The combined batting averages of international cricketers just jumped

http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/current/story/647165.html

Farewell to an honest trier. He'll be better remembered in years to come for his hopelessness with the bat as he will be for his feats with the ball.

"Chris Martin, the New Zealand fast bowler, has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket at the age of 38. Martin will leave the game with 233 Test wickets at 33.81, making him New Zealand's third-highest Test wicket taker, behind only Richard Hadlee and Daniel Vettori."

A tribute-

Pretty decent career.

Phil Hughes future expected batting average just went up as well.


Without a doubt the worst batsman ever. It still beggars belief that someone could be so bad in the professional age.

Still, it was great fun.

Well at least he sort of expected to lose his wicket early, unlike McGrath who seemed to look Bradman like bewildered if his stumps went atumbling.

I thought his bowling average might have been better than that.

Good bowler.

Well done to Coldplay on a decent Test bowling career, and for giving us plenty of chuckles with the bat.

and for being able to laugh at himself ... wonderful 'coaching video'

A solid bowling performer with a slightly unusual action, it's taken a long time for NZ to find a crop of young bowlers to allow them to move on from him. But of course it's his batting that will be best remembered! Shame he didn't manage to break Courtney Walsh's ducks record...

I guess now he can get on with the next Coldplay album, not to mention his career in English lower league football... who takes over as the worst batsman in Test cricket now? (No ironic suggestions of members of the England or Australia top orders please!)

Fawad is a classic 11...he will take the mantle if ever selected

beamer wrote:A solid bowling performer with a slightly unusual action, it's taken a long time for NZ to find a crop of young bowlers to allow them to move on from him. But of course it's his batting that will be best remembered! Shame he didn't manage to break Courtney Walsh's ducks record...

I guess now he can get on with the next Coldplay album, not to mention his career in English lower league football... who takes over as the worst batsman in Test cricket now? (No ironic suggestions of members of the England or Australia top orders please!)

Monty, surely.

JGK wrote:

beamer wrote:A solid bowling performer with a slightly unusual action, it's taken a long time for NZ to find a crop of young bowlers to allow them to move on from him. But of course it's his batting that will be best remembered! Shame he didn't manage to break Courtney Walsh's ducks record...

I guess now he can get on with the next Coldplay album, not to mention his career in English lower league football... who takes over as the worst batsman in Test cricket now? (No ironic suggestions of members of the England or Australia top orders please!)

Monty, surely.

The batsman who won the last Ashes in England?

Yes. Him.

horace wrote:Fawad is a classic 11...he will take the mantle if ever selected

I looked at his batting stats the other day, when I was wondering why his (selection) barrow was being pushed so hard by some.

His batting isn't as bad as all that. He came in at number 8 or 9 in one of the Pakistani FC games I looked at, and he was making runs and hitting sixes. So not as bad as Monty, or Martin. Peter George was the most recent truly hopeless batsman I saw on the Australian FC scene, if we discount Phil Hughes.

lardbucket wrote:

... if we discount Phil Hughes.

Damn, beat me to it.

lardbucket wrote:

horace wrote:Fawad is a classic 11...he will take the mantle if ever selected

I looked at his batting stats the other day, when I was wondering why his (selection) barrow was being pushed so hard by some.

His batting isn't as bad as all that. He came in at number 8 or 9 in one of the Pakistani FC games I looked at, and he was making runs and hitting sixes. So not as bad as Monty, or Martin. Peter George was the most recent truly hopeless batsman I saw on the Australian FC scene, if we discount Phil Hughes.

Which probably means they arent the same person ...

But ... photo ID required for passport. Oh.

Worst active Test batting averages (min 20 innings):

Panesar 5.26
Enamul Haque jr 5.90
F Edwards 6.56
Rubel Hossain 7.50
Fernando 8.30
Welegedara 8.30
Price 8.70
Ojha 9.66
Roach 9.70
I Sharma 9.78
Gul 9.94

Perhaps balls faced per dismissal is more relevant than average for those in the super-rabbit category, as a shotless wonder who can hold an end up (e.g. Hoggard) is a lot more valuable than his average would suggest.

Mohammed Irfan is pretty pony at batting, probably a side effect of being stupidly tall. Might give Monty a run for his money.

rabbit and ferret update?

Nuwan Pradeep?
Shannon Gabriel?

Shannon Gabriel is a good call.

Abbas clearly has a bit of Coldplay about him, Test average and top score both precisely 5... I know, limited experience, but his FC average is only 7.24.

My comment about England and Australia top order batsmen remains fitting 5 years on

tbf the bowling average of anyone whoever took his wicket should be adjusted as well. was he anyones bunny

I suppose he may have been his girlfriend's (wife's? boyfriend's? mum's?) ickle cuddlemonster at some stage.