Players Who Went Downhill After Excellent Starts To Their Test Careers

[a massive zebra]

Vinod Kambli probably suffered most from this unwanted affliction.

First 7 Tests: 793 runs at 113.29 with 4 centuries
Last 10 Tests: 291 runs at 22.38 with 0 centuries.

With Jimmy Adams second and Arthur Morris third.

Adams
First 14 Tests: 1296 runs at 86.40 with 4 centuries
Last 40 Tests: 1716 runs at 29.58 with 2 centuries

Morris
First 19 Tests: 1830 runs at 67.77 with 9 centuries
Last 27 Tests: 1703 runs at 34.75 with 3 centuries

Neil Harvey started his career spectacularly but matured into a merely good Test player.

First 9 Tests: 959 runs at 106.55 with 6 centuries
Last 70 Tests: 5190 runs at 43.98 with 15 centuries

Frank Worrell also

First 22 Tests: 2046 runs at 63.93 with 7 centuries
Last 29 Tests: 1814 runs at 39.43 with 2 centuries

Viv Richards was world-class for most of his career but really did go on a little bit too long.

First 101 Tests: 7482 runs at 53.44 with 23 centuries
Last 20 Tests: 1058 runs at 35.26 with 1 century

Daniel Vettori on the bowling front, although his start was not exactly excellent.

First 41 Tests: 138 wickets at 33.13
Last 14 Tests: 20 wickets at 72.70

Lance Gibbs and Wes Hall were outstanding for an extended period, but declined.

Gibbs
First 34 Tests: 151 wickets at 23.47
Last 45 Tests: 158 wickets at 34.45

Hall
First 23 Tests: 116 wickets at 21.87
Last 25 Tests: 76 wickets at 33.27

Ian Botham as an allrounder.

First 64 Tests: 3686 runs at 37.61 with 13 centuries and 283 wickets at 24.98
Last 38 Tests: 1514 runs at 26.56 with 1 century and 100 wickets at 38.06

This phenomenon appears to effect West Indians far more than others. Any ideas why? Anyone found some other examples?

 

[Swervy]

Bradman...first 79 innings averaged over 100
last innings averaged 0

he went on way too long

 

[Bouncer]

Mattehw SInclare.....
Sanjay Manrekar: Dubed as second Gavaskar after his first couple of Yrs(88-89)....

 

[Macka]

Vincent, Sinclair and Vettori come to mind for NZ.

 

[pakster]

Azhar Mahmood...

 

[Mister Wright]

Michael Clarke

 

[Richard]

Seriously - Brett Lee.
First few Tests (1999\2000-2000\01) averaged 16.07 (I think); all Tests after that so far, his average is 38.something.

 

[Richard]

Vincent, Sinclair and Vettori come to mind for NZ.

Vincent was a player I foolishly jumped to rating after watching his debut; Sinclair is a player I've always considered wholly overrated, two double-centuries on wickets offering nothing to a load of pretty poor bowlers, and not much besides. Apart, of course, from that unbeaten 150-odd, a masterpiece on a seaming wicket.
After Vincent's debut, I witnessed possibly the worst series any batsman has ever had (started with a 12 in which he should have been out 4 times rather than once, and finished with a series where he probably could have been dismissed 14 times instead of 6).

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Jimmy Adams is an unfortunate case. If my memory serves, in England in the mid-90s he had his skull fractured and that really shook him up. He came back into the game, with a slightly different stance and approach and never looked the same batsman again. Shame really, as he was one of the best temperaments and finest players of spin to that point.

 

[deeps]

alex tudor as a bowler and proobably as a batsman too (his 99 :P)

 

[shaka]

Vettori was the quickest ever spinner to reach 100 test wickets, or the youngest, but ever since that moment, he hasnt played in the same way, mayb that is what the experience has done to him, that or the injury he sustained to his head while fielding a few years back.

 

[Mister Wright]

Vettori was the quickest ever spinner to reach 100 test wickets, or the youngest, but ever since that moment, he hasnt played in the same way, mayb that is what the experience has done to him, that or the injury he sustained to his head while fielding a few years back.

Not only that head injury but several back injuries. It is not only fast bowlers that are affected by back injuries, I know from personal experience that back problems have a huge effect on the delivery of the ball.

 

[SJS]

For a roller coaster career...few to beat the unfortunate Lawrence Rowe

TEST INNINGS RUNS AVERAGE

1st 2 314 314.0
next 7 10 119 11.9
next 5 7 633 90.4
last 17 30 981 33.8

 

[Kent]

Vincent was a player I foolishly jumped to rating after watching his debut

I wouldn't say that was foolish - you certainly weren't the only one. After watching the highlights of that test yesterday, I could almost understand if the NZ selectors took an almighty punt next month on him doing it again!

Vincent averages about 100 when the TV cameras turn up to domestic games, he lived in Adelaide where we're playing a test, his Dad still lives there, essentially Australia with have the same attack, Papps has just injured himself....I can't say there aren't the ingredients for a Cinderella story. Sorry though, Lou - back to your scrubbing brush!

Trying to turn a flawed, attention-loving strokemaker into an opener (with a partner like Richardson) was always doomed in hindsight. Averaging over 30 was surprisingly high in the end.

 

[SJS]

Trying to turn a flawed, attention-loving strokemaker into an opener (with a partner like Richardson) was always doomed in hindsight.

It sounds so similar to trying to force-fit Yuvraj into an operner's role.

 

[Tim]

I think the selectors became obsessed with the idea that Lou Vincent was an opener after he scored 130 something in a OD match for Auckland at the Outer Oval at Eden Park about 4 years ago.

 

[Mister Wright]

I wouldn't say that was foolish - you certainly weren't the only one. After watching the highlights of that test yesterday, I could almost understand if the NZ selectors took an almighty punt next month on him doing it again!

Vincent averages about 100 when the TV cameras turn up to domestic games, he lived in Adelaide where we're playing a test, his Dad still lives there, essentially Australia with have the same attack, Papps has just injured himself....I can't say there aren't the ingredients for a Cinderella story. Sorry though, Lou - back to your scrubbing brush!

Trying to turn a flawed, attention-loving strokemaker into an opener (with a partner like Richardson) was always doomed in hindsight. Averaging over 30 was surprisingly high in the end.

Matthew Sinclair has replaced Papps.

 

[marc71178]

alex tudor as a bowler and proobably as a batsman too (his 99 :P)

Don't you have had to have a high in order to go downhill?

 

[Kent]

Matthew Sinclair has replaced Papps.

Not for the Aussie tour he hasn't. Papps should be fit in time for that, but may not be.

They said they included Hamish Marshall in our Bangladesh squad partly because of his record in the subcontinent. I guess in the same way they could justify bringing in Vincent because of his Australian background and performance in Perth, but that's only a faint glimmer of hope for him.

 

[Mister Wright]

Not for the Aussie tour he hasn't. Papps should be fit in time for that, but may not be.

They said they included Hamish Marshall in our Bangladesh squad partly because of his record in the subcontinent. I guess in the same way they could justify bringing in Vincent because of his Australian background and performance in Perth, but that's only a faint glimmer of hope for him.

I didn't mention anything about the Australian tour. As far as I know they have only announced a squad for Bangladesh.