Least talented guys to have played international cricket?

[karan316]

There have been a few cricketers who haven't had that natural talent, or certain qualities required for the sport but have still succeeded in their respective careers and represented their country.
The first one that comes to my mind is Collingwood, made batting look extremely difficult,
from India I think Kaif is one such player, he looked like a tailender with the bat at times.

Who are the least talented guys to have played international cricket? By least talented I don't mean they weren't good enough, I mean the players who excelled despite of limited capabilities..

 

[Maximas]

Ed Cowan

 

[fredfertang]

Graeme Fowler - a ton of guts, a brave century against the 1984 WIndies and a double in Madras the highlights of his Test career - but his technique really was deeply flawed

 

[GIMH]

Goughy once made a post stating that he felt it was incorrect to say Colly isn't or wasn't talented and that is talent was in his mental strength. Valid argument IMO, I'd never say Colly was not talented tbh.

 

[BoyBrumby]

It's probably a player for some associate nation who snagged an ODI.

If we limit it to tests it'd likely be an amateur who was selected for a tour because he was a frightfully good chap who went to Eton/Harrow/Winchester and the chairman of selectors fagged for his old man.

 

[OverratedSanity]

If batting talent means range of shots, then Steve Waugh is the first one who comes to mind. Basically had 3 shots... Says a lot about his greatness that he still scored 11000 runs.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Goughy once made a post stating that he felt it was incorrect to say Colly isn't or wasn't talented and that is talent was in his mental strength. Valid argument IMO, I'd never say Colly was not talented tbh.

Dravid made the exact same statement when he retired and a journalist asked him how he had been so successful inspite of not being as talented as others

 

[GIMH]

Add Dravid to the list of famous blokes who read CW then

 

[Furball]

The idea that you become an international cricketer without having some sort of talent is laughable.

 

[robelinda]

Robbie Kerr. Shaun Young. The other Wayne Phillips.

 

[Howe_zat]

The first one that comes to my mind is Collingwood, made batting look extremely difficult

Because you like to confuse "talent" with "stylishness". That's okay. Almost everyone does.

Surely if there's any part of cricket that comes with practise, it's technique? Nobody's born with an immaculate cover drive. A player who builds a career around concentration and hand-eye co-ordination - that is, your Collys, Cooks and so on - strike me as more naturally talented than those with a textbook technique.

 

[LongHopCassidy]

Off the top of my scone, I'd have to say Mark Richardson, Ashish Nehra and Ashley Giles. All did commendably with the talent they had to reach Test cricket.

 

[Burgey]

If batting talent means range of shots, then Steve Waugh is the first one who comes to mind. Basically had 3 shots... Says a lot about his greatness that he still scored 11000 runs.

Nah, when Steve Waugh came into the Australian side in the mid-80s he played almost every shot in the book. He chose to play less shots as his career progressed because it eliminated risk. He was a remarkably talented batsman, and cricketer in general.

 

[Flem274*]

Because you like to confuse "talent" with "stylishness". That's okay. Almost everyone does.

Surely if there's any part of cricket that comes with practise, it's technique? Nobody's born with an immaculate cover drive. A player who builds a career around concentration and hand-eye co-ordination - that is, your Collys, Cooks and so on - strike me as more naturally talented than those with a textbook technique.

finally, someone gets it.

talent is how good your hand eye coordination is before it gets honed by years of practise, and probably how much of a fast learner you are.

so basically to know who the most and least talented players are we need a time machine so we can all put bats in the hands of 10 year olds and see who can get bat on ball.

everyone in test cricket is made, and the best cricketers are those who have been crafted to have the most effective techniques and the most well honed weapons in their amouries. even the pace someone bowls is dictated by this. how many battle tank blokes max out at 120kph? to bowl faster than a certain limit you need to train your body. no one gets shot out of their mothers ****** knowing how to hook a fast bowler or bowl an outswinger.

 

[watson]

finally, someone gets it.

talent is how good your hand eye coordination is before it gets honed by years of practise, and probably how much of a fast learner you are.

so basically to know who the most and least talented players are we need a time machine so we can all put bats in the hands of 10 year olds and see who can get bat on ball.

everyone in test cricket is made, and the best cricketers are those who have been crafted to have the most effective techniques and the most well honed weapons in their amouries. even the pace someone bowls is dictated by this. how many battle tank blokes max out at 120kph? to bowl faster than a certain limit you need to train your body. no one gets shot out of their mothers ****** knowing how to hook a fast bowler or bowl an outswinger.

 

[watson]

Geoff Boycott's success was largely founded on his love of the nets. But even the ability to concentrate and focus for many hours in the nets in order to perfect a particular shot doesn't happen by accident. Even that ability is genetic determined and therefore a talent. That is, some people are born extremely tenacious and determined, others aren't.


So basically, I agree with GF;

The idea that you become an international cricketer without having some sort of talent is laughable.

 

[NUFAN]

That wasn't the question though. The question was the least talented.

For Australia of recent times it would be hard to overlook one of the mediocre spinners who batted at number 11 and wasn't anything special in the field - so take your pick.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Nah, when Steve Waugh came into the Australian side in the mid-80s he played almost every shot in the book. He chose to play less shots as his career progressed because it eliminated risk. He was a remarkably talented batsman, and cricketer in general.

Fair enough. Only saw Waughs career in the 90s and 00s.

Ajay Ratra? I only saw one innings of his and he literally edged almost everything.... Virtually nothing came off the middle of the bat, looked like he didn't have a shred of batting ability. Still somehow scored a hundred that day

 

[Hooksey]

Robbie Kerr. Shaun Young. The other Wayne Phillips.

Wayne Phillips II is a good call.

Johnny Watkins, the 1970's spinner who could barely land one on the square, should feature prominently here.

 

[Riggins]

Goughy once made a post stating that he felt it was incorrect to say Colly isn't or wasn't talented and that is talent was in his mental strength. Valid argument IMO, I'd never say Colly was not talented tbh.

Yeah the thing about someone like him is that he was an absolute freak in the field, so obviously had the hand eye coordination.