St John`s (Antigua), March 29: Glenn McGrath may be on the verge of breaking Wasim Akram`s record for the most World Cup wickets but as far as West Indies captain Brian Lara is concerned the Pakistan great remains the best bowler he`s faced in his career.
Australia quick McGrath took three for 31 in world champions Australia`s 103-run victory against hosts the West Indies here yesterday to move within one of Akram`s World Cup career record of 55 wickets.
Should he draw level with the landmark on Saturday against Bangladesh, McGrath will have reached Akram`s record in five fewer World Cup matches (33 compared to Akram`s 38).
Lara, who made 77 against Australia, said McGrath had been helped by the fact he`d played in the last three World Cup finals - the defeat to Sri Lanka in 1996 and the wins over Pakistan and India in 1999 and 2003 respectively.
"If you play a number of World Cup matches - McGrath has been to the final in the last three World Cups, 1996, 1999 and 2003 - that means he has played a lot of games. "But it doesn`t take away from the fact he is an outstanding fast bowler and he deserves to be up there with the very best."
However, Lara said Akram - renowned for his ability to swing the ball both ways to devastating effect and arguably the greatest left-arm quick world cricket has known - was in a class of his own.
"For me over my 15 or 16 years of playing international cricket, tests and one-day internationals, Wasim Akram is definitely the most outstanding bowler I`ve ever faced," insisted Lara, Test cricket`s all-time leading run-maker.
Bureau Report
