Zaheer Khan picks top-5 ODI bowlers, includes two Pakistan pacers

Former Indian fast bowler Zaheer Khan has picked his top five ODI bowlers of all time, in which he included two Pakistan pacers. Khan picked Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Glenn McGrath, Chaminda Vaas, and Dale Steyn as the five pacers on his list. 

Akram played 356 matches for Men in Green and picked up 502 wickets. He was the first bowler in ODI history to breach the 500-wicket mark.

Akram was known for his reverse swing and played a key role in taking Pakistan to glory in the 1992 World Cup. The left-arm seamer had a short run up but he had the skills to swing the ball both ways and also had a deadly yorker in his arsenal.

Zaheer Khan said on Cricbuzz, “There were a lot of the international bowlers around me, which were making a really good impact. Wasim Akram is obviously one of those names which were impactful in this format, with his variations, those yorkers, going around the wicket, over the wicket, and using those slow ones. In this format, he’s had a huge impact.”

Khan then picked Glenn McGrath in his list. The former Australian pacer was known for his accurate line and length and continuously troubled the opposition batters with his deadly accuracy.

“Another name which I really looked up to also was Glenn McGrath. With the accuracy which he had, the simplicity in the action, and that extra bounce and impact with the new ball, it is something which was very evident right throughout his career, across all formats.”

The former Indian left-arm pacer included Waqar Younis. Like Wasim Akram, Younis was a great exponent of reverse swing and had a great inswinging yorker in his repertoire. 

“Let’s talk about Waqar Younis. You talk about the strike rate; you talk about the impact. If you look at his numbers (416 wickets in 262 ODIs) also, they are right up there, and especially the number which is striking is the number of fifers (13) he has taken in ODI format right throughout his career. So, the impact was phenomenal in terms of having that striking ability.”

“(He) was not afraid of going for runs; that’s the mindset which maybe the modern-day bowlers also should take from,” Zaheer added.

Chaminda Vaas and Dale Steyn completed Zaheer Khan’s list. While Vaas was known to get the new ball back into the right-handers, Steyn’s biggest strength was the out-swinging delivery to the right-hander.

Speaking about Sri Lanka’s Vaas and South Africa’s Steyn, Zaheer said, “Chaminda Vaas is another bowler who I feel has to be right up there. His impact, if you go to see, was pretty much with the new ball. In subcontinental conditions, to have that kind of accuracy, keeping things simple, and he was very impactful in giving that control to his team with line length, accuracy, and consistency.”

“Dale Steyn is someone who we all know with his fiery approach, with his fast outswingers, is something, you know, which impact was always there. He used to get through that crease very fast and had impact through and through,” Zaheer concluded.