Boata Dippenaar - cricket's biggest underachiever

[Salamuddin]

Agree about Nehra ....the talent is there in that boy but he performs once in a bluemoon so I really think he should be dropped now.

 

[krkode]

Even Yuvraj Singh is an underachiever. Look at some of the shots he plays to get out. They come at the wrong time. He has not yet built an innings. Yet, he plays such a careless, irresponsible shot. If he was more thoughtful, he would have stayed around a little longer and it would help the Indian team a lot- and it would get him into the Test team and also runs in Tests.

He's very young at the moment. Give him some time...

And I agree about Kambli. He's another underachiever that comes to mind. Magnificent start...just didn't cut it after that

 

[Arjun]

Vinod Kambli did not behave properly, which is why he never really did well. I only hope the same does not happen to Yuvraj.

Even Nayan Mongia was an under-achiever, since he too had his problems, but this is one player in recent times who has NEVER got a fair try.

 

[Craig]

Underachievers...

Franklyn Rose - tremendous talent but he doesn't seem to have the right commitment.

Nixon McLean - unsure what the problem is with him.

Daren Ganga - he bats for long periods and looks solid but then he gets out. IMO, if he would play more aggressively in the time that he's at the crease he would have more runs when he gets out and easily average over 30. All his success has been when he's positive.

Adrian Griffith - lost the plot after New Zealand. Streak had a part to play in that.

Brian Lara pre-2001 - he's only now reached his full potential.

Shiv Chanderpaul pre 2002 - only since India he's been scoring centuries consistently.

Mervyn Dillon - he underachieves because he has to lead a very weak and constantly changing attack. The selectors have mistreated him recently IMO.

Dinanath Ramnarine - would have been picked ahead of Mohammed for South Africa if he hadn't retired. :!(

Marlon Samuels - still young. Oozing talent.

Carl Hooper - someone once said, "Hooper bats like a virtuoso... and then he gets out."

Stuart Williams - see Hooper.

Mahendra Nagamootoo - Nixon McLean syndrome.

Ricardo Powell - 'nuff said.

Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan? All three havent lived up to their potental.

Sarwan is finally starting to.

 

[luckyeddie]

I think that Liam's pretty well inferring that (barring a few exceptions who haven't had time to under-achieve yet) the West Indian team as a whole are under-achievers.

Looking at some of the sides in the past (even the all-conquering sides of the 60's-80's) he has a point. Some of the players in those sides were world-beaters not just because they were overly blessed with skill - more to the point they were overly-blessed with guts and determination (in my mind, still the two greatest assets of any sportsman).

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Chris Gayle, Wavell Hinds and Ramnaresh Sarwan? All three havent lived up to their potental.

Sarwan is finally starting to.

As Neil said, the entire side is underachieving currently, but that to be expected as it's a very young and inexperienced side.

Sarwan I don't think has underachieved much. Yes, he's not converted enough of his 50's in the context of other players, but like his Guyanese team-mate, Chanderpaul, that will come in time. He's still maintaining a Test average hovering just below 40 and an ODI average of 44.

Gayle has been amazing in ODI cricket especially after a very poor start to his career. In Tests he been good for the West Indian cause but perhaps he is an underachiever in this respect.

Wavell Hinds is a rather unusual case. He could have been much better, but after a horrible tour of England (even when he was in top form), I think his whole mental perspective changed and I don't think he will ever approach what he could have been.

 

[luckyeddie]

As Neil said

I'm Eddie

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I'm Eddie

Indeed you are.

 

[KishanTeli]

In response to Vinod Kambli being an under achiever, I agree totally. At school boy level he was said to be a better player then Sachin Tendulkar (they both were educated in Mumbai). Both grew up together hence them being close friends to this very day. The difference between them was that Sachin grew up in a fairly well off family and Kambli was from a much poorer family.

Once Kambli made it into the International arena he was an instant success scoring two double hundreds and as a 'reward' the state gave him a house. The fame went to his head and he became complacient, money was now coming easy to him and he was taking advantage, not focusing on his cricket. While Sachin was as level headed as he is now.

All this resulted in a dip in form and he was dropped from the India side, he has never got back to his best.

If he would have kept himself under control we may have seen a better Indian batting side then we see today, a massive disappointment for all Indian fans. Now 32 (I think!) surely too late for him to get back in the side, no room for him anyway the way the current batsmen are playing.

 

[anzac]

Lou Vincent........and not as a result of lack of talent - no one opens on debut v a full strength Austrialian attack on Day 1 at Perth & goes on the score a ton without some talent..........

 

[Langeveldt]

Yeah id agree with Dippenaar, and McKenzie, to a lesser extent..
Some of mine..

Daren Ganga - The best technique in cricket bar none should be averaging more than 20 odd

Graeme Hick - Nuff said about him. People tend to get he is still a very fine cricketer.

Nantie Hayward - Talented SA quick, stupidly the system fell out with him..

Stewart law - I suppose you cant underachieve if you dont get given a chance.. Maybe he is the unluckiest guy about.

Chris Silverwood - I really rated him as a quick when he toured SA in 2000.. Pity he wasnt a regular fixture.

 

[marc71178]

Nantie Hayward - Talented SA quick, stupidly the system fell out with him..

Shouldn't that be the other way round?...

 

[Magrat Garlick]

I believe no one have mentioned Chris Schofield yet?

Hailed as England's next spinning prospect, then crashed out and now just makes the Lancs 1st XI thanks to his batting.

 

[Langeveldt]

Shouldn't that be the other way round?...

Im not sure, i dont think he got treated very well by the powers that be, and then buggered off to chase the pound sterling. So good riddance to him IMO

 

[Salamuddin]

Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar -- perhaps one of the biggest under achievers of them all ?

 

[masterblaster]

Certainly at Test Level, he is a big underachiever. He has real batting talent and potential, and is a really talented bowler. Unfortunately, his Test career hasn't gone where he would've wanted it to go.

His ODI stats are extremely impressive though, I don't think he has underachieved at all in One Day International Cricket.

Agarkar's ODI Stats:

122 Matches
881 Runs
Highest Score of 95
Average of 16.94
Two Half Centuries

1006 Overs
59 Maidens
5125 Runs
188 Wickets
Average of 27.26
8 Times he has taken 4 wickets
once he has taken 5+ wickets
ODI Strike Rate of 32.1
Economy Rate of 5.09

all at the age of 26.

I think he's a fine ODI Cricketer to be honest.

 

[Craig]

Im not sure, i dont think he got treated very well by the powers that be, and then buggered off to chase the pound sterling. So good riddance to him IMO

You could say the same thing about Allan Donald when he chose CC over his country.

I think he has the right to make a living playing CC.

 

[mavric41]

Certainly at Test Level, he is a big underachiever. He has real batting talent and potential, and is a really talented bowler. Unfortunately, his Test career hasn't gone where he would've wanted it to go.

His ODI stats are extremely impressive though, I don't think he has underachieved at all in One Day International Cricket.

Agarkar's ODI Stats:

122 Matches
881 Runs
Highest Score of 95
Average of 16.94
Two Half Centuries

1006 Overs
59 Maidens
5125 Runs
188 Wickets
Average of 27.26
8 Times he has taken 4 wickets
once he has taken 5+ wickets
ODI Strike Rate of 32.1
Economy Rate of 5.09

all at the age of 26.

I think he's a fine ODI Cricketer to be honest.

He certainly not the worst

 

[marc71178]

You could say the same thing about Allan Donald when he chose CC over his country.

I don't remember AD playing CC ahead of his country?

 

[Prince EWS]

I dont think dippenaar has under-achieved in test cricket. I think he has over-achieved in one day cricket. His has several faults in hois technique which any decent opposing coach can pick it.

Under Achievers

Agarkar (batting only)
Kartik (I know hes only young but he has underachieved so far)
Mongia
Vangipiurappu (until lately)
Nehra
Anderson (tests only)
Samuels
Powell
Hinds
Drakes (bowling only)
Carlisle (a bit rough, he has been injurred a lot, but should average a lot more)
Gripper
Nkala
Matsikenyeri (again still young but has played plenty of ODIs with no results)
Symonds (pre world cup only)
Lee (since his last two injurries)
Harvey
Sami
Younis Khan
Mills
Oarm (either batting or bowling at any one moment, although the other is always firing so they cant drop him)
Dharmasena
Petorious
Rudolph