Has there ever been a comeback like Johnson's?

Other than from injury, illness etc. - in other words, someone in cricket or other sport who has gone from rock bottom, a laughing stock, seemingly finished, to become a world-beater?

The only similar cricketing story I can think of is Graham Gooch going from having "lbw b Alderman" seemingly added to his name by deed poll, to scoring triple centuries and averaging 100 in an English season within a year. But even that's nothing compared to going from being subjected to chants of derision about your wayward bowling as you hand over the Ashes, to blowing away the same side three years later and following it up against the best in the world in their own backyard.

Bowlers are uniquely exposed, a batsman in bad form just gets out and trudges back to the pavilion, a struggling bowler has to tough it out for another spell, or at least hang around fielding on the boundary in front of the taunting opposition crowd when the captain loses confidence in him enough to not use him... how you get it together again after that, who knows. But it must offer hope to many others who lose their way, and remind coaches and selectors about the old form and class saying?

*fingers crossed for Gavin Hamilton*

McDermott, maybe? Ishant? (too soon to be sure)

Billy was gone for all money and then had a lifeline and a major career resurgence.

Amongst batsmen - perhaps Martyn or Misbah?

I did some numbers on Bung 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 which showed 4 distinct periods in his career when he wavered from excellent to carp and back again, twice. The Bung 2.0 to 3.0 comeback was pretty impressive in the wake of Pidge's retirement.

Here's the thread on Bung

I'll try to do some numbers on Midge 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0.

In April 2013, this was a typical fan's response to speculation in and following a Brydon Coverdale Cricinfo article about 'possible bolters for the 2013 Ashes tour':

"Johnson has simply been outclassed by the next batch of young pacemen. Mitch is a very good ODI and T20 player but is horribly inconsistent in test matches. He averages 26 at home (with his best ground being the WACA where he averages 20) and 35 away. I hope he only plays at the WACA from here on, failing that I hope he only plays at home, and failing that he will more than likely be taken to pieces by England and South Africa over the next year."

I would have agreed with most of this; actually thought Johnson should and would never play again. How wrong ...

I think just about all of us thought the same, L. But how grouse has it been for the big guy to prove us all wrong??!!   

I suppose if you take players debuts and then what they became there are the not insignificant examples of Jeff Thommo and Warne but hard to remember someone who was basically written off come back as a wrecking machine.

Never a world beater but Atapattu? Sanath's transformation to batsman.

Rumesh Kaluwitharana
Sanath Jayasuriya
McGrath
Shane Warne
Dale Steyn
Courtney Walsh

lardbucket wrote:McDermott, maybe? Ishant? (too soon to be sure)

Billy was gone for all money and then had a lifeline and a major career resurgence.

Amongst batsmen - perhaps Martyn or Misbah?

The interesting thing about the turnaround in McDermott's career was that it occurred after he started training with Trevor Hendy, the champion surf lifesaving ironman. Billy got mega-fit & the improvement in his bowling was significant. You could see the rhythm was back. Particularly his run-up. When he lost form, it looked as though he was running into a gale but when he was fit, he was moving much better.

Ian Bel.

Just hope no-one has to resurrect this thread sometime in August to mention Zaheer Khan's name!

In 12 months time

Marcus North

759 runs at 94.87 this season in the Shield

Matthew Hayden and Jimmy Anderson both came back from oblivion to became extremely successful international cricketers.

vvs and bhajji. both in the same series

Brendan McCullum?

a big series against india means nothing

Andy Sandham?

Wasn't Dennis Lillee told when he broke his back in 1973 that he would never play cricket again? He did alright after that......

comebacks from career threatening injuries/illnesses are different than comebacks from being carp...

TGM went through a rubbish stage in the late 90s following his shoulder op.

injury related and only for a short period ...