There is one aspect that needs to be considered when comparing Hadlee with a Imran or Marshall. Remember, Imran and Marshall had excellent support from the other end. The pressure from the other end too ( Sarfraz, Qadir, etc) was also relentless. The same is in the case of Marshall ( Holding, Roberts, Garner, Winston Davis, Walsh, Ambrose,etc). In Hadlee's case it was not so. Ewan Chatfield was just a medium paced trundler. So batsmen could play out Hadlee and attack the others. In that case, there is much more chance of the other bowlers getting wickets. However, it was remarkable that Hadlee got most of the wickets. That shows his genius. I still remember when he finally came to India in the late 80s. He was touching 40 but was still very brisk and in fact took 5 fors in all the test matches on dust bowls!!! if I remember correctly. A monk among fast bowlers.

The most difficult aspect to analyze about Sir Richard is how he would have performed if he consistently bowled in a lethal pace attack like that of Pakistan and West Indies or if he had to bowl on the placid sub-continent tracks like Imran Khan or Wasim Akram.Hadlee's strike rate from 1978-88 of 44.6 was staggering but again Imran and Marshall bowled much more on the docile sub-continent tracks.Hadlee had a remarkable repertoire but was not fully tested on flat tracks and in the modern era it would have been more demanding with wickets loaded in favour of the batsmen.

Neverthless I am certain that Hadlee's bowling intelligence would have won the battle in any era or in any conditions.In the corridor his bowling was sheer genius.With his competence as a batsmen Hadlee could be a likely candidate in the world all-time 11 ahead of Glen Mcgrath or maybe even Marshall and Lillee.A combination of Imran Khan with Richard Hadlee would have made a perfect paceman .

Richard Hadlee would have been ranked amongst the game's all-time great match winners had he played for a strong team like Australia or West Indies.Neverthless how can we ever erase from our minds Hadlee's brilliant efforts against India and England on home soil in the 1970s and his phenomenal 33 wicket haul down under in 1985-86.No overseas paceman bowled as well as Hadlee in Australia in 1985-86 .He was also efffective on the 1988-89 tour of India on the docile tracks.

Hadlee's closest opponents are Imran Khan and Glen Mcgrath but they benefited playing for very strong teams.Many cricketers have selected Hadlee in the all time cricket xi as his great control would brilliantly combine with bowlers of great pace.What sometimes went against Hadlee is that he could become defensive when the batsman were attacking as was shown on the 1985 tour of West Indies or in the 1987 match of M.C.C.versus Rest of the World.He lacked the agression or hostility of Dennis Lille and Malcolm Marshall.