The Russian Roulette draft | Final - Return of the King..

[RUDI]

Geoff Miller

1st Number: 4
2nd Number: 6

@VC the slogger - I selected a spin bowler mate.

Edit: but if he is my pick then so be it

 

[Aravind.]

Sanga

 

[VC the slogger]

@VC the slogger - I selected a spin bowler mate.

Edit: but if he is my pick then so be it

He is a spin bowling all-rounder.

4 - Spin bowler - (a player whose primary role is bowling, but whose batting ability can be anything from a total rabbit to a plucky tailender to even a bowling all-rounder; eg Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan, Adil Rashid)

 

[Aislabie]

@VC the slogger - I selected a spin bowler mate.

Geoff Miller's ODI record is one of 136 runs @ 8.50 (best 46) and 25 wickets @ 32.52 (best 3/27) in 25 matches.

Our man definitely belongs in the "spin bowler" category

 

[RUDI]

Geoff Miller's ODI record is one of 136 runs @ 8.50 (best 46) and 25 wickets @ 32.52 (best 3/27) in 25 matches.

Our man definitely belongs in the "spin bowler" category

Edit: but if he is my pick then so be it

Aye. Hence the edit

 

[VC the slogger]

Here are the first couple of picks for @Na Maloom Afraad

@Na Maloom Afraad - (PG 100; 2, 2)

Sachin Tendulkar

The greatest in a galaxy of greats to have played and excelled in the ODI format, Sachin Tendulkar still owns almost all the batting records of note in the format such as most matches, runs, centuries, fifties, the distinction of bringing up the first double hundred in men's ODIs to go with all his other impressive feats at the 50-over World Cup - which he finally won in his final attempt to cap off a stunning career. That he played in three distinct eras of the format in excelled in all of them in equal measure speaks levels of what a versatile batsman he was even as age and injuries hampered his originally domineering style of play from the '90s. He was a none too shabby part-time bowler too, switching up various different styles such as medium pace, off-breaks and leg-breaks to finish with more five-fers than Shane Warne. What a start for Na Maloom Afraad!


@Na Maloom Afraad - (PG 107; 3, 5)

Atul Wassan

In a group that included both of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, NMA somehow ends up with Atul Wassan - a shockingly poor bowler in the Test format where even his best figures of 4 for 108 came at a rate of 6.5 runs per over. Wassan never really had the pace or the discipline to properly challenge the best in business at international level but his returns in ODI cricket were still serviceable while his body allowed, with 11 wickets at 25.22 from 9 matches. He also possessed the ability to biff a few into the crowd towards the closing stages of an innings with the bat.


And @Fenil's replacement pick from my previous round error..

@Fenil - (PG 21; 5, 4)

Sam Curran

Sam Curran is someone who might not possess the most glamorous statistics of some of the other all-rounders in this draft, but his ability to deliver is something that has never been in question with a knack of 'making things happen' quite often with either bat or ball. His bowling has come together very nicely over the past year with him winning Player of the Tournament at the recently concluded T20 World Cup for claiming 13 wickets at an average of 11, and 10 wickets from 5 matches at 22.50 in ODIs so far this year. He hasn't quite had the same opportunity with the bat in a powerful and deep English batting lineup where he seldom bats higher than No 8, but nevertheless a massive trade up from Dav Whatmore.

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

@Na Maloom Afraad - (PG 100; 2, 2)

MY THEORY ACTUALLY WORKED

Insane pull

 

[Sherlock Holmes]

MY THEORY ACTUALLY WORKED

Insane pull

I had the same theory and got Kris Shrikant instead. Not a bad pick but nothing compared to SRT.

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

I had the same theory and got Kris Shrikant instead. Not a bad pick but nothing compared to SRT.

Me when I pull Brian Lara next:

View attachment ＂i will love it and i think i deserve it＂ - Ronaldo.mp4

 

[VC the slogger]

@Fenil - (PG 46; 5, 2)

Neil Johnson

Although born in Zimbabwe, Neil Johnson was essentially a South African all-rounder having learnt his cricket and even represented the latter country's 'A' side in the early '90s. But there was never really a place for him in the era of Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock, Hansie Cronje, Lance Klusener, Brian McMillan, Nicky Boje and a huge assembly line of talented all-rounders, so instead he chose to return home for a brief while. And what a move it turned out to be for both him and Zimbabwe, with his presence lifting a mediocre outfit to one that could topple higher ranked Test nations with ease on their day such as in the 1999 World Cup where they memorably toppled both India and South Africa. Both Johnson and Zimbabwe reached their zenith at that tournament, where he scored 367 runs at 52.42 and 12 wickets at 19.41 opening both the batting and bowling for his team, and would surely have won Player of the Tournament if Lance Klusener hadn't been there too.

@pillowprocter - (PG 35; 5, 3)

Lewis Gregory

Lewis Gregory initially started his career as predominantly a bowler who could club a few useful late-order runs, but has since transitioned into a genuine all-rounder with fearsome hitting ability making him one of franchise cricket's high in demand players. Save for one innings of 77 off 69 balls that helped what was essentially an England C side (as a result of Covid and injuries) whitewash a then full-strength Pakistan 3-0 in an ODI series at home in 2021, he is yet to translate his domestic prowess onto the international arena however.


@Neo 7 - (PG 107; 3, 4)

Washington Sundar

Having first begun his career as a batsman who could bowl, Washington Sundar turned himself first into a bowler who could bat and then finally a bona fide lower-order all-rounder capable of doing both. His accuracy and economy with the ball along with his lower-order striking ability that has developed well of late makes him an ideal limited overs bowling all-rounder - a role he currently plays for India whenever Ravindra Jadeja isn't available for selection. Although not quite as well suited to the longer format, he did earn a surprise recall during India's injury ravaged tour of Australia in 2020/21 despite having not played a single first-class match in 4 years and still managed to deliver the goods in a memorable victory that gave India one of their least expected and finest overseas triumphs.


@ddrap14 - (PG 51; 1, 3)

Peter Kirsten

By the time he finally made his much deserved official international debut for South Africa aged nearly 37 following their readmission into the fold, Peter Kirsten was already a legend at first-class and List-A level tirelessly churning out the runs against some of the best in business in both South African domestic and English county cricket. Needless to say he was well past his prime by this stage, but still managed to tick a few things off his bucket list in the limited amount of time he had - such as scoring a Test century aged 39, averaging almost 40 with the bat in ODIs which was the benchmark for any half decent batter back then, and playing a starring role in a World Cup campaign which he did with a superb haul of 410 runs at 68.33 in the 1992 edition. If not for those godawful rain rules back then, he may even have gone on to play the final and claim a runners-up medal at the very least.


@CerealKiller - (PG 73; 3, 3)

Henry Olonga

Henry Olonga was an often erratic but occasionally world class speedster, who on his day could prove absolutely irresistible with the ball as shown by two ODI 6-fers in a 50-match career where he claimed 58 wickets at 34.08 and conceded at a fairly high 5.76 per over for his era. Nevertheless, he delivered some memorable displays against India in particular by claiming 4 for 46 in 1998 where even the great Sachin Tendulkar found him a difficult proposition and a year later in the 1999 World Cup where his short burst of 3 for 22 helped edge them out in a gripping contest. Sadly, he never had the opportunity to mature into a better bowler because of his black armband protest against Mugabe's regime at the 2003 World Cup which unlike his team-mate Andy Flower made him lose pretty much everything - his place in the Zimbabwe team, his cricket career at age 26, the freedom to live in his own country in addition to being branded as a 'traitor', and even his girlfriend. Despite everything, he has since quite impressively rebuilt his life as a singer and lives a content life in Australia.


@Ed Smith - (PG 105; 6, 4)

Kyle Verreynne

A wicket-keeper batter who generally players the role of top-order anchor in limited overs cricket, Kyle Verreynne was until recently their second choice keeper behind Quinton de Kock in the South African lineup and first choice in Tests as a result of the latter's premature retirement. He has since lost his spot in all formats following disappointing returns in the SA20 and patchy Test match form, although his 168 runs at 33.60 was one of the few bright spots on a nightmarish tour of Australia. His ODI form by comparison never really suffered with him averaging an impressive 41 in the format, but the selectors could not ignore the explosive power of Heinrich Klaasen which Verreynne clearly lacks.


@ahmedleo414 - (PG 25; 1, 1)

Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan's international career has by all the evidence on show fizzed out with India now backing a red hot Shubman Gill to partner Rohit Sharma at the top with the explosive Ishan Kishan as backup. In an Indian lineup containing stars such as Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni among others over the past decade, he has often played the role of quiet achiever at the top and has in that time racked up numbers that are statistically some of the best ever for an Indian opener in the format - his 6793 runs at 44.11 (SR 91.35) is third in terms of average only to Rohit Sharma and the great Sachin Tendulkar for openers with a minimum of 2000 ODI runs for India. Meanwhile in ICC tournaments, he has an even more astonishing record of 1238 runs at 65.15 (SR 98.25) where he is basically second to none. He is without a shadow of a doubt an ODI legend and deserves to be respected as such.

@RUDI - (PG 48; 5, 3)

Kapil Dev

Kapil Dev was one of the quartet of the great all-rounders of the 1980s which included Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Richard Hadlee who each racked up batting and bowling numbers that even modern day players fail to hold a candle to. While the other three might have outshone him greatly in Tests with India not being a particularly strong Test nation over the course of his career, but he left each of them in the shade when it came to ODIs where he claimed 253 wickets (none of the others got to 200) and scored 3783 runs (just marginally ahead of Imran Khan). There might be an argument that his ODI batting average of 23.05 still falls short of Imran's 33.41 or Botham's 23.21 (lol), but there is a very good reason for that because you see he was literally the most destructive batter in the world (every single 50+ score of his came at a 100+ strike rate) over the course of his career with his strike rate of 95 leaving even the legendary Viv Richards a distant second place at 90 for players with a minimum of 2000 runs. His god-like innings of 175* off just 138 balls (incidentally the first century by an Indian in the format) after India was 17/5 against Zimbabwe which single-handedly revived their stumbling 1983 World Cup campaign to eventually steal the mighty West Indies' crown, in a tournament where no one even gave them the slightest chance of succeeding is perhaps the most inspirational bit of captaincy in the history of the sport.

@Till Valhalla - (PG 22; 3, 3)

Wayne Daniel

A strapping bloke who terrorized batsmen in county cricket for a decade from the late 1970s to 1980s with his 90 mph thunderbolts, but rarely ever got a decent run for his own national cricket team owing to the presence of four of the most fearsome fast bowlers ever in Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall and Andy Roberts. Wayne Daniel managed to play only 18 ODIs where he claimed 23 wickets at 25.86 which only gives little indication to what he was actually capable of; for that you need to look at the averages for bowlers at List-A level where he still sits 12th overall with 362 wickets at 18.16, which could have been but higher if Sri Lanka didn't produce gems such as Dulanjana Mendis and Chanaka Komasaru.

@Aravind. - (PG 13; 3, 4)

Shane Bond

A man who could have gone down in history as the greatest fast bowler ever produced by New Zealand if only his luck had been better when it came to injuries or just in general, which caused him to miss more than twice the number of matches he actually played. And to make matters worse at a time when he went the longest without injury between late 2007 to 2009, New Zealand wouldn't select him owing to his association with the rebel ICL in India. But whenever Shane Bond did play New Zealand were always in the contest even against the best in business, such as during his legendary spell of 6 for 23 against Australia at the 2003 World Cup that brought the world champions down to their knees before Andy Bichel's heroic intervention, and his performances against them just a year before that event in the 2001/02 VB series which caused them to not qualify for their own home tri-series finals. Bond always preferred living the fast life and his refusal to cut down on his 150 kph thunderbolts despite his brittle body eventually saw his career end aged 34 with a still super impressive record of 147 wickets at 20.88 from 82 ODIs.

@mohsin7827 - (PG 46; 3, 4)

Howard Johnson

This has to be one of the most frustrating things to happen to anybody in this draft, but sadly random.org is merciless. @mohsin7827 fell just one short of claiming Mitchell Johnson, and eventually had to settle for Howard Johnson, a 'fast' bowler who only made his international debut after he was 40 in USA's laughable Dad's Army of a squad that competed in the 2004 Champions Trophy and got clobbered so badly it basically sealed the fate of associate nations forever in the tournament. But he wasn't quite done there, oh no; 7 years later even older and less resembling a international level bowler, he turned up once again in Hong Kong under the guise of a bowling coach who was quite inexplicably promoted to the starting XI in a WCL Division 3 match out of nowhere despite not being a part of their squad and ahead of younger talent by USA's shoddy management.

@Verified Enigma - (PG 1; 4, 6)

Abdul Qadir

Prior to the arrival of Shane Warne, it was Abdul Qadir who kept the torch aflame for leg spin bowling and just spin bowling in general during the bleak 1980s when fast bowlers and all-rounders mostly dominated proceedings. He was easily the best spin bowler in the world in both forms during this period, and especially in ODIs where he claimed 97 wickets at 21.55 for Pakistan between 1983 and the end of the 1987 World Cup - his average being the third best overall after Joel Garner and Richard Hadlee for bowlers with a minimum of 50 wickets during this period. It was good while it lasted though, for his form fell away drastically 1988 onwards to the point he was no longer in the picture by the time of the next World Cup in 1992 which his country would go on to win, despite being an active domestic cricketer. Just over a year later though, he was given a surprise call-up aged 38 and finished his career in style with a six to win an ODI.


@Aislabie - (PG 19; 5, 3)

Paul Collingwood

Of all the great all-rounders to have played ODI cricket for England be it Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff or Ben Stokes, none of them have ever managed to claim a five-fer and score a century (Beefy interestingly did neither) in the same ODI. One man did though, and it's one of the least likely names you expect - Paul Collingwood. Despite being neither a super gifted player or having the kind of stats in county cricket that scream 'pick me!', Paul Collingwood over time evolved from a largely bits-and-pieces all-rounder to one of the most reliable bats in an otherwise faltering English ODI lineup scoring 2667 runs at 39.81 whilst striking at 80 between 2007 and 2010, when he was one of the few Test match regulars constantly picked in ODIs actually worthy of his place. Among the highlights - he was the first ever English batter to bring up 5000 career runs in ODIs, claimed 111 wickets with his naggingly accurate military-mediums, was an all-time great fielder at point, led that dreadful England lineup to their only ODI triumph of any significance in the 2000s with an unbeaten 120 that humbled an all-conquering Australia on their own home turf in early 2007, and before his time was done led his country to their first global silverware in an ICC tournament after 35 years of drought by winning the 2010 T20 World Cup as captain.


@VC the slogger - (PG 54; 2, 1)

Darren Lehmann

Prior to the arrival of Michael Hussey, no player had racked up as many first-class runs or centuries before being finally rewarded with a baggy green cap than Darren Lehmann who toiled for over a decade from his debut in 1987/88 to 1998. His exclusions were due to a variety of reasons during that time be it Australia's powerful middle-order or his perceived lack of fitness in general, but none of that stopped him from piling on runs wherever he played relying on placement more than power and his extremely under-rated flat trajectory off-breaks that opposition batters would often fall trap to. He was a key component of the sides that lifted the 1999 and 2003 World Cups for Australia, scoring overall 3078 runs at 38.96 and claiming 52 wickets at 27.78 - figures that would do most great all-rounders proud, let alone a player picked mostly for his batting and not called upon to bowl in nearly half his matches.


@Na Maloom Afraad - (PG 36; 1, 6)

Haider Ali

He burst onto the scene quite spectacularly by scoring 99 on first-class debut, then becoming the youngest half-centurion in PSL history in 2020, following it up with another half-century on international debut against England in a T20I, and an impressive first class double hundred after only a handful of matches in 2021. But since then, Haider Ali's star has faded greatly with him averaging a very mediocre 18.66 from 35 internationals since his spectacular debut and not particularly setting the world alight at domestic level either. It remains to be seen if he can rediscover that original spark, although his most recent PSL returns suggest otherwise.


@Umair7 - (PG 31; 5, 5)

James Franklin

James Franklin initially arrived onto the international arena as a left-arm swinger who though often wayward could be genuinely world class on his day, and could bat a wee bit at Nos 9-10. But following a few injuries and after discovering that he could actually bat quite well if he put his mind properly to it such as during a record 256-run 8th wicket stand in a Test in South Africa alongside Stephen Fleming out of which Franklin scored an unbeaten 122, he decided to turn himself into a genuine all-rounder. His bowling would continue to be hampered by injuries and took a backseat towards the latter half of his career, where he confirmed his status as a bona fide batting all-rounder with 699 runs at 30.39 between 2010 to 2013 from 32 matches during this period, whilst claiming only 15 wickets at 54.40 - becoming something of a middle-order hitter in limited overs cricket with a whirlwind knock of 98 off just 69 balls against India, after which the IPL and T20 leagues came calling aplenty.

 

[Aislabie]

7 years later even older and less resembling a international level bowler, he turned up once again in Hong Kong under the guise of a bowling coach who was quite inexplicably promoted to the starting XI in a WCL Division 3 match out of nowhere despite not being a part of their squad and ahead of younger talent by USA's shoddy management.

In all fairness to him, he was in phenomenal shape for a 47-year-old. Although given that in 2004 he was topping out at about 63 mph (actually slower than Tony Reid) he must have been going almost backwards by this point in his career

But yeah, I'll certainly take Collingwood in my team.

Mohammad Shahzad
Paul Collingwood
Krunal Pandya

It doesn't scream "world-beaters", but it does look like the beginning of a very good role-centric team.

 

[Fenil]

Neil Johnson

Happy with the draw.

He was the most complete all-rounder from the side that had the likes of Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, Sean Ervine et al.

Quite underrated but very skillful one.

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

Me when I pull Brian Lara next:

View attachment 277809

@Na Maloom Afraad - (PG 36; 1, 6)

Haider Ali

It's the same pull, I see no difference

 

[VC the slogger]

In all fairness to him, he was in phenomenal shape for a 47-year-old. Although given that in 2004 he was topping out at about 63 mph (actually slower than Tony Reid) he must have been going almost backwards by this point in his career

Not everyone's an Onyango unfortunately..

 

[VC the slogger]

@Fenil - (PG 57; 2, 4)

Craig McMillan

Career statistics reading 4707 runs at a mediocre average of 28.18 while striking at only 76 with just 3 centuries from 197 ODIs do little to show how good of a player Craig McMillan could be on his day - good enough to record New Zealand's then fastest century in ODIs (before it was obliterated by both Corey Anderson & Jesse Ryder in the same innings) and also help chase down what were two of the three highest run chases ever in ODIs back in 2007. The problem was performances such as these came few and far in between in a career highlighted by inconsistency and poor shot selection especially against spinners that would often cost him his wicket at crucial moments. McMillan took 4 years to really find his feet in ODI cricket despite a successful start to his Test match career and his aggressive style of play being a natural fit for the format, playing a variety of roles in a competitive New Zealand outfit such as top-order grinder, makeshift opener, middle-order accumulator and partnership breaker with the ball. But it was in his final avatar as a lower middle-order power hitter that he finally left a lasting impression during the final year of his career which saw him aggregate 557 runs at 37.13 whilst striking at above 91 and scoring that record breaking 67-ball ODI hundred in a 350 plus run chase, and also later starring in what was to be his only T20 World Cup appearance with 163 runs at a strike rate of above 181. It was a shame he chose to hang up his boots in international cricket aged only 31 (though he appeared older) and at the very peak of his powers to play in the rebel ICL league that preceded the IPL.



@pillowprocter - (PG 28; 2, 3)

Grant Elliott

Another man who saved his best for last, Grant Elliott booked a last minute entry into the New Zealand squad for the 2015 World Cup with a superb comeback hundred against Sri Lanka on the eve of the tournament after being on the fringes of the ODI team for the best part of 6 years since his last noteworthy performance - a century against Australia on their home turf in 2009. In the tournament itself, he would go on to play one of the World Cup's greatest innings with an unbeaten 84 off 73 balls that won New Zealand their semi-final against his old country South Africa when Elliott struck Dale Steyn for six off the penultimate ball of the match, thus finally breaking their semi-final curse on the seventh attempt. His final year of ODI cricket brought him 963 runs at an average of 40 striking at almost 100, far above his career mean of 34.06 and 81. He also chipped in with useful wickets throughout his career with his under-rated medium pace which fetched him a surprisingly good 39 wickets at 30.23 with a wicket every 33 balls, figures that would put Tim Southee to the test.



@Neo 7 - (PG 54; 1, 2)

Brian Lara

An undoubted colossus of batting whose penchant for putting up humongous scores in the Test and first-class arena were second to none, Brian Lara briefly held the same standing in ODIs as well during the early 1990s when at his peak with a best of 169 against Sri Lanka in 1995 - the joint fifth highest score in the format at the time. Although Tendulkar scored many more hundreds, Lara was equally among the upper echelon of batters in the format between 1993 to 1998 when he scored 4467 runs at an average of 51.34 (second to only Michael Bevan who benefited from a higher number of not outs) with 12 of his 19 centuries in ODIs coming during this period - including knocks such as a scintillating 153 off 143 balls that broke Pakistani hearts in a Sharjah 'Champions' Trophy final following Basit Ali's inspired onslaught in 1993, an equally magical 111 off just 94 balls that knocked a strong but stupidly Donald-less South Africa out of the 1996 World Cup among others. He would take his already legendary Test game to new heights in the 2000s, but never quite regained the same spark in ODIs despite occasional glimpses such as 156 off 138 balls against Pakistan aged nearly 36 in 2005, averaging a very mediocre 32.26 for the last four years of his career which ended in disappointment with yet another poor showing by the West Indies in the 2007 World Cup on home soil. As captain he did however lead them to at least one major triumph by winning the 2004 Champions Trophy.


@ddrap14 - (PG 62; 4, 6)

Nikita Miller

Perhaps one of the biggest beneficiaries of the downward trajectory in Caribbean pitches between the mid-2000s to early-2010s that gave the likes of Veerasammy Permaul and Ryan Austin among others world beating statistics in first-class cricket only to be found out at the highest level against quality opposition. Nikita Miller claimed an astonishing 538 wickets at 16.31 while conceding at a barely believable in this day and age 1.99 runs per over at first-class level, but was eventually exposed on the ODI arena where he could only manage 45 wickets from 50 matches at 36.88 along with a solitary wicketless Test match appearance. It can be argued that he played more in the wrong format though, as he didn't exactly possess the tools to excel as a limited overs spinner being rather predictable with his lengths and only ever succeeded in keeping the runs down. He possessed decent ability with the bat too, one time scoring a half-century to help prevent a beleaguered and depleted West Indies outfit at the 2009 Champions Trophy from being bowled out for less than 50 against a powerful Pakistani bowling attack featuring a then red hot Mohammad Amir, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal and Shahid Afridi.



@CerealKiller - (PG 40; 4, 4)

Brad Hogg

Brad Hogg arguably gained more fame as a 40-something left-arm wristspinner for hire in various T20 leagues than he ever did as a two-time World Cup winner for Australia in the 2000s, where he was one of the most effective spin bowlers in the one-day game. His international appearances remained sporadic from his debut in 1996 due to the presence of Shane Warne, but he finally got his big break on the eve of the 2003 World Cup where the latter was banned for a positive drug test and chose to retire from ODIs. Hogg stepped in and made sure Australia never missed him in ODIs anyway, claiming 34 wickets at just 19.23 apiece in their two unbeaten campaigns in 2003 and 2007; overall it stretched to 156 wickets at 26.84 from 123 matches, along with a useful 790 runs at 20.25 with the bat from the lower-order. He also claimed two five-fers in ODI cricket, which was actually one better than his illustrious predecessor managed.


@Ed Smith - (PG 61; 3, 1)

Bob Massie

A man who burst onto the scene with a record-breaking haul of 16 for 137 claiming 8 wickets in each innings of his debut Test in 1972, but departed it just as quietly once his bowling fell victim to the yips. Bob Massie played only 3 ODIs for Australia claiming 3 wickets at a time when the format was still in it's infancy, and wasn't even in the picture of selection for his state side by the time of the first ODI World Cup in 1975.


@ahmedleo414 - (PG 6; 4, 4)

Arshad Ayub

Arshad Ayub's first year of international cricket suggested he had the tools to succeed at international level as a metronomical off-spinner and reliable lower-order bat. He claimed 27 wickets at 25.44 in Tests and 17 wickets at 33.41 in ODIs during that time, including a memorable spell of 5 for 21 against Pakistan in the 1988 Asia Cup final to deliver India the trophy - incidentally the best figures in ODIs by an Indian bowler up to that point. The same opponents would cause his downfall in 1989/90 when he toured Pakistan and leaked 300 runs from 86 overs without claiming a wicket in the first couple of Tests, although the hard pitches did him no favors with even the great Abdul Qadir struggling for penetration. Anil Kumble would debut later that same year and there was simply no way back for him, save for dominating the Ranji Trophy where he had over 300 wickets and 3000 runs to his credit.


@RUDI - (PG 14; 1, 2)

Geoff Boycott

Given that he was once dropped for scoring too slowly whilst bringing up a double century in Test cricket, it was always unlikely that Geoffrey Boycott would turn himself into a great ODI batsman. A batting average rivaling that of Desmond Haynes for the duration of his career where he scored 1082 runs at 36.06 would say otherwise, but his strike rate of 53.56 among openers with a minimum of 1000 runs during ODI cricket's first decade was second worst behind only John Wright. He never hit a single six during his entire ODI career, and his go slow approach in the 1979 World Cup final against the West Indies where he scored 57 off 105 balls chasing 287 alongside Mike Brearley arguably cost England the match (though they would have probably lost anyway). Nevertheless, his ODI record could have gotten worse but after that innings in the final he finally saw the need to change his game and played some of his best cricket in the format between 1979 to 1981, scoring 790 runs at 52.66 at a staggering strike rate of 62.05, marginally superior to even Gordon Greenidge during the same time frame.


@Till Valhalla - (PG 100; 4, 2)

Maheesh Theekshana

Few cricketers have gone through such drastic physical transformations as has Maheesh Theekshana, from being 117 kg and considered too fat to play at U-19 level to one of only a select few Sri Lankans to command a place in an IPL franchise. Having gone through similar travails myself in life to become what I am today, I know just how incredibly challenging it can be and his story is nothing short of an inspiration. His clever variations make him ideal of T20 cricket, where his presence alongside Wanindu Hasaranga has helped Sri Lanka go through something of a resurgence in the T20 format recently winning the Asia Cup in 2022 after nearly a decade of barren results in all formats. That being said his ODI numbers which currently read 13 wickets at 37.76 from 12 matches thus far still need a lot of work.


@Aravind. - (PG 75; 4, 4)

Axar Patel

Be whatever the format of late, Axar Patel has been India's go-to man in crisis situations with the willow having taken up his previously hit or miss batting up a notch to the point where he can almost be classified as an all-rounder. Since 2022 he has scored 441 runs at 41.75 in Test cricket, and 241 runs at 33 but with a far more impressive strike rate of more than 117 in ODIs - even playing the role of finisher to great effect with an unbeaten 64 off just 35 balls that helped India seal a 312-run chase to win an ODI series in the Caribbean. Although during the same period, his generally difficult to hit wicket-to-wicket bowling has gone through something of a slump with 14 wickets at 30.79 and zero five-fers from 7 Tests, along with 13 wickets at 31.77 from 13 ODIs. This after a rollicking start to his Test career where his bowling average rivaled that of George Lohmann and still stands at 17.16 - 8th on the overall list for bowlers with a minimum of 50 wickets at Test level with all those above him having played over a century ago. The presence of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja hasn't left him with too much to pick from after their usual lineup wrecking acts in Tests of late.


@mohsin7827 - (PG 82; 6, 1)

Rashid Latif

The 1990s saw a golden period in Pakistan cricket not just in terms of extremely talented batters and bowlers, but also in terms of glovemen with two of their finest emerging during this era in Moin Khan and Rashid Latif. Both players set dismissal records in Test and ODI cricket that stand to this day, with Moin and Rashid claming first and second place respectively in the overall dismissals list for Pakistan in ODIs. It was the latter's glovework that was much tidier though, but as the age of wicket-keeper batters dawned due to the advent of Gilchrist and Boucher, teams began to stray away from picking their keepers on glovework alone. And so, Moin got the nod far more often due to his superior ability with the bat while Rashid, a punchy lower-order batter who scored only 3 half-centuries from 166 ODIs and averaged north of 20 had to content himself with being second choice throughout his career. What also perhaps didn't help him were run-ins with his cricket board and the propensity to announce his retirement more than once as a precursor to the likes of Shahid Afridi, which also cost him appearances in national colors.


@Verified Enigma - (PG 63; 2, 4)

Mohammad Hafeez

A player who had a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde complex when it came to his batting. For most of his career as an opener Mohammad Hafeez was as tentative as they come scoring 3453 runs at 29.77 at a very pedestrian strike rate of 71.91; however bat him just one spot below or in the middle-order and his numbers changed drastically all of a sudden to 3062 runs at 38.28 striking at a much superior 83.71 per hundred balls. You could say pretty much the same about his bowling prior to his action coming under scrutiny - in 95 matches between 2011 to 2014 he claimed 77 wickets at 34.88 whilst conceding just 3.88 per over, and was one of the world's top all-rounders often opening both the batting and bowling for his team. After remodeling his action he was allowed to resume bowling, but was no longer the same force and played mostly as a batting all-rounder from there on till his retirement from ODIs after the 2019 World Cup. And after that he bewildered many once again by transforming into a T20 power hitter during the pandemic for a short while, outshining even the likes of Jos Buttler and Virat Kohli at the age of 40 until normalcy resumed the next year.

@Umair7 - (PG 77; 3, 2)

Vernon Philander

Vernon Philander's ODI career is best remembered for him being controversially picked ahead of a superbly in-form Kyle Abbott on the basis of skin color on the eve of an all-important semi-final clash against New Zealand that South Africa would eventually lose thanks to their former countryman Grant Elliott, and thereby squander their best chance yet becoming world champions. It is quite unfair on him as he had no say in the proceedings, and actually possessed an impressive ODI record with 41 wickets at an average of 24.04 from 30 matches, but was unfortunately not in the best rhythm having injured himself in the group stages of the tournament. Interestingly his international numbers were far superior to his List-A numbers which read 88 wickets at 36.60 from 99 matches, although that can be attributed to the fact that he played as more of an all-rounder at that level with 1267 runs at 26.40 and 5 half-centuries under his belt. His transition from being something of a bits-and-pieces all-rounder to one of South Africa's best new ball bowlers in Test cricket against all expectations is something that should be lauded.


@Aislabie - (PG 82; 5, 3)

Darron Reekers

In seven seasons of first-class and List-A cricket in his native New Zealand, the powerfully built Darron Reekers didn't do much of note with a highest score of just 33* as a lower-order batter who at times proved useful with the ball in seaming conditions. A move to the Netherlands in 2001 finally provided him with greater opportunities with the bat to showcase his explosive hitting abilities much like John Davison from Canada, although he couldn't qualify in time for the 2003 World Cup. Once he did however, it was plain to see for all with him recording 481 runs at 25.31 at a then staggering strike rate of 117 - easily the highest during his career and still remarkably 3rd on the all-time list for openers with a minimum of 400 runs at ODI level. Sure, a lot of his matches came against fellow associates but he was never one to shirk away against top quality opposition either; with knocks such as 25 off 19 against the all conquering Aussies spearheaded by Glenn McGrath in 2007, 39 off 27 and 45 off 39 against a then powerful Sri Lanka in 2006, and a memorable 20 off 13 with two huge sixes against England at the T20 World Cup in 2009 that humiliated their hosts in what turned out to be Reekers' swansong. His medium pace continued to be useful throughout with 13 wickets at 33.53 in ODIs and 51 wickets at 35.62 at List-A level, often opening both the batting and bowling in a team lacking in quality resources such as the Netherlands in the 2000s.


@VC the slogger - (PG 77; 4, 2)

Nehemiah Perry

Nehamiah Perry was a useful bowling all-rounder at domestic level for Jamaica, but failed to translate that to the highest level where following an impressive Test debut five-fer against Australia in a crushing 10-wicket victory, his performances tailed off and saw him discarded for good after just 1 year in international cricket. He was used more in the ODI format where he initially showed promise but was soon shown to be lacking in control conceding at a then comparatively high 5 runs per over for a spinner and not providing much of a wicket-taking threat either with just 20 wickets from 21 matches at an average of almost 40. Towards the end of his first-class career, Jamaica began using Chris Gayle as their frontline spin option ahead of him.


@Na Maloom Afraad - (PG 10; 1, 6)

Basit Ali

For a player whose talent was once compared to the likes of Javed Miandad and Inzamam-ul-Haq at the beginning of his career, it is sad to see what Basit Ali has turned himself into today as one of the most annoying over the top voices in cricket media and someone who tends to slap people criticizing his coaching methods. Few batters in the world during the early '90s could bat the way he did when on song, such as when he smashed a thunderous knock of 127 off just 79 balls against West Indies in a triangular final in Sharjah in 1993, bringing up his century off just 67 balls (then the 2nd fastest ever in ODIs) and helping Pakistan score a mind-boggling 172 off the last 15 overs of their innings - something you'd normally expect to happen these days in T20 leagues, but certainly not in the 1990s against Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh at their peak. His effort was upstaged by a similarly belligerent 153 from Brian Lara, and a few months later he unfortunately ended up suffering the same fate with his Test best 103 off just 139 balls against New Zealand in their own backyard which came in losing effort too. His Test figures weren't great, but his ODI statistics which read 1265 runs at an average of 34.18 and a strike rate of almost 76 which was well on par with some of the top ODI batters of his era suggest he should have played a lot more than just 50 matches and end up finished by the age of 25. A perfect example of wasted potential by the PCB back in those days, who rather than back an up and coming star instead chose to go with an increasingly over-the-hill Miandad for the 1996 World Cup for the sake of breaking the record for most appearances.