morgieb
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Yeah. Was affected by war & not enough tests.
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Huge talents who have missed the boat
- Thread starter grapedo
- Start date
_Ed_
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Played quite a few games though, didn't he?
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
The view of his biographer was he didn't want to - although that doesn't alter the fact he was never invited
He played for Essex who weren't a fashionable county so much so that (I think) no Essex player was selected for England until 1899 - perhaps that's part of it
Also as an amateur who had to work, albeit perhaps not terribly hard, he couldn't tour - not that that caused the same issues in his day as it does today
Indipper
State Regular
Hm, I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that he boasted about never having to work a single day in his life.
krkode
State Captain
Yeah, Saqlain, to this day has one of the best ODI bowling records around. His strike rate is probably the best among spinners in ODI and definitely in the top few over all.
I wouldn't say he missed the boat, per se, but I'd think he lost the opportunity to become an all-time great - not that 288 wickets is bad, but at the rate he was going, he might have been at 500+ by now.
fredfertang
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Yes you're quite right - I have read a bit more now - he seems to have had an "association" with a brewery in Hythe but the implication is that he used that as an excuse to miss games/tours he didn't fancy rather than having any actual business to look after
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Saqlain would never be an all-time great in my book, any more than Kumble was. Both were terrific bowlers in the right conditions but pretty anodyne in the wrong ones. I'm not much of a fan of the rather vague but outrageously sacrosanct term "all-time great" at the best of times but if it must be used I'd prefer it be confined to players of consistent excellence rather than mere longevity.
I don't doubt that but for his injury troubles Saqlain could easily have had 500 ODI and Test wickets but I don't think he could've been a true Test force outside the subcontinent.
thierry henry
International Coach
I STILL haven't got my head around why Saqlain was dropped from ODIs. I guess I never will.
My understanding is that he has had some injury problems at times but primarily he was just dropped more or less permanently.
BoyBrumby
Englishman
Not sure what came first, the dropping or the injuries, but he did have some pretty terrible problems with his knees which kept him out for the better part of two years and after his return wasn't anywhere near the bowler he'd been. Saw him playing for Ireland in 2006 (IIRC) and looked a shadow of himself.
Has fought back somewhat since them tho, which I guess is a testament to his professionalism.
Not sure I agree that he's missed the boat as such (know you aren't suggesting he had, but Julian87 did), a few observers would have him there or thereabouts when lists of the best limited-overs slow bowlers are made.
Saqlain did what most spinners shouldn't do and a fast bowler like Harmison should, that is bowl way too many overs than required and in the end became a defensive bowler, bowling without his natural flight and became a dynamic bowler in county cricket but an absolutely incompetent cricketer when playing international cricket, this nearly happened to Harbhajhan and will happen to Kaneria if he is not careful. Spinners are used very poorly in county cricket.
Migara
International Coach
Saqlain was worked out. In the latter part of his career players like SRT, Gangs, de Silva and Jaya man handled him with fearful regularity. The novelty of his doosra worn and he had nothing to fall back. Ganguly and SRT played him by coming down the track. De Silva and Jaya swept him some times in to submission.
I highly doubt that. The way he was going down with performnce he would have struggle to make the Pakistani side.
Don't believe me?
Saqlain against Sri Lanka. Average of 18.5 going down to 24.8. So in the last matches he was averaging 30+ with the ball.
Saqlain against India. Although not marked as against SL, there is no improvement against India
Migara
International Coach
Now see what Murali ahs done against India. TMurali vs India. There is constant improvement, which Saqlain never achieved. He peaked too soon, so should have waned soon (I have similar doubts about Mendis too). If Saqlain had a 350+ ODI career, I wouln't give him much chance for him to be a force in his latter ODIs
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
After the injuries he's just been a pretty poor bowler. His record in domestic cricket over here has been decidedly moderate, where previously it had been sensational. Not remotely surprising that he's never got back in.
Not sure he was ever really dropped at all BTW. Think he was just injured out and has never returned.
krkode
State Captain
I guess I wasn't following Saqlain's career in the end very much, but cricinfo says he couldn't force his way into the side ahead of Kaneria. Who, ironically, hasn't played since 2007 either.
