What happened to Vinod Kambli

[aussie tragic]

I think his main problem was technique against the bouncing ball. All those big scores were at home against a mediocre England and Zimbabwe.

Goood to know that England was being compared to Zimbabwe in 1993

 

[viktor]

Goood to know that England was being compared to Zimbabwe in 1993

Oh, but they were poor..especially for Indian conditions. They, quite famously, went into a Test with four medium-fast bowlers. That was on this tour I think.
Also, my punctuation is bad. I meant: 1) a mediocre England and 2) Zimbabwe.

 

[Flem274*]

This Kambli bloke sounds like the indian version of Jesse Ryder.

 

[Sanz]

He was the highest run scorer in cricket history over his first 10 innings and he still finished his career with an average of 54.20... why wouldn't he have a chip on his shoulder...

Kambli was given ample opportunities, 10 Tests over a period of two years and close to 50 ODIs until 2000. He failed miserably almost every time and hence he was dropped for good.

By 1996, India had found better middle order batsmen in tests VVS, Dravid and Ganguly with Azhar & Tendulkar already settled in the middle order there was not much room for left for more chances.

 

[Richard]

Goood to know that England was being compared to Zimbabwe in 1993

Oh, but they were poor..especially for Indian conditions. They, quite famously, went into a Test with four medium-fast bowlers. That was on this tour I think.
Also, my punctuation is bad. I meant: 1) a mediocre England and 2) Zimbabwe.

England were particularly bad in 1992\93 and 1993, obviously (the 4-seamers-at-Kolkata has to go down as one of the most stupid selections in history), but those were very much exceptions. Mostly 1990-1999 England were far better than Zimbabwe.

 

[aussie tragic]

I quote Cricinfo.

You forgot the first part:

Born and bred in Mumbai, Vinod Kambli's flashy strokeplay, flamboyant personality and fondness for gold jewellery were more West Indies than West India. A precocious talent, he was 17, and Sachin Tendulkar 16, when they put on a world-record unbroken 664-run partnership in a school match. Kambli started his Test career three years after Tendulkar, and three years after he had hit the first ball he received in the Ranji Trophy for six. But what a start it was: in his first seven Tests he racked up two double-centuries and two single ones.

 

[viktor]

England were particularly bad in 1992\93 and 1993, obviously (the 4-seamers-at-Kolkata has to go down as one of the most stupid selections in history), but those were very much exceptions. Mostly 1990-1999 England were far better than Zimbabwe.

May be so, but that could also be because Zim were so poor

 

[Richard]

May be so, but that could also be because Zim were so poor

Well... we were also good enough in that time to beat India at home in 1990 and 1996; New Zealand almost everywhere, in 1990, 1991\92, 1994 and 1996\97; beat South Africa at home in 1998; match West Indies in 1991 and 1995, and do a pretty decent job of it in 1993 and 1998 too; match South Africa in 1994 and pretty much in 1995\96; come within 2 wickets of beating one of the strongest Pakistani sides of all-time in 1992; about the only thing we never did was beat Australia, and even then we came damn close in 1997.

So... we did a bit more than just be better than Zimbabwe.

 

[aussie tragic]

Well... we were also good enough in that time to beat India at home in 1990 and 1996; New Zealand almost everywhere, in 1990, 1991\92, 1994 and 1996\97; beat South Africa at home in 1998; match West Indies in 1991 and 1995, and do a pretty decent job of it in 1993 and 1998 too; match South Africa in 1994 and pretty much in 1995\96; come within 2 wickets of beating one of the strongest Pakistani sides of all-time in 1992; about the only thing we never did was beat Australia, and even then we came damn close in 1997.

So... we did a bit more than just be better than Zimbabwe.

I liked Victor's version better

 

[viktor]

Well... we were also good enough in that time to beat India at home in 1990 and 1996; New Zealand almost everywhere, in 1990, 1991\92, 1994 and 1996\97; beat South Africa at home in 1998; match West Indies in 1991 and 1995, and do a pretty decent job of it in 1993 and 1998 too; match South Africa in 1994 and pretty much in 1995\96; come within 2 wickets of beating one of the strongest Pakistani sides of all-time in 1992; about the only thing we never did was beat Australia, and even then we came damn close in 1997.

So... we did a bit more than just be better than Zimbabwe.

Hmm, impressive
Yet England was the lowest ranked Team when Fletcher took over or something similar, correct?

 

[viktor]

I liked Victor's version better

See, he agrees with me..

 

[Richard]

Hmm, impressive
Yet England was the lowest ranked Team when Fletcher took over or something similar, correct?

Well we were bottom of the Wisden World Championship.

That's all.

 

[sirdj]

I think his main problem was technique against the bouncing ball.

All Indian batsmen have a problem with the bouncing ball. That is because once they achieve the 'superstar' status they dont play as much county cricket in UK as they should.

Kambli came from very humble beginnings & was a cricket prodigy at school. When he and Tendulkar made that record score, Kambi was supposed to be the better batsman(in the eyes of their coach Ramakant Achrekar) and was the captain of the school team while Tendulkar was second fiddle.

But when he sort of 'made it' in cricket the success sort of went to his head and he never applied himself as much as Tendulkar did. What you saw from Kambli was 100% talent and natural abilities while Tendulkar was about 70% talent and the rest application. You can see Tendulkar's application even now when he scratched around for his last few scores(while his form has deserted him).

Kambli had too much going around in his life and so was never totally dedicated to cricket(interest in Bollywood, celebrity status, partying etc). As a result of his lifestyle there were too many training sessions missed, too much weight gained and too many incidents with the coaching staff and management or the team. All of those combined led him to be dropped from the India squad.

Tendulkar and Co. gave him the few comeback attempts that he had but none of them lasted very long as the real Kambli would re-surface in a couple of weeks. Kambli resigned himself back to state cricket and became one of the best batsmen to have played for Bombay.

 

[Perm]

Kambli had a poor attitude. Gifted as you may, without a decent attitude you won't get very far in international sport, or life for that matter.

 

[viktor]

All Indian batsmen have a problem with the bouncing ball. That is because once they achieve the 'superstar' status they dont play as much county cricket in UK as they should.

I don't know how you can play more county cricket if you don't get any offers. Kambli did play a season or two in South Africa, iirc.
As to everybody having a problem with the bouncing ball, sure, most probably do but Kambli was exceptionally bad.

 

[sirdj]

I don't know how you can play more county cricket if you don't get any offers. Kambli did play a season or two in South Africa, iirc.
As to everybody having a problem with the bouncing ball, sure, most probably do but Kambli was exceptionally bad.

The thing about not playing county cricket was directed towards all Indian top order batsmen and not Kambli(who's career was as good as over once he was dropped).

About problem with bouncers Sehwag and Ganguly have it equally bad. The rest of the current squad is pretty much suspect too and you may include Tendulkar in that list as well.

 

[Perm]

About problem with bouncers Sehwag and Ganguly have it equally bad. The rest of the current squad is pretty much suspect too and you may include Tendulkar in that list as well.

Not necessarily the bouncer, Sehwag usually struggles with anything that is short of a length, coming into the body and requires him to play off the back foot. Ganguly has more of a problem with the short pitched delivery aimed at the head or body.

 

[bryce]

He did get alot of opportunities in the ODI team though, perhaps if he batted more consistently in the one day team he may have got more chances at test level

 

[Perm]

He did get alot of opportunities in the ODI team though, perhaps if he batted more consistently in the one day team he may have got more chances at test level

He would've needed to sort out his attitude a heck of a lot more IMO.

 

[deeps]

Nah, by all accounts Kambli's was far, far more significant.

Otherwise Ganguly'd not have had the success he has. It's also easy to omit (and you'd only have been 3 when he burst onto the Test scene ) the fact that with Ganguly it's very much an acquired thing, particularly when he ascended to the captaincy in 2000. Kambli always had it.

Ganguly is from a royal family..he was born wiht it