Those who proved you wrong

[Howe_zat]

I thought Raina would be one of the best players of the decade. I thought Nathan Lyon would be a one off joke selection like Michael Beer or Xavier Doherty.

Stuart Broad sticks out as having proven A LOT of people wrong

 

[Furball]

'I knew Steve Smith would average 60 before he was born' - Furball

No.

 

[StephenZA]

Biggest disappointment for me is Morne Morkel.... thought he would be up there with the SA all time greats.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

James Anderson. 20 matches into his test career he had 62 wickets at just under 40. Don't think anyone would have predicted he would get another 400 at that stage.

 

[andruid]

You thought Ryder would be better or worse than he turned out?

Figured he would be better. Figured he would be a solid low to mid 40s averaging batsman for New Zealand, and be part of a middle order triumvirate with Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson that would take New Zealand's test cricket to greater heights

 

[NZTailender]

I thought Raina would be one of the best players of the decade. I thought Nathan Lyon would be a one off joke selection like Michael Beer or Xavier Doherty.

Stuart Broad sticks out as having proven A LOT of people wrong

Tbf I thought Broad would average 22-25. I mean it's still theoretically possible...

 

[grecian]

Biggest disappointment for me is Morne Morkel.... thought he would be up there with the SA all time greats.

Funny really, I think the guys proven me wrong by taking as many wickets as he has, never rated at all.

Plenty of "givens" mentioned here that obviously you have to go along with from an English perspective, Hick and Ramps of course the stand-outs. Tim Robinson looked godly until he met the Windies pacemen, then he looked an hack.

I was a massive fan of John Morris, thought he'd be a middle-order staple for years, now more remembered as a co-pilot, as his cricinfo pic signifies.

Have to say I always liked Anderson and Broad, one always swung it at pace, the other just bowled unplayable balls. Didn't think they'd do what they've done though, simply because England bowlers since Botham (and even he in a way) have contrived to underachieve, mainly through injury and patchy form.

 

[91Jmay]

I remember thinking Pujara would be the next Indian ATG bat. Obviously he still could be a very good player but won't scale those heights.

 

[Howe_zat]

James Anderson. 20 matches into his test career he had 62 wickets at just under 40. Don't think anyone would have predicted he would get another 400 at that stage.

I have every now and then had a look at old threads because it's interesting to see this in full effect, and Anderson probably cops the worst of it, any thread from ~2008 really has it in for him

He is being bashed because he inst very good. He isnt as good a bowler as he was 5 years ago and he will do nothing but struggle in the long term in Test cricket.

For those who don't know Goughy, he does know his fast bowling onions, so it's not just groupthink at play

 

[nazia08]

Muhammad Asif, after his debut I think most would agree that he didn't look all that special, but he became one of the best bowlers in the world, although also one of the stupidest Other than that, Steve Smith, Nathan Lyon, Umar Amin (not in a positive manner), Azhar Ali (didn't really rate him initially, proved me very wrong), Corey Anderson to an extent.


Nazia Ruhi | Kenya Team

 

[NZTailender]

I thought James Harris would make Broad look like Ben Hilfenhaus.

And I thought Ben Hilfenhaus would be the next McGrath.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

I have every now and then had a look at old threads because it's interesting to see this in full effect, and Anderson probably cops the worst of it, any thread from ~2008 really has it in for him

At the time he would bowl a 4 ball every over and only took wickets if it was swinging and was rubbish if it didn't. I can understand the criticism he got, the way he has answered it since has been brilliant.

 

[StephenZA]

Funny really, I think the guys proven me wrong by taking as many wickets as he has, never rated at all.

He had all the ability in the world, pace, bounce (from a good height) could even swing the ball.... but his length has let him down. And he never fixed it, he has always struggled to pitch the ball up and just bowled his 'natural' back of a length stuff.

And thinking about it Duminy has also been a huge waste of talent. Could never quite make it into the great bracket, good but not great. And his bowling which showed so much promise has just totally devolved.

 

[Gob]

I also thought Umar Akmal would be great still could be. Any more Akmals waiting to come?

 

[Gob]

I remember thinking Pujara would be the next Indian ATG bat. Obviously he still could be a very good player but won't scale those heights.

This too. He is still good but nowhere near as great as I anticipated

 

[grecian]

I have every now and then had a look at old threads because it's interesting to see this in full effect, and Anderson probably cops the worst of it, any thread from ~2008 really has it in for him



For those who don't know Goughy, he does know his fast bowling onions, so it's not just groupthink at play

He didn't rate Broad either did he, summat about his action?

 

[Daemon]

He had all the ability in the world, pace, bounce (from a good height) could even swing the ball.... but his length has let him down. And he never fixed it, he has always struggled to pitch the ball up and just bowled his 'natural' back of a length stuff.

And thinking about it Duminy has also been a huge waste of talent. Could never quite make it into the great bracket, good but not great. And his bowling which showed so much promise has just totally devolved.

A lot of the time it's hard for him to pitch it up though because he'll be driven all day if he isn't getting any movement.

Rate the guy, bowls with heart and he's done a pretty good job for SA over the years. Pity it looks like he won't get too many games in the near future barring injuries.

 

[OverratedSanity]

It's so ****ing pathetic that our disappointments are the Ishants and Sreesanths while SA fans' disappointments are Morkels.

 

[ankitj]

Ravindera Jadeja (not like he has set the world on fire but I expected much worse).

 

[ankitj]

It's so ****ing pathetic that our disappointments are the Ishants and Sreesanths while SA fans' disappointments are Morkels.

Happy to report that I never got on to the bandwagon praising ANY​ Indian fast bowler.