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5 cricketers who lost their way after promising starts
Joginder is now a Deputy Superintendent, served medical officials during COVID-19, Jacques is a coach
International cricket means the highest level of the game. Like other disciplines, the highest level of cricket has also been a tough hurdle for any cricketer who has been producing noticeable performance in domestic cricket. Once he steps onto the international level of the game, he can feel the heat of the toughness, competitiveness.
The history of cricket has seen several cricketers who have proved their mettle in the domestic cricket, delivering eye-catching performances but have failed to hold on to their nerves after having started careers in international cricket as, like all other games, nobody's place in guaranteed in any national cricket team also.
In this context, our search will be for the 5 Cricketers who lost their way after promising starts at the highest level.
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Haseeb Hameed
Haseeb Hameed is such a batsman who had produced consistent show while playing for Lancashire. The selectors of the England national squad were pleased to have seen the batting technique of this right-hand batsman, especially against spin bowling. That was the reason Haseeb got into England side for its tour to India in 2016. Haseeb however did not fail in his debut Test at Rajkot. He played 82 deliveries and scored 31 in the first innings while in the second innings Haseeb had produced more firmness in his batting, scoring 82 runs after playing 177 deliveries in 233 minutes. His grit and solid technique earned accolades, especially for having been successful against two notable Indian spinners, R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Unfortunately, Haseeb was ruled out of the third Test against India in the series due to severe injury and was never able to return to the national squad. The batsman who has scored 219 runs in six innings at an average of 43.80, never played for England and nowadays he has been playing the game only for Nottinghamshire in the county championship.
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Joginder Sharma
Joginder Sharma is another cricketer who can be listed among the 5 Cricketers who lost their way after promising starts. He will always be remembered in the Indian cricket lovers’ mind for his heroic bowling in the final over of the Twenty20 World Cup final in 2007 that helped India to clinch the title. But the ball which got out Misba-ul-Haque in the final at Johannesburg in the championship was the delivery offered by Joginder Sharma.
After that T20 World Cup, this right-arm pacer was seen playing in IPL for Chennai Super Kings and also for Haryana in the domestic cricket till 2017. But he was not able to ensure a place in the Indian team. He has represented India in only ODIs and four T20Is.
After a long time, Joginder Sharma stole the limelight during the COVID-19 pandemic last year when he was seen helping medical officials in their battle against the pandemic. Joginder is serving as Deputy Superintendent of Haryana Police.
Also Read - 10 Current Indian cricketers whose T20I careers are almost over
Steve O’Keefe
Steeve O’ Keefe showed huge potential when he landed in India in 2017. It was not that he turned himself into an unplayable bowler in the series between Australia and India. But the pitches in India which were conducive to good spin bowling had also helped O Keefe to deliver his best and Australia thought they had the replies to R. Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav. O’ Keefe notched up a superb 6 wickets for 35 in each innings at Pune and Indian innings succumbed to 105 and 107, respectively in both innings. But the bowler failed to hold on to the momentum in the remaining matches in the series. Even against Bangladesh, the left-arm spinner failed to maintain his form. Then he was dropped finally and never was selected on the Australian side. The 36-year old spinner has been playing in the Big Bash League since the last season.
Phil Jaques
Phil Jacques showed huge promise in the domestic cricket of Australia. The left-hand opening batsman has scored 16035 runs from his 200 first-class matches. He was projected for the national team after the retirement of Justin Langer. The New South Wales batsman had also begun well in Tests, partnering with Mathew Hayden. Jacques sustained also although Hayden had superseded him very fast. Even in the Test series against West Indies in 2008, on a bouncy track, Jacques scored a century (108) in the last Test. But after that series, before Australia’s tour to India, Jacques got injured and never returned to the national team. He retired from the game in 2014 and started coaching domestic teams. He scored 902 runs from 11 Tests at an average of 47.47 with 3 centuries and 6 fifties. Phil Jacques is notably one of those 5 Cricketers who lost their way after promising starts.
Jayant Yadav
Jayant Yadav was an off-spinner and he produced an impressive performance representing India ‘A’. In domestic cricket, Jayant had claimed 162 wickets and 2172 runs in 61 first-class matches. Additionally, Jayant was an inspiring batsman which Indian captain Virat Kohli had liked and his recommendation helped Jayant got into the Indian team against England in the second Test in 2016. Jayant justified his selection scalping four wickets in the Test and in Mumbai in the same series he displayed a smashing 104 against English bowlers. But after the Test in Pune in 2017, he lost the rhythm and was ruled out of the Indian team. Having played in 4 Tests Jayant Yadav has scored 228 runs and 11 wickets.
