My observation is the forum tends to flip between measuring a pacer by his fastest ball or his stock delivery.
Blignaut is a great example. On his day, he could hit 148. We have three recorded times he has done so. However his stock delivery was about 128/129. Many times he would come in south of 125. I strongly recall the last ball I ever saw him bowl was 122. 2010 T20 cup. So is he a 140+ bowler? Or a 129 bowler who is capable of a quicker one?
In today’s world. Kyle Jarvis is about 126 consistently. Old Kyle a bit quicker but new Kyle has slowed down. He tells us himself. He can bend himself to get to early kid 130s but that’s it, and to me he’s a mid 120s.
Chatara is consistently around 128. Can get to 140 on the rarest ball, but few and far between to be relevant. Breaking his leg killed his pace. He rarely gets north of 130. His pace has always been overrated as he’s always had a slow stock delivery.
Blignaut is certainly an extraodinary case.
I would say a bowler's true pace is where his "middle 50%" of his deliveries are. So that takes the fastest 25% and the slowest 25% out. Once you establish that middle 50%, you can then mention the top 25% to have some idea.
Why can a Starc or Cummins consistently bowl 140?
Yet Zim guys are content to roll the arm over at 120... where’s the incentive to extend themselves if their dibbly dobbly medium pacers pick up wickets domestically.
Jaybro...Shanto now has 64 runs...the same as Prince's score. However, Shanto's has to be rated higher - holding all other variables constant - because its been in near total control with those 4 byes off Ndlovu being the only time he's been beaten. We can't just say 64 = 64.
Mominul must have the greatest difference between his home and away averages. 55 vs 22 I think. I don't even know if anyone has a 20 run difference, let alone 33!!!