• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

"Greats" dropped after first Test

aussie tragic

International Captain
I know that cricket "Greats" Don Bradman and Ian Chappell made their debut and were then subsequently dropped for the next test...who else shares this honour?
 
Last edited:

Xuhaib

International Coach
Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Anwar, Mo Yo, Mo Asif (potential great).
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
Actually, it seems a little more common then I realised (wow, Imram and Zaheer, who would of thought)....

So, as usual, I've decided to come up with a side selection:

Australia "Greats dropped after debut" XI...

1. Matthew Hayden (15, 5)
2. Ian Redpath (97, 25)
3. Don Bradman (18, 1)
4. Ian Chappell (11, DNB)
5. Kim Hughes (1, DNB)
6. Dean Jones (48, 5)
7. Richie Benaud (3,19) (DNB, 1-14)
8. Barry Jarman + (1, 0) (1c, 1c)
9. Clarrie Grimmett (12*, 0) (5-45, 6-37)
10. Jeff Thomson (DNB, 19*) (0-100, 0-10)
11. Glenn McGrath (0, DNB) (2-92, 1-50)

Redpath, Jones & especially Grimmett seem a bit harsh.......
 
Last edited:

pasag

RTDAS
How on earth did they manage to drop Grimmet?
That was the last match of the series and then it was over a year till the start of the next series in England. Probably has something to do with his tour match form in the lead up to the first two few Tests in England, I'm guessing.
 

JBMAC

State Captain
SINCE 1946 These Guys only played ONE test!

ONE HIT AUSSIE WONDERS FROM 1946
Some 400 aussies have played Test Cricket for their country.Here is a list with brief stats of players who have played just ONE test.Some names will surprise some as most were "household" names in Domestic Comp.Some were"robbed" and some went overseas to get just recognition.Some just drifted into Cricket oblivion.
MATCH FIGURES
Fred Freer - 1946 - 28runs - 20 overs - 3/74
Ken Meulman - 1946 - did not bat - did not bowl
Merv Harvey - 1947 - 43runs - did not bowl
Len Johnson - 1948 -25runs -10overs -6/74
George Thoms-1952 - 44runs-did not bowl
John Rutherford-1956-30runs-6overs-1/15
John Wilson-1956-did not bat-17 overs-1/64
Keith Slater-1959-1 run-9 overs-2/101
Des Hoare-1961-35 runs-29 overs-2/156
Colin Guest-1963-11 runs-18 overs-0/59
Peter Allen-1965-did not bat-24 overs-2/83
Reg Sellers-1964-did not bat-5 overs-0/17
Les Joslin-1968-9 runs-did not bowl
John Duncan-1971-3 runs-14 overs-0/30
Ken Eastwood-1971-5 runs-5 overs-1/21
John Watkins-1973-39 runs-6 overs-0/21
Ashley Woodcock-1974-27 runs-did not bowl
Paul Hibbert-1977-15 runs-did not bowl
Ian Callen-1978-26 runs-55 overs-3/83
Mick Malone-1977-46 runs-24 overs-6/77
Jeff Moss-1979-60 runs-did not bowl
Simon Davis-1986-did not bat-25 overs-0/70
Wayne Phillips-1992-22 runs-Keeper
Phil Emery-1994-8 runs-did not bowl
Stuart Law-1995-54 runs-3 overs-0/9
Shaun Young-1997-4 runs-8 overs-0/13
Paul Wilson-1998-o runs-3 overs-0/50
Nathan Hauritz-2004-15 runs-27 overs-5/103
Daniel Cullen-2006-did not bat-14 overs-1/54

Figures are total match figures.Hope you find them interesting.
 

archie mac

International Coach
The Bradman one always makes me laugh:laugh:

One of the strangest selectorial choices must have been Jack Ryder, he had just captained the Aust side in the 1928/29 series and was one of the three selectors for the 1930 tour.

The other two left him out of the side completely; he never spoke to either again
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Anwar, Mo Yo, Mo Asif (potential great).
Since you named a few, here's some more.....

Pakistan "Greats dropped after debut" XI...

1. Mudassar Nazar (13, 22)
2. Saeed Anwar (0, 0)
3. Zaheer Abbas (12, 27)
4. Mohammad Yousif (5 ,1)
5. Majid Khan (0, DNB) (2-55, 1-42)
6. Mushtaq Mohammad (14, 4) (0-34, DNB)
7. Imran Khan (5, DNB) (0-36, 0-19)
8. Saleem Yousuf + (4, DNB) (2c, 3c)
9. Sarfraz Nawaz (DNB, DNB) (0-78, DNB)
10. Mushtaq Ahmed (0, 4) (0-69, 1-72)
11. Waqar Younis (0, DNB) (4-80, 0-11)

Sorry, but Sarfraz and Younis currently make it ahead of Shoab and Asif ;)
 
Last edited:

aussie tragic

International Captain
Here's an England "Greats dropped after debut" XI...

1. Cyril Washbrook (9, 8*)
2. Dennis Amiss (17, DNB)
3. Ted Dexter (52, DNB) (0-23, DNB)
4. Tom Graveney (15, DNB)
5. Nassar Hussain (13, DNB)
6. Mike Gatting (5, 6)
7. Les Ames + (0, DNB) (2c, 0c)
8. John Emburey (2, DNB) (2-39, 0-1)
9. John Snow (2*, DNB) (2-27, 2-53)
10. Brian Staham (9, DNB) (1-47, DNB)
11. Matthew Hoggard (12*, DNB) (0-49, DNB)

Funny, but England seems to give most players at least 2 tests before they drop them (e.g. Stewart, Knott, Botham, Gooch, etc.), so Hussain, Gatting, Emburey and Hoggard hereby gain an elevation to greatness for this team ;)
 
Last edited:

pup11

International Coach
Zaheer Abbas, Imran Khan, Shoaib Akhtar, Saeed Anwar, Mo Yo, Mo Asif (potential great).
:huh: I didn't knew taking drugs and getting injured after every second game makes you a "great"8-) .But on a more serious note Akthar does have charisma and he is crowd-puller but he hasn't done anything that big on-field to be classified as a great.Mohd.Asif was also caught in the dope test but still he has the potential to be a great so agree with you on that.
 

pup11

International Coach
ONE HIT AUSSIE WONDERS FROM 1946
Some 400 aussies have played Test Cricket for their country.Here is a list with brief stats of players who have played just ONE test.Some names will surprise some as most were "household" names in Domestic Comp.Some were"robbed" and some went overseas to get just recognition.Some just drifted into Cricket oblivion.
MATCH FIGURES
Fred Freer - 1946 - 28runs - 20 overs - 3/74
Ken Meulman - 1946 - did not bat - did not bowl
Merv Harvey - 1947 - 43runs - did not bowl
Len Johnson - 1948 -25runs -10overs -6/74
George Thoms-1952 - 44runs-did not bowl
John Rutherford-1956-30runs-6overs-1/15
John Wilson-1956-did not bat-17 overs-1/64
Keith Slater-1959-1 run-9 overs-2/101
Des Hoare-1961-35 runs-29 overs-2/156
Colin Guest-1963-11 runs-18 overs-0/59
Peter Allen-1965-did not bat-24 overs-2/83
Reg Sellers-1964-did not bat-5 overs-0/17
Les Joslin-1968-9 runs-did not bowl
John Duncan-1971-3 runs-14 overs-0/30
Ken Eastwood-1971-5 runs-5 overs-1/21
John Watkins-1973-39 runs-6 overs-0/21
Ashley Woodcock-1974-27 runs-did not bowl
Paul Hibbert-1977-15 runs-did not bowl
Ian Callen-1978-26 runs-55 overs-3/83
Mick Malone-1977-46 runs-24 overs-6/77
Jeff Moss-1979-60 runs-did not bowl
Simon Davis-1986-did not bat-25 overs-0/70
Wayne Phillips-1992-22 runs-Keeper
Phil Emery-1994-8 runs-did not bowl
Stuart Law-1995-54 runs-3 overs-0/9
Shaun Young-1997-4 runs-8 overs-0/13
Paul Wilson-1998-o runs-3 overs-0/50
Nathan Hauritz-2004-15 runs-27 overs-5/103
Daniel Cullen-2006-did not bat-14 overs-1/54
Figures are total match figures.Hope you find them interesting.

One can't be so sure about Cullen and Hauritz they might play more tests for Australia in the future since they both are still young and are developing as spinners.
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
ONE HIT AUSSIE WONDERS FROM 1946

Wayne Phillips-1992-22 runs-Keeper
Nice list, but this thread is about "Greats" that were dropped after their first test :dry:

....anyway, the Wayne Phillips that kept wkt played more than one test...the one you mentioned was an Opener and Healy was the keeper in that test...
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
The Bradman one always makes me laugh:laugh:

One of the strangest selectorial choices must have been Jack Ryder, he had just captained the Aust side in the 1928/29 series and was one of the three selectors for the 1930 tour.

The other two left him out of the side completely; he never spoke to either again
There are a number of stories going around that the last batting position went down to a choice of Ryder or Ponsford, and the other two chose Ponsford. Which if anything shows that Ponny at that point wasn't the automatic selection we might have thought him to be.

I would have paid to see the look on Ryder's face though when the other two read out their teams...
 

stumpski

International Captain
Here's an England "Greats dropped after debut" XI...

1. Geoff Boycott (48, DNB)
2. Dennis Amiss (17, DNB)
3. Ted Dexter (52, DNB) (0-23, DNB)
4. Tom Graveney (15, DNB)
5. Nassar Hussain (13, DNB)
6. Mike Gatting (5, 6)
7. Les Ames + (0, DNB) (2c, 0c)
8. John Emburey (2, DNB) (2-39, 0-1)
9. John Snow (2*, DNB) (2-27, 2-53)
10. Brian Staham (9, DNB) (1-47, DNB)
11. Matthew Hoggard (12*, DNB) (0-49, DNB)

Funny, but England seems to give most players at least 2 tests before they drop them (e.g. Stewart, Knott, Botham, Gooch, etc.), so Hussain, Gatting, Emburey and Hoggard hereby gain an elevation to greatness for this team ;)
Boycott wasn't really dropped, he was injured which is why he didn't bat in the second innings. England openers who just played the one Test include Alan Butcher, Andy Lloyd, Mark Benson and John Stephenson. Lloyd of course retired hurt on his debut against the '84 West Indies - his active Test career only lasted about half an hour.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Sadly, something that comes to mind above all is "Pakistan selectors don't often think too hard", TBH.
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
Boycott wasn't really dropped, he was injured which is why he didn't bat in the second innings. England openers who just played the one Test include Alan Butcher, Andy Lloyd, Mark Benson and John Stephenson. Lloyd of course retired hurt on his debut against the '84 West Indies - his active Test career only lasted about half an hour.
Okay, I've replaced Boycott with Cyril Washbrook (9, 8*) who ended up with a pretty good test career (av 42.81)
 
Last edited:

Poker Boy

State Vice-Captain
Surprised no one has mentioned this one yet - Richard Hadlee, NZ's greates ever player. Debut against Pakistan at Wellington in 1973, took 2-112 and scored 46 and didn't play the next Test . Something he has in common with Imran.....
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
How on earth did they manage to drop Grimmet?
That was the last match of the series and then it was over a year till the start of the next series in England. Probably has something to do with his tour match form in the lead up to the first two few Tests in England, I'm guessing.
From what I can tell from the Tour Index, there was nothing between Mailey and Grimmett leading up to the last game before the 1st Test (Mailey: 7 games, 19 wkts @ 21.53) (Grimmett: 7 games, 20 wkts @ 21.60). In that last warm-up game, Grimmett then took 0-38 & 4-50, however Mailey took 8-52 & 0-27 which must have factored in the decision.

Btw, the 1st Test was washed out and Mailey didn’t even get to bowl, while in the warm-up game before the 2nd Test, Grimmett took 4-53 vs Mailey’s 3-46 so this must have been a difficult choice….
 
Last edited:

Top