A Comparison Between Akhtar and Lee

Akhtar
By Waheed
October 15 2004

Waheed compiles an in depth analysis of how the 2 fastest bowlers in the world shape up in tests and ODIs? Shoaib Akhtar versus Brett Lee.

Comparison of Lee v Shoaib in ODI's

If you look at their overall career records they are very similar, both have average ~22 per wicket, Strike Rate of ~29 balls, Shoiab has a slightly better Economy rate of 4.5 compared to 4.7 of But Lee has more 4+ wickets 9 compared to 7 and from 23 fewer games.


Career-----Mat---W-----Ave------Econ----SR-----4w---5w
Lee---------89----156---22.6-----4.72----28.6----6-----3
Shoiab-----112---181---22.21----4.55---29.2----4-----3


Lee has good strikes against NZ, WI at ~24 balls.But suprisingly the highest strike rates are against the Minnow and Sri Lanka at ~36. They may be due to the minnow seeing him as a threat and playing him out, this is also beared out by the fact he has the lowest economy rate against the minnows and India at ~4.2.
His 4+ wickets are shared amongst all the countries but Lee best ODI record seems to be against India and WI.


Shoiab has similar strike rate to his career strike rate of ~29 against all countries except for India where it goes upto 33.
His Economy rate is also highest against the 3 strongest batting sides in the world Aus,India, between 4.9 and 5.6.
His 4+ wickets are shared amongst all the teams but overall his best record is against NZ and the Minnows.


Lee---------------Mat----W-----Ave-----Econ---SR----4w---5w
England---------10----21-----22.42-----5.01---26.8---1---1
India-------------13----24-----19.04-----4.16---27.4---0---1
New_Zealand--10----18-----20.27-----4.92---24.7---0---1
Pakistan---------14----25-----23.44-----4.67---30-----1---0
South_Africa---11----23------23.26-----5.16---27-----2---0
Sri_Lanka--------9-----12-----29.66-----4.94---36-----0---0
West_Indies----8-----16-----19.93-----4.85---24.6---1---0
Minnows--------14----17------25.7------4.32---35.64--1---0


Shoiab-----------Mat----W-----Ave------Econ-----SR-------4w---5w
Australia--------19-----29-----27.48----5.58-----29.5-----0-----1
England---------5------10-----25.1------5.22-----28.8-----1-----0
India------------22-----33-----24.3------4.41-----33-------1-----0
New_Zealand-18-----32-----19.81----4.27-----27.8-----0-----2
South_Africa---9------16-----20.25----4.51-----26.9-----1-----0
Sri_Lanka------13-----22-----20.36----4.3------28.4-----0-----0
West_Indies---5------8------25.62----4.9------31.3-----0-----0
Minnows-------21-----31------18.0----3.88-----27.89----1-----0


Lee tends to struggle when he plays in the oppostions home ground, His Economy Rate shoots up over 5.1 and Strike Rate falls to over 30.
His best record is on neutral grounds where he has averages ~18 runs per wicket, every ~23 balls.


Shoiab is the opposite, and playing away from home brings out the best out of him.
Shoiab averages ~21 runs per wicket and has and economy rate of ~4.4 on neutral and away grounds.
It is just his performances on flat batting wicket at home which have let him down.


Lee-------Mat----W-----Ave-----Econ----SR-----4w---5w
home------40----69----22.91----4.47----30.7---3---2
away------28----45----26.24----5.17----30.4---2---0
neutral----21----42----18.19----4.65----23.4---1---1


Shoiab----Mat----W-----Ave-----Econ----SR-----4w---5w
home------21----32---26.65-----4.84----33-----1---1
away------36----56---20.92-----4.35----28.8---0---2
neutral----55----93---21.46-----4.56----28.2---3---0


Both Lee and Shoiab have seen slumps in their recent form compared to their career. Lee's is suffering the bigger slump between the two.
Lee's average runs per wicket has increased from ~22 to ~27 and his strike rate has dropped from ~28 to ~35. Shoiab is less dramatic, average runs per wicket upto ~25 and strike rate drops to ~33.


Lee--------Mat----W-----Ave-----Econ----SR-----4w---5w
overall-----89-----156---22.6----4.72----28.6---6-----3
Recent-----20-----26----27.84---4.75----35.1---1----0


Shoaib-----Mat----W-----Ave------Econ----SR-----4w---5w
Overall----112----181---22.21----4.55----29.2---4----3
Recent-----20-----31----25.51----4.57----33.4---1----0


What is amazing about Shoiab is the percentage of unassisted wickets he gets, ie Bowled or LBW.
35% of all his wickets are bowled and another 10% are LBW. Nearly half of his wickets !!!

Compared to Lee's 1/3 of wickets.Lee also has the same 10% of lbw's but percentage of bowled is a lot lower at 24%.


Lee------bwd---c_fi---c_wk-------lbw
-----------24%---44%----21%-----10%

Shoaib---bwd---c_fi---c_wk------lbw
-----------35%---39%----16%-----10%


To summarize in ODI's Shoiab has the slightly better Career record with a better economy rate.
Shoiab has a fantastic record away from home and on neutral grounds, Where as Lee is poor at Away grounds.
Both are suffering a dip in form compared to career stats, Lee's is a bigger slump. Fast bowlers are often judged on pace, and Shoaib has a better record of dismissing batsmen bowled.



Comparison of Lee v Shoaib in Test's:

Unlike ODI's where there was a similar overall record between Shoiab and Lee, In Test Shoiab is the winner what ever stastic you look at.

Shoaib has far better average ~24 compared ~32 runs per wicket. A better Strike Rate ~45 balls compared to ~53 balls.
But more important than all of these is the number of match winning performances Shoaib has Five or more wickets 8 times compared to Lees 4. And has twice taken 10 or more wickets in a match and all this from 5 fewer matches!!!


Career-----Mat---W-----Ave-----Econ---SR----5---10
Lee---------37----139---31.66---3.57---53----4---0
Shoiab-----32----125---24.48---3.24---45.2--8---2


Lees only good performances have come against NZ and WI where he averages 21-24 runs, but against all other countries this is over 31 runs per wicket, including Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
His strikes rate are those of a spinner when he faces SA, Pakistan, India and Zimbawe: 63, 72, 73 and 80.2!!!

Where as Lee averaged 21 agaisnt NZ, Shoaib has an unbelievable average against the same team of 5.23, Yes 5.23. I double checked and he gets a wicket every 16 ball !!!

Shoiab averages only over 30 against 2 countries Eng and Aus, and he has only played one game against England. His Strike Rate is also over 53 only against Eng and Aus.


Lee-----------Mat---W--------Ave-----Econ---SR-----5---10
Bangladesh----2-----6-------31.66---3.85---49.3---0---0
England---------8-----22-----46.9----3.88---72.4---0---0
India-------------4-----21-----31.42---3.88---48.5---1---0
New_Zealand---6-----32----20.81---3.3----37.7---2---0
Pakistan---------3-----5------46.8----3.5----80.2---0---0
South_Africa----6-----19----38.42---3.64---63.2---0---0
West_Indies---6-----28-----23.85---3.27---43.6---1---0
Zimbabwe------2-----6-------37------3.04---73-----0---0


Shoiab----------Mat---W-----Ave-----Econ---SR-----5---10
Australia--------7-----20----38.55---3.59---64.3---1---0
Bangladesh----3-----17----15.17---2.72---33.4---1---1
England---------1-----1-----64------3.36----114----0---0
India-------------4-----15----27.66---3.29---50.3---0---0
New_Zealand--2-----17----5.23----1.9-----16.5---3---1
South_Africa---4-----12----29.58---3.33---53.2---1---0
Sri_Lanka-------4-----16----26.93---3.53---45.6---1---0
West_Indies---3-----12----20.5----3--------41-----1---0
Zimbabwe------4-----15----28.73---3.27---52.6---0---0


Their is little difference between Lee's form at home or Away averaging ~30 runs per wicket and Strike Rate of ~52. But on neutal grounds he has suffered with a strike rate of ~80.

Shoiab has performed equally well at home and away, with a better average ~25 compared ~27. But his record at neutral venues is phenominal with an average of ~36 and strike rate of ~36.

Lee--------Mat---W-----Ave-----Econ---SR-----5---10
home-------19---80----30.63----3.49---52.6---3---0
away-------15---54----31.79----3.72---51.2---1---0
neutral-----3----5-----46.8-------3.5----80.2---0---0


Shoiab------Mat---W-----Ave-----Econ---SR-----5---10
home--------14---54-----25.03---3.22---46.6---3---1
away--------13---50-----27.08---3.41---47.6---3---1
neutral------5----21-----16.85---2.79---36.1---2---0

Apart from when Lee first burst on to the scene in 99/00, Lee has been hammered ever since with his strike rate over 60!!! for the last 4 years over 30 Tests!!!
After having an average of ~17 in 99/00 this has slumped to over 35 for the last 4 years!!!

Shoiab on the other hand has been getting progressively better and better each year, with the exception of the Indian series in 2004.
After averaging over ~35 runs per wicket in his first 3 years of test cricket and a strike rate of over ~60, these have come down to sharply to less than 20 runs per wicket and strike rate of ~30.

Lee--------Mat---W-----Ave------Econ---SR-----5---10
1999-------1-----7-----11.14-----2.1----31.7---1---0
2000-------6-----35----17.05----3.11---32.8---2---0
2001-------10----30----36.23----3.6----60.3---1---0
2002-------9-----25----41.28----3.83---64.6---0---0
2003-------10----38----35.05----3.52---59.7---0---0
2004-------1-----4------69--------5.32---77.7---0---0


Shoiab----Mat---W-----Ave-----Econ---SR-----5---10
1997------1-----2------34-------3.09----66-----0---0
1998------7-----16----45.06----3.18---85-----1---0
1999------5-----16----36.62----3.75---58.5---0---0
2000------2-----11----21.63----3.5-----37-----1---0
2001------1-----1------64-------3.36----114----0---0
2002------9-----42----17.02----3.25---31.4---3---0
2003------4-----30----12.36----2.56---28.9---3---2
2004------3-----7-----42.42----3.44----74-----0---0


The number of unassisted wickets Shaoib gets in Test Cricket is even higher than in ODI's 42% bowled and 19% lbw making it a staggering 61% of wickets !!!! Lee's record is less impress with 23% bowled and 14% lbw.

Lee------bwd---c_fi---c_wk----lbw
---------23%---35%----28%-----14%


Shoiab----bwd---c_fi---c_wk----lbw
----------42%---20%----18%-----19%


So to Summarize, what ever statistic you look at in Test Cricket, Shoaib is way ahead of Lee.

Career Record is better in all departments, average and strike rate.
Shoaibs record at home, away from home on neutral grounds is better.
Shoiabs record against every single country is better than Lees.
Shoaibs recent record is awesome, where as Lees is going downhill.

Lee's name should not even be mentioned in the same breath as Shoaibs when it comes to Test Cricket !!!