When Is The Time Coming?

[gettingbetter]

I'd like this thread to be about young(ish) cricketers who have had a solid start to international cricket but have not really kicked on to a level they should be at. Feel free to discuss who you think fits this category.

My first choice would have to be Ian Bell. He is now 25 and been on the international scene for about four years, in this time he has shown glimpses of the hype that surrounds him, but as of yet he hasn't really done anything of note. The problem i have with Bell is that he does look good, and there is no denying his potential. but just like my guitar and snooker skills, he has been in the same gear for way too long and his conversion rate is evident of this - 6 hundreds and 18 fifties. While another individual in his team who has played the same amount of Tests has a record of 11 hundreds and 10 fifties.

Its hard to predict when Bell will come good, correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Collingwood was retained ahead of him last English summer? A poor indictment upon Bell. I guess, although it may contradict my point earlier of Bell progressing, is that he is making small steps - just compare his two Ashes series.

Yuvraj Singh would have to be another candidate for me. It is really hard to gauge his career considering that he has been playing for a number of years, not uncommon for an Asian player though. I have the feeling though that in the Test match scene, Yuvraj is going to be overtaken by some of India's young players - Sharma, Tiwary, Badrinath, Patel, Raina, Kaif and possibly a few others unless he does something drastic in his next outing. As for ODIs, I think he is coming along quite nicely in the 'youth' of India's squad. I don't think he will take the steps needed to become a player like Ganguly, but as long as he can be Dhoni's right-hand man, I think he has a good future in the ODI side.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Ramnaresh Sarwan. On the heavy side of 27. Still averaging under 40 in Tests, but has all the tools to average over 50... except shot selection. Particularly the hook shot. He gets a lot of runs from the shot, but he gets out to it too often too. And often in the stupidest of ways/situations. Needs to pack it away a la Steve Waugh.

Dwayne Bravo. Still just 24. His batting needs to kick on to the level where he scores fifties more consistently, if not hundreds. He definitely has potential for the latter and is consistently easing into stride and looking good at the crease, then falling to a rush of blood. His bowling was never going to be world-beating, but he has looked a lot better since he's ditched his "try-something-per-ball" attitude and settled for discipline with his line and length. He's talented enough to average over 40 with the bat and around 30 with the ball.

Marlon Samuels. Blink and he's 27. Seems like just yesterday he was a teenager. Only recently has he started to look ready to embrace his talent and responsibility. Batting at number 4 (where Lara was) seems to have inspired him to settle down and build innings, instead of consistently flattering to deceive. Looked so promising and free on his maiden tour of Australia, but has suffered from the carelessness and looseness that has plagued so many West Indian batsmen over the years. I fear that, with the bowling controversy, he may have lost a lot of confidence with the bat too. Hopefully he pushes on with a good home series.

 

[bond21]

Dale Steyn.

I rate him very highly, I would put him in the top 3 fast bowlers in the world along with Brett Lee and Stuart Clark.

So good to watch, fast, accurate enough, bowls outswing nearly all the time, something rare in modern cricket.

 

[Flem274*]

A few kiwi names:

The first is Jacob Oram. This man has huge potential. he often looks as though he isn't that confident though but there might be nothing in that. His ruthless streak needs to come out more often, he's capable but it seems as if he hangs back.

Brendan McCullum: Wrote about him in the tour thread a bit. Scored HUGE runs in youth cricket but until 2005 he's been rubbish in international cricket. Recently as an opener he's been a revelation but the big question is can it continue?

 

[Richard]

Its hard to predict when Bell will come good, correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Collingwood was retained ahead of him last English summer?

Not last, the one before. In 2006, Collingwood played ahead of him against Sri Lanka. The same would have happened in the winter of 2005\06 in Pakistan, too, but Michael Vaughan got injured at just the right time for Bell.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Shane Watson.

Basically needs a hammy transplant, then all will be sw33t.

 

[Manee]

Munaf Patel, when on earth will he recreate his early form?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Dale Steyn.

I rate him very highly, I would put him in the top 3 fast bowlers in the world along with Brett Lee and Stuart Clark.

So good to watch, fast, accurate enough, bowls outswing nearly all the time, something rare in modern cricket.

It's a thread about young cricketers who started well and haven't kicked on...

 

[Manee]

I have the feeling though that in the Test match scene, Yuvraj is going to be overtaken by some of India's young players - Sharma, Tiwary, Badrinath, Patel, Raina, Kaif and possibly a few others unless he does something drastic in his next outing.

IMO, he may be overtaken, but not by as many as you think.

Tiwary had one good Ranji season, albeit a very good one before a pretty average one this year, Kaif doesn't seem like he will get recalled but there is a chance for him. Raina's season levelled out toward the end as did Parthiv Patel's. Badrinath has also hit a run of poor form after his unreal start to 2007. Rohit Sharma and Uthappa have never been consistent FC performers.

 

[Manee]

Dwayne Bravo. Still just 24. His batting needs to kick on to the level where he scores fifties more consistently, if not hundreds. He definitely has potential for the latter and is consistently easing into stride and looking good at the crease, then falling to a rush of blood. His bowling was never going to be world-beating, but he has looked a lot better since he's ditched his "try-something-per-ball" attitude and settled for discipline with his line and length. He's talented enough to average over 40 with the bat and around 30 with the ball.

Bravo's style with the ball, especially the lack of jump and neither hitting the pitch nor trying to get it swing (ask, if you want me to elabourate, but that is pretty much it) means that he will never average 30 with the ball in Tests - closer to 40, imo.

 

[BoyBrumby]

I guess Jimmy Anderson is the other obvious one for England. Typically followed up one decent performance with utter dross today. One a pitch that was swinging he went for over 7 an over. He's 25 now (26 this year I think) so an average in the high 30s is unacceptable.

His figures are still quite impressive (although coming down), but I'd like Cook to stop following the ball when he pushes forward too. It's going to get him out an awful lot of times unless rectified.

 

[gettingbetter]

IMO, he may be overtaken, but not by as many as you think.

Tiwary had one good Ranji season, albeit a very good one before a pretty average one this year, Kaif doesn't seem like he will get recalled but there is a chance for him. Raina's season levelled out toward the end as did Parthiv Patel's. Badrinath has also hit a run of poor form after his unreal start to 2007. Rohit Sharma and Uthappa have never been consistent FC performers.

That is true, I guess the point I was making was that his poor performances in Australia has put him back in a pack of 5-10 guys who could, with one good performance, shoot to the top of the list.

 

[Richard]

I guess Jimmy Anderson is the other obvious one for England. Typically followed up one decent performance with utter dross today. One a pitch that was swinging he went for over 7 an over. He's 25 now (26 this year I think) so an average in the high 30s is unacceptable.

TBH, though, Anderson never started well, not against Test-class teams. His first 2 Tests were both utter shockers.

 

[BoyBrumby]

TBH, though, Anderson never started well, not against Test-class teams. His first 2 Tests were both utter shockers.

You could say the same thing about Bell then, really. Aside from his debut 50 against the Windies in '04, he filled his boots against Bangladesh & struggled badly in the Ashes of '05.

 

[Richard]

Bell made 70 on Test debut, though. And he'd been around for a fair few seasons beforehand too, whereas Anderson was just appear-out-of-nowhere. Bell also started to do well immediately after his first full Test series against a Test-class team. Anderson has never had more than odd decent games.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Mashrafe Mortaza

Been around for over 6 years now and still only 24 much like alot of Bangladesh players he started very young. No one has doubted his ability against the likes of Zimbabwe, Ireland, Scotland and it's obvious he's too good for them.

Now he really has to step up to try and get good batsman out on a consistent basis, that Test match bowling average of his has been going up for the last year or so.

Alot of people I'm sure know he has it in him as he's produced spells of bowling (India WC 07) where he's looked a genuine top-notch performer.

 

[Manee]

I used to really rate him. He has a nice action and is pretty sharp, but it seems that he lacks the ability to bowl with any penetrational ability with consistent accuracy. He occasionally attempts to slow down and bowl accurately, but in doing so, he appears to shelve any wicket taking ability.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Bravo's style with the ball, especially the lack of jump and neither hitting the pitch nor trying to get it swing (ask, if you want me to elabourate, but that is pretty much it) means that he will never average 30 with the ball in Tests - closer to 40, imo.

He's shown in the past, in unhelpful conditions too, that he can take wickets. He can get the ball to reverse and is a very intelligent bowler. I'm certain that he's perfectly capable of an average between 30 and 35.

 

[Manee]

He's shown in the past, in unhelpful conditions too, that he can take wickets. He can get the ball to reverse and is a very intelligent bowler. I'm certain that he's perfectly capable of an average between 30 and 35.

Bowling with an oldish ball and rarely in the morning, it is unlikely that he will bowl in helpful conditions. An average of 30-35 would mean matching or outperforming Jerome Taylor's current bowling - I cannot see that happening.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Bowling with an oldish ball and rarely in the morning, it is unlikely that he will bowl in helpful conditions. An average of 30-35 would mean matching or outperforming Jerome Taylor's current bowling - I cannot see that happening.

That's an extremely simplistic analysis. Considering that Jerome Taylor is hardly established and is still very young into his career.