Damien Martyn made me look ordinary: Shoaib Akhtar

In the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, the Indian cricket team has come back brilliantly from a defeat in the first Test at the Adelaide Oval. They defeated Australia in the second Test at the MCG and the series currently stands at 1-1. They now have a great opportunity to repeat history by winning their second Test series Down Under and to do so they have two Test matches left in the series.

The Australian cricket team has faced a lot of backlashes for the intent and the approach shown by the batting unit this series. Though the Australian batting line up has a few latest stalwarts in Tests in the form of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, who both have been playing a vital role in Australia’s batting success, they are yet to fire against the Indian bowling line up and seems like the Indian bowlers have gotten the better of them as for now.

Former Pakistan spearhead Shoaib Akhtar says that the current batting line up of Australia is nothing when compared to the batting line up in the past who troubled even the best of bowling line-ups. He also heaped praises on Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, the Waugh brothers, and Matthew Hayden and said that the current batting line-up has no depth.

Martyn was the greatest Australian player, says Shoaib Akhtar

“Damien Martyn, according to me, he was the greatest Australian player. He would play me with such ease that I use to get frustrated with the guy. I use to curse him and say that you make me look like a very ordinary bowler. That was the batting line-up that I was up against,” Akhtar recalled as quoted by India today.

Damien Martyn was a mainstay in the Australian batting line up in the 2000s until he hung his boots in 2006. In his tenure, he amassed 4406 Test runs at an average of 46.4 and was a part of Australia’s World Cup-winning team in the 2003 final against India.

He has also featured in 4 T20I for Australia, where his highest score was 96, striking at 162.16. In the 2010 edition of the Indian Premier League, he represented Rajasthan Royals but couldn’t get going in the marquee event.