Ugly yet Effective Batsmen...

[tooextracool]

Those gritty players over the years that don't often look elegant or look like natural strokeplayers who have made up for this due to their great concentration and guts.

They are usually so effective because they learn to play within their limitations.

Those the spring to my mind are....

Gary Kirstin (S.A)

Mark Richardson (NZ)

Alan Border (Aust)

Mark Taylor (Aust)

Justin Langer (Aust)

John Wright (NZ)

S Chanderpaul (WI)

Andrew Jones (NZ)

Can't think of many Asian players..

Any obvious names I've missed?

langer actually has a very good technique and doesnt exactly play ugly strokes.

 

[tooextracool]

im surprised that not one person mentioned hussain, who really rarely ever played any shot that looked elegant.

 

[Zinzan]

langer actually has a very good technique and doesnt exactly play ugly strokes.

we disagree

 

[Sudeep]

Aamir Sohail, anyone?

 

[Mr Casson]

Aamir Sohail, anyone?

Yeah I'll have some, thanks.

 

[Sehwag309]

Douglas M'lier

 

[tooextracool]

we disagree

i believe you are the only person who thinks that he isnt elegant.

 

[Sudeep]

Douglas M'lier

Didn't look ugly IMO, just innovative. There's a difference between the two.

 

[SJS]

Two very good lists here. Though I might not have included a couple of players.

From the sub continent...hmmm

1. Asif Iqbal
2. Ijaz Ahmed
3. Javed Burki (not many may remember him)
4. Javed Miandad ( I know he has many admirers including yours truly)
5. Chetan Chauhan(top of any international list !!)
6. Ravi Shastri
7. Shrikkanth
8. Manoj Prabhakar

Not surprisingly all four Indians opened all/part of their careers.

 

[Sudeep]

I thought Ian Healy batted weird, if not exactly ugly...

 

[SJS]

I thought Ian Healy batted weird, if not exactly ugly...

A lot of keepers would fall into that but I suppose we could excuse them as long as they are not ugly in their main job

 

[age_master]

we disagree

and i disagree with you

 

[Arrow]

Darren leehman bats with the grace of a lumber jack.

 

[Sehwag309]

Didn't look ugly IMO, just innovative. There's a difference between the two.

..in cricket, doesnt innovation looks ugly (especially when it's not from the textbook)

 

[SJS]

Darren leehman bats with the grace of a lumber jack.

I am sure you are going to offend a lot of lumberjacks

 

[SJS]

..in cricket, doesnt innovation looks ugly (especially when it's not from the textbook)

hmmm, not always. There are those who play cricketing strokes with more or less correct techniques and still look not to pretty and others who never play as per the book and look pretty.

i think what you could say, though was, that those who innovate , against their normal inclination/style , cant look too good because it is not natural to them and their way of playing.

Rahul Dravid never looks god trying to lift wide of mid on or mid wicket but looks fine as long as it is mid on and straight. Sachin, however loks fine lifting to mid wicket.

Thus when Rahul Dravid lifts a drive clean over cover point he looks greatbut when he tries to aweep, let alone revese sweep, he looks ugly.

 

[Sudeep]

..in cricket, doesnt innovation looks ugly (especially when it's not from the textbook)

Not always. Take for example, the reverse sweep. It was a shot used sparingly before (if I'm not wrong), but became an important part of Jonty Rhodes and Andy Flower's repertoire. Neither of those two looked ugly playing it.

 

[Sehwag309]

In both replies. it normally looks ugly...Dravid would be too much to fit in the same sentence as ugly but I wouldn't take it to court either

 

[Sudeep]

In both replies. it normally looks ugly...Dravid would be too much to fit in the same sentence as ugly but I wouldn't take it to court either

Both Rhodes and Flower looked elegant playing the reverse sweep. It looked as if they were masters of that particular stroke.

Douglas Marillier looked masterful, and in some way elegant, playing his lap shot, if it can be called that, which is enough to not look ugly to me.

 

[SJS]

Both Rhodes and Flower looked elegant playing the reverse sweep. It looked as if they were masters of that particular stroke.

Douglas Marillier looked masterful, and in some way elegant, playing his lap shot, if it can be called that, which is enough to not look ugly to me.

So basically we agree its not the shot but the way the batsman executes it that will make it look ugly.

Agreed.