No hopers who made it

[Fuller Pilch]

Has been mentioned in a few NZ threads but Matt Henry

2015 - 2020, 12 tests: 30 wickets @ 50.16
2021 - Aug 2025, 20 tests: 106 wickets @ 20.96

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Another Kiwi (sorry) but Daryl Mitchell was a provincial journeyman who might've averaged mid 30s in provincial cricket but is now a bloke who averages 44.6 in tests and 48.6 in ODIs.

 

[mackembhoy]

Ryan Harris

One of my favourite bowlers.

Not sure how he meets the criteria for this thread? His test career was good from start to finish.

A better example would be Chris Woakes he had 8 at 63.75 from his first 6 tests.

 

[Spark]

One of my favourite bowlers.

Not sure how he meets the criteria for this thread?

If you had told anyone in about 2006 or 2007 that Ryan Harris would be not just a Test bowler, but one of the best bowlers in the world over the period that he played, they would have laughed derisively at you

 

[morgieb]

One of my favourite bowlers.

Not sure how he meets the criteria for this thread? His test career was good from start to finish.

A better example would be Chris Woakes he had 8 at 63.75 from his first 6 tests.

Yes but he was 31 when he started playing Test cricket. More to the point, his FC bowling average at age 28 I think might've been over 50....was certainly over 40.

You would've gotten a 1000-1 odds of him even playing a Test back in 2005, let alone be good enough to average under 25.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I'm starting to think this thread covers most players

 

[mackembhoy]

If you had told anyone in about 2006 or 2007 that Ryan Harris would be not just a Test bowler, but one of the best bowlers in the world over the period that he played, they would have laughed derisively at you

Yes but he was 31 when he started playing Test cricket. More to the point, his FC bowling average at age 28 I think might've been over 50....was certainly over 40.

You would've gotten a 1000-1 odds of him even playing a Test back in 2005, let alone be good enough to average under 25.

Yes fair enough just the OP sets out a player at test level being a no hope and changing.

So gathered that was more what the point of this thread was as most of the examples seem to be the same.

 

[Molehill]

I'm starting to think this thread covers most players

Yeah, you could legitimately throw in Steve Smith as some dodgy leggie who could bat a bit. Or KP too.

 

[Burgey]

Another Kiwi (sorry) but Daryl Mitchell was a provincial journeyman who might've averaged mid 30s in provincial cricket but is now a bloke who averages 44.6 in tests and 48.6 in ODIs.

My man

 

[Fuller Pilch]

There was this young fella who grew up in some hick country town in Oz. Scored 18 and 1 on debut, got sledged by Maurice Tate, and got dropped. Think the no hoper improved after that though.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Allan Border

 

[OverratedSanity]

Even though he doesn't necessarily fit the late bloomer mold people are talking about here (like Harris or Ishant or Bavuma), I immediately thought of Jadeja when I saw the thread title. So many people thought he'd be a complete joke of a cricketer at test level early on. I think if you told even the biggest Jadeja fan back in 2012 that he'd end up not only being good but being an ATG level all rounder at test level, they'd probably laugh.

 

[Daemon]

Even though he doesn't necessarily fit the late bloomer mold people are talking about here (like Harris or Ishant or Bavuma), I immediately thought of Jadeja when I saw the thread title. So many people thought he'd be a complete joke of a cricketer at test level early on. I think if you told even the biggest Jadeja fan back in 2012 that he'd end up not only being good but being an ATG level all rounder at test level, they'd probably laugh.

Not hb though, he made a post in 1965 backing Jadeja

 

[Starfighter]

Yes fair enough just the OP sets out a player at test level being a no hope and changing.

So gathered that was more what the point of this thread was as most of the examples seem to be the same.

I didn't see the OP specify that it was at test level.

 

[Athlai]

Not hb though, he made a post in 1965 backing Jadeja

I think you mean HB made a Jadeja prediction backing him in 2025

 

[Coronis]

I'm starting to think this thread covers most players

Everyone thought that boy from Bowral would get smoked by the boy from Balmain

 

[Sliferxxxx]

Gary Sobers. Pretty ordinary after 14 tests, then he went mental.

 

[honestbharani]

HB's next hot take - you know this Bumrah kid might be alright

U r only making me find more posts.

 

[Shri]

I still think my overall SR in CW when it comes to this predictions is a lot more miss than hit.

its ok not everyone can be shri

 

[Silver Silva]

Rangana Herath ..

At 30 he played 14 tests with 36 wickets @39
Ended up with 433 Test wickets @28