Badrinath Speaks Out

[adharcric]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/364138.html

How long can our selectors keep arguably India's best batsman on the sidelines? Talk about consistency, making runs against every opposition in all conditions, being excellent in the field, a decent part-time option with a sharp cricketing mind ... what's stopping him from breaking into the national squad?

Given that our selectors seem to go for youth, flash and flair over proven credentials, maybe making a statement in the press will get him across the line.

 

[sanga1337]

Can't see how Badrinath can't get a spot in the team when players like Kohli manage to get in as well. While he isn't young he certainly isn't old and if he gets picked now he will have a solid 8 years of cricket left in him at the very least. Seriously I don't know what Badrinath did but he must've done something to piss the selectors off because it is getting a bit rediculous IMO.

 

[Craig]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/india/content/story/364138.html

How long can our selectors keep arguably India's best batsman on the sidelines? Talk about consistency, making runs against every opposition in all conditions, being excellent in the field, a decent part-time option with a sharp cricketing mind ... what's stopping him from breaking into the national squad?

Given that our selectors seem to go for youth, flash and flair over proven credentials, maybe making a statement in the press will get him across the line.

Who knows, maybe it could do the opposite depending on how they read his comments, especially if they view that he is taking a shot at them, then Badrinath has burnt all of his bridges with the selectors.

Still he can't do anymore then what he has done.

 

[masterblaster]

As I mentoned in the India vs Sri Lanka thread, selecting Virat Kohli over Badrinath in the ODI squad was simply a ridiculous selection. After reading his comments, you can only sympathise with him.

If the normal pathway to representing your country is succeeding in Domestic Cricket and International A tours and being the best domestic batsman in the country, then Badrinath deserves his call up. I really don't know what the selectors are thinking.

 

[chaminda_00]

As much as I rate Badrinath. He domestic OD record has never been that great compared to others in India. I know he is capable of being a really good ODI batsmen. But in some ways his potential selection would be based largely on FC runs, not OD runs.

 

[James_W]

As much as I rate Badrinath. He domestic OD record has never been that great compared to others in India. I know he is capable of being a really good ODI batsmen. But in some ways his potential selection would be based largely on FC runs, not OD runs.

Exactly what I was thinking based purely on his record, although his average isn't bad either. How he hasn't been given a look-in in the Test side with an average of 56 I do not know.

 

[pup11]

Badrinath's case is really a sad one, he is one of most consistent players in domestic cricket in India for sometime now, but he has never even come close to being selected for India (but after making such a statement he has probably killed even his slightest chance of playing for India, because Indians selectors just don't like being criticised), selecting Kohli ahead of him is outrageous, this just sends out a message to all the Indian domestic players, that if you don't get picked to play for India when you are 19-21 then more or less you have missed the bus!

 

[Craig]

What does a FC average of 50+ plus actually mean as a batsman in India? Is that the norm that any batsman worth his salt will average more then 50 or does that indicate a quality batsman?

 

[Sanz]

He domestic OD record has never been that great compared to others in India. I know he is capable of being a really good ODI batsmen. But in some ways his potential selection would be based largely on FC runs, not OD runs.

1659 runs @ 48.8 Over Last 4 Seasons

Season 2007/08 in India - List A matches -

567 @56.7 Highest Run Getter and Highest average among those who played 10+ matches.

Ranji One-Day Trophy/Deodhar Trophy, 2006-07

278@55.60
69@17.25

Ranji One-Day/Deodhar Trophy, 2005-06

294@58.80
117@58.50

Ranji One-Day Trophy/Deodhar Trophy, 2004-05

277 @69.25
57@14.25

 

[Salamuddin]

I fear Badri will never play for India. He will likely go the same way as Dharmani, MAzumdar etc. players who should have got their chances but never did.


Feel Amit Mishra is likely to be in the same boat as him.

Its a joke tbh....the best players are not playing for India. IN India "start value" and "reputation" count for a lot more than actual performances and substance.
Its a malaise that affects other sports in India as well....at the crucial Olympic hockey qualifiers earlier several of India's best hockey players did not play because they did not play for the same state team the coach was from !


Dravid has been crap for two years now but we continue to pick him. Sachin has been extremely unreliable for god knows how long and he is still treated like a demi-god. Add to the fact that he hardly ever plays well when his team needs him. Ganguly has never been all good at tests yet he was brought back in to try and resuscitate India's fortunes in that format !! Crazy !
I have no problem with older players playing test cricket as long as they are performing. But if they are not and the facts speak for themselves in that regard, then its time for some new faces.

 

[masterblaster]

Badrinath might be a success or he might be a failure, but the Indian Selectors have to at least give him a go. He's earned it.

 

[Arjun]

Badrinath surely should get a Test and ODI call-up NOW! There's way too much excess baggage in both teams to keep him out so long. We wonder what the man neess to do for a place in the Indian team when-

• He's consistently averaged over 55 in FC cricket even as stereotypical Indian pitches are becoming more bowler-friendly.
• Averages in the high 50's in List-A in the last few easons.
• Averages over 250 playing for India A.
• Played for IPL finalists.
• Finished another tournament with an average over 50.
• Superb fielder with sharp reflexes, lightning speed and a strong arm- can be used to field at point now.
• Played for over seven years and has a lot of cricket left behind him

What more does he have to do?

 

[adharcric]

What does a FC average of 50+ plus actually mean as a batsman in India? Is that the norm that any batsman worth his salt will average more then 50 or does that indicate a quality batsman?

Having a 50+ FC average in India is creditable but should be taken with a grain of salt as it may be skewed by a batsman's home pitch and the possibility that he plays against the weak competition of the Plate League (as opposed to the Elite League), not that either of these apply to Badrinath. However, Badrinath has done so much more.

 

[Salamuddin]

What does a FC average of 50+ plus actually mean as a batsman in India? Is that the norm that any batsman worth his salt will average more then 50 or does that indicate a quality batsman?

What's more indicative though is the fact that he made runs for India A on their tour of Australia in 2006 and against South Africa A in 2007.

 

[chaminda_00]

1659 runs @ 48.8 Over Last 4 Seasons

Season 2007/08 in India - List A matches -

567 @56.7 Highest Run Getter and Highest average among those who played 10+ matches.

Ranji One-Day Trophy/Deodhar Trophy, 2006-07

278@55.60
69@17.25

Ranji One-Day/Deodhar Trophy, 2005-06

294@58.80
117@58.50

Ranji One-Day Trophy/Deodhar Trophy, 2004-05

277 @69.25
57@14.25

I know all those stats, I do follow TN.

With the Deodhar Trophy he only ever played a couple games per year but apart from one season he never done that well. I guess his success for India A counters that. Also everyone knows Chennai is one of flattest tracks in India, so does infact a lot of batsmen averages to an extent.

But really those things are just minor. The real issue for him is that he batted a lot at 3 in the last couple season and only scored one hundred. For TN he has rarely won OD matches for us, at the most he sets them up. Though batting a bit lower for India A, he has shown match winning ability.

If you were going for a top order batsmen, he probably isn't the guy I would go for. As a lower middle order batsmen he would be my man. Just depends what role you want. Sometimes you have to look deeper then just stats.

 

[bryce]

Although India's youth policy is an exciting one, I do not think it is the most effective one. If someone like Badrinath was picked before near-teens like Raina, Sharma, Uthappa and Tiwary then he could have been given the chance to cement himself into the side(imo he would have had fared much better) plus it would give the young batsman the chance to do some run-scoring at domestic level, something Badrinath knows how to do all too well yet India seem happy to pick sides based on age-group performances, which imo is basically disregarding their entire domestic scene by ignoring the healthy amount of prolific first-class run-scorers. I thought they would have learnt something from Mohammad Kaif's ups-and-downs at international level.

 

[Craig]

Mohammas Kaif was one of the wasted talents by selectors.

 

[Manee]

As much as I rate Badrinath. He domestic OD record has never been that great compared to others in India. I know he is capable of being a really good ODI batsmen. But in some ways his potential selection would be based largely on FC runs, not OD runs.

Yes, but it was between him and Virat Kohli for the spot in the OD team and Badrinath performed better than Kohli in the recent Emerging Players Tournament (the basis for Kohli's selection) as well as performing well in OD cricket prior to that.

 

[adharcric]

Exactly. Badrinath has a stronger case for a test call-up and that's understandably eluded him with the established middle-order around (though Yuvraj, and now Sharma, have no place in the test squad ahead of him), but he definitely deserves a one-day call-up by now given that Tiwary, Sharma and now Kohli have gotten one. Anyways, I can understand that maybe the selectors don't see him as the explosive type supposedly required for one-day cricket (even though he's been constructing quality innings at a fair clip for a while now) but he should really get a test call-up sometime this year, especially if Dravid or Ganguly go.

 

[masterblaster]

I've mentioned it before too, I regard him to be the Michael Hussey of Indian Cricket. Hussey finally got his chance in his 30's. I just hope like Hussey, Badrinath gets his chance because he's too damn good not to ever play for India.