Successful (Or Not So Successful!) Batsmen Despite Glaring Weaknesses

[vic_orthdox]

As the title says, just people's thoughts on some batsmen who have managed to be successful, or even those who weren't, despite having trouble with a certain ball, or having a technical problem that they were able to work around.

Even include those at domestic level if you wish.

Marcus Trescothick is probably an obvious one. But in a way, his weakness also is a bit of a strength. Because he doesn't get that front foot across very far, he leaves himself a lot of room for his batswing and - if the ball doesn't move - allows him to hit the ball a lot harder and boundaries result. As seen in the first few overs of the second test.

Sourav Ganguly and an accurate short ball - if not dismiss him, they restrict his scoring, much like Steve Waugh. Yet he's been able to overcome this - in addition to being a wonderful off side player off the back foot (again, see Steve Waugh) - and be a very proficient Test and ODI player, despite the supposed slump of recent times.

I'll probably think of a few more. Add your own, and discuss please.

 

[C_C]

Lara and the ball short of good length moving away just a tad.

Azharuddin and the ribtickler

Cullinan and anything that Warney bowls.

 

[Shane Warne]

Ricky Ponting in India, facing his first ball from Harbhajan Singh.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Matthew Bell and Adam Bacher both seemed to be forever moving at the time that they should have been still - both took that large back and across step, and unlike the Slaters and the Pietersen's of the world, found themselves unbalanced at time of contact, as far as I can remember. Probably why neither of them were that successful.

It's interesting to watch Pietersen, because being so good of his pads, when he takes that back and across step, it means a lot more balls are in his favoured hitting spot, and as such makes balls that weren't "bad balls" suddenly in his scoring zone, despite being on off stump or outside.

That's what I feel makes him so hard to bowl to - it makes it nigh impossible to attack the stumps. Especially when you can't do what the Aussies did to Dravid (or was it Laxman?) and add an extra man in the ring on the leg-side to stop the flow of runs, when Pietersen is so happy to go over the top.

 

[Top_Cat]

Gilchrist despite a huge gap between bat and pad and an angled-bat on the drives.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Gilchrist despite a huge gap between bat and pad and an angled-bat on the drives.

Anyone else ever thought that he doesn't get very far forward at all when driving, either? Probably allows him to get under the ball a little and go "downtown", I guess.

 

[Smudge]

Nathan Astle and his concrete feet.

Still, he managed 222 when he finally did move them.

 

[Top_Cat]

Anyone else ever thought that he doesn't get very far forward at all when driving, either? Probably allows him to get under the ball a little and go "downtown", I guess.

Yep and I think it's mostly deliberate. He hits them far too regularly.

 

[Beleg]

Inzy with a ball swinging in sharply of LBW height early in the innings.

Interestingly enough I have seen him get out to dibbly-dobblers far more often than to speedsters.


Youhana against a well-pitch out-swinger.

 

[sammy123]

ramnaresh sarwan, his stance is off, he plays across the line of the ball and is very prone to LBW, but still has a good average in tests and is rated as the 3rd ODI batsman in the world.

 

[tassietiger]

Ponting walking across his stumps so he can play the ball where he likes to play it. Not sure if had always been a glaring weakness, but in the last year or two it has become more and more obvious. Still, he is one of the best few batsmen in the world.

 

[simmy]

When Ponting and Martyn are batting together you can really notice Ponting's poor balance at times, as Martyn is so balanced. Ponting is also an awful starter.

Hayden with the in ducker back into him.

 

[Shounak]

Sehwag and his tendency to pull anything. Although he can play fairly straight sometimes. I guess Sehwag also has "concrete" feet, but it works for him, thanks to his amazing eye.

Ganguly's tendency to play nothing shots. That stupid half pull shot he played against the fast bowlers, recently down under. Also his tendency to dabble outside off.

 

[Zinzan]

Andrew Hilditch - The happy hooker

 

[King_Ponting]

steve waugh, despite not having a hook or pull shot

 

[twctopcat]

Rob Key against Martyn/S.Waugh.

 

[SJS]

Chanderpaul, despite standing facing thirdman (almost) at his stance

 

[Shounak]

Chanderpaul, despite standing facing thirdman (almost) at his stance

You know I was thinking of saying just that. But I wouldn't classify it as a weakness. It's just different. Like Gillly's grip on the bat.

I think of weaknesses as things that you would like to fix up. But with Chandepaul's record, I don't see him changing his crabby stance anytime soon. Some of the other players on the other hand will want to fix things up, like dabbling outside the off, or insufficient feet movement or inbalance whilst batting.

 

[twctopcat]

Thing is with Chanderpaul once he has made his first trigger movement, he is in a pretty orthodox position. And with his hands he could probably adopt any stance and still be successful.

 

[Shounak]

It could possibly be said that Shahid Afridi's weakness is his carefree slogging, but that's the only reason he's in the team. I can't imagine that him playing a Dravid innings. It'd be like holding in diarrhoea, or something else

Absolutely Unpossible