The "Players Who Wish They Were Born In Another Era/Country" Thread

[smssia0112]

Good article in The Age a few days ago about a few players in Australia who never got their just rewards - Jamie Siddons was one thrown up - was great in the Shield throughout his career but only played one ODI and no tests.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Don Bradman, Viv Richards, Garry Sobers, Graeme Pollock, Barry Richards, Ken Barrington, Jack Hobbs, Clyde Walcott, Sunil Gavaskar, Everton Weekes, Herbert Sutcliffe and Greg Chappell would run absolute riot in the modern game. In a game dominated by the bat, with a depletion in the stocks of class fast bowlers, alot of pitches offering nothing for the bowler, smaller boundaries, and better equipment they'd all be averaging well in excess of 50, and Bradman, I hate to think what his average would be if he was playing in this current era of fast bowlers, he would be unstoppable, almost as good as Pietersen.

Sunil Gavaskar and Ken Barrington wouldn't run riot, both were defensive batsman, who relied on great temperment. ODI cricket has changed the technique of batting so much over the past 15 years. That's why technically correct batsman like Jacques Kallis and Rahul Dravid aren't explosive as explosive as others of the modern game.

Both Gavaskar & Barrington would've struggled adjusting to different forms of the game and it would've inevitably affected their batting in Test Matches. Gavaskar once batted 60 overs in a ODI and made 36 not out on a flat deck against England.

 

[stefan]

Jimmy Cook and Peter Kirsten, both would have done a lot more if they had played test cricket in their prime instead of when they were close to 40. The whole SA team of the 1970's. Cricket was deprived of some of the greats of all time, its a really pity.

 

[King Pietersen]

Defensive batsmen generally don't get a place in the ODi sides nowadays, Dravid's no longer in the India ODi side, Strauss and Cook can't get into the England ODi side and are now operating mainly as Test specialists (although Strauss has fluked his way into the ODi team as captain). Barrington and Gavaskar could just play as Test match specialists, and in terms of making big runs they'd run riot. When Barrington was playing, he made 20 Test hundreds at an average of 58, and that was in an era where pitches were nowhere near as good, with bigger boundaries and worse equipment. In the modern game he'd be immense, same with Gavaskar.

 

[aussie_ben91]

Worse equipment for the bowlers aswell. Footwear in particular. Have you seen the shoes that they use to bowl in? No way could they charge in as hard as the modern pace bowler otherwise they wouldn't last 1 day of cricket without sustaining a serious foot injury. I've batted on dodgy, uneven turf pitches against quality 115-120kph bowlers and although it can be difficult, I've had my fair share of success and that was before I got my technique remodelled. If I can have success then just imagine what an International player of the modern age would do.

Boundaries in Australia nowadays are still bigger then any other country from past eras. Grounds in the West Indies have fairly small boundaries, even without boundry ropes. MCG in particular has expanded. They used to hold 130k capacity max but they trimmed it down and now it only holds 100k capacity max and the ground is noticiably bigger.

 

[King Cricket]

Sourav Ganguly. The way he was treated by the Indian selctors and board officials in the last few years (2005-2008) of his career- absolutely shocking. Only the BCCI can do this. Yest he never complained- he never said anything against the BCCI, I think he is the true example of a fighter, a real warrior-prince. He re-shaped the whole Indian team after the 2000 match fixing scandal. Yet what he got in return- nothing.

 

[naresh091]

Players like Sridharan Sharath,Amol Muzumdar,Hemang Badani all would have been known as great batsmen if they were born in any other country(even in Australia).
I just hope this doesnt happen to Badri.

 

[Leggie]

It has already happened to Badri. He's 28, has only made 3 ODI Appearances and no Test Appearances. Unless he gets picked now and played till he's 36 or something, It's pretty much over. Sadly.

 

[aussie_ben91]

I think that Michael Bevan would've averaged over 50 in Tests if he was an Indian batsman.

The only reason he didn't make it for Australia was because he had troubles with the bouncer but in India, the pitches are slow and low and Bevan wouldn't of had to encounter this problem at International level if he played the majority of his career in the subcontient.

 

[naresh091]

Yeah,But he can atleast get some chances from now on and get to a position like how Hussey is today.

 

[max_dillon2007]

Tendulkar of 1998 + Sehwag of 2009 = Murrrrrrrrrder

Though here is what i wish completely. My dream ODI XI.

Tendulkar 1998
Sehwag 2009
Sir Viv Richards(I dont know when he peaked but he avg 47 with a strike rate of 96 in that era is enough for me)
Yuvraj Singh 2009
Adam Gilchrist(i dont care what other say, for me gilly is the best keeper of all time)
Kevin Peitersen 2005
Freddie 2005
Wasim Akram 90's
Shoiab Akhtar 99
Shane Warne anytime.
Shane Bond 2003 (Out and out strike bowler who has a very good control.)
Michael Hussey (12th man)

Apart from top order the entire middle order of my team is flexible. If Sehwag gets out then Sir Richards or Yuvraj comes in. If Tendulkar Gets out then K.P Comes in as he has a pretty good technique. so there always be one player on the crease who is an bomb and another to support him. In bowling i would start with Shane Bond and Akhtar. Michal Hussey would come in side in place of kevin pietersen if it is a seaming track or damp track.

I wont be playing against this team. Definitely.

 

[King Cricket]

^ :confused::confused: Did you read the thread title before posting?

 

[Amiya]

Players like Sridharan Sharath,Amol Muzumdar,Hemang Badani all would have been known as great batsmen if they were born in any other country(even in Australia).
I just hope this doesnt happen to Badri.

The player mentioned especially Hemang Badani were great but now they don't have any chances as they play for ICL.

 

[King Pietersen]

Worse equipment for the bowlers aswell. Footwear in particular. Have you seen the shoes that they use to bowl in? No way could they charge in as hard as the modern pace bowler otherwise they wouldn't last 1 day of cricket without sustaining a serious foot injury. I've batted on dodgy, uneven turf pitches against quality 115-120kph bowlers and although it can be difficult, I've had my fair share of success and that was before I got my technique remodelled. If I can have success then just imagine what an International player of the modern age would do.

You're not trying to insinuate at the start of that post that bowlers in the past never used to bowl as fast or as long spells as bowlers in the modern era are you? =/

There's a big difference between facing Michael Holding bowling at over 90mph on an uncovered wicket and facing 'quality' 115-120kph bowlers as well. Again, you're not trying to tell us that uncovered pitches aren't a problem are you?

 

[aussie_ben91]

Yes, that is my point. Bowlers wouldn't be able to get enough pace in their run-up with the shoes that they were wearing and hence why aren't weren't as quick as modern bowlers. I'm talking about pre-1960, etc. I'm pretty sure they would've had atleast some decent footwear by the 1970's.

Uncovered pitches are only a problem, when it rains and usually if it rains then it keeps raining and the Test gets called off. It wasn't a matter of batsman batting on wet-pitches all of the time but only in the case of some instances.