Worst Player to Play 100 Tests?

[TheJediBrah]

Vettori is probably as good as O'Keefe now - ridiculous to say he wouldn't do better in his prime.

No, what you've said is ridiculous. I'm not going to laugh at anyone who thinks Vettori > O'Keefe, but all evidence suggests the opposite. Maybe handles his liquor better?

edit: also not sure what you mean by thinking Vettori "would do better in his prime". He did play in his prime, Test cricket and First class. And he didn't do better. There's no need for speculation.

 

[vic_orthdox]

 

[Jack1]

No, what you've said is ridiculous. I'm not going to laugh at anyone who thinks Vettori > O'Keefe, but all evidence suggests the opposite. Maybe handles his liquor better?

edit: also not sure what you mean by thinking Vettori "would do better in his prime". He did play in his prime, Test cricket and First class. And he didn't do better. There's no need for speculation.

Vettori was a good player. Made the most of what he had. He's quite a difficult player to gauge. He had good longevity and was a good pro.

 

[Jack1]

Vettori had done extremely well on SL wickets. Bowling records | Test matches | Cricinfo Statsguru | ESPNcricinfo

Vettori averages 26.4 against Lankan batsmen who were pretty good against spin. Herath averages 23.4, mostly bowling to not-so good batsmen against spin (yes he sent Indian line up rolling a time or two). Away from sub continent Vettori has done better than Herath. So I would give them a tie. You could argue otherwise, because Heath takes them in bunches and wins matches. But that may be the exact reason he was not a good foil for Murali. On that aspect Vettori would be the ideal spinner to partner Murali.

It has to be said. NZ isn't favourable at all for spinners. Vettori did really good considering that and is an ATG in my book.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

4 new inductees to the 100 cap club coming soon. Bairstow has to be a contender here. Fantastic at his peaks, but his troughs have been pretty low.

 

[TheJediBrah]

O'Keefe > Vettori that's a hot take

who was that young man

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Asad Shafiq will win this at canter in a few years time. How can you average 39 while batting at six for mostt of your career cushioned by Azhar,Misbah and Younus on those flat UAE tracks

Only got to 77 in the end.

 

[Flem274*]

Ian Bell and Stephen Fleming in the argument for batsmen. Bell the proto-Latham (but better, though better hidden in the middle order) and Fleming the 'how can I throw away my ton today on 80*' guy.

God, Tom Latham is going to get 100 isn't he?

 

[Athlai]

Fleming was good though

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Latham and Bairstow will become top candidates as the worst to reach 100.

 

[Athlai]

Latham won't reach 100

 

[Flem274*]

Fleming was good though

I mean every 100 test player is. Someone is still the least awesome, and as a Fleming fan and defender, he's in the batting conversation.

Otherwise it's clearly Lee or Ishant until Bairstow comes in.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Latham won't reach 100

80th match this week and is only 31. Who else they got to open?

 

[SteveNZ]

Ian Bell and Stephen Fleming in the argument for batsmen. Bell the proto-Latham (but better, though better hidden in the middle order) and Fleming the 'how can I throw away my ton today on 80*' guy.

God, Tom Latham is going to get 100 isn't he?

Gee, that's a line you'd scratch your head over - the over/under on Tom Latham making 100 Tests. I'd probably take the over, just - like they'll nurse him through to 100 then he'll finally realise he's cooked and should retire. But almost equally he could continue to crap the bed and get dropped by this time next year.

 

[Athlai]

80th match this week and is only 31. Who else they got to open?

31 will also be his average

 

[SteveNZ]

I mean every 100 test player is. Someone is still the least awesome, and as a Fleming fan and defender, he's in the batting conversation.

Otherwise it's clearly Lee or Ishant until Bairstow comes in.

Lee? Lee played 76 Tests and is ****ing awesome.

Atherton got a mention? He was gutsy at times but was McGrath's biatch and his average was, well, average.

 

[Flem274*]

Lee? Lee played 76 Tests and is ****ing awesome.

Atherton got a mention? He was gutsy at times but was McGrath's biatch and his average was, well, average.

I didn't realise Lee played so few tests. Felt like his face was contaminating my TV for years.

iirc Atherton averaged 40+ excluding The Ashes, so he's a little hard done by. Still, throw many other players at Australia for the length of time he was and you could argue they'd improve. He struggled.

 

[mr_mister]

Atherton handled Australia pretty well his first 4 series. He ended up with something like 15 fifties overall against them, a lot of them coming in '93 and '94 against a red hot Warne

It was only peak McGrath he truly couldn't handle

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Lee? Lee played 76 Tests and is ****ing awesome.

Atherton got a mention? He was gutsy at times but was McGrath's biatch and his average was, well, average.

I have a higher opinion of Lee than some others here, but he definitely underacheived quite significantly in Test cricket.

As for the actual question, the answer will be Bairstow by a country mile as of soon. Two great years a decent distance apart, consistently short of Test standard any time outside of that. And that's only speaking of his batting, glovework has varied between garden variety poor at best to outrageously terrible at worst

 

[SteveNZ]

Yeah, I'm irrational about Brett Lee. I bloody love the bloke. I walked past him in Sydney in December and fully got the frozen fan boy jitters.

And yeah, Bairstow is the answer.