The Cricketweb Uncapped XI

[Cevno]

Sridharan Sriram did never play a test.
Was very unlucky like S. sharath. Maybe even more unluckier.


Also Mahadevan Sathasivam who played for Ceylon at the time. whom Garry Sobers called "the greatest batsman ever on earth," and Frank Worrell called him "the best batsman he had ever seen."Gulah Ahmed, former Indian fast bowler confirmed that he is the most difficult batsman to bowl.

[Cevno]

Originally Posted by gvenkat

Sharath was probably unlucky that his career coincided when the Fab Four of the Indian middle order Dravid, Tendulkar, Ganguly and Laxman was taking over Indian cricket. The sad part was he would always get selected to play the Rest of India team against the touring sides, would rack up some runs but find himself in the cold. In his case I think he was plain unlucky. Not sure if there was politics involved, could have been. But who would you replace from that batting line up?

I remember him having a run in with Dominic Cork. He took him to the cleaners and Cork and him had a scuffle in one of those A team games I believe.

Wasn't S.Shriram his TamilNadu teammate a similar case?

[gvenkat]

Originally Posted by Cevno

Wasn't S.Shriram his TamilNadu teammate a similar case?

Well Shriram atleast played some international ODI cricket and failed so there is a case for his non-selection. Sharath was unlucky never to represent India in a ODI or Test. There are so many in India. K.P. Bhaskar, Srikant Kalyani and a whole lot.

[marc71178]

I would say the fact that there are so many cases does reduce their claims to be honest as their domestic achievements aren't as noteworthy.

[Prince EWS]

Originally Posted by marc71178

I would say the fact that there are so many cases does reduce their claims to be honest as their domestic achievements aren't as noteworthy.

Indeed.

[Phantom]

Whilst it's difficult for me to comment on players from different eras or from countries other than my own, there's certainly a host of worthy selections from Australia during the era from the late 80's to the early 2000's. Siddons and Cox come to mind instantly. I would certainly have Seccombe ahead of Berry. Then there's Wayne Holdsworth, Dirk Tazelaar, Ridgway, Saker, Dene Hills, Ryan Campbell, Inness, Divenuto, Maher, Damien Wright, Noffke, Ken MacLeay, Gerard Denton, Steve Magoffin

If you had some of the spinners going around now that we had in the 90's then the list probably gets larger.

[SeamUp]

A whole truck load of South Africans could have made this side. While some of them played a handful of test games this would have been SA's test side during the 70's and 80's that missed out on test cricket.

1. Barry Richards
2. Eddie Barlow (then came Jimmy Cook)
3. Peter Kirsten
4. Graeme Pollock
5. Lee Irvine (then came Ken McEwan)
6. Clive Rice
7. Mike Procter
8. Alan Kourie or Denys Hobson
9. Ray Jennings
10. Garth Le Roux
11. Vince Van der Bijl

12th Stephen Jefferies

Definitely Garth Le Roux is unlucky to miss out.

[mrcheek]

Originally Posted by SeamUp

A whole truck load of South Africans could have made this side. While some of them played a handful of test games this would have been SA's test side during the 70's and 80's that missed out on test cricket.

1. Barry Richards
2. Eddie Barlow (then came Jimmy Cook)
3. Peter Kirsten
4. Graeme Pollock
5. Lee Irvine (then came Ken McEwan)
6. Clive Rice
7. Mike Procter
8. Alan Kourie or Denys Hobson
9. Ray Jennings
10. Garth Le Roux
11. Vince Van der Bijl

12th Stephen Jefferies

Definitely Garth Le Roux is unlucky to miss out.

Most of these managed to play some tests. But Kirsten and Jimmy Cook probably wish they didnt. They were past their best by the time they played international cricket, and didnt manage to live up to their reputations.

Jimmy Cook could have been one of the greatest of all time. Any Somerset fan will tell you he was the best overseas batsman they ever had. And Somerset have had Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Martin Crowe, Steve Waugh and Graeme Smith playing for them.

[SeamUp]

Originally Posted by mrcheek

Most of these managed to play some tests. But Kirsten and Jimmy Cook probably wish they didnt. They were past their best by the time they played international cricket, and didnt manage to live up to their reputations.

Jimmy Cook could have been one of the greatest of all time. Any Somerset fan will tell you he was the best overseas batsman they ever had. And Somerset have had Viv Richards, Sunil Gavaskar, Martin Crowe, Steve Waugh and Graeme Smith playing for them.

Yeah, Cook was 40 and definitely way past his best. He was part of the famous mean-machine Transvaal side in SA where he was magnificent never mind his stint at Somerset. I used to love his pull-shot...its was so dismissive.

I think Peter Kirsten would be quite happy though...one of the best batsman at the 1992 WC and he got his test hundred against England. I think he would have taken getting a test hundred past his prime than never getting a test hundred. The guy was just a super talent and would have had one heck of an international career.

[vcs]

Peter Kirsten was amazing in WC '92. Had a run-in with Kapil about a run-out (see what I did there?) when we toured SA in '92 IIRC.