Who Was the Better Bowler: Wasim Akram or Glenn McGrath?
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Glenn McGrath and Wasim Akram dominated world cricket even amid a collection of other exceptional seam bowlers.
Both were key for their countries—McGrath for Australia and Akram for Pakistan—as they helped their respective teams make a tremendous impact in the game.
They were feared and respected in equal measure, with McGrath’s unerring accuracy and Akram’s ferocious swing and pace making them both terrifying to bat against.
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Akram retired from international cricket in 2003 with 916 wickets in Tests and one-day internationals combined, safely as one of the greatest left-arm seamers of all time.
When McGrath followed in 2007 with 944 wickets across the two forms, his legacy was as a bowler who exploited the channel outside off stump with enormous movement off the seam.
If we were to compare the two, it would be incredibly difficult given all they did for their countries across their long careers.
However, let’s give it a go and see if we can determine whether McGrath or Akram was the better bowler.
Note: As Akram did not play Twenty20 Internationals and McGrath played just two, they will not be compared in this format.
Career Records
Tests
| Matches | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | BBI | BBM | |
| McGrath | 124 | 563 | 21.64 | 51.9 | 8-24 | 10-27 |
| Akram | 104 | 414 | 23.62 | 54.6 | 7-119 | 11-110 |
ODIs
| Matches | Wickets | Average | Strike Rate | BBI | |
| McGrath | 250 | 381 | 22.02 | 34.0 | 7-15 |
| Akram | 356 | 502 | 23.52 | 36.2 | 5-15 |
It is very close on pure numbers, with McGrath holding the advantage in Tests in virtually every category and Akram doing the same in ODIs.
Both took tremendous amounts of wickets and did so regularly without conceding many runs, so they cannot be separated purely on statistics alone.
Advantage: Draw
Records Set
Both players certainly had their fair share of notable moments in their careers and hold some enviable personal records.
Akram was the first bowler to take 400 wickets in both Tests and ODIs, a monumental achievement that shows his longevity and durability as well as wicket-taking ability.
In addition, Akram was the first bowler to take four international hat-tricks, two of which came in Tests and another two came in ODIs.
However, McGrath also gained his fair share of individual recognition, most notably when he became the leading wicket-taker among all fast bowlers of all time.
He passed Courtney Walsh, and he now sits fourth on the all-time list of wicket-takers behind three spinners: Anil Kumble, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
On this evidence, it is still impossible to separate the pair, as they both hold records that are the envy of their peers in the game.
Advantage: Draw
Performances at the Cricket World Cup
With the Cricket World Cup just around the corner in New Zealand and McGrath’s home country of Australia, it may be prescient to examine both players’ records in the game’s showpiece tournament.
Akram helped Pakistan win the 1992 tournament under Imran Khan, with his bowling coming to the fore in the final against England.
His three for 49 included removing Allan Lamb and Chris Lewis with consecutive deliveries that both swung incredible amounts.
All told—Akram featured in the 1987, 1996, 1999 and 2003 World Cups also—he took 55 wickets at an average of 23.83, including one five-wicket haul.
Meanwhile, McGrath will go down in history as one of the greatest seamers ever to grace the World Cup.
His 71 wickets came at an average of 18.19 and make him the leading wicket-taker ever in World Cup history.
McGrath also played key roles in Australia’s three consecutive triumphs in 1999, 2003 and 2007, with his command of the new ball crucial.
On this evidence, it is the Australian who has the advantage over Akram, thanks to his enormous contributions to his side’s three tournament wins.
Advantage: McGrath
Conclusion
It is very tough to separate both these great fast bowlers, as statistics alone do not do justice to their brilliant contributions for their countries.
McGrath’s consistency outside off stump meant he was a formidable opponent, while Akram was similarly difficult to face because of his mastery of the swinging ball at sheer pace.
On the evidence above, McGrath has a slight advantage, but it is so very marginal.
The main conclusion is that both were critical as opening bowlers and will be remembered as two of the all-time greats.
All statistics courtesy of ESPNCricinfo.
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