Average players who were inexplicably great against strong teams

[subshakerz]

As the title mentions. I can think of a couple of examples.

There was Ijaz Ahmed, an otherwise ordinary batsman, yet managed an average of 47 against a strong Australia side, including 6 tons overall and 3 in 3 series in Australia, including McWarne attacks.

Then there was Azhar Mehmood, a rather run-of-the-mill all-rounder in the 90s who was SA's nemesis and averaged 75 against an attack of Donald and Pollock.

Any other examples?

 

[trundler]

Amarnath!

 

[subshakerz]

Amarnath!

Mohinder Amarnath? Wasn't he recognized as a fine player?

 

[Pap Finn Keighl]

Bradman against England.

Just kidding.. England was not that strong.

 

[trundler]

Bradman against England.

Just kidding.. England was not that strong.

Statistically England was the second worst team for Bradman though.

Do better.

 

[CricAddict]

Not exactly weak player against strong team but Laxman against Aus and Ashwin against WI come to mind.

 

[ankitj]

Robin Smith was good against WI

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I have no intention of digging through stats, but Allan Lamb has a modest Test record but made three centuries in one series against peak West Indies.

 

[andruid]

Darren Sammy against England, or was it just the one series

 

[h_hurricane]

Wasim Raja averaged 57 against WI but 30 against every one else combined

 

[grecian]

Ramprakash against Oz, would have to be a bizarre outlier. 42 against them, 49 in Oz, but 27 over-all.

 

[M0rphin3]

Salman Butt came to mind immediately. Take Aus out of his average and it'll come crashing down cause he's been so bad vs practically everyone else, but averages some 40+ vs Aus.

 

[Chubb]

David Steel?

 

[SteveNZ]

Dean Brownlie averaged 65 against Australia in ODIs and Test, albeit only played two Tests and a single ODI which were considerably better than his overall numbers. Key part in the 2011 Hobart Test

 

[TheJediBrah]

Not exactly weak player against strong team but Laxman against Aus

This is the first one that I thought of

 

[TheJediBrah]

Wouldn't call them a strong team but Adam Voges averaged 542 against the West Indies over 5 Tests

 

[Spark]

Salman Butt came to mind immediately. Take Aus out of his average and it'll come crashing down cause he's been so bad vs practically everyone else, but averages some 40+ vs Aus.

I feel it's really pushing the definition of "strong" to call those particular Aus sides strong. Middling, more like.

 

[Anil]

Amarnath!

No he was a world class batsman…not average in any sense…

 

[Anil]

I have no intention of digging through stats, but Allan Lamb has a modest Test record but made three centuries in one series against peak West Indies.

In his prime, he was one of the best players of pace in his era…

 

[OverratedSanity]

Petition to mods to please ban Cricaddict and trundler for implying Amarnath and VVS were average players.