Underachievers an Overachievers in World Cricket.

[King Cricket]

^Hmmm. Looks like I'll have to agree here.

 

[metallics2006]

One player in the Indian team to have minimum statistical holes and people try to bring him down by questioning his talent.

If you take singers for example, they are not considered to be talented just for having a good voice. The ability to maintain that voice through a song is what seperates genius ones from crap ones. To maintain the voice through a song, it takes years or decades of practice. Its a circle, you become more talented as you practice.

Dravid has an awesome technique(like voice). Ability to play freakishly long innings(durability). And the years of hardwork to practice and perfect his game.

Dravid is extremely talented. Period.

 

[aussie_ben91]

His runs came from grit, knowing his limitations and having the detirmination to succeed. He is not one of the most naturally gifted batsmen, and has had to work incredibly hard to make himself into the player he is today. He has tremendous patience and mental strength, and that is what allows him to bat for so long and make the sort of runs he has. If he didn't have the patience and mental strength, he wouldn't be averaging over 50 in Test cricket, as his talent alone isn't enough to carry him. It's the same with Steve Waugh and Paul Collingwood. Not particularly naturally gifted, but battlers that know their limitations.

Perfectly summed up.

 

[manee]

His runs came from grit, knowing his limitations and having the detirmination to succeed. He is not one of the most naturally gifted batsmen, and has had to work incredibly hard to make himself into the player he is today. He has tremendous patience and mental strength, and that is what allows him to bat for so long and make the sort of runs he has. If he didn't have the patience and mental strength, he wouldn't be averaging over 50 in Test cricket, as his talent alone isn't enough to carry him. It's the same with Steve Waugh and Paul Collingwood. Not particularly naturally gifted, but battlers that know their limitations.

Is a great temperament and determination not a gift? Must all talents be tangible? Sounds like a gross oversimplification to me. The fact is that he came into international cricket and was among the world's most consistent by the second year. You oversimplify if you pidgeonhole him as not talented merely because he is defensive.

If he was not superbly talented, he would have had many periods of poor form where he is outclassed by bowlers and the grit deserts him, whereas it would seem that he has had just the one, in 2007-8, but cricket fans, as all sports fans, are short termist. Dravid stung together the longest period of superb batting form that I have come across, averaging over 45 from 1997 to 2006.

 

[rockyrakster]

I like the Sachin one. But in fact, Irfan pathan is an underachiever at present, but he's still 23-24, so a comeback is possible anytime if he gets selected!

Irfan needs to get his 'Zing' back to become the terror he was before two years

 

[aussie_ben91]

If he was not superbly talented, he would have had many periods of poor form where he is outclassed by bowlers and the grit deserts him, whereas it would seem that he has had just the one, in 2007-8, but cricket fans, as all sports fans, are short termist. Dravid stung together the longest period of superb batting form that I have come across, averaging over 45 from 1997 to 2006.

What about Javed Miandad? His career spanned 17 years, he played 124 Tests and his overall career average never once dropped below 50!

 

[manee]

What about Javed Miandad? His career spanned 17 years, he played 124 Tests and his overall career average never once dropped below 50!

Well, that would be longer - naturally. I had not come across that before, since I am not some sort of statistical database. However, coming across the odd cricketer, and I'm sure there will be about half a dozen, in history, does not detract from the superb prolonged period of form that Dravid managed.

 

[max_dillon2007]

Underachievers: vaughn, clarke