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Worst player to play for Australia 1989-2006/07

DJellett

International Debutant
Harsh on Peter Taylor...sure, picked by mistake, but did a fairly good job of it once there.
 

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
who was the guy who got hit for over 10rpo in that ODI vs South Africa? because he was pretty damn bad.

Nathan Bracken I don't rate either.
Mike Lewis, but he never played Test Cricket.

BTW regarding Muller it's important to remember he was a part of the Aussies 16 game winning streak and his partnership with fellow debutant Adam Gilchrist was very useful.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Harsh on Peter Taylor...sure, picked by mistake, but did a fairly good job of it once there.
He did? News to me. Took 12-238 in his first 2 Tests (and bowled just 2 overs in his 3rd), but in his last 10 took 15 wickets at 55.13 (including 8 at 56.50 in 6 Tests post-1989). He was very poor, as was Peter Sleep, as was Greg Matthews (though he could bat) and I have to say I'm a little mystified why any of them were picked instead of Tim May who, while nothing special himself, was generally held in much higher esteem than any of those three.

BTW, could someone tell me - I'd always presumed it was a joke, but is it actually true that he was picked when they wanted Mark Taylor? :blink:
 

FaaipDeOiad

Hall of Fame Member
BTW, could someone tell me - I'd always presumed it was a joke, but is it actually true that he was picked when they wanted Mark Taylor? :blink:
No. The story is that when Peter Taylor was selected, people assumed that it was in fact Mark Taylor they intended to select, and it was a mistake made in announcing the player. They always intended to pick Peter, it was just a big shock, while Mark was making a lot of runs in domestic cricket at the time and would not have been so surprising.
 

Prince EWS

Global Moderator
BTW, could someone tell me - I'd always presumed it was a joke, but is it actually true that he was picked when they wanted Mark Taylor? :blink:
Haha, nah, it isn't. The squad was leaked early (only last names) and the media assumed it was Mark, but were scratching their heads about the balance of the team. I think they may have even announced somewhere that Mark was set to make his debut. The selectors had plucked Peter from Grade cricket, however.

Anyway, it's Nathan Hauritz for mine, by quite some margin. Players like Sean Young were pretty poor and whilst their selections were stranger than that of Hauritz, they were better players.
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
That video is cool just because McGrath's new ball bowling was so good. Plus, Australia actually have good slips catchers. Blast from the past.
Yeah, McGrath to Anwar, what a jaffer.
One of the rare videos on YT that features Damien Fleming (in whites) too.

Of all the excellent cricketers of the time I mention, Fleming must be the most unlucky, with Bruce Reid second.
 
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GGG

State Captain
ODI's = Greg Blewett (on performances), no one in tests stands out for me, but harsh giving it to someone who only played 1 or 2 tests.
 
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Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Pretty much everyone on the list above played only a small handful of Tests.

By nature, if you're a poor player at a time when resources are generally rich you're not going to play much.

"Worst player to play for Australia 1984-1988/89" might have more candidates who played more games, but picking poor players in a poor era isn't really all that interesting.
 

Langeveldt

Soutie
Nathan Hauritz by a fair stretch.. I've never been a fan of Katich, although he is obviously capable..

Although Mick Lewis looked so below par I'd include him, even though he never played a test :laugh:
 

Richard

Cricket Web Staff Member
Katich is another one of the unluckiest players of the period. Dropped twice for Andrew Symonds (the first time after playing two match-saving innings'), can it get much worse?
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Always agree with you on this point Richard, it is one of the worst selections/droppings I've ever seen.

Were it not for Katich, Australia would likely have lost the Sydney test, and thus the series India in 03/04, their first home series loss in God knows how long.

Let's reward him by dropping him for Symonds because he can bowl off spin.
 

tooextracool

International Coach
Nathan Hauritz by a considerable margin and then Brendon Julian who is probably closely followed by an untalented doorknob.
 

Top_Cat

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Pretty much everyone on the list above played only a small handful of Tests.

By nature, if you're a poor player at a time when resources are generally rich you're not going to play much.
Explain Stuart Law, then.

;)
 

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