilfenhaus (spelling???) or return of Gillespie for a series or two. McGill will be there as the fourth bowler and there will be Watson or Symonds. I think they need 2-3 matches to decide if they can they go with 4 bowlers and for that time Watson probably gets the nod over Symonds

Dont forget mitchell Johnson the left arm quicky as well.

[12thMan]

Mitchel Johnson is someone I am not clear about. I saw him in Commonweatlh series and the one against NZ. He might get a chance but they haven't tried him in tests yet. In some ODIs he was going for quite a few runs but ODIs are different than tests

[Filosifar]

Tait is quick, but he'll sure damn suffer against the slow pace of the test match and the less-haste in the batsman. He wont last long.
Lee....well....we all know about lee.
Tait is by no means the bowler Lee is...and never will be. If Lee isn't all that, then Tait aint. A bit like having Akhtar and Azhar Mahmood in your opening attack.
Akhtar is prodigious, but no way in McGrath/Warne/Wasim/Waqar and co's league, and Mahmood, well...we all know about his 'ability'.

Don't think I am compromising that Both their paces won't do anything; just that pace is no longer the obstacle it used to be till the early milenniums. Patience, control and length will get you wickets. Something I respect Shoaib for, as he has become moderate in his mentality.

I remember him trying to consistently...for no reason...bowl 97 mph bouncers first ball...when an 88 mph ball would do just the same. A leave from the batsman, or a possible caught behind. Or try a 98 mph yorker, when a 90 mph yorker would do the same thing. In fact, that 98 mph yorker would go for 6 and that 90 mph yorker would go for 1-4 max....simple.

Pace isn't bowling, and bowling isn't pace. Pace is a subjective form of bowling which is a device enabling the bowler to utilize. Pace isn't a delivery...nor a medium...nor a cricketing blueprint to observe. Just a tool.

I was young...and I used to watch cricket mainly for the speed-guns, but I don't think it matters.

Btw, I'm not implying that Pace means zilch. It matters alot...but line'n'length and moderacy beats it.

[Filosifar]

Originally Posted by 12thMan Mitchel Johnson is someone I am not clear about. I saw him in Commonweatlh series and the one against NZ. He might get a chance but they haven't tried him in tests yet. In some ODIs he was going for quite a few runs but ODIs are different than tests

A fast but hit and miss bowler.

I.e. bowls 130 kph'ers, and a 145 kph'er next ball. And then a 140 kph ball followed by a 120 kph ball. What is he? Left-arm Medium but quite Fast when he revs it up bowler?

[James]

They will offer up some pies but there is no batsman that would want to face 90-95mph bowling at both ends. They can take wickets any day, and on the occasional day they might both get it right on the mark which would be unplayable. Using both is something the Aussies might not 'need', it is a luxury, but given the Aussie's form I think they could afford this luxury.

[Filosifar]

Originally Posted by Whippy They will offer up some pies but there is no batsman that would want to face 90-95mph bowling at both ends. They can take wickets any day, and on the occasional day they might both get it right on the mark which would be unplayable. Using both is something the Aussies might not 'need', it is a luxury, but given the Aussie's form I think they could afford this luxury.

No batsman wouldn't, but no batsman would want to face a Warner-miler, or a McGrarer scorcha.
More than the 95 mph things.
Some pies? With Tait, pies are the norm. Same for Lee.

[Avenger]

We have only seen Tait in the ODI's. He has been in the high 90's in his first spell but his speed has dropped significantly in his second and third spell. He still has a long way to go and whether he can maintain those speeds for long periods is something which will be intresting. Besides 2 bowlers bowling at 90mph is not as frigthening as it seems, batsmen get used to their speeds and their timing, stroke play adjustments are all made accordingly.

Lee will still be a handful for his experience and i trust him to maintain his speeds in his later spells but tait is suspect. I think Aus would be better of with stuart clarke or someone else in case tait is given a hiding. Its all a fairy tale right now. I had high hopes of Shoaib and Sami making it big and i was loving that period of Pakistan cricket two 90 mph bowlers bowling together. But no Shoaib suffered due to injuries and politics with Inzamam and others while Sami was never given the right advice on his bowling problems and had to contend with a defensive captain, coach who begged him to reduce his runup and pace.

[12thMan]

We have only seen Tait in the ODI's.

he played a test in 2005 Ashes but I think that was his first international appearance

[cricket_crazy]

In tests there is no way Aussies can afford to play both Lee and Tait

The choice is between Lee and Tait for tests and Lee hasn't done anything out of ordinary so Tait should get the nod.

In odis, you also need variety...Tait or Lee are effective because of the pressure Mcgrath and Bracken create...I don't think Lee would be able to create that pressure for Tait to fire or vice versa...But Lee is a proven matchwinner in odis and should be higher in the list than tait.

If they both play 2gether in odis, they'l both be leaking runs like Shoaib and Sami did in 04-05 playing together - although Tait and Lee are not of the level of Sami so they may do much better.

[Mercenary]

Originally Posted by Wazeeri I can't remember the last time two 95+ bowlers bowled together.

Sami and Shoaib vs India in Pakistan (2004), Sami was consistently faster than AKhtar in that series and both were steaming in at 95mph+

However they also got pasted on the flat wickets, lets hope Lee and Tait suffer a similar fate!

[Punter]

lille and thommo were 2 great fast bowlers but not as fast as the bowlers today

[Sean]

Thommo did get up to 160 once I think. He broke the record for the fastest ball ever bowled.
Lillee was like McGrath (Probably McGrath was like Lillee ).

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Sean Lillee was like McGrath (Probably McGrath was like Lillee ).

Did you ever see Lillee bowl, he was in no way like McGrath.

[inane]

I would like to see Lee and Tait in the same team for one dayers. Could go for some runs but would be very very dangerous.

It tests I would replace Lee with Tait. Lee is getting older and has never really developed into a great test bowler. Put it Tait and see what he can do over the next couple of years.

[purplehaze]

These two would bring some excitement in game however it would come at the cost of variation. If batsman can dominate one, he will dominate other too.

[OZGOD]

Fastest does not mean best. I never thought these two would be able to play in the same attack, unless and until we got an pace-bowling allrounder who could earn his spot in the side as a bowler as well as a batsman. The main issue with both Lee and Tait is that both players generally bowl at their best in short, sharp spurts (though I was surprised that Lee bowled 13 overs unchanged in Adelade with a ball that was reversing and still maintained his control). Stu Clark is a workhorse who can bowl a lot of the stock overs, but without Warney it's expecting a lot to put that burden on MacGill (who is not as consistent and controlled as Warne) and Clark.

This is why the boffins in charge are so desperate for Watson to come good - because he could take up that stock bowling option and allow us to play Tait and Lee in the same side and bowl them in the way that maximises their effectiveness.

[Sean]

OG, and I don't see when we will be able to get a World Class alrounder. Watto won't become one, hopes isn't that fast. So who will it be?

[shahidrazzaq]

Originally Posted by sayed.jaffar I read the story in an online Australian newspaper where Ponting said he wants to see both of his fast bowlers to share the new ball attack. I think Australian's bowling attack will become even more stronger and faster. I dont see any other country including Pakistan and SA to come close to the quality of bowlers which Australia possess. What you guys think about this Aussie fast bowling lineup?

At the time it is Brett Lee and Tait.
Except Shoiab and Sami was even quicker.
Shoiab's average bowl is 143+.
Lee's average bowl is 139+.
Tait's average bowl is 140+.
Sami's average bowl is 138+.

So if you add up the total,
Brett Lee and Shaun Tait's total is 279.
Shoiab Akthar and Mohammed Sami's total is 281.
At the time, Shoiab Akthar has been heard saying that he is fit and now practicing to not have another injury or have to not play a series in eternity or ever again.

Well I am going off-topic now.

My whole point is, if you had Akthar and Sami together, they would be fastest.

In recent games I have seen Tait clocking above 150kph. Good luck for both sides.

[Sean]

The fact is that Tait isn't as fast overseas than he is at home. As soon as he reached the WI, he was in the low-mid 140s.
Lee hasn't been at 150 for a while now.

[shahidrazzaq]

Originally Posted by Sean The fact is that Tait isn't as fast overseas than he is at home. As soon as he reached the WI, he was in the low-mid 140s. Lee hasn't been at 150 for a while now.

Brett Lee is losing pace just like Shane Bond.

Sean, you just hope your little Aussie friend gets better.

[Wazeeri]

Sami and Shoaib vs India in Pakistan (2004), Sami was consistently faster than AKhtar in that series and both were steaming in at 95mph+

I can't remember Sami bowling at 95+ with Shoaib,

[draexem]

Originally Posted by Sean The fact is that Tait isn't as fast overseas than he is at home. As soon as he reached the WI, he was in the low-mid 140s. Lee hasn't been at 150 for a while now.

I saw Tait bowl a ball at 155 during the World Cup... it was so far down the leg side that it was almost off the pitch. Next ball, he was back in the 140's

If I recall correctly, Ponting said that he'd like to see Lee and Tait in his team if both those bowlers were bowling at their best. Seeing as Tait can't bowl consistently well yet, I doubt Tait will be included. I hope Hilfenhaus will replace McGrath in both the one-day and test game. Austrlia would do better with the swing bowler Hilfy, than Johnson, Tait or Clark.

[draexem]

Originally Posted by Sean OG, and I don't see when we will be able to get a World Class alrounder. Watto won't become one, hopes isn't that fast. So who will it be?

Henriques and Keen are set to explode in the domestic league

[Sean]

Originally Posted by shahidrazzaq Brett Lee is losing pace just like Shane Bond. Sean, you just hope your little Aussie friend gets better.

What Aussie friend? Lee? Tait?

[OZGOD]

Originally Posted by Sean OG, and I don't see when we will be able to get a World Class alrounder. Watto won't become one, hopes isn't that fast. So who will it be?

Even if we don't produce a world-class allrounder, we might be able to get away with things if we can produce a bowling allrounder a la Pollock or Flingtoff. But all our allrounders are batting allrounders - Symmo, Hopeless, Watto...I don't really know of any bowling (and more importantly, pace bowling) allrounders in the pipeline other than Watto.

I was kind of hoping that Lee could get consistent enough to average 20+ with the bat - if he can average 20+ with the bat and 30+ with the ball he might qualify as an allrounder.

[draexem]

Originally Posted by Sean Thommo did get up to 160 once I think. He broke the record for the fastest ball ever bowled. Lillee was like McGrath (Probably McGrath was like Lillee ).

He only hit 160 once, because he was only ever recorded on 1 day of 1 test match (not including that stupid competition they held), and on that 1 day he hit 160. A shame really. Nobody knows how fast he could bowl. People still consider him the fastest bowler of all time and speculate that he probably reached 170 .

[draexem]

Originally Posted by OZGOD I was kind of hoping that Lee could get consistent enough to average 20+ with the bat - if he can average 20+ with the bat and 30+ with the ball he might qualify as an allrounder.

He does average 20+ with the bat. 21 with the bat and 31 with the ball (in tests).

[Lightning]

I haven't been impressed with Tait. Most good fast bowlers try to bowl on a good length and slip in the yorkers and bouncers. Tait's stock length seems to be the half volley which decent bats should be able to drive to the boundary over and over.

[draexem]

Originally Posted by LightSpeedGT I haven't been impressed with Tait. Most good fast bowlers try to bowl on a good length and slip in the yorkers and bouncers. Tait's stock length seems to be the half volley which decent bats should be able to drive to the boundary over and over.

It's because he excels at reverse swing, and gets a bit of conventional swing as well. It's why he's deadly with the old ball (when he's on song). However, he's young and he gets terribly excited about hitting the stumps, a little bit like Lee used to be. Give him time to mature.

Tait is valuable because he adds penetration to Australia's bowling attack during the middle overs, where the ball isn't doing much. His pace and the fact that he gets reverse much earlier than most bowlers made him a vital part of Australia's attack. You have to admit that once the ball got old, McGrath and Bracken didn't look half as dangerous as Tait did.

[Hashim]

Even without shoaib out of commision through injuries etc, sami still edges past tait and lee on pace.

[Filosifar]

Originally Posted by Hashim Even without shoaib out of commision through injuries etc, sami still edges past tait and lee on pace.

Sami is quick, but in no way is quicker than a bowler that has bowled at 99.5 mph (Lee) and 99.4 mph (Tait) respectively whereas Sami has failed to reach anything above 97, and consistently is bowling at 86 mph these days with the odd one at 90-91 mph.

[Daoud]

Originally Posted by Hashim Even without shoaib out of commision through injuries etc, sami still edges past tait and lee on pace.

Thats your bias as a Sami fan speaking. Recently Samis fastest is about equal to Tait's average

[Wazeeri]

Sami was fast for about two years of his life.
Overall he can be called fast but definitely not express.

[James]

Originally Posted by Hashim Even without shoaib out of commision through injuries etc, sami still edges past tait and lee on pace.

What an absolute load of crap.

[Lightning]

Last time I saw Sami he was conistently 142-148. So he's up there with Lee and Tait. Tait being the quickest out of the three though and Lee being the best.

[James]

He's not as fast as Tait and Lee. Tait has been bowling with genuinely unreal pace in 2007, absolutely amazing, some of the consistently fastest bowling ever seen. Lee is capable of only a few k's less. Just because of a few balls in some forgotten season, Sami is not one of the world's fastest bowlers anymore. Hashim comes on the board once every few months now and that's only to post pro-Sami propaganda so he is hardly the best judge of the subject.

[12thMan]

Originally Posted by Hashim Even without shoaib out of commision through injuries etc, sami still edges past tait and lee on pace.

oh maaan... come on. Sami is now touching 90 when bowling fast. lee when last time playing was 93 when bowling fast (last Ashes) and Tait was 95 when bowling fast. someone other than Pakistani can be faster

[James]

Originally Posted by 12thMan oh maaan... come on. Sami is now touching 90 when bowling fast. lee when last time playing was 93 when bowling fast (last Ashes) and Tait was 95 when bowling fast. someone other than Pakistani can be faster

Some of the overs Tait has bowled in the Commonwealth series and World Cup have been 91mph at the lowest and featured deliveries between 96 and 100 miles per hour. Tait is the fastest bowler in the world at the moment - no question.

[Lightning]

There's no doubt Tait is the fastest man. I'm just saying last I saw of Sami in the world cup, he was consistently clocking 90 mph. He's not fast as Tait but is comparable to Lee who many times stays in the 140s these days.

[Easa]

Sami is not on the same level as Tait. Tait was consistently bowling at 153-155 KPH when I saw him bowling in Australia, while Sami hasn't bowled that quick for quite some time. Both are average bowlers, though.

[James]

Tait isn't an average bowler. He is a special talent that will take many wickets for Australia and excite Australian crowds with very fast bowling. All he needs to do is mature, which he will do because he is professional enough to keep working hard. He is a much better quality bowler now that he was when he first got a run in the team and I think he will improve more and more.

[Easa]

Tait has the ability to bowl fast - REALLY FAST. But from what I have seen, he is not a very smart bowler. His bowling length is extremely random and he sprays the ball around quite a lot (ala Sami). Who knows, he might surprise me, but from what I have seen, good batsman can dispatch him for boundaries pretty easily.

[James]

He has a random line because he is young and needs to develop control over his pace. You cant learn how to control 90mph bowling overnight. Think about how fast a moving car would pass a stationary car if it was going 90mph, and that is the kind of speed he has to control with one arm.

His length has already improved a lot since he started, because he used a bowl short too much and get picked off on slow wickets. A bit of a gamble at the moment, but potentially a top bowler

[Lightning]

He has the potential no doubt just like Sami did when he burst on to the scene and hit 150 consistently. BUT will his awkward action let him continue? That's the real question.

[Filosifar]

Originally Posted by Whippy His length has already improved a lot since he started, because he used a bowl short too much and get picked off on slow wickets. A bit of a gamble at the moment, but potentially a top bowler

Be quiet about his line. I know line and length; Tait is not an ambassador of it. Potential. Potential is an over-statement. I have potential...I can bowl 85 mph...does that mean I'll become a top bowler? No.

Tait is mediocre, who can only get wickets through bullying. Wickets in the ODIs don't mean anything; his balls in tests will get murdered. Trust me.

[Filosifar]

Originally Posted by LightSpeedGT Last time I saw Sami he was conistently 142-148. So he's up there with Lee and Tait. Tait being the quickest out of the three though and Lee being the best.

Last time I saw Sami, he reached no more than 90.8 mph (145.5 kph). And, was consistently at the 138 kph mark.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Filosifar Last time I saw Sami, he reached no more than 90.8 mph (145.5 kph). And, was consistently at the 138 kph mark.

He did hit 95 mph a couple of times during the SA series.

[Filosifar]

Originally Posted by Uzzy He did hit 95 mph a couple of times during the SA series.

I was referring to the WC 2007, where he was obviously super fit. But, those 95 mph weren't the norm; but it was for Tait at a point.

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Filosifar I was referring to the WC 2007, where he was obviously super fit. But, those 95 mph weren't the norm; but it was for Tait at a point.

And he wasn't fit during the SA series?

Yes his pace has dropped and will occasionally hit 93-95 mph but thats due to this reduced run-up more than anything.

[Hashim]

yaar why you lot getting exited over this tait joker, everyone knows pakistan is where the fast bowlers cruise...

Like I said before, sami can match lee and tait no probs. Check the WC how tait was taking wickets but leaking runs like anything. Compare that with sami who was quick and too quick to hit!

Whippy, dont take it personal but an english suppporter in a express pace discussion dont seem right. Like a bike rider turning up for a ferrari convention...

[Daoud]

The reason Sami bowled economically was cause he was bowling to Ireland and Zimbabwe, not because he was quicker than Tait.

[Hashim]

Daoud bhai all I'm saying if the pak team would have went through they could have done some damage, Gul was bowling with good line/length and I think he would have grown in confidence as the cup drew on and sami was generating good pace.

The opposition was only zimbabwe and ireland, but that dosent change the fact he was bowling quick but at the same time wicket to wicket. Even against the saffies recently he was clocking 95mph couple of times.

These days theres to much of the medium pace stuff, half the world cup was the wicket keeper coming to the stumps and the quicks bowling unquick, whch makes bowlers like akhtar, sami, tait, lee all the more exciting prospects.

[Filosifar]

He was fit, but in WC he bowled with a new aag, and his pace didnt comply to that aag

[James]

Originally Posted by Hashim Whippy, dont take it personal but an english suppporter in a express pace discussion dont seem right. Like a bike rider turning up for a ferrari convention...

The fact that England only produce 1 or 2 really fast bowlers every 5-10 years has nothing to do with my taking part in the debate. If anything I am a better judge as oppsoed to an Aussie talking about an Aussie or a Pak talking about a Pak. I see things the way they really are - unfortunately on this subject you are wrong, whether you want to accept the facts or not