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Players who are exceptional in one format and dire in another

Flametree

International 12th Man
Neil Fairbrother seems the perfect example here - averaged 15 in a reasonable number of tests, but 39 in ODIs.
 

Top_Cat

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Too early to call Ajantha Mendis? His first tour aside, seems ill-suited to knocking over good Test bats these days.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Mark Butcher averaged 35 in 71 Tests which is not too shabby, but someone must have thought he was dire at limited overs stuff 'cos he never played an ODI
 

Valer

First Class Debutant
Dale Steyn. Brett Lee. Nathan Bracken too actually.

Starc, MJ too. Hopefully the former can turn around his red ball performances.

To be honest it seems pretty common with a lot of quicks these days no idea why they can't adjust the deffcincies are pretty clear for most of them tho.
 
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BoyBrumby

Englishman
Bit of a stretch to call X-D'oh "exceptional", but the difference between his effectiveness in ODIs and his utter inadequacy in tests is massive, yes.

&, again, I wouldn't call him exceptional either, but Matty Hoggard was a decent & occasionally inspired test performer who was pretty ordinary in pyjamas. He maybe lacked variations and his usual slightly full length made him hittable, as he usually took the new ball to maximise his chances of getting swing when the fielding restrictions meant he lacked cover outside the circle.
 

Expressway76

U19 Vice-Captain
Bit of a stretch to call X-D'oh "exceptional", but the difference between his effectiveness in ODIs and his utter inadequacy in tests is massive, yes.

&, again, I wouldn't call him exceptional either, but Matty Hoggard was a decent & occasionally inspired test performer who was pretty ordinary in pyjamas. He maybe lacked variations and his usual slightly full length made him hittable, as he usually took the new ball to maximise his chances of getting swing when the fielding restrictions meant he lacked cover outside the circle.
Was going to mention Hoggy.


Should change the thread title to "decent in one format, dire in another".
 

Zinzan

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One Christopher Zinzan Harris immediately springs to mind. Superb FC batting record, very good ODI batting record, but abysmal record as a Test batsman.
 

Adders

Cricketer Of The Year
Blimey, you Aussie have certainly lowered the bar if you consider Doherty "exceptional" at anything cricket related. He's a serviceable ODI bowler, but exceptional...really??

Surprised no one has yet mentioned Watson. Current test form certainly fits the criteria of "dire" but is still an exceptional short format player.
 

Mike5181

International Captain
Was going to mention Hoggy.


Should change the thread title to "decent in one format, dire in another".
To throw another Hoggy out there, Brad Hogg had quite an excellent ODI career but struggled to impress in the longer format.

ODIs: 156 @ 26
Tests: 17 @ 55
 

Maximas

Cricketer Of The Year
Blimey, you Aussie have certainly lowered the bar if you consider Doherty "exceptional" at anything cricket related. He's a serviceable ODI bowler, but exceptional...really??

Surprised no one has yet mentioned Watson. Current test form certainly fits the criteria of "dire" but is still an exceptional short format player.
It's the disparity I focused on, not the quality of his ODI performances.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
To throw another Hoggy out there, Brad Hogg had quite an excellent ODI career but struggled to impress in the longer format.

ODIs: 156 @ 26
Tests: 17 @ 55
Yeah this is a great one because he bowled pies in domestic First Class cricket as well. It wasn't just a matter of not being able to transfer his skills to Tests; he just couldn't transfer them to the entire format of cricket, regardless of the standard.
 

Top_Cat

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Yeah this is a great one because he bowled pies in domestic First Class cricket as well. It wasn't just a matter of not being able to transfer his skills to Tests; he just couldn't transfer them to the entire format of cricket, regardless of the standard.
Playing half your home games on the WACA would also sap your will to live as a spinner.

Averages mid-30's away from Perth, fair bit less than his overall FC average. Reckon that would compare favourably to the vast majority of left-arm wristies. It's a tough art.
 

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