5 Cricketers who have underachieved to their potential

There are a handful of cricketers that are early bloomers but very few are persisted with by the selectors. They have rare talents that are picked up by the team management early and are introduced to international cricket at a young age. A lot of time is invested in such players with the hope that they will justify the faith and live up to their potential.

In the present day, there are many such cricketers, who have established themselves in the national teams for quite a while but haven’t been able to perform to the weight of expectation and calibre, even after the extended runs and continued faith shown by the spectators.

Most of these players are fairly young, since they burst into the scene at a young age, and have some years ahead of them to come true to the expectations. Here are the 5 Players who have underachieved to their potential.

1. Ishant Sharma

Having debuted as an 18-year-old back in 2007, Ishant was termed as the next big thing in the Indian pace department by the selectors with captain MS Dhoni showing a lot of faith in him. His promise and talent was exemplified on the tour to Australia in 2008 when he troubled Ricky Ponṭing by swinging the ball both ways and accounted for him in both the Tests and ODIs.

Ishant’s biggest problem was his inconsistently. His numbers both in the limited over formats as well as Tests don’t do justice to his capabilities or justify the long rope he has had. His Test average of 36.90 is the worst for a bowler with over 200 wickets and he was also the slowest to get to the landmark. His effectiveness in T20s is indicated by the fact that he hasn’t played one since 2013 and averages 50. He came back in the ODI team on the back of his Test performances recently but failed to make a mark yet again. His ODI stats aren’t amicable with an economy of 5.73 and an average of over 30.

However, its fair to say that he has a bright future ahead of him, as he is very much a part of India’s future Test plans, with a new and improved Ishant Sharma. The aggressive one we saw on the Sri Lanka tour in 2015. Indian fans will be hoping that he inculcates his Test match skills in other formats as well to be effective and successful throughout, especially after the time invested in him.

2. Umar Akmal

This highly talented 26-year-old has been in the international scene for 7 years now, but the Pakistan fans still have enough reasons not to be pleased with his performances. Having shown a glimpse of what he can achieve during the 2010 T20 World Cup with innings of class and character in the semi-finals, Akmal established himself in the national team in all three formats.

However, with an under par average of 34 after playing more than 100 ODIs, Akmal has also been left out of the Test team due to his disappointing performances. He is often blasted by the Pakistani fans with his inability to capitalise on starts, finishing games for Pakistan and justify his potential. That he has underperformed on the whole is illustrated by the fact that he has better first-class and T20 averages than in international cricket.

Although he no longer has a place in the Pakistan team, it is safe to say that he still remains one of the most capable Pakistan batsmen around. He has to work considerably hard to be considered for selection in the longer forms, his stint in the limited overs formats though is likely to continue.

3. Darren Bravo

Barren Bravo Not quite Lara-esque, a batsman with the similar style, follow through and back lift created a lot of interest in the West Indies, regarding his ability and durability as a cricketer.

He may well be one of the most successful batsmen in the current West Indies lineup, but an average of 41 doesn’t fulfil his calibre, and certainly not the expectations of the hopeful fans. He hasn’t been able to replicate Lara’s flair, or even live upto his expectations with an average of 32 and a strike rate of 70 in close to 100 ODIs, and has even dropped out of the test team.

Bravo may find it really difficult to come back to the T20I team, because of the number of T20 specialists West Indies are blessed with, and his disappointing performances, but he has the composure and the potential to be the most important and effective West Indies batsman in Tests and ODIs. The upcoming India Tests is the perfect opportunity for the 27-year-old to enhance his reputation.

4. Glenn Maxwell

The ‘Big Show’ hasn’t really shown his big calibre in Australian colours, unable to fulfil the weight of expectations. Having made his debut 4 years ago, Maxwell has been a regular in the limited overs team with some memorable innings coming in the 2015 World Cup and his fearlessness is exemplified with his 125+ strike rate in both ODIs and T20Is.

However, he has a handful of match winning innings that justify his reputation of an impact and MVP player. His biggest weakness is his impatience and lack of composure that hamper the longevity at the crease. Maxwell’s average of 33 in ODIs and a meek 21 in T20Is elucidates this.

It may be fair to say that following a poor recent tri-series in West Indies, his place in the ODI team isn’t necessarily granted, but he is just one impactful inning away for the selectors to rekindle their faith in his abilities. The 27-year old has a long way to be considered in the Test arena but his first-class average of 42 shows that he has the calibre and ability, but fails to translate it. 

5. Tamim Iqbal

Bangladesh’s leading run-scorer in all three formats, and still a young player with immense potential, Tamim Iqbal has caused excitement amongst the fans, since he debuted at a tender age of 17 in 2007. Probably one of the most experienced Bangladeshi cricketers now, he has some memorable performances that give his fans reasons to rejoice in an otherwise disappointing era.

However, the extent of his success is debatable. For an opener, an ODI average of 31 is pedestrian at best, and his strike rate of 78 belies his attacking instincts. His Test average is under 40, which is poor for someone with over 3000 runs. The fact that he is underperformed is indicated by the stat that his averages in List A, first-class and T20s are better than the international formats.

Having said this, he remains the most capable and talented Bangladeshi opener in a limited talent pool, and a great 2016 World Cup in which he was the leading run-getter ensures that he will be a part of the squad in the upcoming long season. He may not have fulfilled his talent, but he has a bright and ling future ahead of him, giving him a lot of opportunities to justify himself, and emulate others.

Written by Yash Gupta