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Clutch Players.

ankitj

Hall of Fame Member
It is well established that Sachin Tendulkar faced #pressure like no other. Imagine scoring hundred after hundred but losing because your teammates are **** and your fast bowlers are vegetarians, only to come home and find people burning a life sized effigy of you outside your home where your wife and child reside.

But then again plenty of SC players are used to this #pressure. Many of them come from poor backgrounds and have their parents mortgage a house to send them to a cricket academy, with no guarantee of any returns and no backup career option. Brutal.

Meanwhile the young Devereuxs and Kohlis of the world are dropped off to cricket practice every day by mum, given throw downs by Dad, are bought the latest gear every Christmas and attend Piano lessons on their rest days.
Imagine Dhoni was going to be a train ticket checker and Harbhajan a truck driver.
 

Lancashire Nick

Cricket Spectator
Yes, a clutch knock really needs to be chanceless. Warne bottled it on that catch, dropped the series.
In that case, you won't find many clutch knocks in history. Very, very few big knocks, spread over several hours are 100% chanceless.

Similarly, very few bowling spells, don't contain the odd long hop, or wide delivery.

The careers of all great players feature moments when they drove their team to victory with bat or ball; but similarly will include a few innings where a rash, slash outside off stump, or a spell where they bowled a few wide half volleys, gifted victory to the opposition.
 
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Jack1

International Debutant
In that case, you won't find many clutch knocks in history. Very, very few big knocks, spread over several hours are 100% chanceless.

Similarly, very few bowling spells, don't contain the odd long hop, or wide delivery.

The careers of all great players feature moments when they drove their team to victory with bat or ball; but similarly will include a few innings where a rash, slash outside off stump, or a spell where they bowled a few wide half volleys, gifted victory to the opposition.
Yes not many knocks in history are chanceless and clutch. The bar needs to be set pretty high or garbage like Pietersen's knock in 2005 gets in as mentioned above briefly. And garbage like Stokes's two knocks and I'm going to be honest with you the way he timed the chase in the WC final was awful and he was stone dead plumb by a beautiful off break from Lyon - and let's be honest if the finger went up you'd all be listing Lyon for being brave enough to bowl the ball he did (and execute it) with only 2 runs to win in a test. Williamson out captained Root by about 40 runs in the game (WC final), it would have been a captaincy masterclass by Williamson if England didn't incur the lucky overthrows plus 1. I say that as an England fan. The good thing about me is I just say it as it is, I believe national pride is a social construct. I like Pietersen, but that knock was horrible and wild. I'm one of the few that can bare him, so I'm not being biased against him it was a knock full of chance and luck - but it was almost fate that it would happen for him because I think deep down he's a good guy despite all his weird idiosyncrasies.
 
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Lancashire Nick

Cricket Spectator
Yes not many knocks in history are chanceless and clutch. The bar needs to be set pretty high or garbage like Pietersen's knock in 2005 gets in as mentioned above briefly. And garbage like Stokes's two knocks and I'm going to be honest with you the way he timed the chase in the WC final was awful and he was stone dead plumb by a beautiful off break from Lyon - and let's be honest if the finger went up you'd all be listing Lyon for being brave enough to bowl the ball he did (and execute it) with only 2 runs to win in a test. Williamson out captained Root by about 40 runs in the game (WC final), it would have been a captaincy masterclass by Williamson if England didn't incur the lucky overthrows plus 1. I say that as an England fan. The good thing about me is I just say it as it is, I believe national pride is a social construct. I like Pietersen, but that knock was horrible and wild. I'm one of the few that can bare him, so I'm not being biased against him it was a knock full of chance and luck - but it was almost fate that it would happen for him because I think deep down he's a good guy despite all his weird idiosyncrasies.
I agree with you on many points. Williamson is a fine captain (although Morgan was the England captain in that game). Stokes' innings in the WC Final had a large dose of luck to it (e.g. when the fielder caught the ball and stepped over the boundary), and of course the overthrows.

I have always felt that Pietersen's innings at the Oval in 2005 was overrated. Much of it was a wild slog, and he should have been caught a couple of times.

I do think you're being a bit harsh on Stokes' Headingley innings though. There was a half chance to Warner at slip, and a very difficult catch to Harris at Third Man, but I thought the way he built his innings, and the 3 very different stages it went through (survival, then support of Root/Bairstow, before finally going into one day mode when the partners were running out), showed a great level of situation analysis and game management. As for the LBW, although it probably was clipping the stumps, I'm not quite sure it was as plumb as ball tracker suggested. I am not 100% convinced that ball tracker always gets its predictions of turn and bounce correct.
 

Chrish

International Debutant
I agree that Smith has proven to be a great clutch player but pressure of redeeming himself is as relevant as pressure faced by Tendulkar because of being revered as a demi-God by cricket mad country i.e. not relevant at all.
It’s not the only time though. Played crucial knock in 1st 2017 Ashes test that set the tone for the series. Scored those hundreds in India after Kohli ran his mouth about aussies sending signals from the dressing room (although this might be true in a hindsight :p).

Time and time again he has proved his clutchness. His comeback is just an icing on the cake.
 

Jack1

International Debutant
I agree with you on many points. Williamson is a fine captain (although Morgan was the England captain in that game). Stokes' innings in the WC Final had a large dose of luck to it (e.g. when the fielder caught the ball and stepped over the boundary), and of course the overthrows.

I have always felt that Pietersen's innings at the Oval in 2005 was overrated. Much of it was a wild slog, and he should have been caught a couple of times.

I do think you're being a bit harsh on Stokes' Headingley innings though. There was a half chance to Warner at slip, and a very difficult catch to Harris at Third Man, but I thought the way he built his innings, and the 3 very different stages it went through (survival, then support of Root/Bairstow, before finally going into one day mode when the partners were running out), showed a great level of situation analysis and game management. As for the LBW, although it probably was clipping the stumps, I'm not quite sure it was as plumb as ball tracker suggested. I am not 100% convinced that ball tracker always gets its predictions of turn and bounce correct.
Yes. For some reason I wrote Root whilst picturing the face of Morgan. Suppose that was natural after discussing the Ashes on here to have a slip of the tongue so to speak. I don't think I'm being harsh on Stokes I thought he was stone dead plumb before the replays and he served up other chances too during that knock. Pietersen's innings I have to admit was one of the most entertaining knocks played by an English batsmen in test history, but he rode his luck massively as mentioned.
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
The idea that an innings has to be chanceless to be clutch, yeah I don't reckon. Both Stokes' efforts in the Ashes and the World Cup final 100% qualify.

Clutch is executing in the biggest pressure moments with the mental clarity and physical performance that most cannot achieve. Ie what Stokes achieved.

And his bowling is irrelevant. He's not consistent when the pressure is on, so to say what he did v Braithwaite or any other time was a choke, is just not the case. He just sprayed it, which he often did. To execute in that moment, when he doesn't do any other time, would be a massive outlier. There could be the argument for someone like Boult not executing in the WC final, although I'd put it down to an off day because he's been so clutch in so many other examples.
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Your first two paragraphs I agree with. Your third, nah. He's meant to be an all rounder. A genuine, decently skilled in both categories type one too. Or at least he was, I assume hel definitely take more of a batting AR role now
 

SteveNZ

Cricketer Of The Year
Your first two paragraphs I agree with. Your third, nah. He's meant to be an all rounder. A genuine, decently skilled in both categories type one too. Or at least he was, I assume hel definitely take more of a batting AR role now
But he's never been a consistent bowler, though has he? He's not a third seamer? I don't think a side in the world would pick him as such. His limited overs bowling numbers are very reflective of his abilities. 6s an over in ODIs, 9s in T20s and both at 40+ per wicket.
 

Jack1

International Debutant
The idea that an innings has to be chanceless to be clutch, yeah I don't reckon. Both Stokes' efforts in the Ashes and the World Cup final 100% qualify.

Clutch is executing in the biggest pressure moments with the mental clarity and physical performance that most cannot achieve. Ie what Stokes achieved.

And his bowling is irrelevant. He's not consistent when the pressure is on, so to say what he did v Braithwaite or any other time was a choke, is just not the case. He just sprayed it, which he often did. To execute in that moment, when he doesn't do any other time, would be a massive outlier. There could be the argument for someone like Boult not executing in the WC final, although I'd put it down to an off day because he's been so clutch in so many other examples.
I can tell you're a kiwi :laugh:
 

mr_mister

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
But he's never been a consistent bowler, though has he? He's not a third seamer? I don't think a side in the world would pick him as such. His limited overs bowling numbers are very reflective of his abilities. 6s an over in ODIs, 9s in T20s and both at 40+ per wicket.
If you're throwing ball to him in the final over of a WC final it says something about the expectation of his bowling
 

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