Gamble selections.......

[Barney Rubble]

I saw him batting at Achrekar's nets in 1987 and he was absolutely amazing. I had just moved to Bombay and all my friends wanted me to visit the nets at Shivaji Park at the first opportunity and see this boy.

He was every bit as good as the hype. I remember telling my friend Ashok Nanda at Delhi, he is far better than I had imagined.

I went to the nets for a couple of weeks as I was still in touch and had come from delhi where I was regularly playing. Mr Achrekar agreed to let me practice at their nets but after the first two weeks my work did not allow me to play there again except once again I think. (I was putting up my first company and we were just about to start production. I was very young and it was my first assignment as a CEO.

I remember bowling to him a few times in the nets. I used to bowl slow medium in-swingers mixed with leg cutters in those days and I can clearly recall his initial attempts to drive me to the off side since the I would release the ball aimed at outside off stump line to allow for the good amount of in-swing I used to get. But after a few miscued shots which took the inner edge, he stopped trying to drive me to covers and started driving me very comfortably from the off stump to the onside.

I had no clue what he was going to end up as and its my greatest regret in life not to have continued visiting the nets on my trips between Baroda (where I had set up the company) and Bombay where we had our corporate office.

Its still something to talk to my grand children about

SJS, you are one of the luckiest men alive. That's like having played street football with Pele. And you got him edging as well! You're a legend.

 

[Burpey]

SJS, why didn't you come here !?! It would have been great to listen to your stories.

 

[Macka]

...

Fulton averages 49 over 50 matches however if u take out his 300 not out and the 220 not out then the average doesnt look so bright. Good player and one for the future but cant see him pushing out anyone in a hurry
...

I think you missed the entire point of an average.

 

[thierry henry]

LMAO @ Tamara. Reading your posts, I would swear that batting actually has nothing to do with scoring runs.

Maybe a few of your mates in the "inner circles" of NZ cricket thought that the Marshall's were the next big thing, but most non-biased observers certainly raised a few queries about Hamish's selection. imo he is fast on the way to proving that his domestic figures are no fluke, as well. He certainly looks ok at the crease but the guy just isn't really a prolific runscorer and my guess is that his international and FC averages are going to start merging pretty shortly.

James Marshall's international career thus far suggests that his FC record is an excellent representation of his ability, and he has been picked mostly because he looks rather a lot like Hamish.

I'd love them to prove me wrong btw.

 

[Craig]

Rather hard not to - they are twins

 

[Jono]

I saw him batting at Achrekar's nets in 1987 and he was absolutely amazing. I had just moved to Bombay and all my friends wanted me to visit the nets at Shivaji Park at the first opportunity and see this boy.

He was every bit as good as the hype. I remember telling my friend Ashok Nanda at Delhi, he is far better than I had imagined.

I went to the nets for a couple of weeks as I was still in touch and had come from delhi where I was regularly playing. Mr Achrekar agreed to let me practice at their nets but after the first two weeks my work did not allow me to play there again except once again I think. (I was putting up my first company and we were just about to start production. I was very young and it was my first assignment as a CEO.

I remember bowling to him a few times in the nets. I used to bowl slow medium in-swingers mixed with leg cutters in those days and I can clearly recall his initial attempts to drive me to the off side since the I would release the ball aimed at outside off stump line to allow for the good amount of in-swing I used to get. But after a few miscued shots which took the inner edge, he stopped trying to drive me to covers and started driving me very comfortably from the off stump to the onside.

I had no clue what he was going to end up as and its my greatest regret in life not to have continued visiting the nets on my trips between Baroda (where I had set up the company) and Bombay where we had our corporate office.

Its still something to talk to my grand children about

 

[honestbharani]

I talked to Sachin once and I even talked to Srikkanth, who was the captain when Sach made his debut.... He told me that it was a gamble to pick him so early. A number of seniors wanted him to play atleast another season of the FC game. Sunny Gavaskar actually wrote a letter to the BCCI selection committee (it seems) to pick Sachin inspite of him being so young. Sunny felt that he had it in him even at that stage and that he was mentally strong. Sachin's brother actually showed the letter on "Amul Surabhi" that old program on Doordarshan.

 

[Pratters]

He told me that it was a gamble to pick him so early. A number of seniors wanted him to play atleast another season of the FC game.

A lot of what Srikkanth speaks is crap. And I would be very interested in knowing who these seniors were.

 

[deeps]

Steve Waugh

 

[Blaze]

LMAO @ Tamara. Reading your posts, I would swear that batting actually has nothing to do with scoring runs.

Maybe a few of your mates in the "inner circles" of NZ cricket thought that the Marshall's were the next big thing, but most non-biased observers certainly raised a few queries about Hamish's selection. imo he is fast on the way to proving that his domestic figures are no fluke, as well. He certainly looks ok at the crease but the guy just isn't really a prolific runscorer and my guess is that his international and FC averages are going to start merging pretty shortly.

James Marshall's international career thus far suggests that his FC record is an excellent representation of his ability, and he has been picked mostly because he looks rather a lot like Hamish.

I'd love them to prove me wrong btw.

Yeah I am starting to think the same way. Hamish batted so well last year though. I reckon he can pick it back up with one good innings.

 

[honestbharani]

A lot of what Srikkanth speaks is crap. And I would be very interested in knowing who these seniors were.

He always claims that Sachin is the second best batsman he has seen, behind Viv Richards. Is that crap too? Plus, the seniors he mentioned were probably guys like Kapil, Vengsarkar etc. one would assume. And whatever crap he may talk, I don't think he has ever misquoted others and given away lies in the name of a revelation, like most other former cricketers have done.

 

[Pratters]

He always claims that Sachin is the second best batsman he has seen, behind Viv Richards. Is that crap too?

One claim or another does not justify him not talking crap most times..

Plus, the seniors he mentioned were probably guys like Kapil, Vengsarkar etc. one would assume.

I will not go into speculation.

Tendulkar by his performances and impressing people who saw him broke into the national team - not a gamble selection in the minds of many at the time or me. Some may feel it was a gamble selection like a few former players or you for example.

We agree to disagree on this then.

 

[marc71178]

One claim or another does not justify him not talking crap most times..

So if it's something you happen to agree with, it's not crap then?

 

[Pratters]

So if it's something you happen to agree with, it's not crap then?

uh huh Generally Srikkanth does speak crap and it has no relation to whether I agree with him or not.

Discounting womens cricket without giving many legitimate reasons among other stuff is what makes me form the opinion.

Really you have to just see half an hour of the Doordarshan programmes he stars in Marc to know what I am saying.

 

[Hazza]

Steve Waugh definitely

 

[Armadillo]

Xavier Marshall

James Franklin sort of when he was pulled outta the stands when NZ had an injury crisis in England

Xavier Marshall never performed to expectation at international level so I wouldn't say he'd been a gamble that had paid off.

 

[SJS]

SJS, why didn't you come here !?! .

Where ??

 

[SJS]

Oh yes Srikkanth talks a lot of crap. He talks little which isnt actually. But I dont think he lies about facts. He just makes a lot of cricketing non-sense when expressing his 'expert's' views

But we need not doubt this particular statement. There were a lot of people, and not just amongst cricketers, who felt Sachin was to young. You cant fault them either. Sports history is full of stories of child prodigies who fizzled out once pushed to the main arena at a very early age. Yes we all know the one's who didnt but its because we have forgotten the one's who didnt, we need to be careful. Nurturing prodigies is extremely important and the timing of their introduction to the top is very very tricky indeed.

Sachin made it and we are grateful for it but no one knew he had the head (and the maturity) that he turned out to posess.

No. Srikkanth isnt bluffing. I saw him and still felt he was too young. He must have been 13 or 14 when I saw him in Achrekar's nets. Believe me he looked much younger than that too !! If some one had told me then that in the heat of a Pakistan tour which has finished the careers of some Indian greats, this boy would be taunted by the world's best spinner of that time and would come out the way he did, I would have said "stop dreaming"

 

[Pratters]

No. Srikkanth isnt bluffing. I saw him and still felt he was too young. He must have been 13 or 14 when I saw him in Achrekar's nets. Believe me he looked much younger than that too !! If some one had told me then that in the heat of a Pakistan tour which has finished the careers of some Indian greats, this boy would be taunted by the world's best spinner of that time and would come out the way he did, I would have said "stop dreaming"

Maybe a good way to put it is there was varied opinion on Tendulkar when he made his debut. Some people thought it was a gamble but equally some people had confidence to select him - Mumbaikars in particular and the selectors at the time of course.

I have Sportstar magazines of the period during and before the period Tendulkar made his debut and he did earn his place in the team in my opinion at that young age.

A bit out of topic but people do check out - Making of a cricketer by his brother Ajit Tendulkar - the best book yet on Tendulkar charting his way from a young boy till the time he played his first test.

 

[honestbharani]

Maybe a good way to put it is there was varied opinion on Tendulkar when he made his debut. Some people thought it was a gamble but equally some people had confidence to select him - Mumbaikars in particular and the selectors at the time of course.

I have Sportstar magazines of the period during and before the period Tendulkar made his debut and he did earn his place in the team in my opinion at that young age.

A bit out of topic but people do check out - Making of a cricketer by his brother Ajit Tendulkar - the best book yet on Tendulkar charting his way from a young boy till the time he played his first test.

IT is not like he DIDN'T earn his place, Pratyush. HIs performances and his obvious natural talent always justified his place in the side. It was just a question of whether they could have waited one more year or so before blooding him, heck, even one series, given how India-Pak series can go... That was my point.