Brad Hogg..... Mostunderated spinner in international cricket atm?

[BoyBrumby]

I have to say Hogg has impressed me in the Nat West. I had him marked down as a "bits-and-pieces-do-a-job" type of spinner, but he's a couple of steps above that. I do have a suspicion that his success may say just as much about our ineptitude at playing spin as his ability, but he turns the ball & has fair control. He bowls the odd duff ball, but I think all wristies do that from Warne down.

Mind you, Symonds's little offies proved more effective than Hogg against the Banglas on Saturday, so perhaps Hogg has a rival for the "most underrated spinner in international cricket" crown in his own team!

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Mind you, Symonds's little offies proved more effective than Hogg against the Banglas on Saturday, so perhaps Hogg has a rival for the "most underrated spinner in international cricket" crown in his own team!

Symonds is a decent bowler on a turner, and he's usually worth his 10 on one, same with his mediums on a slow wicket. Hogg is a much better bowler, though.

 

[King_Ponting]

i really dont think afridi is anything more than a medium pacer.............

 

[Dasa]

i really dont think afridi is anything more than a medium pacer.............

You must not have seen much of him bowling then.

 

[King_Ponting]

sacasm, lowest form there of?

 

[social]

Hogg is rated as a very good ODI spinner - that is fair.

However, he is rated as an average FC spinner - that is also fair.

In FC, he has to bowl more than 10 overs and, as such, the batsmen can generally wait for the inevitable bad ball. He is not accurate enough to bowl with a number of men around the bat either.

 

[honestbharani]

After his recent performances in one dayers and talk around the forum of him being underated i was just wondering how many of you guys believe that he is the most underated international spinner at the moment. I believe that yes he currently is the most underated

I think that credit should go to Stuart Macgill.

 

[Dasa]

sacasm, lowest form there of?

No, I think you must not have seen much of Afridi bowling to call him "nothing more than a medium pacer." Or of course, it could be proving C_C's point that Afridi's bowling is quite under-rated.

 

[Pratters]

I dont think Hogg is under rated. We have to remember the fact that he is playing in a World Champion side like Australia not entirely as a specialist spinner as he is chosen very much also due to the fact that he can bat and contribute in some way.

Would he have been able to play as a specialist spinner in some other sides of the world? Very likely.

He would have been able to play in the Australian side of the 80s as well. But when Hogg, a good one day bowler is seen bowling with the likes of McGrath, Gillespie in the attack, he looks very ordinary. The batsmen also go for the shots against Hogg for that reason itself, the fact that they get some breathing space.

If we analyse past world champions, even in loi cricket, the Australian team of the 90s didnt have a Hogg like spinner as they had Warne all the while. McIntyre was tried in India for one dayers without success to guarantee future selection.

The Sri Lankans did have some one like Dharmasena as the second spinner. India tried the likes of Aashish Kapoor, Rajesh Chauhan for their batting aspect as well though India werent world champions. South Africa had and do play with Boje because they too cant find a spinner who is that damn good to contain and take wickets in loi cricket like a Warne or Murali (its a very tough job and teams are lucky if they have that alternative).

There is a possibility Warne may be back for 2007 according to me which may give way and Hogg may not be a first choice player any more during the world cup. But what after Warne retires? Its not easy to find such great spinners to do the job in one dayers.

So you have to settle for some one like Hogg who is good but not great but will ensure utility with the bat even if he some times does an average job with the ball.

For a world champions side like Australia has been for past 5 or so years though, they should try and play those bowlers who can do the job as bowlers first than look for utility players that much or players who are just good enough if they can perform in a second department a bit. I say this because it is important they put the pressure on at all times while they are bowling and not give the batting team breathing space. So if a seamer is a better alternative as a bowler, they should play him according to me.

 

[cameeel]

I think that credit should go to Stuart Macgill.

I dont know if MacGill is actually as underrated as everyone seems to think he is, most admit that he is actually a very good spin bowler, but his problem is he's trying to break into a team with Shane Warne in it, so in that regard he isnt underrated, particuarly in NSW, he doesnt play ODIs though, because his style of bowling is unsuited to it, with the lack of leniency with wides, the way he spins it, he's probably give a away a fair few extras, and his batting leaves a lot to be desired, these reasons add up to why he's been overlooked to play for Australia, for any other country he'd be prolific

 

[honestbharani]

I dont know if MacGill is actually as underrated as everyone seems to think he is, most admit that he is actually a very good spin bowler, but his problem is he's trying to break into a team with Shane Warne in it, so in that regard he isnt underrated, particuarly in NSW, he doesnt play ODIs though, because his style of bowling is unsuited to it, with the lack of leniency with wides, the way he spins it, he's probably give a away a fair few extras, and his batting leaves a lot to be desired, these reasons add up to why he's been overlooked to play for Australia, for any other country he'd be prolific

I don't think his fielding is all that special either, is it? I remember him dropping a sitter of Sachin during his 241* at SCG.

 

[simmy]

He does not have control over his tongue, so its a shock to me that he can control a spinning cricket ball?

 

[Shane Warne]

I would say Mushtaq Ahmed .

*Edit - I now see this is current international spinners.

So I would say Stuart Macgill.

 

[marc71178]

I thought you said current?