by Nitesh Mathur | Nov 1, 2023 | Article Index, Cricket Stories
Fired. Dropped. Left Out. Mismanaged. Ignored. Neglected.
These are some of the worst feelings to have. I’m sure all of us have suffered something similar at one time or another in our lives. As Irish poet Oscar Wilde once reflected,
“There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”
Today we discuss the curious case of David Willey, who announced that he will retire from international cricket at the age of 33. Unlike Quinton de Kock, Naveen-ul-Haq, Alastair Cook, or AB de Villiers, Willey’s case is not dictated by the influx of franchise leagues or overkill of cricket.
His career is a study in how NOT to treat a cricketer or any professional athlete for that matter.
Ignorance, But Not Bliss
The retirement call might have been hastened by ECB’s careless choice of announcing new central contracts amidst a tumbling World Cup campaign.
These contracts are said to be worth between £130,000–£800,000. These are multi-year contracts with additional scope of £70,000 for any County commitments. Why did the ECB need to take such drastic actions?
Well, cricket is changing and 2023 has been a watershed moment with SAT20, ILT20, and MLC offering more income and additional options to IPL, BBL, CPL, and PSL. With IPL franchises owning teams around the world, there were murmurs about franchises offering year-long contracts to players, thereby threatening the last remaining bits of international cricket.
The English administration had to act fast. And act they did.
27 England players were offered a central contract. Every member in the World Cup squad except for one was offered a central contact.
And that one was David Willey.
Ignored.
England’s 2023 World Cup Debacle
The decision would have made sense had Willey been out of favor for a few months or had a dip in form or was out of his prime, but let’s look at the facts.
- In England’s derailing World Cup, who has the best batting average? You guessed it right, David Willey — 42.00 (yes he bats in the bottom and may have not-outs to boost him up but so what…let’s not go in the details here)
- Willey is also England’s third highest wicket-taker despite only playing 3 matches so far — 5 (the only more unfortunate player than Willey is at the top of England’s bowling charts — Reece Topley, who has gone back home with yet another freak injury).
- 2nd best bowling average — yep Willey again (behind Topley)
- 3rd most sixes…behind Malan and Mark Wood (which tells you everything you need to know about England’s listless World Cup)
But I know what you must be thinking — these are stats after the contracts were announced, but what about the statistics leading up to the World Cup?
- Between the 2019–2023 World Cups, David Willey was England’s second highest wicket taker and the highest wicket taker for a pacer (37 wickets in 21 ODIs compared to 41 in 27 for Adil Rashid).
- 37 wickets, 22.35 Average, 5.2 Economy, best of 5/30, 4/5 fers: 1/2
Those are stellar figures. In the absence of Jofra Archer & Mark Wood, Willey often led the attack alongside Topley & Saqib Mahmood.
In his own words, he was “Upset, angry, disappointed.”
The Horror of 2019
But this is just the tip of the iceberg.
Imagine taking 52 wickets in 45 wickets and being a consistent member of the side for FOUR years before being dropped on the eve of the World Cup (after being initially selected)…for someone who had taken 3 wickets.
Well that happened to Willey. Now of course, it’s another story that the person he was dropped for was none other than Jofra Archer, waiting for his residency period to complete after immigrating from Barbados. Archer would end up playing an instrumental part in the World Cup victory a month later and bowled THAT Super Over.
Anyway, back to Willey.
What’s more depressing is that deep down, Willey predicted that he would be the one to be cut. He said a few days earlier to Archer’s inclusion,
“It’s an interesting dilemma for the captain, coach, and selectors. It’s a group of players that have been together for three or four years now that have got us to No. 1….Whether someone should just walk in at the drop of a hat because they are available, whether that’s the right thing. I don’t know.”
I am sure Willey would have been crushed.
What did Ed Smith, England’s selector back then, have to say?
“He deserves to be in the World Cup squad. But that’s sport.”
Broken Cricket Dreams.
The Hope of 2022
When there is disappointment, there is always a glimmer of hope.
Willey did enjoy some good memories over the years.
In domestic cricket, he gained a reputation of batting in the top order and hitting some gigantic sixes. He was England’s leading wicket taker in the 2016 T20 Final and had a stunning all-round performance of 21*(14) of 4–0–20–3 in the Final (could have been a player of the Final…but unfortunately, Marlon Samuels & Carlos Brathwaite had other plans).
Then the 2019 World Cup happened.
He made another comeback and was selected in the 2021 & 2022 T20 World Cup squads but would not end up playing a single game (at least he finally lifted the T20 World Cup Trophy with the team).
Forever on the Sidelines
First there was Archer. Then another player picked out of thin air, Tymal Mills.
With Topley & Sam Curran around, there was always competition in the left arm pace department. In the all-rounders category, England were blessed with Stokes, Woakes, and Moeen Ali.
Willey had to prove to the selectors every time he took the field in an England jersey because his spot was never confirmed. He was always in the scheme of things but only on the edge. As a substitute, an injury replacement.
But once another shining player was found or conditions did not favor swing, Willey was the first to be dropped.
In this case, he was the only one not among 27.
England lost out on Willey, not the other way around. David Willey — Forever on the sidelines.
Resilience and Determination – David Willey in his Own Words
And here is David Willey’s retirement statement in his own word.
“Winning World Cup with my family around…that medal there…I didn’t play in that World Cup…But that victory signified so much for me…Coming back into the side and being there…that was very special.”
© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, LLC 2023. Originally published on 11/01/2023. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
by Nitesh Mathur | Aug 10, 2022 | Article Index, World XIs - With Twists
India is quietly growing its massive depth in cricket, which means there will always be a few unlucky Indian cricketers. Here is our Top 13 list as well as a list of cricketers at the bottom who only played 1-5 matches for India without being given more chances.
We have already done a list of 22 Unlucky Players of All Time. This is a list that only pertains to Indian cricketers who debuted for India.
Also Read: 42 Unlucky Indian Cricketers Who Never Played for India in Tests but Dominated Ranji Trophy (Updated 2023), Indian Cricket’s Abundance of Talent: A Blessing or a Curse?, 54 Contenders for the Indian 2022 T20 World Cup Squad
List of Unlucky Indian Cricketers
*Note: We do not consider the current crop of players like Sanju Samson because their career is still to play out.
13. Parvez Rasool
All-rounder from Jammu & Kashmir, did not get to bat in his only ODI and 10-0-60-2. Waited 3 years for another chance and got picked for the T20I series vs England.
Run out for 5(6) and decent figures of 4-0-32-1. Never to play an international game again. 4 years and only 2 games where he did not have much of a chance to showcase his talent.
12. Pragyan Ojha
That match seem familiar? Not only was it Sachin Tendulkar’s last match in his 24-year career, it was also Pragyan Ojha’s last match in his five-year international career.
5/40 & 5/49 with a player of the match performance. Next thing you know, the Ashwin-Jadeja pair is tried out next season, and Ojha was never picked again. He was only 27 at that time (only 35 right now and doing commentary).
*One of the reasons may have been the legality of his action. He was officially banned a year and a half later but might be ‘why he disappeared from the selectors’ radar.’
11. Joginder Sharma
4 ODI matches, 4 T20I matches. His T20I career spanned between Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes & Misbah’s mistimed scoop that resulted in India’s victory.
3.3-0-20-2 & a World Cup winner tag to sign off his international career at the age of 24. Now an officer in Haryana police.
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10. Subramaniam Badrinath
Batting at #4, top scored with 43 (37) and won the player of the match award in his only T20I. A poor ODI series meant his career ended 9 days later. 2 Tests (in SA), 7 ODIs, and 1 T20I only for the domestic giant (10245 runs, 54.49 average, 32 – 100s, 45 – 50s). Vital cog in CSK’s 2011 victory.
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9. Barindar Sran
ODI debut: 9.2-0-56-3, T20I debut: 4-0-10-4, best T20I debut by an Indian.
Two days later, his second T20I & final match, 4-1-31-2.
Was picked after only 8 List A matches and performed well only to be dropped. Now doesn’t even get IPL gigs (net bowler for Gujarat Titans this year). With Khaleel Ahmed, Natarajan, and Arshdeep Singh in the scheme of things, it looks like the 29-year old has a tough road to a comeback and may have already played his last match.
8. Manish Pandey
A casualty of India’s bizarre chop and change policy between 2016-2019 in their quest to find a perfect #4 batter.
Debuting a year later than Virat Kohli & the first Indian to hit an IPL century, Pandey has never been able to do justice to his talent due to limited opportunities. It seemed that his time had come with a magnificent chase of 330, where he hit an unbeaten 104* at #6 to take India home.
An average of 44.31 in T20I with 3 fifties, more opportunities were expected, but it looks like that the time has passed.
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7. Manoj Tiwary
104* (1 hundred, 1 fifty), but didn’t get anymore than his 12 ODIs and 1 T20I. Made frequent appearances for KKR but his forte was first class cricket – 9398 runs, 49.98 average, best of 303*, 29 hundreds, 39 fifties – and never played a single Test match. His ODI debut itself was delayed for more than a year after he suffered a shoulder injury on the eve of his potential ODI debut.
Also fascinating is the XI fielded in Tiwary’s last match – 8 out of these 11 can be considered ‘unlucky Indian cricketers,’ at least in limited overs cricket.
- Ajinkya Rahane, 2. Murali Vijay, 3. Robin Uthappa, 4. Manoj Tiwary, 5. Manish Pandey, 6. Kedhar Jadhav, 7. Stuart Binny, 8. Mohit Sharma
- Player of that series – Ambati Rayudu
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6. Vinod Kambli
Although Kambli had a decent 104 match ODI career and was rightly axed after India collapsed for 54 in the Champions Trophy final, it was his Test career that perplexes me. 17 Tests, best of 227, 4 hundreds, 3 fifties, and yet he played his last Test at the age of 23.
Sachin Tendulkar would play, almost to the date, 18 years longer in his Test career.
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5. Ambati Rayudu
More than Manish Pandey, Ambati Rayudu suffered the most & so did India as they crashed out of the 2019 ODI CWC semi-final.
A talent of his generation, ODI average of 47.05 (3 hundreds, 10 fifties) – he was unceremoniously dropped both before the 2015 ODI World Cup (after player of the series performance vs Zimbabwe) and the 2019 ODI World Cup.
His last 10 ODI scores were 24, 13*, 47, 40*, 0, 90, 13, 18, 2. Unlucky Indian cricketer at its finest.
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4. Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra played 22 Tests, 36 ODIs, and 10 T20Is, and he never looked out of sorts. With figures of 4-0-23-1 in his last T20I, 6-2-18-5 (player of the match & player of the series – 15 wickets) in his last ODI, we wonder how things could have been.
3. Wasim Jaffer
A domestic cricket giant with a couple of Test double centuries, he last played Test cricket at the age of 30.
Most capped Ranji player, most runs, 57 hundreds, 91 fifties, average of 50.67. Played 20 of his 31 Tests in West Indies, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, and Australia. Maybe if we was given more chances at home…
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2. Jayant Yadav
Although Jayant Yadav recently played, it seems that was more because of injuries and COVID replacement.
Scoring a century at #9 and a handy offspinner, it seemed that he was bound for better things. However, he has ended with only 4 Tests & 1 ODI. With Ashwin, Jadeja, Chahal, Kuldeep, Bishnoi, Sundar, and Axar’s glorious Test debut, it seems that his international career is good as done.
1. Karun Nair
Last but not the least – Karun Nair. Someone who has scored a triple century definitely deserves a rope longer than 6 Test matches.
Notable Exclusion: Faiz Fazal (55* in his only ODI with a 126* partnership with KL Rahul), Shahbaz Nadeem (Rewarded for domestic performances but only played 2 Tests)
List of Indian Cricketers Who Only Played in 1-5 International Matches
What is our definition of the ‘unlucky cricketer’?
- Only given 1-3 opportunities without much chances after
- Dropped inexplicably even after a few good performances
Here is a list of several other unlucky Indian cricketers who deserve a mention – Only played between 1-5 matches. In some cases, did not even get to bat or ball. How can someone showcase talent in these limited opportunities? I am glad the current Rohit Sharma-Rahul Dravid lead management are giving each player a run and ‘allowing players to fail’ (i.e. players will get enough of a run. If they do not perform, then only will they be dropped).
In any case, most of the retired players are now prominent coaches or commentators.
- Gurkeerat Singh, Rishi Dhawan, Karn Sharma, Saurabh Tiwary, Naman Ojha, Pankaj Singh, Tinu Yohannan, Bharat Arun, Manpreet Gony, Abhishek Nayar, Sudeep Tyagi, Abhimanyu Mithun, VRV Singh, Abhijeet Kale, Vivek Razdan, Lalchand Rajput, Ajay Ratra, Shiv Sundar Das, Deep Dasgupta, Dodda Ganesh, Pankaj Dharmani, Paras Mhambrey, Utpal Chatterjee, Prashant Vaidya, Bhupinder Singh Sr., Sardindu Mukherjee, Gursharan Singh, Margashayam Venkataramana, Shivlal Yadav, Suru Nayak, Bharat Reddy, Sanjay Raul, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Gyanendra Pandey, Gagan Khoda, Rashid Patel, Rajinder Ghai, Thirumalai Ananthanpillai Sekar, Randhir Singh, T.E. Srinivasan, Iqbal Siddique, Hemang Badani, Rahul Sanghvi, Sairaj Bahutule, Sarandeep Singh, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Vijay Bharadwaj, Nikhil Chopra, Devang Gandhi, Robin Singh, Robin Singh Jr., Debashis Mohanty, Nilesh Kulkarni, Harvinder Singh, David Johnson, Vijay Yadav, Subroto Banerjee
© Copyright @Nitesh Mathur and Broken Cricket Dreams, 2022. Originally published on 08/10/2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Broken Cricket Dreams with appropriate and specific direction to the original content (i.e. linked to the exact post/article).
