Top 20 players who disappointed in IPL3 Print E-mail
Category: Indian Premier League
Written by Luke Tagg   
Tuesday, 20 April 2010 00:38
Although I prefer to celebrate the achievements of the power hitters, the stump assassins and the crazily airborne boundary riders, there comes a time when we have to man up and admit that not everyone pulled their weight in this year's IPL.

That time has come. It is here.

Not all of the players on my list were total disasters - some of them even turned in match-winning performances. Others were complete writeoffs, some weren't really given a chance to improve and a few departed with injury problems.

The common thread to all of them is that I was disappointed in their contribution to the IPL this year - not for the sake of their teams, the IPL or indeed Lalit Modi himself, but for my own entertainment.

I want big hitters to hit big. I want fast bowlers to bowl fast and shatter stumps. I want stars to be super ones.

None of the players on my list fulfilled their potential this year. A number of them could have saved their teams from being knocked out of the tournament, while some of them still have a chance for redemption in the semifinals and final.

These are the Top 20 players who disappointed this year, in reverse order of disappointment:

20. Morne Morkel (Rajasthan Royals)

Morks only played two games for the Rajasthan Royals, which is no wonder when you consider that he took 0/66 in 7 overs. I'm disappointed in that he should have done better, having played a series in India recently, but I'm not that torn up about it because I didn't expect much better.

19. VVS Laxman (Deccan Chargers)

Averaged just 12.00 in six innings, at a strike rate of 106.66. Shades of an early Jacques Kallis. Laxman needs to do what Kallis did - sort his shit out.

18. Daniel Vettori (Delhi Daredevils)

In Dan's defence, he only arrived late at the IPL after an intense series against Australia - and it told. He took 2/97 in his three matches and went at 8.31 runs per over. He could have been Delhi's late trump card for a semifinal berth, but it was not to be.

17. Matthew Hayden (Chennai Super Kings)

Haydos has scored 321 runs so far, his side is in the semis and life is good. He hasn't been as good as he should have been, however - by his own standards. He's only scored one half-century this year and is averaging less than 23, and although his strike rate is good (134.30) it has the potential to be in the 140s at least. Call me greedy if you must.

16. Angelo Mathews (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Mathews started like a mansion on fire in the first game of the tournament, winning Man of the Match for his 65* off 46 balls to go with 1/27. He was one of only two players to play every game for Kolkata this year (the other was captain Sourav Ganguly), yet only managed another 165 runs and was expensive when bowling.

15. Herschelle Gibbs (Deccan Chargers)

Jah Gibbs hit 249 runs in nine innings at 27.66, scoring at 119.13. He hit one half-century but was never as influential as he can be.

14. Ishant Sharma (Kolkata Knight Riders)

You can't accuse the man of not having the most flowing mane in world cricket, but in seven matches he took seven wickets at 33.71 and went to the tune of 9.44 runs per over. Kolkata have a fast bowling problem and Ishant is a big part of it.

13. Dwayne Bravo (Mumbai Indians)

Not too many bravos for Dwayne this year - he scored 61 runs in eight innings, took 4/228 and went at close to 9 runs per over. Fortunately for him Mumbai is stuffed with overachievers, so the effect of his performances wasn't telling.

12. Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians)

I reckon we've seen the last of Sanath this year. He scored 33 runs in 4 games then buggered off to Sri Lanka to become a politician. Probably just in time.

11. Justin Kemp (Chennai Super Kings)

Although he played five games this year, Kemp only batted twice. That's his job - to come in late and wield the long handle. His strike rate of 108.33, however, suggests he wasn't as influential as he could have been.

10. Brett Lee (Kings XI Punjab)

Lee's been dabbling with injury in his spare time for the last while and only came in late to the tournament, bowled 14.3 wicketless overs in four matches and went at 10.27 runs per over. The pace was missing, as was the control.

9. Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders)

Another fallout victim from the New Zealand series against Australia, McCullum only played five games, scoring 114 runs at a strike rate of 103.63. Struggled with timing the ball.

8. Kemar Roach (Deccan Chargers)

He was the third most expensive purchase at this year's IPL auction, but was only used in two games. After taking 0/80 in his eight overs, it's not hard to understand why.

7. Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers)

Gilly hasn't been atrocious this year - his 270 runs to date have been hit at a strike rate of 167.70, which is the fourth-highest of proper batsmen this year. He needed to average about 10 runs more than his 19.28, however - most of his fast starts have been squandered. He can still play The Big One in the semis or final.

6. Sreesanth (Kings XI Punjab)

Sree seems to have lost in mojo in recent times - he's nowhere near the force he was in IPL1. In six matches he took 3/191, at 10.05 runs per over.

5. Ross Taylor (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

Another casualty of the NZ-Aus series, Taylor has only managed 57 runs in six games to date, at a strike rate of 126.66. RCB will be hoping he hits his straps come Wednesday.

4. Eoin Morgan (Royal Challengers Bangalore)

I consider Eoin one of the most destructive batters in world cricket, yet he made a meek 35 runs in four innings and looked like he couldn't hit the broad side of a barn. Overshadowed by the powerful hitters ahead of him in the pecking order.

3. AB de Villiers (Delhi Daredevils)

Old AB used to smack it out the park. New AB scored 111 runs in seven innings, striking at just 93.27. Delhi's middle order was weaker for his inability to fire. Nervous times for South Africa.

2. Yuvraj Singh (Kings XI Punjab)

Yuvraj was the most economical bowler for the Kings XI this year, going at just 6.60 runs per over. He also scored 255 runs, averaging 21.25 and striking at 128.14. It's a measure of the man's potential that I have him at number two in my list. Where's the monster within?

1. Tillakaratne Dilshan (Delhi Daredevils)

One of the allround stars of last year, popularising the dentist-friendly ramp shot, this year Dilshan barely featured. He scored 44 runs in six innings (with a strike rate of 83.01 - the lowest of any top order batsmen in the league) and went at 8.57 runs per over when bowling.
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