Pet hates

[Richard Jenkins]

Jack Russels eating habits and stupid suspicions ,(like wearing the same marmite sandwich under said hat for all his life) also annoy me . But not as much as Alec Stewart, who is the embodyment of "smug"

[Moss]

Originally Posted by Richard Jenkins

"While I'm here - why is Gough playing in ODI's again? Does this forward thinking bunch of selectors not understand that one day it's all about young blood, young blood, young blood, and then they bring Gough."
Young blood needs old tricks. Otherwise the blood is smeared all round the ground.

Sorry, I should have clarified myself by saying that I thought Gough is past his best. It's not that I mind experience in the side. Certainly not. In fact, I love to see players like Hussain and Thorpe alongside Anderson and Jones. But Gough has peaked I'm afraid. He'll never be in the class he was.
So getting him back seems merely to be in a guidance role, that's all. Which of course is beneficial, but only temporary.

The impression I got from an article was also that Gough intends to be part of the WC lineup in 07, which is vaguely ludicrous.

Other pet hates include Simon Jones's he-man stance in the field; Harmison's hauling up of the left side of his shirt every time he prepares to run up; Flintoff's totally overblown fisting of the air every time he takes a wicket; David Lloyd's commentaries; Dermot Reeves trousers. But those are not really cricketing comments, are they?

[Victor Frankenstein]

Originally Posted by Mark Kidger

Should such opinions/aversions have any place in team selection?

Well, i think most peoples views would change if they actually had to pick the team, but on forums and in conversation you're picking a team on the assumption they're as good as you think they should be rather than how good they actually are (as far as statistics are concerned).

Would be a very boring conversation if everyone saw the same things in each player

I personally think tresco and vaughan are massively over-rated, not that they're not good players, you don't score runs in international cricket without being good, just that they're not as good as their averages suggest and get an automatic pick in the side that is unwarranted imo, no one deserves an automatic pick in this england side. I'm not saying people should be picked and dropped like a merry go round like the 90's, but it does appear that for some players no matter how bad a series they have their place is never in question, whereas others have a good series but don't set the world alight and get replaced without much debate.

But then, most of the team are over-rated to me, i often wonder if i'm watching a different game to everyone else as i see our team constantly scraping a victory here and there but in general looking pretty mundane and not even close to a challange for australia. That's not to say they don't play well from time to time but there are so many false dawns and inconsistency in the team that any good performance makes you wonder if that's the blip.

[Goatman]

Eveyone has a few of these. I used to share a flat with a bloke who had an almost pathological hatred of Hick. Every time Hick came out to bat he just used to shout "Googly" at the TV until he got out. It was a blessed relief that he diddn't tend to last very long! Odd chap.

There are fewer players I strongly dislike than players who I (probably) overrate. For example, I am a long term fan of Graeme Swann who has perhaps never played as well as I think he is capable. There are more situations where I get behind a player who is being, in my eyes, wrongly pilloried though - Trescothick and Hussain are both examples of this.

There are occassional players I take a strong dislike to. Ramprakash was never a favourite of mine - I always felt that he was a typical county run machine who would never make the step up. I feel the same about Key, but oddly not about Smith. Couldn't tell you why at all! I really did have a strong dislike for Harmison right up to the point he got that injury against SA. The spell he bowled off the shortened run looked like a different bowler - he wasn't just chucking it down, he was trying to DO something with it. I have a strong inclination in favour of Hoggard and for Kirtley as understudy to Hoggard, and a gut reaction against Batty, Kirby and for some reason Saggers, though I can't for the life of me say quite why!

[Richard Jenkins]

Yes I have a burning hatred for a certain australian player, best not tell you who , but when I see him on the telly my wife tells me to "shut up you saddo, he can't hear you" becuse I go off on a tirade of abuse,followed closely by foaming at the mouth and a descent into nervous twiches.

[Rachael]

I generally end up favouring those I have sympathy for... meaning guys who get abuse like Caddick, Ramps, Hussain, Giles, Hoggard and Read... and those who practice under-valued skills (Read with glovework, Atherton with defensive batting, Crawley with batting against spin, Fairbrother with running between the wickets and fielding, Hoggard and Bicknell for their old fashioned swing bowling).

Pet hates are mostly the guys who can seemingly do no wrong in the eyes of tthe tabloids / barmy army: Robin Smith, Lamb and Stewart all spring to mind... those who can seemingly only play one way (Devon Malcolm, Tresco and so on).

Internationally... I dislike the thugs who mostly score by belting the ball, are only happy when swinging the willow, and try and compensate with brute force for what they lack in delicacy of touch, softness of hands, cuteness of timing and so on... so I cheer the demise of Gayle, the two Smiths and Powell in the WI... and I do much the same with their bowling equivalents: I resent every wicket that goes to Brett Lee, Sami and other guys who are clearly effective but don't bowl in a way I particularly appreciate.

Ultimate pet-hates team: Graeme Smith, Gayle, Jayasuria, Inzi, Afridi, Trescothick, Boucher, Klusenor, Lee, Sami, Simon Jones

[Notts Exile]

For me Inzi is quality, he may not have the pyhsique of a modern sportaman but he has quality. He doesn't just biff it, he has some great touch play, the late cut he plays is exquisite. And he likes his food!!

Agree with you on Brett Lee, has to be the most overrated player in world cricket. And Brad Hogg ............ need I say more ?

[Mark Kidger]

Originally Posted by Goatman

There are fewer players I strongly dislike than players who I (probably) overrate. For example, I am a long term fan of Graeme Swann who has perhaps never played as well as I think he is capable. There are more situations where I get behind a player who is being, in my eyes, wrongly pilloried though - Trescothick and Hussain are both examples of this.

There are occassional players I take a strong dislike to. Ramprakash was never a favourite of mine - I always felt that he was a typical county run machine who would never make the step up. I feel the same about Key, but oddly not about Smith. Couldn't tell you why at all! I really did have a strong dislike for Harmison right up to the point he got that injury against SA. The spell he bowled off the shortened run looked like a different bowler - he wasn't just chucking it down, he was trying to DO something with it. I have a strong inclination in favour of Hoggard and for Kirtley as understudy to Hoggard, and a gut reaction against Batty, Kirby and for some reason Saggers, though I can't for the life of me say quite why!

I am sat here with tears in my eyes from laughing!

Could you be my long-lost twin brother? I'd subscribe to almost all of those comments! But although the attacks of some fans have put me more on Trescothick's side, even I can't think of anything redeeming to say about Giles - there must be something, but I just don't know what it is!

[Rachael]

Oh - I guess my aversion to Inzi is based on physique, mobility, running between the wickets and fielding... I'd concede he's got a great eye for the ball... but I feel sorry for his batting partners and the bowlers who have their heart in their mouths every time a catch goes his way.

I'd love to have seen Inzi and Johnty Rhodes put an innings together in a ODI game where the field was back, the bowling was top drawer and they were having to run singles off every ball!

[Goatman]

Originally Posted by Rachael

I generally end up favouring those I have sympathy for... meaning guys who get abuse like Caddick, Ramps, Hussain, Giles, Hoggard and Read... and those who practice under-valued skills (Read with glovework, Atherton with defensive batting, Crawley with batting against spin, Fairbrother with running between the wickets and fielding, Hoggard and Bicknell for their old fashioned swing bowling).

Pet hates are mostly the guys who can seemingly do no wrong in the eyes of tthe tabloids / barmy army: Robin Smith, Lamb and Stewart all spring to mind... those who can seemingly only play one way (Devon Malcolm, Tresco and so on).

Internationally... I dislike the thugs who mostly score by belting the ball, are only happy when swinging the willow, and try and compensate with brute force for what they lack in delicacy of touch, softness of hands, cuteness of timing and so on... so I cheer the demise of Gayle, the two Smiths and Powell in the WI... and I do much the same with their bowling equivalents: I resent every wicket that goes to Brett Lee, Sami and other guys who are clearly effective but don't bowl in a way I particularly appreciate.

Ultimate pet-hates team: Graeme Smith, Gayle, Jayasuria, Inzi, Afridi, Trescothick, Boucher, Klusenor, Lee, Sami, Simon Jones

You have stirred a couple of my pariahs in there. Agree on GC Smith - can't stand the arrogant, bottom-hand based, pie-chucker bashing prick. Klusener is just a bully. Those must get on like a house on fire. Gayle is a one day specialist who is bits-and-peices at test level. If WI were strong, he would not command a place. This means that I quite like to see him fail, as it shows the pyjama game has not quite taken over just yet. Iron-Gloves Boucher is an old hate of mine, as is the over-rated pace-with-no-craft of Lee. I have no particular view on Afridi though.

I actually quite like the flashes of brilliance Jayasuriya has. He gives something a bit different to the game, and I sort of like that. I don't know, maybe I should add him to my "overrated" list. You have often been tough on Inzi. I still chuckle at you "disgraceful blob" comment. I'm not sure though - I think you are a little too tough! On Sami and Jones we have disagreed before. At present, they are overrated pace-men like Lee is. However, with both I get a feeling that they have more than that deep down, which I never had with Lee. You shoudl not forget that when he started out Wasim was a wayward fast man. I haven't got the number to hand, but I think I'm right in saying that of the leading wicket takers in his first world cup (early '90's?) he was by far the most expensive, and bowled something like 4 times as many wides as any other bowler! His skill and nouse came along later, and he is not the only one to have trodden that path...