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Most unlikely Test cricketers

Craig

World Traveller
Barring Zimbabwe and to be cruel you would say Bangladesh, but for the purpose of this thread they don't count.

Is there anybody who you saw and thought 'no way would they play Tests' but they did or should never have played.

For me it is Scott Muller and Dave Bernard - a case of it doesn't matter how good or bad you might be, but who you know.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Anthony McGrath, although DD had the reason, of course (unashamedly snipped from something funny):

<Watson> "Something troubling you, Holmes?"
<Holmes> "Not at all, Watson. Just perusing the sporting column in the Gazette."
<Watson> "Has the squad been announced, old man?"
<Holmes> "Yes. A few surprises, to boot. I see they've selected McGrath."
<Watson> (horrified) "The foul-mouthed convict? The last I heard of him, he was on his way to Botany Bay in chains."
<Holmes> "No, not Glenn, my dear stout fellow. A flat-capped, unwashed Johnny from the sticks called Anthony."
<Watson> "By Jove, Holmes! Whatever could possess those upstanding gentlemen from Thomas Lord's neck of the woods to pick him - a - a - (gulp) Yorkshireman?"
<Holmes> "McGrath's tedious scoring rate of late makes that of the venerable captain, Lord Nasser of Hussain, look good. Besides, it's all part of the big plan."
<Watson> "I appreciate that the ponderous rate at which the northern oaf in question accumulates his notches hardly troubles the scorer's penknife, and even pales into insignificance in comparison to that of our esteemed leader, but what is this big plan you refer to, Holmes?"
<Holmes> (takes long, satisfying draw on Meerschaum pipe) "The plan, Watson, that paves the way for the return of that fine gentleman of breeding Mark Ramprakash for the second test match - as replacement for said McGrath, of course."
<Watson> "I don't understand, old bean."
<Holmes> (dons Deerstalker hat, prepares to depart for a second breakfast at the Diogenes Club) "After this announcement, nothing emanating from the ECB will ever seem a surprise again, hence the Earl of Rampers will be able to return to the fold almost unnoticed, and what is more, without all the frightful embarrassment of riots in the streets, the burning of effigies, questions in the House and all the usual cheap tactics the hoi-polloi resort to when they disagree with authority. England will therefore become great again - a land fit for gentlemen to grow old in."
<Watson> "Capital idea, Holmes!"
 

TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Of recent times Ian Blackwell, Gavin Hamilton and Shaun Udal.
 
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Pedro Delgado

International Debutant
luckyeddie said:
<Watson> "By Jove, Holmes! Whatever could possess those upstanding gentlemen from Thomas Lord's neck of the woods to pick him - a - a - (gulp) Yorkshireman?"
Attitudes haven't really moved on since the 1880s, apropos the Tykes.

Quite right too, extraordinary fellows.
 

Fusion

Global Moderator
Shahid Afridi - Never thought he would have any level of success as a Test player with his batting style! He has proven me wrong. He's still maddening at times, but he deserves his place as a Test player now.
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Pedro Delgado said:
Attitudes haven't really moved on since the 1880s, apropos the Tykes.

Quite right too, extraordinary fellows.
Yes indeed.

Interesting point that the first phrase every tight-fisted Yorkshireman is tought to say (usually by the age of 9 or 10) is "Ow much? I'm not payin' THAT!!!"
 

C_C

International Captain
Rawl Lewis

I am pretty sure Jack had more spinning skills as a toddler than Rawl.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Craig said:
Dave Bernard - a case of it doesn't matter how good or bad you might be, but who you know.
Dave Bernard didn't get picked because of who he knew. Rubbish. He got picked because he was identified as talented - like Dwayne Smith, Ramnaresh Sarwan and several others. He's a much better player now than he was back then.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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C_C said:
Rawl Lewis

I am pretty sure Jack had more spinning skills as a toddler than Rawl.
Whether you like it or not, Rawl Lewis played well in New Zealand. Jack would be the first to admit it (if he saw any of it). That said, Jack is awesome.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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My contribution:

Adam Sanford. I see him now and I still can't fathom the reasoning behind his selection.

There's also Nehemiah Perry, but he proved a useful character.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Clarence said:
Nathan Hauritz is up there.
I was in China at the time so I didn't actually watch the game, but I don't see what Hauritz did wrong. I'm not trying to target you here, cause I've seen lots of people mentioning him, but he took 3/16 off 5 in the first innings, and then picked up Tendulkar and Laxman in the second, giving him a test average of 20.6. Is it just because he was expensive (ER was 3.81)?
 

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