[incubi]

I've seen too many threads asking for opinions on the best cricketer ever (nothing personal peoples), but nothing on the worst... why?

I think it's about time we slagged some of the cricketing imposters, & tried to rile some people up!
So, on that note, I'm nominating some of the worst cricketers of the modern game:

Marcus Trescothic - goes down faster than a $2 hooker whenever he's under any real pressure.
Kevin Pietersen - shows NO team spirit, no heart, no courage. He's as weak as piss, & his sizeable talent is wasted.
Andre Nel - once his results & talent catch up to his mouth he might improve.
Geraint Jones - selected as a batsmen for the last Ashes series... cause he can't keep wicket for shit.
Greg Blewitt - good batsmen in his day, but couldn't accept that his test days were over.
Mohammad Asif - taking performance enhancing drugs couldn't even help him.


Anyone else got anything to add..?

 

[rascally]

I have to agree with you on Geraint Jones - that's why he ended up playing club, not even first grade in QLD!

Sajid Mahmood - this guy would never have gotten a run with a better test playing nation. He's inconsistent, think he can bowl much better/faster/more accurately than he can, and his over the top celebrations at getting bottom order batsmen out is ludicrous. I'm not expecting his cricket, or behaviour to get any better.

 

[robostar24]

Simon Katich, Was in the Australian team for way too long and batted too slow.

 

[madAfridiFan]

Mohammad Asif - taking performance enhancing drugs couldn't even help him.

Anyone else got anything to add..?

Asif takes drugs??? i think its not yet proven??? I think he can have a good carrear

 

[Mon™]

Asif takes drugs??? i think its not yet proven??? I think he can have a good carrear

Well, ever since the apparent drug accusation, he's lost track tbh. Has the potential to become a great player, but I find him lazy, like Munaf Patel. Both are similar players IMO.

 

[incubi]

Um... MAF? Hate to make it seem like I'm picking on you, but you probably need ot read this article Pakistan’s Aktar and Asif get drugs ban

And if your predictioin that Asif can become a great player EVER comes true, I'll change me signature to 'Mad MadAfridiFan Fan' !! :lol:

Asif takes drugs??? i think its not yet proven??? I think he can have a good carrear

 

[incubi]

... & while we're on the topic of crappy, over-rated cricketers, don't you think Chris Gayle has really failed to live up to his reputation over the last few years? Yeah, sure, occasionally he hits a few good ones, but more often than not he seems to be the first man out!

Why is he still opening? Shouldn't he down the order a bit, or what?

 

[rascally]

Yet - when Gilly had the same "slump" before he hit his ton in the WC final, people were saying the same about him.
Not that Gayle and Gilly are really in the same league, I do think Gilly is way out there on his own, I don't think Gayle deserves an "imposter" label.

And Wisden agrees with me listing him as one of the top 40 players from last year Wisden - 2007 - The Wisden Forty although they also say "If Gayle could only turn cameos into concrete, there would have been even more."

 

[incubi]

And HERE'S a cricket imposter if ever there's been one... JAMES ANDERSON.
This arse-clown is a major joke, & an embarrassment; not only to English cricket, but to the cricketing world as a whole!

Cricinfo - Anderson fined for Morton exchange

He's a boring, pasty, talentless, punce, with an over-inflated sense of self importance. A wannabe.

 

[incubi]

Good point. Unfortunately, there are a few floors in your argument...
1) Paul Collingwood,Mohammad Asif, Monty Panesar, Anil Kumble, Ashwell Prince, & Andrew Strauss are all included in that list.
2) It's a well known fact that 'Wisden' is generally about as factually reputable as Wikipedia.
3) For the last two years, Chris Gayle only averages 38 in Tests, & 35 in ODI's.
4) Gayle has only scored 1 Test century & 1 ODI century in the last two years.

Compared to Gilchrist:
Over the same time frame, Gilly has only averaged 36 in Tests... however he bats at 6 or 7 in Tests. Oh - & he's scored 3 centuries.
Also over the same period of time, Gilly has scored 3 ODI centuries, & averages 3 runs per innings more than Gayle... not too bad for a 'slump'.

So, unfortunately, Mr.Gayle is just going to have to live with the 'imposter' tag until he can turn those cameos into concrete.



=

Yet - when Gilly had the same "slump" before he hit his ton in the WC final, people were saying the same about him.
Not that Gayle and Gilly are really in the same league, I do think Gilly is way out there on his own, I don't think Gayle deserves an "imposter" label.

And Wisden agrees with me listing him as one of the top 40 players from last year Wisden - 2007 - The Wisden Forty although they also say "If Gayle could only turn cameos into concrete, there would have been even more."

 

[madAfridiFan]

atleast not Collingwood, whats wrong with him

i don't get this thread??!?!

 

[rascally]

i don't get this thread??!?!

This thread has about as much relevance as any "Who's the best cricketer" threads, just more fun

 

[Mon™]

Gilly's one of the best wicket keeper batsman of all time, if not the best. The guy's just amazing with the bat, and you can't deny his talent behind the stumps. Remarkable player.

Collingwood is a darn good all round player, and Monty Panesar has been brilliant in his career so far. So far. Strauss shouldn't even be on the international scene. There are more deserving players from Benning to Maddy to Jefferson.

Coming to Anderson. He's a class talent, more of a seam bowler but can also swing the ball. What's great about Anderson is he's finally coming to terms with his potential and has been world class on the domestic scene this season. I think he should start ahead of Stu Broad in the test against us Indians, as he'd be more dangerous IMO. Anderson is not a failure, and never will be one.

England have had so many...Solaki, K. Ali, Chapple, Schofield...too many to name. Fletcher & Vaughan just brought the wrong players in and out of the squad.

 

[incubi]

I can't help but feel that James Anderson's Test strike rate (60+), coupled with the fact that he's not even on an ECB contract, seem to belie how "great" he is.
Perhaps it's just been his struggle to come to terms with his potential that has so mislead me?

However I think it's more likely he strikes me as being worthy of the Cricketing Imposter tag because of the fact that his best Test bowling figures are from his debut Test match 4 years ago (against a team that's no longer even rated as a Test playing nation - Zimbabwe); or possibly the fact that during his last Test series he only managed 5 wickets (at 82+). In all fairness, he did only played 3 of the 5 matches.

As far as Anderson's domestic form is concerned, it really counts for nothing in the international arena.
Just look at Phil Jaques: From his 104 First Class matches he's scored 28 tons & 46 50s, averaging over 55... yet from his three Test innings he averages only 32, with a highest score of 66. Admittedly, Australia has the toughest domestic competition in the world by a looooong way.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to insist that Anderson's monicker remains... he is a Cricketing Imposter.

Collingwood & Panesar I'll have to come back to another time...


What about you, Mon? Got any nominations for the Cricketing Imposters list?

 

[Mon™]

I can't help but feel that James Anderson's Test strike rate (60+), coupled with the fact that he's not even on an ECB contract, seem to belie how "great" he is.
Perhaps it's just been his struggle to come to terms with his potential that has so mislead me?

However I think it's more likely he strikes me as being worthy of the Cricketing Imposter tag because of the fact that his best Test bowling figures are from his debut Test match 4 years ago (against a team that's no longer even rated as a Test playing nation - Zimbabwe); or possibly the fact that during his last Test series he only managed 5 wickets (at 82+). In all fairness, he did only played 3 of the 5 matches.

As far as Anderson's domestic form is concerned, it really counts for nothing in the international arena.
Just look at Phil Jaques: From his 104 First Class matches he's scored 28 tons & 46 50s, averaging over 55... yet from his three Test innings he averages only 32, with a highest score of 66. Admittedly, Australia has the toughest domestic competition in the world by a looooong way.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to insist that Anderson's monicker remains... he is a Cricketing Imposter.

Collingwood & Panesar I'll have to come back to another time...


What about you, Mon? Got any nominations for the Cricketing Imposters list?

Jaques is legend. He's only played 3 Test matches, and I wouldn't judge him on that.

I'll post something about England's bowling in the England section later today/tonight hopefully addressing the whole Anderson thing...

Hmmm...I probably have a few nominees tbh. Like I posted in my last post...

1) Vikram Solanki - Regarded as a classy opener, he showed traces of brilliance on the international scene, but never came to them. Played about 50 odd ODIs and hope to never see him again.

2) Kabir Ali - Was always smashed around the park when he bowled. I feel some pity for him, but he never was international worthy.

3) Ashley Giles - If there ever was a cricket imposter, here's one. I absolutely detest Giles. Such and overrated bowler, and it disgusts me to see English fanboys with their mouths open watching him bowl.

4) Marlon Samuels - I'd mark him an imposter for now. He's one of my favourite players, but has never shown the class he exhibits on the WIndies domestic scene. Hopefully, he'll come to know his talent soon, though he has been showing maturity and resposibility in recent times.

There are loads of English players bought in by Vaughan and Fletcher who never succeeded, but they haven't played enough matches to be termed imposters IMO. I'll probably think of more when I'm not so tired...