Some cricketers simply look the part. The game comes easily to them, they have all the talent in the world and people look forward to seeing them play. With so much going for them, these players are almost expected to succeed at the top level. But, as in life, things don’t turn out that way.
Two big names currently plying their trade in international cricket fall in that category. India has forever been enamoured by Rohit Sharma.
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The stylish batsman caught the eye early on his career and made his debut in 2007, with murmurs about India having found its next gem from Mumbai. But seven years down the line, that talent has not been fully utilised.
For a batsman like Rohit to be dropped from the side for the crucial third Test at Melbourne just a month and a half after mesmerising the world with his second double century in one-day internationals shows how inconsistent his batting has been. And the reason for that is Sharma has not raised his game at the Test level.
At 27 years of age, he should be in complete control of his batting and churning out runs as if his life depended on it. His mode of dismissals – loose shots outside the off stump to away going deliveries – have become so predictable, bowlers don’t need to try anything different anymore.
It’s no surprise that Rohit has been unable to claim his place in the Test side with any authority, something that Virat Kohli has done in style and which even Sharma’s Mumbai team-mate Ajinkya Rahane is doing.
Rohit isn’t the only talented individual in international cricket giving selectors and fans a tough time. Australia have their own reluctant prodigy in Shaun Marsh.
The left-handed batsman burst onto the scene during the inaugural edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008, smashing 616 runs from 11 games.
He took that form into the one-day arena and then well and truly announced his arrival with a brilliant century on Test debut in Sri Lanka in 2011, scoring a fluent 141. But for every sublime knock, there have been a bunch of low scores and shocking dismissals. If a third of your 18 Test innings have been noughts, questions rise about your mental fortitude. That he has just 11 Tests on his CV also shows how rarely he has played, given his fitness problems, regular dip in form and issues off the field.
Marsh is currently battling for a spot in formats, something which should never have happened given his ability.
A Steven Smith, with half as much talent, has come on leaps and bounds and is now on the verge of taking over the Australian captaincy across all formats within a span of one year. It proves talent is not always enough. Just look at where Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal’s career is right now.
He played his first Test knock at the age of 19, against a Kiwi attack that had Shane Bond and Daniel Vettori and scored a fearless 129. Such was his class, he was earmarked to break many batting records.
But it has been five years since and Akmal has lost his place in the Test team and has taken up wicketkeeping to provide an extra option and thus gain entry into the side. He is now as disposable as any other young Pakistan batsman.
Sri Lanka’s Dinesh Chandimal has endured as great a fall from grace. When he made his international debut in 2010, Chandimal was already a star in his country. He was seen as a future captain, as happened with Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews early on their careers. But the Sri Lankans got it wrong when it came to Chandimal.
The former T20 captain and deputy in Tests and ODIs, has been in and out of the team for more than a year now. Far from harbouring captaincy hopes, the 25-year-old is busy cementing his spot.
Many believe that had other players been given as many chances as the above mentioned players, they would have done just as well, if not better. So why the obsession with them? The answer is promise. These players have given enough glimpses of what they can to keep the management interested and fans expectant.
Sure, a Rahane can score runs smoothly too but there is something about Rohit cricket lovers want to experience.
Chris Rogers has scored three half-centuries in a row but a ‘Marsh 32’ attracts a lot more attention. That’s just the way it is.
It must be frustrating to have such talented players in the team. Captains want them to show the world what they pull off in the nets and in domestic games with ease but are also wary of giving them a free run.
However, they, like most fans, fall into the same trap every time. The moment these players string together some scores, they are ushered back into the side. Some are just that special, even if facts state otherwise. And as long as cricket is played with the hope of experiencing an enigmatic performance, such love affairs will continue to blossom.
