Young players who failed to realise their potential

[Beamer]

Adrian Barath
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Darren Bravo
Kraigg Brathwaite

Adrian Barath
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Darren Bravo
Kraigg Brathwaite

IMHO Barath was the biggest loss to us. He was a huge talent, dominated at all levels pre-Test, great start and then had a tricky run, but I think with support he would have been a 40+ average test batsman. He walked away so soon.

I also raise Devon Smith. I saw him at Under 19 level in the same cohort as Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Jimmy Anderson. Smith was head and shoulders above anyone on either side. He just couldn't get it done in tests. He liked missing straight ones from the likes of Hafeez and Monty Panesar.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

IMHO Barath was the biggest loss to us. He was a huge talent, dominated at all levels pre-Test, great start and then had a tricky run, but I think with support he would have been a 40+ average test batsman. He walked away so soon.

I also raise Devon Smith. I saw him at Under 19 level in the same cohort as Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Jimmy Anderson. Smith was head and shoulders above anyone on either side. He just couldn't get it done in tests. He liked missing straight ones from the likes of Hafeez and Monty Panesar.

Absolutely, Barath with that century against Australia in Australia on debut. That's a very high ceiling.

Devon Smith even in his later years playing FC cricket was good. Test cricket is just a different animal for him.

 

[Molehill]

Steven Finn

 

[andruid]

IMHO Barath was the biggest loss to us. He was a huge talent, dominated at all levels pre-Test, great start and then had a tricky run, but I think with support he would have been a 40+ average test batsman. He walked away so soon.

I also raise Devon Smith. I saw him at Under 19 level in the same cohort as Ian Bell, Matt Prior and Jimmy Anderson. Smith was head and shoulders above anyone on either side. He just couldn't get it done in tests. He liked missing straight ones from the likes of Hafeez and Monty Panesar.

I do not watch much youth cricket so seeing this about Devon Smith, really boggles my mind given how ordinary he looked , even in an ordinary West Indies batting lineup.


Other than that I propose Vusi Sibanda. He is the talisman of a generation of Zimbabwean cricketers dropped in the deep end way before they were ready for it, yet in some instance it seemed that he could make a good opening batsman. I remember there even a poll here where a significant chunk of voters felt he would pan out to be a better Test match opener than Virender Sehwag.

 

[kevinw]

Harmison. In 2005-06 you'd have sworn he could've been England's best ever fast bowler (before Anderson's comeback). Instead it all just fell away.

 

[SteveNZ]

Richard Sherlock was 140km+ at U19 level, but only played a handful (ish) of FC/List A games and had to go to 3 domestic sides to do it.

 

[shortpitched713]

Harmison. In 2005-06 you'd have sworn he could've been England's best ever fast bowler (before Anderson's comeback). Instead it all just fell away.

Something something "accuracy is a talent". *grumble* Mark Ealham... eat my hat.


/Richard

 

[Jumno]

Ronnie Irani

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Kyle Abbott ..

Constantly overlooked, didn't do a whole lot wrong in his career.That he played only 11 Tests is criminal

 

[Silver Silva]

Kyle Abbott ..

Constantly overlooked, didn't do a whole lot wrong in his career.That he played only 11 Tests is criminal

Surely he was a case of being unlucky rather than wasted potential? Hard to get in SA's test team when they had Steyn, Morkel,Philander in their set up.

 

[Kenneth Viljoen]

Surely he was a case of being unlucky rather than wasted potential? Hard to get in SA's test team when they had Steyn, Morkel,Philander in their set up.

He was better than Morkel he just didn't have the same opportunities..
Took 7 wickets on Test debut , helped win a test series in Australia on his only tour..
9 wickets at 14.44 in his only WC where he got dropped for the semi final in 2015. I wouldn't call that unlucky, I think he got screwed by the national selectors..

Look at his FC record,there aren't many that can say they have a 17 wicket haul in red ball cricket, even though he's been past his prime for a while he still has a FC bowling average around 21, he was always a prolific wicket taker for Natal in his youth but sadly was never appreciated.

 

[fredfertang]

Frank Hayes

 

[AndrewB]

Graeme Hick and Neil Fairbrother in Tests, though they at least had decent ODI careers.

You could hardly say Daryll Cullinan was a failure in Tests (av 44), but he was touted as the next Pollock/Richards in his teens.

 

[JBMAC]

Ian Craig and Dirk Wellham

 

[Victor Ian]

Shaun Marsh.

 

[Chubb]

Other than that I propose Vusi Sibanda. He is the talisman of a generation of Zimbabwean cricketers dropped in the deep end way before they were ready for it, yet in some instance it seemed that he could make a good opening batsman. I remember there even a poll here where a significant chunk of voters felt he would pan out to be a better Test match opener than Virender Sehwag.

Hero. Legend. Icon.

One of those guys who would have scored thousands of international runs if he was born English or Australian.

@Prince EWS

 

[Ali TT]

Steven Finn

Would add Harmison in a similar vein. Although he had a longer career in terms of matches played, he similarly suffered with what must be a form of the yips. Averaged 24 a couple of years into his career, which slid to 32 when he retired at just 30 years old.

 

[Nintendo]

Not an international level thing, but will bosisto and Unmukt Chand probably deserves a shout here for the level below international level? Both where pretty hyped coming out of the 2012 u-19 wc from what I can tell, but bosisto hasn't even managed to make a decent domestic career and chand is in a similiar situation.

 

[Prince EWS]

Not an international level thing, but will bosisto and Unmukt Chand probably deserves a shout here for the level below international level? Both where pretty hyped coming out of the 2012 u-19 wc from what I can tell, but bosisto hasn't even managed to make a decent domestic career and chand is in a similiar situation.

Yeah these are gun shouts.

Jason Sangha too.

 

[ImpatientLime]

Steven Finn

he was legitimately rapid in the first part of his career. action issues and andy flower being a massive **** ruined him.