Brutal Cricinfo bios

[Chubb]

I swear Bangladesh batsman Akram Khan's bio used to start "If you thought Inzamam was out of shape, wait until you see this guy." Appears to have changed, not quite as brutal as it was:

Akram Khan is the first real hero of Bangladesh cricket, despite the inches around his waist. A right-handed batsman, the favourite son of Chittagong was one of the mainstays of the Bangladesh team during the 1990s, a period of transition from Associate to Full Member Nation. He was part of a trio of experienced hands in the middle-order alongside Aminul Islam and Minhazul Abedin who tirelessly kept up the dream of the country one day playing in the World Cup. Akram was the percentage player who was a quick judge of the single (again, don't go by his weight) and who had an eye for the blast down the ground. He was confident while facing spin but as age set in and reflexes slowed, Akram took blows on the body in Bangladesh's new era - the era of Test cricket.

Akram hails from a family where sport was given preference, despite the times. He began his career for Bangladesh Railways, a Chittagong-based club that played in the Dhaka leagues. Quickly, he moved along the ranks and joined Abahani, one of two sporting giants in the country. By 1988, Akram was playing for Bangladesh in the regional tournaments before making his ODI debut in the same year. As Bangladesh made one bid after another to make it through to the World Cup, Akram kept plugging away for different representative teams from Bangladesh. He was put in charge in 1997 for that year's ICC Trophy. This was his finest hour; against the Netherlands in a do-or-die game, Akram slammed a back-to-the-wall 68 not out that put his team in the semifinal where they beat Scotland to get their dream ticket - the 1999 World Cup. He played the country's inaugural Test and prolonged a waning career for four more years before the South African pace battery proved too much for a proud man. He retired soon after and in 2007, was appointed a national selector. He was made the chief selector in 2011 before resigning, and then taking back his resignation, in March 2012.

Akram is the inspirational uncle of Test cricketers Nafis and Tamim Iqbal and remains a legend in Chittagong.

 

[honestbharani]

Aminul Islam was a classy batsman.

 

[Moss]

Franklyn Rose Profile - Cricket Player West Indies | Stats, Records, Video

Read about Franklyn Rose cricket player from West Indies profile, stats, rankings, records, videos, photos at ESPNcricinfo

www.espncricinfo.com

A showy fast bowler with more brawn than brain, Rose nevertheless possesses a lovely high rhythmical action. He gets reliable outswing from a full length, unlike so many of his West Indian rivals, but seems to prefer banging it in halfway down. Rose enjoyed a meteoric Test debut against India in 1996-97, taking 6 for 100 in the first innings, including five specialist batsmen. But his next 18 Tests produced just one more five-wicket haul - 7 for 84 at Durban, where Wisden said "Rose got more swing than anyone on either side". Macho tendencies returned for a dire 2000 series in England, where his attempts to bounce Dominic Cork did so much to lose the crucial Lord's Test. The photographers would have liked to see more of that star-shaped, fist-pumping wicket celebration.

 

[Starfighter]

TBH it's a very accurate description.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

I swear Bangladesh batsman Akram Khan's bio used to start "If you thought Inzamam was out of shape, wait until you see this guy." Appears to have changed, not quite as brutal as it was:

Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Akram Khan

If you thought Inzamam was out of shape, wait till you see this bloke. As vice-captain during the 1999 World Cup, Akram Khan played Obelix to Aminul Islam's Asterix, twirling a menhir-sized bat for 42 in the controversial win over Pakistan. His technique is hardly worthy of the name - in fact, Akram possesses the widest gate in international cricket - but he's no mug when it comes to straight-lofting the spinners. Very much a specialist slip.

I suspect a lot of the bios from the earlier days were more like this.

 

[Dendarii]

Dwayne Leverock Profile - Cricket Player Bermuda | Stats, Records, Video

Read about Dwayne Leverock cricket player from Bermuda profile, stats, rankings, records, videos, photos at ESPNcricinfo

www.espncricinfo.com

Built more like a bouncer than a bowler, his left-arm spin proved an enormous asset to Bermuda - both in terms of his wicket-taking potential and the containment he offered. But his bulk - he conservatively tops the scales at 20 stones (280lbs) - often overshadows his accuracy and penetration. On Bermuda's Intercontinental Cup debut in USA he took 7 for 57 in a losing cause. A year later he grabbed 11 for 72 in the same competition against the Cayman Islands. He was just much an asset in the one-day game, although that had to be offset against his fielding which was, when Bermuda did not need a slip, a real liability. His batting was not much better, and while he could thump the ball, he was almost always restricted to singles, regardless of where the ball was hit. He played a key role in Bermuda qualifying for the 2007 World Cup by taking 4 for 39 against the USA and 3 for 34 against the USA in the 2005 ICC Trophy. In that tournament he was reduced to a peripheral figure, although off the pitch he acquired cult status, and his remarkable one-handed diving catch against India, and the seismograph-breaking celebratory run which followed, delighted picture editors across the globe. He was unable to arrest Bermuda's slide and he retired after they failed to retain their ODI status in 2009. Away from cricket, Leverock drives a prison van.

 

[kevinw]

Luckily Azam Khan doesn't have a Cricinfo summary yet.

 

[thierry henry]

Franklyn Rose Profile - Cricket Player West Indies | Stats, Records, Video

Read about Franklyn Rose cricket player from West Indies profile, stats, rankings, records, videos, photos at ESPNcricinfo

www.espncricinfo.com

A showy fast bowler with more brawn than brain, Rose nevertheless possesses a lovely high rhythmical action. He gets reliable outswing from a full length, unlike so many of his West Indian rivals, but seems to prefer banging it in halfway down. Rose enjoyed a meteoric Test debut against India in 1996-97, taking 6 for 100 in the first innings, including five specialist batsmen. But his next 18 Tests produced just one more five-wicket haul - 7 for 84 at Durban, where Wisden said "Rose got more swing than anyone on either side". Macho tendencies returned for a dire 2000 series in England, where his attempts to bounce Dominic Cork did so much to lose the crucial Lord's Test. The photographers would have liked to see more of that star-shaped, fist-pumping wicket celebration.

Could say a lot worse about him tbh. Was lucky he was only deported from NZ.

 

[AndrewB]

"When he made his Test debut for the West Indies against New Zealand in Barbados in 1995-96, Patterson Thompson had a shocker. Making Devon Malcolm look like a metronome, he bowled 22 no-balls and returned match figures of 22-1-135-4 - which flattered him. He played just one more Test, in Australia the following winter, and that was that. His Test strike rate, 45.6, would do anyone proud but his economy rate, 5.65, would make even a joke bowler blush."

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

"When he made his Test debut for the West Indies against New Zealand in Barbados in 1995-96, Patterson Thompson had a shocker. Making Devon Malcolm look like a metronome, he bowled 22 no-balls and returned match figures of 22-1-135-4 - which flattered him. He played just one more Test, in Australia the following winter, and that was that. His Test strike rate, 45.6, would do anyone proud but his economy rate, 5.65, would make even a joke bowler blush."

That was a woeful NZ team, really. Jimmy Adams taking 5-17 in the first dig. Sigh. Sherwin Campbell always seemed to perform his best against NZ, but perhaps that was just the quality of attacks we were putting out at the time. Averaged 66 against us - more than double his career average.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

“Arnie Sidebottom was one of England's many one-cap wonders of the 1980s - his only Test was against the Australians at Nottingham in 1985 when he was 31 (and by his own admission "well past my sell-by date"). He took 1 for 65 before a foot injury caused him to limp out of the match - a fitting end given that he had something of a reputation for being injury prone.”

 

[AndrewB]

"Well past [his] sell-by date" isn't really accurate - he took 63@20.50 in 1984, and had similar figures again as late as 1988 - I think it'd be closer to the truth to say he was never really Test class. (And note that he couldn't have played in 1982-84 as he went on the rebel tour of SA in 1982).

I wondered about the "England's many one-cap wonders of the 1980s" claim, since players were usually given at least two matches, so looked them up:
- Paul Parker (played in the last Test in the 1981 Ashes, scored 0 and 13. Don't remember him really being considered again after that).
- Tony Pigott (brought in as an emergency pick in the 1983-4 tour of NZ)
- Andy Lloyd (serious eye injury from a bouncer in his only Test)
- Arnie Sidebottom (as mentioned)
- Mark Benson (summer of 1986, England seemed to be rotating through opening partners for Gooch)
- James Whitaker (called in as reserve when Botham was injured in the 1986-7 Ashes).
- John Stephenson (picked in the 1989 Ashes when various players were unavailable due to signing up for the next rebel tour).

So 3 of those (Pigott, Whitaker, Stephenson) were basically picked because other, generally preferred, players were unavailable.
Sidebottom and Benson were each picked during a summer when the selectors seemed to be distinctly trigger-happy for players of their type: in 1985, Cowans, Foster, Sidebottom and Agnew each played 1 Test alongside Allott; in 1986, Robinson, Slack, Benson, Moxon (twice) and Athey each opened with Gooch.
Not really sure what happened with Parker, but picking someone for the last Test like that never seems a very good idea.

 

[quincywagstaff]

"When he made his Test debut for the West Indies against New Zealand in Barbados in 1995-96, Patterson Thompson had a shocker. Making Devon Malcolm look like a metronome, he bowled 22 no-balls and returned match figures of 22-1-135-4 - which flattered him. He played just one more Test, in Australia the following winter, and that was that. His Test strike rate, 45.6, would do anyone proud but his economy rate, 5.65, would make even a joke bowler blush."

He got one wicket in his Test against Australia... and that was when he slipped at the bowling crease!

I remember Mark Waugh in a book he wrote about the cricket he played in that period said Thompson's attitude and preparation was Z-Grade.

 

[palehorse]

"Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Roger Wijesuriya has a claim to being the most toothless bowler in Test history. He played four Tests between 1982 and 1986, and had a strike rate of a wicket every 586 balls. On average it took Wijesuriya 97 overs to take a wicket. In other words, if he bowled at both ends throughout a five-day Test, the opposition would be only four down at the end of the match ... and they would have scored 1355 runs. He made more impression earlier in his career when he took 25 wickets in an U19 series against Pakistan. "

 

[Prince EWS]

"Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Roger Wijesuriya has a claim to being the most toothless bowler in Test history. He played four Tests between 1982 and 1986, and had a strike rate of a wicket every 586 balls. On average it took Wijesuriya 97 overs to take a wicket. In other words, if he bowled at both ends throughout a five-day Test, the opposition would be only four down at the end of the match ... and they would have scored 1355 runs. He made more impression earlier in his career when he took 25 wickets in an U19 series against Pakistan. "

Hahaha winner!

 

[Bijed]

"Sri Lankan left-arm spinner Roger Wijesuriya has a claim to being the most toothless bowler in Test history. He played four Tests between 1982 and 1986, and had a strike rate of a wicket every 586 balls. On average it took Wijesuriya 97 overs to take a wicket. In other words, if he bowled at both ends throughout a five-day Test, the opposition would be only four down at the end of the match ... and they would have scored 1355 runs. He made more impression earlier in his career when he took 25 wickets in an U19 series against Pakistan. "

Took his 1 wicket in his final test too. Can't believe they stuck with him for a bit, only to bin him after a career-best performance

 

[honestbharani]

Nilesh Kulkarni exists though ?

 

[ankitj]

Nilesh Kulkarni exists though ?

Guy got a wicket off first ball in his test career. Too bad he kept bowling after that.

 

[cnerd123]

The first line of Ben Stokes' Cricinfo profile reads:

The great Irish sports writer Con Houlihan used to say that every team should have a redhead.

what

 

[ParwazHaiJunoon]

Graham Gooch

Approaching 40, he kept getting better as a batsman and ever more mysterious: his marriage was believed to be cricket's happiest until he walked out on it. Even after retirement, his career took a surprise turn: earmarked as English cricket's supremo, he was bombed out as coach and selector and became a broadcaster, with a sly wit that surprised those who had seen only his poker face and his broad bat.

In the 1980s Gooch was often where the action wasn't: he was banned for three years for leading the first rebel tour to South Africa, a decision he never adequately explained, perhaps even to himself. England made him captain only because there was no-one else, but his fanatical fitness and work-ethic gave the team more purpose than it had shown in a decade.