cricketers who have made the most of their talent

[tooextracool]

What is easily forgotten is that Boycott could and did play the innings where hit aggressive strokes often and scored quickly - he just hardly ever did it. Michael Atherton similar.

Im struggling to think of a time when Atherton ever scored at or near a run a ball in ODI cricket. You would think that he were capable of a feat he would have managed to accomplish this measly feat yet I dont think he ever did.

 

[krkode]

Im struggling to think of a time when Atherton ever scored at or near a run a ball in ODI cricket. You would think that he were capable of a feat he would have managed to accomplish this measly feat yet I dont think he ever did.

Statsguru analysis shows only one knock: 10 off 10 deliveries. Against Netherlands in the 1996 World Cup.

I think what Rich is trying to say though is that he was capable of accelerating if needed. Doesn't mean he had to end up with a S/R of over 100. If a batsman scores 50 off 80 deliveries and then scores 40 off the next 25 deliveries he still only made 90 off 105 but he showed the ability to accelerate. Maybe this is what Rich means? I dunno, frankly, I missed most of Atherton's career learning arithmetic.

 

[Rant0r]

I think ultimately we're arguing about semantics. If you replace "technique" with "skill" in my above posts it would mean almost the same thing. Basically, my point is, and the point of the thread, is there are some people who are not as skilled as others. And yet they managed to do well for themselves and in some cases had more successful careers than their more skilled peers.

yeah lets get back to that

lets throw jon davison in the ring, there was no way he should have been able to make that hundred in the world cup, even though it was only against the west indies, and to prove it wasn't a fluke, he's played a few cameos since, and he couldn't get a game in australia.

 

[Precambrian]

Tendulkar didn't or rather couldn't make the fullest use of his talent, due to the injuries he had, and he had to drastically change his game within a short period of time.

 

[Rant0r]

dunno if the record can be considered lacking anywhere

spose some may argue he should average 70, **** knows

 

[Craig]

Derek Pringle made the best of his talent as he took wickets and scored runs in International Cricket without actually possessing any.

I have always hated that logic. How is it possible to make it to Test level without some form of talent? I mean sure you can have friends in high places, but that only gets one so far.

 

[Rant0r]

I have always hated that logic. How is it possible to make it to Test level without some form of talent? I mean sure you can have friends in high places, but that only gets one so far.

i'm sure there was some indian royalty in the 30's who chose themselves

 

[Athlai]

So in the 3 matches they played in the 30's when they thrashed in each match at a time when they were woefully unprepared for Test cricket?

Oh my.

 

[Craig]

So in the 3 matches they played in the 30's when they thrashed in each match at a time when they were woefully unprepared for Test cricket?

Oh my.

Well unless you watched it back then, how can you judge what ability they had (and I think a whole lot of other factors applied)? I could move to Bangladesh and would still be crap.

 

[Athlai]

Well unless you watched it back then, how can you judge what ability they had? I could move to Bangladesh and would still be crap.

Well I guess the fact they only played 3 matches and didn't play Test cricket again. And how they were thrashed in each match. And how they never scored runs or got wickets from the English,

 

[Craig]

Well I guess the fact they only played 3 matches and didn't play Test cricket again. And how they were thrashed in each match. And how they never scored runs or got wickets from the English,

Well there are different levels of talent (ie Ricky Ponting is more talented then Ian Bell, who obviously does have talent) and the standard was not that high in India at that time, but I don't see anyone (certainly in the present era), can't not have some form of talent.

Or if I went to Zimbabwe, and not owing to the fact that I'm white, the whole lot of them >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> me.

So go on, since you know better, prove to me how somebody in the modern era can make it to international level (ie Tests) and not have talent?

 

[Athlai]

Well there are different levels of talent (ie Ricky Ponting is more talented then Ian Bell, who obviously does have talent) and the standard was not that high in India at that time, but I don't see anyone (certainly in the present era), can't not have some form of talent.

Or if I went to Zimbabwe, and not owing to the fact that I'm white, the whole lot of them >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> me.

So go on, since you know better, prove to me how somebody in the modern era can make it to international level (ie Tests) and not have talent?

Eh?

I meant India that era not Test class. As in not as good as England.

Of course they were cracking cricket players, just thought his argument was silly considering the relatively few matches of the era and how you could gauge a players quality when the opposition was so much better.

 

[Precambrian]

Well there are different levels of talent (ie Ricky Ponting is more talented then Ian Bell, who obviously does have talent) and the standard was not that high in India at that time, but I don't see anyone (certainly in the present era), can't not have some form of talent.

Or if I went to Zimbabwe, and not owing to the fact that I'm white, the whole lot of them >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> me.

So go on, since you know better, prove to me how somebody in the modern era can make it to international level (ie Tests) and not have talent?

Australian bowlers who pass off as spinners these days.

 

[Migara]

How about Vaas? Not tall, not fast swings it a little, but metronomical accuracy and change of pace. No other bowler bowling around 125k in cricket history has taken 300 test wickets and 400 ODI wickets. It shows in his batting too. Very dertermined, and in last 2 seasons he averages 40+ with the bat too.

 

[Richard]

Im struggling to think of a time when Atherton ever scored at or near a run a ball in ODI cricket. You would think that he were capable of a feat he would have managed to accomplish this measly feat yet I dont think he ever did.

Not sure about ODIs as I only followed live one Atherton ODI and didn't even see him bat in that, but there was the odd occasion where he played shots in Tests, under various circumstances.

 

[Craig]

Not sure about ODIs as I only followed live one Atherton ODI and didn't even see him bat in that, but there was the odd occasion where he played shots in Tests, under various circumstances.

In one of the Tests on the Pakistan tour in 2000.

 

[Manee]

Another thing to bear in mind is that technique can be both natural and manufactured. It's no less effective in either case, but bowlers like Fred Trueman and Dennis Lillee simply had the perfect bowling action come completely naturally to them. So, as a matter of fact, have I - I'm a good demonstration that a classical action does not mean that much if you don't have the height, speed and control of line and length, none of which I possess to particularly high standards.

If a fast bowling action is very good, then the bowler is likely to be bowling over 70mph regardless of strength or height. Confusing the load up in isolation with the bowling action can cause people to think themselves the perfect imitation of Brett Lee, for example, but people can clearly ignore the massively high and far jump as well as the stupendously high front leg which crashes down to the ground remaining dead straight.

You'd probably be more of an authority on Lillee than me as he did not play any televised games anywhere near my birth in 1991, but I'd suggest that he may have modified his action somewhat after his 'career-ending' (obviously, it didn't end his career) back injury back in the late 1970s. Moreover, Lillee would be a great example of someone making the most, not so much of talent, but of circumstance, as he worked very hard on physical fitness after the back injury to ensure it did not end his career.

 

[Richard]

Lillee certainly changed his action after his horrific injury in 1973, but I'd say it fitted the classical mould perfectly both before and after.

I've never made a massive study of just what the difference was though. I should do sometime however, as it's an interesting one.

 

[Richard]

In one of the Tests on the Pakistan tour in 2000.

Yeah the run-chase at National Stadium was one of the for-instances I was thinking of.

Another - though it means little in the grand scheme as he shouldn't have been playing that series - was the second-innings at The WACA in 1998/99.

 

[Manee]

Lillee certainly changed his action after his horrific injury in 1973, but I'd say it fitted the classical mould perfectly both before and after.

I've never made a massive study of just what the difference was though. I should do sometime however, as it's an interesting one.

It is likely that pre-1973, the action was poor for the back as he would not have changed it. The alternative is that the injury limited the motion which he used in 1973, but it would seem that there is nothing limited about Lillee's action post-1973.