Cricket Tournaments

It is so often the case when a player is said to be extremely talented, that he can overtake even the all-time greats of the game. However, in the process to achieve that legacy, something goes wrong down the line. And it makes the player believe that he is a failure. People would think he hasn’t delivered to his potential. Consequently, it’s almost time to bid goodbye to cricket for the player or hang around courtesy the belief that your captain or the selectors have in you.

When I thought about this, the first cricketer who I remember fits into the bill, is none other than Vinod Kambli. Kambli and his best friend, Sachin Tendulkar put up the highest partnership of 664 runs in a school match in 1988 of all-time, until it was broken in 2006 in Hyderabad.

Ever since then, many believed that Kambli was far more talented than Tendulkar. The comparisons began to grow after Kambli played his first ODI for India in 1991, two years after Tendulkar made his international debut. He had an amazing, almost a Bradmansque start to his career. He hit 4 centuries in his first 7 Tests for India. He also was at par with Tendulkar in ODIS as Tendulkar didn’t establish himself in the format, like the player he is today.

However, he lost his way soon. The ‘law of averages’ caught up with him. His weakness against the short ball was noticed by many teams, who used it in great effect. He was undisciplined and inconsistent which resulted in him being kicked out of the Indian team many a times.

He ended his Test career in 1995 only and ODI career in 2000. And Tendulkar has had a glorious 20-year long career, and till today he has dominated all bowling attacks in the world and given his best for India when it matters the most. So in the light of Mumbai cricket and Tendulkar, Vinod Kambli was a huge hype at the start of his career but could never live up to the expectations of the till-date unforgiving Indian fans.

Secondly, in the Indian sub-continent, another player who I can dwell upon is Mohammad Ashraful. The Bangladeshi batsman became a household name right after his debut Test. At just a tender age of 16, against a powerful Sri Lankan attack, Ashraful defied all the odds and scored 114 runs off 212 balls, which might have lost Bangladesh the match, but it did give the country a future to live for. However, as expected, Ashraful did not live up to the hopes that he had created with that knock.

His lean patch continued for another 3-4 years until he hit back with a cracking 158 against India at Chittagong. Ashraful then had a kind of a golden run for the next six months considering that he was not even 21. He scored a memorable century against Australia in England in 2005, creating an upset as Bangladesh won by 5 wickets.

Although Bangladesh did not make it into the finals of that triseries in England, yet it was widely believed that if Ashraful was in top form, the country could win some more matches against top teams. But then again, Ashraful lost his steam as he was dropped from the side during the ICC Champions Trophy in India. And then all of a sudden, after a good 2007 World Cup, Ashraful was selected as captain of his country at the age of 22! But again, it didn’t make a huge difference as his batting suffered still and his captaincy wasn’t up to the mark.

As a result, he was even dropped as captain from the 2009 World T-20 onwards. Currently, his place in the side is under scrutiny and I believe it is due to his experience of 10 years of international cricket that captain Shakib al Hasan and coach Jamie Siddons are persisting with him. If he doesn’t return to his best, and Bangladesh find an ideal, young batting star, it could be curtains to Ashraful, who has under-performed right throughout his career.

Bangladesh is developing as a cricketing nation, but had Ashraful been able to play knowing how much is he capable of, Bangladesh could have by now atleast been in the top 8 in the rankings of ODI cricket, if not Tests.

JP Duminy is another contemporary player that I can think of. Duminy was first spotted in 2004 where he made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka in Colombo. However, a strong batting line-up prevented Duminy to retain his place in the side after that series. Though, there was some hope for him.

Ashwell Prince got injured ahead of the tour of Australia in 2008. Duminy was sent in as replacement. And he took full advantage of this opportunity by scoring an important half-century, remaining unbeaten to steer South Africa to the victory post chasing a mammoth total of 414 on a fast track at Perth in the second innings. He then scored a match-winning 166 in the next Test at Melbourne.

A brilliant Test series was followed by impressive performances in the ODIS and T-20s against Australia in Australia as well as in South Africa, in the return series. This helped him earn a $950000 contract with the Mumbai Indians for a period of two years, making him one of the most expensive players in the IPL ever. However, there was nothing much to celebrate about from here on.

He didn’t live up to his value in the IPL 2 and IPL 3. He struggled in the home series against England in 2009 and in India in 2010. And currently, on the tour of West Indies, he isn’t favoured in the starting XI by captain Graeme Smith. So JP Duminy has found it tough going after an amazing tour of Australia, when he made his debut. But it is expected that he makes a good comeback and help South Africa become No.1 in all three formats of the game. Otherwise, the team is ready to give its batting reserves a crack at the international level, which could hasten the end of his career.

In the West Indies, the one player who I believe is a huge hype is Kieron Pollard. Pollard got known across the world as a dangerous all-rounder following a match-winning 51 runs of just 18 balls against New South Wales in the 2009 T-20 Champions League. This paved the way for a stint in the IPL 2010 with the Mumbai Indians, being the tournament’s most expensive player ever, if media reports are to be believed.

Pollard also signed a contract with South Australia, for the KFC Big Bash last season. However, statistics show that after the Champions League, Pollard has struggled to make it big for the West Indies side. He has scored 359 runs in 13 innings at an average of just 27.61, in one-day cricket, even though he has batted mostly either at 6 or 7 in the batting order. His condition in T-20s is worse when it comes to play for his country.

He has made 104 runs only in 10 innings. Even in the IPL, barring the last 3 games of the Mumbai Indians, Pollard certainly didn’t live up to the expectations of many as the most expensive player as his value was less whenever Mumbai won. And it was worse when they lost.

For South Australia as well, Pollard didn’t make a major contribution, but somehow they won the championship. Kieron Pollard is still sought-after due to his all-round abilities, which are crucial in the shorter formats of the game. Yet, if he doesn’t mature in time, like the other cricketers in the article, he too could face the axe by various teams which could make him face the dead end of his career.

Graeme Swann

Cricket has seen innumerable exceptionally talented men fall by the wayside. Basit Ali, Vinod Kambli, and coming to Englishmen, Mark Ramprakash and Graeme Hick among others.

Each story of failure had a diverse raison d’être – Ali found fame too tough to handle, Kambli took it very lightly, while Ramprakash and Hick did not have the mental aptitude to deal with high-voltage pressure.

The last mentioned’s namesake – Graeme Swann – seemed destined to join the growing list until 2009 changed it all. With 99 wickets in 45 matches, combining all three versions of the game, Swann has scripted a turnaround of magnanimous proportions.

The off spinner, who has deservedly been chosen ECB’s cricketer of the year, is worthy of all the plaudits. In today’s cut-throat scenario, it is next to impossible to make an international comeback once you have crossed 30.

Self-admittedly, Swann himself had given up hope of representing England after being unceremoniously dropped on disciplinary grounds, as a 20-year-old in South Africa in 1999/2000. He was lucky to get that rare second chance. But boy, has he taken some advantage of it.

Not only did he help fashion England’s second Ashes triumph in four years, he was also the mainstay of the bowling attack during England’s unexpected, glorious triumph in West Indies during the just-concluded T20 World Cup. And, he has done wonders not only with the ball, but also contributed significantly with the willow on numerous occasions.

The most striking aspect of Swann’s performance with the ball over the last year has been his attacking modus operandi, which reiterated that the cricketing cliché, attack is the best form of defense, still holds true.

Even as spinners the world over are preferring to stop the batsmen from scoring runs rather than going for the wickets, a confidence-personified Swann has been prepared to toss the ball in the air, and has reaped rich rewards for it, not least of all sowing the seeds of doubt in the batsmen’s mind every time he comes on to bowl.

At the same time, Swann hasn’t proved expensive is any form of the game. This deadly mix is a rarest of rare combination, and can only be achieved by a special talent. Swann has done more than enough to illustrate that he is one.

During his younger days, the offie was considered a genuine future prospect, but lacked the maturity to identify his own gift. Some talents bloom late, but when they do, their radiance encapsulates all. Same has been the case with Swann. Even since his comeback, he has performed like a man possessed, but always with a smile on his face.

The enjoyment writ large on his face has doubled his success. When you are glad with what you are doing, the chances of you doing well are that much better. Having said that, the difference between that 20-year-old rookie and this 31-year-old performing great feats, is the detection the fine balance between not taking things too seriously and, at the same time, always giving your best.

Having said that, it would be criminally unfair not to credit Swann’s fighter-like attitude for his magnificent second coming. While he has been exceptional with the ball, the challenging circumstances under which some of his recent knocks have come, were reminiscent of the ones Steve ‘Tugga’ Waugh played for Australia.

A compliment too big for Swann too early, but befitting considering the contribution he has made to English cricket in just over a year; for not only has Swann’s approach breathed fresh life into England’s cricket, it has ushered a new era in the history of the nation’s cricket.