1990's is the greatest decade for bowling?

The 1990's has seen some of the greatest bowlers of all-time, all playing almost at their peak. Here are the all-time greats playing in that decade: Muralitharan, Warne, Kumble, McGrath, Walsh, Pollock, Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Ambrose, and Alan Donald. So, do you guys agree that 1990's is perhaps the greatest decade for bowling. Would love to hear your thoughts.

Sach

May be worth you having a look at the various hall of fame threads to see how highly we rate some of those guys.

Warne and Murali are certainly right up there as the best spin bowlers of all time (Kumble not so much - very good rather than a legend), and their peaks were probably around the end of the 90s.

McGrath and Pollock are amongst the finest fast medium bowlers we've seen, although I'd still rate Hadlee as better (and perhaps Botham before his back injury).

In terms of absolute pace bowling the preceding 15 years were stronger - the Windies 4 quicks (Malcolm Marshall arguably being the best ever), Lillee and Thomson, even Bob Willis.

dummy
Yep. I think the period, say, 1975-1985 would probably be the greatest decade for fast-bowling ever. Lillee and Thomson, Holding, Roberts, Garner, Clarke, Daniel, Marshall, Bob Willis, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, even Kapil Dev and Ian Botham (though they were not particularly fast), could all be argued to have been at their peaks during that time.

There was a lack of quality spinners in those days though Hoggy.

I would agree with the OP that the 90's had the best all round quality.

I would agree with most of the comments above. Except I always think a bit of caution needed when referring to greatest of all time. I would sign up to 1990s as probably being best decade for very strong bowlers of a number of different types - if we are starting from around 1970. But I think a bit of analysis would be needed to conclude that 1990s was better than all other decades....

To be honest, I am not very much familiar with bowlers before 1960's. But 1990's has so many great fast bowlers and two of the greatest spinners, making it the greatest decade for bowling, in my view. I agree about the fast-bowling years from 1975-1985.

How about the 50s when wickets were uncovered and there were greentops for the likes of Trueman, Statham, Tyson, and bunsen burners for the likes of Lock, Laker and Wardle - and that's just the English bowlers I can think of.
Chuck Ramadhin and Valentine into the mix as well as the likes of Tayfield, K Miller, Adcock, Heine etc and you have a decade when bowlers dominated. The batting was pretty spineless in the 1950s, with nearly all the ultra-slow records "achieved" in this decade.

sirfred could also have added Bedser, Lindwall, Davidson, Benaud, Hall and Sobers into his fifties contender.

Very difficult to compare eras in any sport . . . . .

Kwinigolfer - ta for the extra bowlers. Although conditions were very much in the bowlers' favour, there was very little done by the batsmen - particularly in the seocnd half of the decade - to counter attack.
The slow bowlers, in particular, were allowed to bowl maiden after maiden. Much of this should be borne in mind when people talk about the good old days. You were very lucky to see 300 runs in a day - from a lot more than 90 overs, as well.

sirfred,
Fortunately I am a Hampshire fan so saw the great Roy Marshall make it his personal duty to strive for a hundred before lunch and then, when Henry Horton had lulled us in to afternoon siesta (and the day's racing results were in), Ingleby Mackenzie would swash-buckle us awake, energised for the evening, wondering what that liquid was coming out of the pumps labelled Brickwoods.

But for the rest of you, you're right!