Current underrated XI

Vandort- Averages 44 after 16 tests. Who'd have thought that?

Cook- Sometimes I don't think English fans realise how lucky we are to have a 23 year old averaging mid 40's after 20 odd tests.

Younis Khan- Hardly rates a mention as one of the world's best batsmen despite an average close to 50.

Laxman- Outstanding talent, yet for years he seems to have been close to being dropped by India.

Chanderpaul- Enough has already been said

Oram- Averages 37 with the bat, and 30 with the ball in tests. Those stats are up there with the likes of Botham and Kapil Dev.

Prasanna Jayawardene- Arguably the best pure wicketkeeper in the world at present.

Kumble- Never gets the credit he deserves playing for a country obsessed with the star quality of their batsmen.

Vaas- Some wanted him in the overrated XI, but when you consider the pithes he has mostly bowled on throughout his career, he has outstanding stats.

Hoggard- England's workhorse for the last 7 years. Everyone remembers Flintoff, S.Jones and Harmison's bowling heroics in the 05 ashes, but Hoggy was frequently the one who made the vital early breakthrough.

Martin- A solid performer for New Zealand for the last 5 years now. Close to 150 test wickets at an average of 33 is pretty handy.

Sehwag?

I think someone has been watching England for too long if he thinks a bowling average of 33 is handy.

taipan wrote:I think someone has been watching England for too long if he thinks a bowling average is handy.

I assume you missed writing 'of 33' in your post, and that you were referring to Martin? Well, if you think so. But he's ripped through South Africa on more than one occasion if I remember correctly. He gave Smith nightmares.....

Vandort and Martin are really not good enough to be under-rated.

doremi wrote:Vandort and Martin are really not good enough to be under-rated.

I Can't think of any other opening bats or fast bowlers who could be considered, to be honest.

Vandort- Averages 44 after 16 tests. Who'd have thought that?

Seven of those tests have been against Bangladesh.

Henry wrote:

taipan wrote:I think someone has been watching England for too long if he thinks a bowling average is handy.

I assume you missed writing 'of 33' in your post, and that you were referring to Martin? Well, if you think so. But he's ripped through South Africa on more than one occasion if I remember correctly. He gave Smith nightmares.....

Thanks.

So certain players perform against certain teams. Foe some reason we always battled with Fleming but he never seemed to do much against anyone else.

TBH, VVS doesn't do a great deal against a lot of oppos. Just so happens he overperforms against Aus and therefore gets blown off constantly.

Piyush Chawla.
Dinesh Karthick.

Both are much better and deserve a fair enough run that they never get!

VVS and Ganguly both have been huge under-achievers and not really under-rated.

Batman wrote:Piyush Chawla.
Dinesh Karthick.

Both are much better and deserve a fair enough run that they never get!

Karthik is massively overrated. India frequently pick him as a specialist batsman in the ODI's, ffs. Yet he hasn't done anything in that form of the game with the bat.

Brass Monkey wrote:TBH, VVS doesn't do a great deal against a lot of oppos. Just so happens he overperforms against Aus and therefore gets blown off constantly.

He has done well more often than the rest. You forget he comes in down at 6 and not at 3 like against Australia and more often is seen trying to prevent an Indian collapse in the company of the tailenders. He has delivered most in pressure situations and has had a part to play in most tests we drew which we could have lost.....

Batman wrote:Piyush Chawla.
Dinesh Karthick.

Both are much better and deserve a fair enough run that they never get!

Maybe Piyush Chawla. Not sure I've seen as lucky batsman as Karthik, though.

Maybe Piyush Chawla. Not sure I've seen as lucky batsman as Karthik, though

I don't know that he's all that lucky because he keeps getting out.

Henry wrote:

Batman wrote:Piyush Chawla.
Dinesh Karthick.

Both are much better and deserve a fair enough run that they never get!

Karthik is massively overrated. India frequently pick him as a specialist batsman in the ODI's, ffs. Yet he hasn't done anything in that form of the game with the bat.

I think I should have been a bit more specific. When I talk of Karthick, I think of him as a test player and not as a ODI player.....

Laxman is overrated.

Chawla is still a youngster isn't he?

Tatendra Taibu as well........

If anything, Chawla was hugely over-rated till recently.

Karthik is . Not really under-rated, not really overrated. Good keeper to have as a reserve.

Tatendra Taibu

Dinesh Karthick

Are you deliberately spelling their names wrong?

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Laxman is overrated.

How many batsmen get over the higher side of 40 in tests batting at all positions and a major chunk of it as low as 6? Had he not been wasted as a makeshift opener and given a fiar run at the start of his international career, his stats would have been much better and over 50 by now.

Batman wrote:

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Laxman is overrated.

How many batsmen get over the higher side of 40 in tests batting at all positions and a major chunk of it as low as 6? Had he not been wasted as a makeshift opener and given a fiar run at the start of his international career, his stats would have been much better and over 50 by now.

He averages 43 and has a high percentage of not outs, which has fatted that average up. Loads of batsmen have moved up and down the order. Your analysis is incredibly subjective. He averages 50 against 3 teams and below average against the rest. The three best teams in his time would be Aus, SA and Eng. He excels against Aus and is a relative failure against the other two. People call him a 'great'. Which, IMO, is incredibly overrated.

Brass Monkey wrote:

Batman wrote:

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:Laxman is overrated.

How many batsmen get over the higher side of 40 in tests batting at all positions and a major chunk of it as low as 6? Had he not been wasted as a makeshift opener and given a fiar run at the start of his international career, his stats would have been much better and over 50 by now.

He averages 43 and has a high percentage of not outs, which has fatted that average up. Loads of batsmen have moved up and down the order. Your analysis is incredibly subjective. He averages 50 against 3 teams and below average against the rest. The three best teams in his time would be Aus, SA and Eng. He excels against Aus and is a relative failure against the other two. People call him a 'great'. Which, IMO, is incredibly overrated.

He is very graceful to watch IMO, which I believe helps peoples views on him dan to be fair.

holcs wrote:
He is very graceful to watch IMO, which I believe helps peoples views on him dan to be fair.

Maybe, yeah, same with a lot of players who are 'rated' but IMO fell short of being mentioned in any vein to do with great - Martyn, MWaugh etc...