Is there examples of players who came to international scene rated as a batsman but went on to became more and more useless as time went on instead of improving and became bowlers instead? (yes, I have Shahid Afridi in mind. Has there been more cases like him or is he one of a kind?)
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
If I remember correctly Afridi joined the team as bowler but his 'century' deceived people and himself into thinking that he can be a batsman.
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
Yes but for a substantial period of time he was genuinely rated as a batsmen where he even opened test innings for Pakistan. How can he go from that to where he is today beats me. Looking at the way he bats now it seems that expecting him to play out half a dozen balls of a mediocre bowler will be a mission for him!
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
No one cares about Afridi the bowler, everyone wants to see Afridi the hitter, friends or foe alike. thats the reason he is not sent on his deserving no 10 position.
its just an excuse that you have switched , fact is you have lost the charm and havent learned anything in 16 years.
Afridi brings more charm for pak fans in his 2 min batting cameo then his 10 over spell put together.
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
The opposite is true as well
Majid Khan started his career as a pace bowler but made his name as an elegant batsman and successful opening partner to Sadiq Mohammad in the Pakistan Test side.
Majid Khan
“He started his career as a pace bowler, but a back injury and doubts over the legitimacy of his bouncer turned him into an occasional offspinner.”
Majid Khan | Pakistan Cricket | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPN Cricinfo
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
Steve Waugh started his career as a medium pace bowler who could bat a bit and went on to become a successful test batsman
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
No one cares about Afridi the bowler, everyone wants to see Afridi the hitter, friends or foe alike. thats the reason he is not sent on his deserving no 10 position.
its just an excuse that you have switched , fact is you have lost the charm and havent learned anything in 16 years.
Afridi brings more charm for pak fans in his 2 min batting cameo then his 10 over spell put together.
Wah Bhai Wah
He himself says that He is a bowling All rounder
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
c'mon dudes, there r at least half a dozen is the current Pakistani team who entered the team not primarily on their batting but improved much later case in hand like Kamran Akmal, Shaoib Malik, and Abdur Razzaq too. My question was not that. My question is to check whether there has been case like Afridis where with time batsman's skills and confidence are seen diminished.
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
I can name a player who was neither - Eknath Solkar
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
Ravichandran Ashwin was an opening batsman in 1st class cricket. Now he is a bowling all rounder.
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
Kumble went from all rounder to mainly bowler?
Mohinder Amarnath in Tests from all roinder to batsman?
And Sobers towards end of his career was mostly a batsman?
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
c'mon dudes, there r at least half a dozen is the current Pakistani team who entered the team not primarily on their batting but improved much later case in hand like Kamran Akmal, Shaoib Malik, and Abdur Razzaq too. My question was not that. My question is to check whether there has been case like Afridis where with time batsman's skills and confidence are seen diminished.
Shahid Afridi was never a proper batsman, more a compulsive shot-maker and although until 2004 it was too often his undoing,** be**tween **2005 and 2006, **he did display some consistency with the bat (thanks to Woolmer) scoring 2nd fastest ODI century in terms of balls faced against India in 2005. A few weeks before he smashed the joint second fastest test half-century at Bangalore and took crucial last day wickets which helped Pakistan level the Test series 1-1. He followed it up with a century against the West Indies and contributions against England at the end of the year. He then scored two test hundreds during the 2006 home series against India incl. a Test best of 156 at Karachi.
I think age is catching up with him (like so many others incl. Sachin). officially he is 32, unofficially he could be 35 or 36 (by his own admission). Your reflexes slow down with age which affects the timing (and power) of your shots. Those fearless lofted drives and short-arm jabs that used to end up in the stands, these days end up in the hands of the long-on or long-off fielders!
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
Its funny that some people have courage to talk about 'cricketing' ability of Afridi. Let him be what he is, but his nonsense cannot be included in a serious discussion.
Re: Batsmen who turned bowlers
whether his batting considered or not as BS his bowling improved alot comapre to his early days.