Michael Bevan has an interesting test record. Underrated as a test player?

[Top_Cat]

You could say the same thing about Hayden, Ponting, Steve Waugh, Langer, Martyn etc., except they got another chance after being dropped.

I understand that you think Bevan had specific "technical problems" that make him different, but that's just an excuse IMO. Martyn had just as bad glaring "technical issues" and they didn't hold him back when he got a 2nd chance.

They simply didn't result in a predictable mode of dismissal like Bev's, though. Bevan was useless off his hip and too scared to hook so if the ball wasn't in his half, he just didn't score. Then he couldn't lay off the balls whether on or outside off-stump. Like I said, it became comical how many times he was out defending to slip. Tough problem for every leftie to solve, in fairness, but the best do including Hayden, Langer, etc. (Langer built a career out of the scoring region between 3rd man and slightly wider 3rd man). Bevan didn't, in my view.

 

[TheJediBrah]

They simply didn't result in a predictable mode of dismissal like Bev's, though. Bevan was useless off his hip and too scared to hook so if the ball wasn't in his half, he just didn't score. Then he couldn't lay off the balls whether on or outside off-stump. Like I said, it became comical how many times he was out defending to slip. Tough problem for every leftie to solve, in fairness, but the best do including Hayden, Langer, etc. (Langer built a career out of the scoring region between 3rd man and slightly wider 3rd man). Bevan didn't, in my view.

That's fair, of course you're entitled to your opinion, and you could be right. But I really don't see any reason why Bevan's "weakness" should be considered more long-term than all those other players who came back and dominated. Thinking that he couldn't figure out a problem as simple as that and succeed just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[mr_mister]

in the spirit of reviving old threads lets fire up this ol' debate again

 

[Burgey]

From what I recall he struggled with short pitched bowling by the less than mighty Devon Malcolm and never recovered.

A decent number of blokes who played against him said Devon Malcolm was the fastest bowler they faced. When he got it right he was nigh on unplayable. Not that that was Bevan's problem.

One of the more anomalous test careers. As the OP noted, he scored runs against the Ws in his first test series and against Ambrose, Walsh and Bishop out here. Yet he really seemed to struggle against the Poms for whatever reason, especially with the short stuff. Seemed a ready replacement for TOTAB when the latter retired. He came into the team and played really well, then just fell away while consistently being excellent in ODIs.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

I liked him as a bowler.

Wasn't he in the movie 'Wild Hogs'?

 

[Borges]

Neil Fairbrother and his followers like Michael Bevan help us appreciate the multifaceted talents of batsmen like AB and Kohli.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Neil Fairbrother and his followers like Michael Bevan help us appreciate the multifaceted talents of batsmen like AB and Kohli.

AB is a class with Viv alone for multifaceted talents.

Kohli is yet to prove he is a consistent 'master blaster' even if he finishes as a better test and odi player than them both.

ABdV is a freak the way he can just start making 6's rain into the crowd and get the scoring rates rapidly increasing, forget all the 360 nonsense as a red herring, runs are runs.

 

[Senile Sentry]

AB is a class with Viv alone for multifaceted talents.

Kohli is yet to prove he is a consistent 'master blaster' even if he finishes as a better test and odi player than them both.

ABdV is a freak the way he can just start making 6's rain into the crowd and get the scoring rates rapidly increasing, forget all the 360 nonsense as a red herring, runs are runs.

Wish someone explained what this means.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Neil Fairbrother and his followers like Michael Bevan help us appreciate the multifaceted talents of batsmen like AB and Kohli.

I know you're trolling but just mentioning these 2 in the same sentence should be a ban-able offense IMO

Wish someone explained what this means.

It's the final stage of blaster training.
1 - Padawan Blaster
2 - Blaster Knight
3 - Master Blaster

Kohli is still a Blaster Knight I guess

 

[jimmy101]

I think Michael Bevan's test numbers are yet another example of why people should never take stats too seriously on face value.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

I know you're trolling but just mentioning these 2 in the same sentence should be a ban-able offense IMO



It's the final stage of blaster training.
1 - Padawan Blaster
2 - Blaster Knight
3 - Master Blaster

Kohli is still a Blaster Knight I guess

Actually Kohli at best is still only a Padawan Blaster. But at least he has more blasting than Anjika Rahane or especially Pujara. The force is not with him at all.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Wish someone explained what this means.

I think if you read the very next sentence, where it says "ABdV is a freak the way he can just start making 6's rain into the crowd and get the scoring rates rapidly increasing" is sufficiently explanatory.

But JediBrah's explanation was not entirely inaccurate, and quite amusing, even more so given his username.

In fact, I think I will use it as a yard stick from now on.

0 Force not with them
1 Padawan Blaster
2 Blaster Knight
3 Master Blaster

 

[vic_orthdox]

On Bevan, just goes to show how things are when your timing isn't the best. He probably could have done a Voges, maybe even a Michael Hussey - from memory Lehmann's record in Sheffield Shield wasn't that far off (or was that more County Cricket where his stats in FC were off the charts?).

Maybe his career could have turned out similar - but the pressure on him when he got in would have been overwhelming to score straight away. And he hadn't shown the ability to work through that doubt, a bit like Ramprakash and Hick.

 

[Top_Cat]

Their FC stats would be easy enough to verify, just have a browse of this site and simply search for the players in question.

The Home of CricketArchive

Oh.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Chris Harris was a bit the same. He was a very good ODI finisher and world-class allrounder with a 1st class average of 57.84 for Canterbury (far far more than the likes of Fleming, Astle, McMillan, Cairns etc), but only averaged 20 in test cricket.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Chris Harris was a bit the same. He was a very good ODI finisher and world-class allrounder with a 1st class average of 57.84 for Canterbury (far far more than the likes of Fleming, Astle, McMillan, Cairns etc), but only averaged 20 in test cricket.

Had a batting average of over 70 in T20s

u wot m8

 

[Furball]

If Bevan had have been recalled anytime between 1999-2003 I'm adamant he'd have averaged ~50 in Test Cricket

He just never got another chance. A largely imaginary weakness against short bowling often used as the excuse not to pick him (though who you would have dropped I have no idea).

Mark Waugh.

 

[stephen]

If Bevan was available to be picked today he would have an 80+ test career averaging 45+. He was a victim of the 90s/00s culture of ridiculously good Australian batting stocks.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

If Bevan was available to be picked today he would have an 80+ test career averaging 45+. He was a victim of the 90s/00s culture of ridiculously good Australian batting stocks.

Not too sure about this. He's already 48, to get to 80+ tests from his current 18, will take him to mid 50's years of age.

I get missing Smith and Warner has lead to thoughts of bringing back Michael Clarke, but Bevan's probably passed it by now, even if available.

 

[Borges]

These days batsmen have a much harder time than in the old days; technical weaknesses of the kind that Fairbrother and Bevan had are discovered early, and exploited ruthlessly. Though some people never learn: Rohit Sharma in SA being the most recent example.