If...

[weldone]

If Mohammad Azharuddin's association with bookies was caught at an early stage, Utpal Chatterjee would have a very successful test career.

 

[jimmy101]

If Mohammad Azharuddin's association with bookies was caught at an early stage, Utpal Chatterjee would have a very successful test career.

I'd love to hear the story behind this. I know nothing of Chatterjee.

 

[weldone]

I'd love to hear the story behind this. I know nothing of Chatterjee.

Chatterjee was clearly a much better left-arm spin bowler than Venkatapathy Raju. But Raju played 28 test matches, and Chatterjee played none. That's only because Azharuddin had a bias for Raju as Raju was from the same state as the captain. It's safe to say that with any other captain Chatterjee would be playing many more than 28 test matches.

As an aside, I may as well add that I haven't seen any left arm orthodox bowler turn the ball as much as Chatterjee did in his prime. He had his variations and was a very intelligent bowler (intelligent in the Kumble/Ashwin way).

 

[91Jmay]

Chatterjee was clearly a much better left-arm spin bowler than Venkatapathy Raju. But Raju played 28 test matches, and Chatterjee played none. That's only because Azharuddin had a bias for Raju as Raju was from the same state as the captain. It's safe to say that with any other captain Chatterjee would be playing many more than 28 test matches.

As an aside, I may as well add that I haven't seen any left arm orthodox bowler turn the ball as much as Chatterjee did in his prime. He had his variations and was a very intelligent bowler (intelligent in the Kumble/Ashwin way).

Is this is 3rd time you've mentioned Chatterjee in last month or so? I am convinced you are a relative of him.

 

[honestbharani]

Think he batted a bit too, so surely might have been a better bet than Raju at times...

 

[jimmy101]

What if Brian Lara had a younger brother? A right handed batsman who would go on to record almost identical FC, Test & ODI stats as his elder brother. This younger brother would debut in 1995 against Australia & retire after the 2011 World Cup. A few 'what ifs'...

Would the West Indies have defeated Australia during 1995?

Could the Windies have possibly sustained their domination of world cricket into the 21st century?

Or could they have at least still been a top-level international team in the early 2000's? Rated on par with the likes of SA & India?

Could WI have won the '96 World Cup? Maybe the 2007 CWC too?

Would fast bowlers such as King, Dillon, Collymore & Lawson have greater legacies & stats due to the presence of Lara jr in the team? Could they have even been considered the latest in the long line of world beating WI quicks, successors to Walsh & Ambrose?

 

[Howe_zat]

If Peter Siddle were English, the home fans would chant 'Siddle' to the tune of 'Sit Down' by James.

 

[Burgey]

DRS would've come in a lot earlier following the shocking LBW not given early in that 10th wicket partnership.

Or even earlier given in the same match Lee hit Jones on the full on the back pad in front of middle stump only to have it given not out by Bowden in the middle of Jones' partnership with flintoff that put on I dunno how many.

 

[Gob]

Or even earlier given in the same match Lee hit Jones on the full on the back pad in front of middle stump only to have it given not out by Bowden in the middle of Jones' partnership with flintoff that put on I dunno how many.

Billy Bowden was ****.

 

[Burgey]

Yeah. Rarely seen an umpire so influenced by he momentum in a match/ series. Mind you Australia was the beneficiary of the trait in him a lot too.

 

[GIMH]

Or even earlier given in the same match Lee hit Jones on the full on the back pad in front of middle stump only to have it given not out by Bowden in the middle of Jones' partnership with flintoff that put on I dunno how many.

Why are you making things up, it would clearly have been umpires call

 

[Furball]

Billy Bowden was ****.

He was atrocious for lbws. Gave one of the worst not outs of all time when India visited in 2011.

 

[Daemon]

He was atrocious for lbws. Gave one of the worst not outs of all time when India visited in 2011.

Was he the one who initially gave Dhoni his first test wicket before it was overturned?

 

[Furball]

Was he the one who initially gave Dhoni his first test wicket before it was overturned?

Dunno but Broad had someone (Raina from memory) absolutely plumb lbw in one of the Tests, Broad during his chat with Bowden at the end of the over asks what was wrong with it, Bowden tells him and Broad's facial expression just turns to one of utter amazement and he says "bat?!" and looks round as if he's checking to see if anyone else heard it and that it wasn't his hearing playing tricks on him (the batsman got absolutely nowhere near it.)

 

[Howe_zat]

Dunno but Broad had someone (Raina from memory) absolutely plumb lbw in one of the Tests, Broad during his chat with Bowden at the end of the over asks what was wrong with it, Bowden tells him and Broad's facial expression just turns to one of utter amazement and he says "bat?!" and looks round as if he's checking to see if anyone else heard it and that it wasn't his hearing playing tricks on him (the batsman got absolutely nowhere near it.)

yeah this is spot on

 

[Furball]

Or even earlier given in the same match Lee hit Jones on the full on the back pad in front of middle stump only to have it given not out by Bowden in the middle of Jones' partnership with flintoff that put on I dunno how many.

I'm pretty sure McGrath had an lbw shout at some point in the series inexplicably turned down (went round the wicket and bowled a yorker that was taking middle out the ground), unless I'm just remembering McGrath bowling the one you're referring to for some reason.

Wasn't a high point for lbw decisions tbf. Other highlights would be the umpire forgetting Katich was a leftie before giving him lbw at Trent Bridge, Damien Martyn being repeatedly given out bat before wicket, and one that always sticks in my mind was another England tail end slog being interrupted by Harmison receiving a joke lbw decision - was batting outside his crease and struck right at the top of his pads by McGrath or Lee. That one might actually have been Bowden again.

 

[Furball]

Here's one.

What if KP did absolutely **** all with the bat when Natal played England in a tour game in the 1999/2000 series?

 

[GIMH]

Dunno but Broad had someone (Raina from memory) absolutely plumb lbw in one of the Tests, Broad during his chat with Bowden at the end of the over asks what was wrong with it, Bowden tells him and Broad's facial expression just turns to one of utter amazement and he says "bat?!" and looks round as if he's checking to see if anyone else heard it and that it wasn't his hearing playing tricks on him (the batsman got absolutely nowhere near it.)

Broad's face was an absolute picture

 

[GIMH]

Here's one.

What if KP did absolutely **** all with the bat when Natal played England in a tour game in the 1999/2000 series?

Piers Morgan would be a little less boring

 

[Dazinho]

One I contemplated last week:-

What if back in 1990 an umpire had said "no Viv, Bailey is NOT OUT and I'm sending you off for misconduct"...?