Best and worse of 2006?

[Craig]

Best:

Bangladesh being competitive in the 1st Test against Australia;
Monty Panesar
South Africa v Australia 5th ODI
Warne getting 700 - it had it to happen

Ruined:

England not being competitive enough against Australia in the Ashes
Wasim Raja
Sir Clive Walcott
The PCB handling over the drug tests of Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif, I have lost all respect for them and it shows they are not keen on stamping out drugs in sport if this is their attitude
The Ball Tampering fiasco
Fardin passing away

 

[adharcric]

The Best
- Bangladesh giving Australia a scare in a test match
- The emergence of Monty Panesar and Sreesanth
- India finally winning in the West Indies
- CW rising to new heights
- Classy Farewell for Warne and McGrath

The Worst
- Dhoni's double-suicide attempts at Mumbai
- No competition in the Ashes
- Ovalgate, especially Darrell Hair
- The Akhtar-Asif Drug Scandal
- Chappell-Ganguly Saga - Part II

 

[Dravid]

We have too many 2006 threads

 

[Stumped]

ive never seen an 06 thread like this i like looking back on the year in this way

 

[pasag]

Imo

The Best
The Ashes build up - The months building up to the first ball at the Gabba were insane.
India winning a Test for the first time in SA - Historic
Aussie champions leaving on a high
Champions Trophy not being a run-fest and being rather enjoyable
Mike Hussey
Jason Gillespie 201*
Ford Ranger Cup - domestic one-dayers have been amazing

The Worst
Dean Jones being a tool
Ovalgate - seems people wanted to make it into more of a controversy than it should have been.
The drama on the CT podium - blown way out of proportion.
Border quitting from the selection panel because of a marketing campaign - dire as.
Mick Lewis
English selectors and their decisions leading up to and throughout the Ashes

 

[Jono]

Agree with Passag, probably would add Asif and Shoaib drug scandal there as well.

Best:
- Indians getting seamers in Munaf and Sree who have at least showed a lot of promise
- Jayawardene leading SL with style, looking like a very good captain.
- Sanga and Jayawardene record breaking partnership

Worst:
- First two tests of the Pakistan vs. India test series. After so many good test series from 99-2005, to have two dead tests like that was disgusting.

 

[Tomm NCCC]

Best

Samit Patel Breaking through and making his mark for Notts. A string of half centuries, a powerful 150, and even a few wickets every other game have seen him establish himself as not only as a Notts regular, but an England hopeful too.

Monty Panesar taking his first wicket. From there, you just knew you had something special.

624 run partnership between Jayawardene and Sangakkara. It ripped the record books apart and was a special moment, in the history of cricket

South Africa beating Australia in that ODI


Worst

The relegation of NCCC
The Ashes Drubbing

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Best
Shahriar Nafees' 138 on the opening day in Fatullah - the dream was alive and kicking.
Monty!
The day Australia and South Africa decided not to bother with the Super Sub for their ODI series.
Mohammad Yousuf - deserved success.
Sangakkara and Jayawardene - one of the few batting records that cannot really be put down to a flatbed track.

Worst
Jason Gillespie - 201*. Shouldn't have happened. Bangladesh's bowlers are certainly good enough to deny him a fifty, let alone a double-ton.
The Oval - a sad day for cricket.
Just about every ODI England played.
England's Ashes preparations (and in general, every two-day, twelve-a-side warmup match. The ICC should step in.)
The first two India v Pakistan Tests - overkill meets pitches that may as well have been made of concrete.

 

[pietersenrocks]

Yousuf was the best in Tests.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

- The emergence of Monty Panesar and Sreesanth

To what extent has Sreesanth emerged? He's been quite inconsistent in ODIs and had a couple of excellent Tests. I wouldn't call it an emergence, because I still think he's on the verge of emerging.

 

[silentstriker]

To what extent has Sreesanth emerged? He's been quite inconsistent in ODIs and had a couple of excellent Tests. I wouldn't call it an emergence, because I still think he's on the verge of emerging.

Not to mention his mental breakdown in WI, and his often waywardness even in current tests (coupled with excellent bowling other times). So he still has to show me something over the next year before I call him the real deal.

 

[Jono]

To what extent has Sreesanth emerged? He's been quite inconsistent in ODIs and had a couple of excellent Tests. I wouldn't call it an emergence, because I still think he's on the verge of emerging.

For a second I thought your were quoting me and I made sure I carefully worded my statement regarding those bowlers.

To be fair to adharcric, it all depends on how one defines 'emergence'. Technically Pathan emerged as the leading Indian bowler in 2004, he just was never that good, but he still 'emerged'.

 

[Jono]

Not to mention his mental breakdown in WI, and his often waywardness even in current tests (coupled with excellent bowling other times). So he still has to show me something over the next year before I call him the real deal.

Because Brett Lee, Andre Nel, Harmison and other test bowlers don't have wayward spells?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

To be fair to adharcric, it all depends on how one defines 'emergence'. Technically Pathan emerged as the leading Indian bowler in 2004, he just was never that good, but he still 'emerged'.

I wouldn't group him with Panesar then, because Panesar's accomplishments have come with a bit more consistency. Granted, they've only been in Tests. Also, I'd much sooner say that Munaf Patel emerged in Indian cricket than Sreesanth did. Patel was impressive far more often.

 

[silentstriker]

Because Brett Lee, Andre Nel, Harmison and other test bowlers don't have wayward spells?

???

Of course they do, but I can't say that a player has emerged without having a larger body of work to look at. And even in the 1st test, Sreesanth was impressive and then lost it for a bit before becoming impressive again. And I can't just forget the mental breakdown in WI.

He has to show me for longer.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Because Brett Lee, Andre Nel, Harmison and other test bowlers don't have wayward spells?

And which of those is a world class Test bowler?

 

[PhoenixFire]

Because Brett Lee, Andre Nel, Harmison and other test bowlers don't have wayward spells?

Who said they were any good?

 

[Turbinator]

Agree with Passag, probably would add Asif and Shoaib drug scandal there as well.

Would that be in the worst or the best, considering we are Indian fans.

 

[Jono]

Who claimed Sreesanth was a world class bowler?

 

[Jono]

Would that be in the worst or the best, considering we are Indian fans.

I love Pakistani cricket, and they're two of my favourite bowlers, so worst.