Best to Never

[Sanz]

Padmakar Shivalkar has the strongest case of anyone, ever, IMO.

Didn't they include shivalkar in a test squad (Final 13 or something). ? Although by that time was 45+ or so..

 

[Deja moo]

Didn't they include shivalkar in a test squad (Final 13 or something). ? Although by that time was 45+ or so..

yeah, I remember reading something about him being in the squad once, but he still wasnt played for some strange reason. Goel did play once, but it was an unofficial test...

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Steve Tikolo averages over 50 in FC cricket

 

[Jamee999]

After Brad Hodge played his first game for Australia, in the 2nd Test against the Windies. Who is the best to never play for Australia in Tests. Im not saying Brad Hodge was the best to never, but he was very close. But anyway who do you guys think is the best never to not play for Australia and also for the other countries.

I can't think of any Sri Lankans of the top of my head, as anyone who has showed any potential or had a brilliant run in domestic cricket seems to have played for Sri Lanka, at some time or another. Especially considering all the guys they blooded in matches against Bangladesh.

So who is the best never to play a Test...

Bradman

 

[JASON]

For Sri Lanka - From what I have heard there were guys who should've played Test Cricket and very worthy of Test standard in terms of their ability but deprived by the ICC because of their deliberate attempts in thwarting and delaying Sri Lanka's entry into Test Cricket in late 70s -

Anura Tennekoon
Michael Tissera
David Heyn
Neil Chanmugam
Ranil Abeynaike

 

[Langeveldt]

Check out Vintcent Van der Bijl (RSA), easily the best player never to play test cricket

 

[Lyell_Chris]

don't we all hate selectors

 

[greg]

Gary Keedy lol.

Maybe "best player from Lancashire in the last 4 years", although even then he might have some competition

 

[GermanShepherd]

Amol Mazumdar and Pankaj Dharmani from India although the latter did play a solitary ODi (even though he was far more suitable for tests).

I saw Pankaj crack a classy hundred at Patiala against a Glenn Mcgrath led Australian attack in 1996 - still cannot believe he never played a test for India and that guys like Dasgupta, Karim , Dighe were preferred to him.

 

[chaminda_00]

Updated XI

1. Gholam Rahman (Ban) – 1152 runs @ 52.36
2. Jamie Cox (Aus) – 18604 runs @ 42.86
3. Steve Tikolo (As) – 2848 runs @ 52.74, 45 wkts @ 39.02
4. Peter Fulton (NZ) – 2952 runs @ 49.20
5...
6. Pankaj Dharmani (IND) – 7027 runs @ 52.05, 227 dis
7. Trevor Penney (ZIM) – 7975 runs @ 39.28
8. Carl Tuckett (WI) - 1591 runs @ 30.01, 73 wkts @ 19.97
9. Vince van der Bijl (RSA) – 767 wkts @ 16.54
10. Gary Keedy (ENG) – 396 wkts @ 31.91
11. Nandika Ranjith (SL) – 220 wkts @ 18.84

Well the side is coming together nicely, just need players from Pakistan, Windies and probably a better player from England...

EDIT: Carl Tuckett gets the Windies spot...

 

[chaminda_00]

Amol Mazumdar and Pankaj Dharmani from India although the latter did play a solitary ODi (even though he was far more suitable for tests).

I saw Pankaj crack a classy hundred at Patiala against a Glenn Mcgrath led Australian attack in 1996 - still cannot believe he never played a test for India and that guys like Dasgupta, Karim , Dighe were preferred to him.

From what i read and heard i think Pankaj didn't get a Test as a keeper when Mongia retired cus he mainly played as a batsmen, but in saying that i doubt his keeping could have been much worse then Dasgupta or Patel. He gets the India spot in my side anyway due to the lack of keepers nominated.

 

[Craig]

And if you think that cannot be topped ( I had my doubts too ), I present, Rajinder Goel

First Class:

156 matches, 39743 deliveries, 13909 runs conceded, 750 wickets, best of 8/55, bowling average of 18.54, ER 2.09, SR 52.99, 59 five-fors and 17 ten-fors.

http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/india/content/player/29036.html

And they think MacGill has it tough

BTW, no prizes for guessing why Shivalkar and Goel couldnt play a single test.

You have to give credit to Goel for having a complete lack of ego about his none selection.

I can name countless sportspeople from different sports who have missed out on selection for their country and have gone and spat the dummy.

One example is an Italian cyclist who missed on selection for last years Olympics (and he had a pretty good year - won three major races in Belgium and Holland in one week) went off and declared his allegiance to Argentina - despite having no family ties to Argentina.

 

[Craig]

Not being an expert on Indian cricket but how about:

Sridharan Sriram

A record like that you would think at some point he would of been given a go, but at the peak of the powers of the Indian batting line-up it was in fairnes very hard to break into.

 

[marc71178]

Gary Keedy lol.

Maybe "best player from Lancashire in the last 4 years", although even then he might have some competition

I don't see how he is unlucky to have not played when he can't bat and his FC career isn't actually that good.

 

[Deja moo]

You have to give credit to Goel for having a complete lack of ego about his none selection.

I can name countless sportspeople from different sports who have missed out on selection for their country and have gone and spat the dummy.

One example is an Italian cyclist who missed on selection for last years Olympics (and he had a pretty good year - won three major races in Belgium and Holland in one week) went off and declared his allegiance to Argentina - despite having no family ties to Argentina.

Thats true. Nowadays governments arent shy of luring away sportspersons too.. I guess that the player feels that he has the talent, might as well make money off it by grabbing any opportunity available.

 

[Top_Cat]

Well since I don't know a great deal about players from other countries in domestic ranks, I'll concentrate on locals;

Batsman: Jamie Siddons

When on-song, Jamie Siddons was the most attacking player in the country. He could play just about every shot but was pretty severe on front-foot drives in the arc from square to mid-on. Two probable reasons why he never played Test cricket; everyone remember him getting decked (broken jaw) by Merv Hughes at Adelaide and that would have shaken people's faith in his ability to play the short ones. Certainly he was a bit iffy against sustained short-pitched bowling after that one. Second; the little runs he played through point and third-man which got him many runs on slow, low pitches like Adelaide got him huge nicks on sportier pitches in Perth and Brisbane.

Still, he was an incredibly wristy player so was excellent against spin. Additionally he was as good a slipper as Mark Waugh and that's a compliment to both of them.

Profile

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/7612.html

Bowler: Anthony Stuart

Baffling why he fell away so quickly. I remember hearing at the time he lost a family member which may have had something to do with it. Was a specialist at hitting the seam and cutting the ball away which is how he got his hat-trick against Pakistan at the MCG;

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/OD_TOURNEYS/CUODS/PAK_AUS_CUODS_ODI12_16JAN1997.html

Profile

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/7691.html

 

[chaminda_00]

Bowler: Anthony Stuart

Baffling why he fell away so quickly. I remember hearing at the time he lost a family member which may have had something to do with it. Was a specialist at hitting the seam and cutting the ball away which is how he got his hat-trick against Pakistan at the MCG;

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/OD_TOURNEYS/CUODS/PAK_AUS_CUODS_ODI12_16JAN1997.html

Profile

http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/7691.html

He did average 30 with the ball which might explain why he never played a Test.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I did a bit of reseach and found some players from different countries that fit the criteria to make an XI. But i still need players from South Africa, Pakistan and West Indies.

You'd have to go back a fair while to find a truly fitting West Indian, but I'll have a look for you. A couple names which come immediately to mind though:

Carl Tuckett
Kerry Jeremy

 

[chaminda_00]

You'd have to go back a fair while to find a truly fitting West Indian, but I'll have a look for you. A couple names which come immediately to mind though:

Carl Tuckett
Kerry Jeremy

Yeah i thought the Windies might have a gun batsmen or fast bowler back in the 70s and 80s, who couldn't make the side. Its also amazing how many of these guys have got the odd ODI cap, kind of shows you how meaningless they are, but don't tell Justin Langer i said that.

Carl Tuckett gets the spot for the moment, with his bowling average of under 20.

 

[chaminda_00]

Where would Don Shepherd , rank in terms of the best players to never play a Test for England. Surely a Welshman can't be the best player never to play for England...