Cricketer who proved you wrong

cricketfan · #1 June 22, 2004, 12:49 PM

There are occasions when a fan feels that a cricketer is just not fit enough for International cricket and he should not be selected for the national team.

That person forces his way into the national side and contrary to your expectations, manages to do extremely well and he proves you wrong.

In this forum let us discuss players who proved you wrong. As an example I can cite the name of Marvan Attapattu. He had a disastrous beginning to his International career. In his first 4 test matches which were spread over 5 years, he was just unable to score more than Zero. There was no reason to believe that he will be able to find a place in test team again. But he did find a place in the Sri Lanka team again and slowly and steadily he built up his test career. Now he is the most accomplished and technically sound player in Sri Lanka side. He has certainly proved me wrong.

So, it is your turn now to confess.

billah · #2 June 23, 2004, 03:18 AM

Here's one, I thought Rahul Dravid had some class. I was proven wrong after he brutally pulled the rug from under Tendulkar stranded at 194 in Pakistan. I have no respect for the guy anymore.

James90 · #3 June 23, 2004, 03:31 AM

Shehwar · #4 June 23, 2004, 05:00 AM

As far as I remember, Saurav Ganguli spent about three years in wilderness before being recalled to the national squad in 96 for that England tour where he proved everyone wrong by notching up consecutive tons in his first two tests. Prior to that he had made his ODI debut in 92 and was discarded.

cricketfan · #5 June 23, 2004, 09:24 AM

You are right. Unlike what many participants in this forum feel about him, he is one of the grittiest cricketers India has ever produced. When he was selected for 1991-92 Australia tour, it was called a regional quota based selection,because cricketers from the Eastern Zone of India were not regarded as test class material. When Ganguly failed in that tour, his attitude was questioned by none other than Sunil Gavaskar. For all practical purposes, his international career was over.After that,his brilliant performances in the first class cricket made no impression on the national selectors. In 1996 he was again chosen on a regional quota selection basis. When he arrived at the crease, India were tottering at the crease with four wickets down for very few and staring at follow on. He scored a century on debut and saved the test. He scored a century in the next test as well and effectively silenced his critics.

As he grew in stature and became Indian captain,he could have extracted revenge on Sunil Gavaskar because his son Rohan Gavaskar was playing for his home state viz. Bengal. But Ganguly was largehearted enough not to hold any grudges against the Senior Gavaskar and cared about Rohan Gavaskar as much as he cares about any other upcoming youngster. Rohan Gavaskar these days is the captain of Bengal Ranji team which he could not have become without the support of Saurav Ganguly.

*AsifTheManRahman* · #6 June 23, 2004, 09:29 AM

Habibul Bashar's name comes into mind. Watching him play in a couple of ODI matches 7/8 years ago, people had got the impression that he was as hopeless as most of the others in the side. Then he played that 140+ inning against England A, got a few runs in first class matches, got into the test side, and the rest is history.

#7 June 25, 2004, 02:48 AM

from india,

laxmipathy balaji - after a 3-0-35-0ish bowling figures against windies on debut, he wasnt considered fit for intl cricket. he got selected for aus tour just bcoz salvi was injured. in the vb series, nobody including even chennai-ites expected him to do well, but he did well and proved everyone wrong.

vvs laxman(odis only) - nobody including some of his fans considered him as fit for odis and always questioned his selection, he was even dropped mysteriously from the wc squad too but laxman has hit 4 odi centuries this year alone after the comment.

rahul dravid - had a poor start to his cricketing career in odis and scored at less than 60 strike rate and a very average average, but now he is oneof the most important players in the indian team and is known as the wall.

Shehwar · #8 June 25, 2004, 04:12 AM

Looks as if Indian players are pretty slow starters....

Edited on, April 19, 2005, 8:36 AM GMT, by Shehwar.

FaltuRidwanBhai · #9 June 25, 2004, 08:35 PM

ji asif bhai,
ami kintu apnar shathe akdom ak mot. ak shomoy chilo jokhn bashar kintu dole chilen akjon oniyomito shodoshho. kintu akhon bashar ke chara test khela kintu bhabai jai na. ashole amar mone hoi je ajke bangladesh jodi test status na peto tahole bashar ar je ato protibha ache eta shudhui amader kache ojanai roye jeto.

a player who proved me wrong.
i thought rokon was a very good batsman. cuz i always used to hear that when he used to play in the abahoni math coaches used to praise him a lot and used to tell other youngsters to learn his techniques. but he has proved me wrong. he is the most foul and makal fol i have even seen. dannabad.

billah · #10 June 26, 2004, 02:17 AM

Saurov Danguly, here's another one. Thought the guy had some class. Just as India finally begun to show some improvement in cricket, after a looooooooooooooong 50 years of lagging behind, he turns elitist. He goes to propose to his white lord masters at ICC to put him in the elite club and push his peer countries in the lower group. How pathetic. He proved me wrong.

*reverse_swing* · #11 June 26, 2004, 02:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by billah
Saurov Danguly, here's another one. Thought the guy had some class. Just as India finally begun to show some improvement in cricket, after a looooooooooooooong 50 years of lagging behind, he turns elitist. He goes to propose to his white lord masters at ICC to put him in the elite club and push his peer countries in the lower group. How pathetic. He proved me wrong.

LOL Billah. Well said

FaltuRidwanBhai · #12 June 26, 2004, 07:37 AM

ji billah bhai,
dannabad kintu apnake. akti emotional kintu ottanto chomotkar post lekhar jonno. asholai kintu bishoyti pathetic. ak shomoy amra aki desh chilam. amra akhono aki bhasha boli. amra akhono bhai bhai ar shomporko rakhi. kintu tader achoron dekhle mone hoi na tara shai bhai ar shomporko rakhte chai. tara ar amader choto bhai hishebe gonno korte chai na. suppor to korai na borong ulta aro ki kore amaderke niche namano jai shaitar cheshta kore thake. tobe ohongkar potoner mool. sarav ar proti amar binito abedon je matite pa na fela beparta kintu khub akta bhalo noi. dannabad.

Shehwar · #13 April 19, 2005, 03:44 AM

I wud have to add Rana Naved Ul Hasan to this list.....When I saw him last year for the first time as India toured Pakistan...He gave me the impression of being a guy whu cud neither bowl nor bat.....I thought he was basically useless....and plus he played his role in Pakistan losing that 1st ODI at Karachi while chasing 350 from being in a winning position.....But in the last 6 months or so he has really turned it around and after the Australia tour I actually predicted in here that He was gonna rip off the Indian top order.....

Taposh is also someone who really proved me wrong....When I saw him for the first time I didn't really think much of him....But as time went on he took the responsibility of being our main strike bowler in absence of Mashrafe wonderfully well......He was really special in the West Indies tour....cheers....

jabbar · #14 April 19, 2005, 03:53 AM

Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden

Fazal · #15 April 19, 2005, 11:30 AM

For Bangladeshi Players:

In a positive way
1) Bashar
2) Taposh
3) Rafique
4) Rana (so far)

In a negative way
1) Hannan
2) Alok
3) Rokon

*AsifTheManRahman* · #16 April 19, 2005, 11:33 AM

when i first logged in today, i was like...what's going on? why are all old threads showing up in today's posts? then i realized that shehwar's been digging up old stuff in his free time

Shehwar · #17 April 19, 2005, 11:44 AM

....yeah bro.......got a lot of free time when one is in DU.......

Ameer · #18 April 19, 2005, 12:12 PM

Rana has proved me wrong... my opinion of him was that he was a worthless piece of crap before the Australian series. But he did quite well there, and now had a great series in India winning the Man of the Series.

Another person has to be Pathan... he was so deadly last year in Pakistan... after all the hype... he turned out to be nothing.

*AsifTheManRahman* · #19 April 19, 2005, 12:47 PM

Pakistan have produced too many talents who've done brilliant in a series or two but were then thrown out for small failures and never made it back. it's time their admins/officials/selectors stick to a plan. if a guy does good - keep him for a couple of series even if he fails: don't just drop him because he scored two consecutive ducks. i think they have found a good combination, and imo this young team, led by inzamam, should be allowed to stay together for a couple of years. this is the time to act, and if the PCB makes the same blunder it did over and over again in the past, the national team will never be a consistent bunch. The current 14 or so has, imo, the ability to turn Pakistan into one of the top two teams.

unfortunately, we're talking about the Paki officials here - i'd predicted that rana will be the hero of the series a couple of months back, and that he'll get lost forever after that. i believe my prediction will come true -judging from past trends.

btw - how come they're not playing yasir hameed anymore? another gonner?

ps: hehe...i'm not a paki supporter, but rather a supporter of good cricket, and enjoy watching a team play with such unity and passion.

Ameer · #20 April 19, 2005, 12:50 PM

Hameed is worthless... that's why. Take out his runs against Bangladesh and New Zealand B team on flat tracks in Pakistan, then he's done nothing. Butt's the much better batsmen, a Test century in Australia against the best bowling attack in the world, and two ODI centuries in India, against India. They should stick with him.

I agree with you... they should stick with this team... no more dropping people because of a failed series or two.

*AsifTheManRahman* · #21 April 19, 2005, 12:59 PM

i wasnt really advocating dropping butt. however, when i first watched hameed play, i thought he was pretty impressive. anyways - you're the better judge obviously

Ameer · #22 April 19, 2005, 01:18 PM

No, I'm not the better judge... just voicing my opinion like you did.

al · #23 April 19, 2005, 02:31 PM

Naved Rana obviously in recent india-pak series

Rubayed · #24 April 19, 2005, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ameer
Hameed is worthless... that's why. Take out his runs against Bangladesh and New Zealand B team on flat tracks in Pakistan, then he's done nothing. Butt's the much better batsmen, a Test century in Australia against the best bowling attack in the world, and two ODI centuries in India, against India. They should stick with him.

I agree with you... they should stick with this team... no more dropping people because of a failed series or two.

I really dont think Hameed is useless, i think he is a very good batsman although i feel Salman Butt is better. Its very difficult for Hameed to come back into the team simply because there isnt enough room. Beside Younis Khan should also not be an automatic choice in the Pakistani ODI team. I also dont c Arshad Khan in Pakistan's ODI plan, i would rather give Saqlain Mushtaq another chance once he is fit.

Edited on, April 19, 2005, 8:23 PM GMT, by Rubayed.
Reason: typo

Rubayed · #25 April 19, 2005, 03:32 PM

As for a player who proved me dead wrong is definitley Rana Naved-ul-hassan. I havent had the chance to c his debut ODI against Sri-Lanka but very honestly from what i saw of him against India last year in Karachi was not very impressive. I thought this guy cant bowl at all and look how he made me eat my own words. Well done Naved!!!