Players you can't help but like for some reason (state reasons for your choices)

[Donal Cozzie]

This isnt a thread about good cricketers, although they can be included.

This thread is for you all to list the cricketers who you, for whatever reason, have a soft spot for. Obviously you provide that reason when naming the player/s. Most of these players do nothing to stand out really, hell some aren't even that good, but you just like them for some reason.

My list is as follows and is pretty damn hilarious and random.

Mark Craig. Guy regularly gets tonked with ball but I vividly recall him coming out to bat in bad situations and really grinding it out and getting some damn good scores. God I just really like this guy for some reason )

Habibul Bashar. Led a garbage team for years and left them having beaten India and SA in a WC. A completely unremarkable cricketer really but I love cricketers who basically carry teams and represent them with some fight and passion, not necessarily skill.

Misbah. Just a top guy by the looks of it. Hard to find a neutral that doesnt like him. Carries himself and the team with distinction.

Rahane. Grafter. Love players who arent flashy but just work and try like crazy.

Mushfiqur (without the unbelievably grating scream). Good LO batsman, plays with so much passion which can grate on most but not me, I like it. Really like players who'd die for the shirt and I feel Mushy would. Plus he's like a 5ft keeper who's taken some unbelievable catches. Whats not to love.

Porterfield. In t20's a complete liability. Cracks have surfaced in recent months as his continued captaincy (think he's the longest serving captain in international cricket atm, has captained Ireland in all formats since 2009 IIRC) is getting quite stale. Often does a Shehzad and plays dreadful knocks but damn, every time we needed a leader he stepped up. England 2013 in front of 10,000 Irish people, Pakistan in 2015 WC final group game, a decent cricketer who works so damn hard and gives his all for the shirt. Stunning fielder too.

Nathan Lyon. Just seems like a nice fella. Also Chris Rogers, loved that guy.

 

[Chief Destroyer]

Rahane is not a grafter. He's quite fluent.

 

[Ahson8]

Amla
Williamson
Bailey

All these guys always seem to be cheerful and come across as really good guys.

Hafeez - not the most talented, but hardworking guy who did well for us depsite his limitations from 2010-2015

 

[Ahson8]

^ Oh, and also AB De Villiers; don't think its possible to hate the guy.

 

[Chrish]

I quite like Misbah.. love his attitude and that smile

Can't stand Warner.. that disgusting grin or persona and definitely that bat

 

[Rayyman]

I'll pick one from each team: Nawroz Mangal, Steven Smith, Mominul Haque, Moeen Ali, Murali Vijay, Niall O'Brien, Martin Guptill, Babar Azam, Hashim Amla, Angelo Mathews, Darren Bravo, Graeme Cremer

 

[ahmedwaqas92]

Misbah - The Classiest Cricketer I've ever seen on the field.
AB - A Genuinely Nice Bloke or so I feel
Yasir - That Smile man !! looks a fun guy to hang around.
- His behavior hasn't been up to par lately, but that Passion....Love his Passion.
- Averages shouldn't be disturbed
- Same reason as above, plus a top bloke !!

 

[Suleiman]

So players you have a soft corner for thread?

For me it's Sohaib Maqsood. Really feel bad for him and want him to succeed. Helps that we have the same birthday so in a way I see myself playing when he is out there. Think he is a pretty mature player and a decent guy but Pak fans as per usual with their random controversies have painted him wrongly as well. Some imbecile photoshopped a pic of some girl next to him at some McDonalds (was posted in the twitter thread too), and that got spread around like wildfire on social media. As usual, are farigh quam started rumors until the loser who photoshopped it came clean. Similar case with Sharjeel.

And then there's the helmet case in the 2015 WC too which was blown out of proportion. People say he was making excuses to field at short leg, when he was doing it the very next over even the media, and whole team management (under someone strict on discipline btw, Waqar Younis) confirmed it too, but people still want to believe their fantasies.

Think he has potential, good hand eye, and looks very classy. Inzi clone, and iA he sorts himself out.

 

[Abdul]

Azhar & Shafiq.

Both take their career very seriously and they are always looking to improve their game.

 

[waleed88]

So players you have a soft corner for thread?

For me it's Sohaib Maqsood. Really feel bad for him and want him to succeed. Helps that we have the same birthday so in a way I see myself playing when he is out there. Think he is a pretty mature player and a decent guy but Pak fans as per usual with their random controversies have painted him wrongly as well. Some imbecile photoshopped a pic of some girl next to him at some McDonalds (was posted in the twitter thread too), and that got spread around like wildfire on social media. As usual, are farigh quam started rumors until the loser who photoshopped it came clean. Similar case with Sharjeel.

And then there's the helmet case in the 2015 WC too which was blown out of proportion. People say he was making excuses to field at short leg, when he was doing it the very next over even the media, and whole team management (under someone strict on discipline btw, Waqar Younis) confirmed it too, but people still want to believe their fantasies.

Think he has potential, good hand eye, and looks very classy. Inzi clone, and iA he sorts himself out.

Malik?

 

[Suleiman]

Malik?

OP said this is not a thread about good cricketers necessarily.

 

[anuk]

Ramiz raja when he was playing and now as a commentator. He eptomizes the 'pakistani cool' and has the best hair ever for a cricketer

 

[samplepiece]

The Windies spin twins - Devendra Bishoo and Sulieman Benn. Although very different physically, both characters.

 

[JaDed]

Stephen Fleming leading the Kiwis side for many years and doing a very good job of whatever was given to him.

Rahane for similar reasons as everyone irrespective of that want him away from LOI side.

Saqlain -always been a fan of his bowling and irrespective of anything and decline in form will remain the most exciting spinner that i saw on TV.

Azhar Ali- no recognition outside his country inspite of a triple ton and no complains from him on that speaks volumes on his character.

Ranatunga- he might be a political person now but always had a soft spot for him considering his fitness ,irrespective of which he lead his side to a remarkable WC victory!

 

[Slog]

Abdul Razzaq, Amla, Umar Gul, Dhoni and Michael Clarke.

why?

he is such a bitter, miserable personality

 

[Suleiman]

why?

he is such a bitter, miserable personality

Well, so is Younis. But few people still have a soft corner for him.

 

[MenInG]

I dislike such threads as they simply become list of hated/liked cricketers.

I would suggest, like the OP, people put in a little effort to explain their choices or we will delete posts.

 

[IAJ]

why?

he is such a bitter, miserable personality

I have met him a couple of times here in Norway and he was very nice and looked down to earth and humble so I have been surprised every time I have read about his rants in media (which could be truth, not denying that).

 

[Hasan123]

Michael Clarke- terrific leader and even though he was hated he did things his way and didn't try to be liked. Also a good player of spin
Azhar Ali- goes about his business and don't see him making ridiculous media statements no matter how much hate he gets for his odi performances.
Asad Shafiq-getting plenty of criticism for his current test performances but still think he will come good. Also doesn't give ridiculous media statements and works hard at his game.
Sourav Ganguly-loved the passion and agression he brought to the Indian team. One of my favourite Indian players of all time.
Shane Warne- makes stupid statements at times but just can't hate him because of how good a bowler he was. The way he would outhtink batsmen was brilliant to watch.
Alistair Cook- his fitness and the way he carried on with his captaincy when he was getting critiscm last year shows how strong a chracter he is. Not my favourite player or anything just a player I respect a lot.
Mohammad Yousuf- like him for his batting, tend to ignore his media statements.
Ms Dhoni- being Indian captains is one of the hardest jobs in world cricket. For him to it for so long shows how fit and mentally strong he is. Gets a lot of stick now which is harsh but coming to the end now. In his peak he was an unreal odi player. One of my favourites of all time. Can never hate him even though it's difficult watching him bat now.

 

[Hamza_]

Virat Kohli. I just love his passion and dedication for his game.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

James Franklin, even though he wasn't much a cricketer, I always enjoyed his bowling and his once In a blue moon knock against Sourh Africa. Liked his attitude.

 

[LastManstanding]

Irfan Pathan, I genuinely thought he would be the next biggest superstar of Indian cricket after Sachin. Was aan agile fielder, more than handy lower order batsman and a gifted swing bowler. It pained to see his bowling deteriorate over the years. Part of me still wants him to make a comeback in national team.

 

[WhenSultansBowled]

Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, Amla, Bravo, Kohli, McCullum, Afridi and Darren Sammi.

All of them never fail to entertain.

 

[osee_bhai]

Dominic Cork. No clue why I liked him as a kid.

I also have a love/hate relationship with Asif.

 

[Varun]

I can't believe [MENTION=136108]Donal Cozzie[/MENTION] has listed down Mushfiqur in his OP.

Who would like this guy, really? Leave alone "can't help but like"?

 

[Napa]

Mohinder Amarnath: The most courageous and honest international cricketer to have played the game. Fearless against fast bowling. Refused to suck up to the selectors and paid a big price for not doing so.

 

[Chrish]

Alastair Cook, Moeen Ali, Amla, Bravo, Kohli, McCullum, Afridi and Darren Sammi.

All of them never fail to entertain.

Cook entertainer ?

 

[Donal Cozzie]

[MENTION=132715]Varun[/MENTION] I'll be honest I forgot about that stupid tweet thing, but still. Bar his high pitched screaming I like Mushfiqur Rahim for some reason Just so passionate

 

[LastManstanding]

[MENTION=132715]Varun[/MENTION] I'll be honest I forgot about that stupid tweet thing, but still. Bar his high pitched screaming I like Mushfiqur Rahim for some reason Just so passionate

He is irritating behind the stumps (most wicketkeepers are) but he takes it to another level.

 

[Ozymandiasza]

For me it's JP "Goldern Arm" Duminy. I have a soft spot for him and, in my mind, he's certainly better than his stats.

 

[Gabbar Singh]

Shoaib Malik - works hard, stays out of trouble, doesnt talk **** to the media like some of his colleagues, has turned his career round after years of underperforming, is a team man, takes fitness seriously....I could go on forever.

After years of disliking and then mocking him he has now won me over.

 

[The_Odd_One]

Mervyn Dillon

Bowled like Courtney Walsh and was a much better bowler than what his overall figures suggest

Others:
1. Alec Stewart
2. Aravinda De Silva
3. David Boon
4. Grant Flower
5. Damien Fleming
6. Mike Atherton
7. Nathan Astle
8. Jonty Rhodes
9. Darren Gough
10. Javagal Srinath
11. Heath Streak

 

[Markhor]

Always liked Marcus Trescothick, so much so as a kid I even got the same brand of bat as him.

Sanath Jayasuriya - just so destructive on his day. Was always entertained by him. If he was still in his prime, all the T20 leagues would want to sign him up.

Asif Karim - the Kenyan spinner notable for a terrific spell against Australia in the 2003 WC. I just love the commentary too - Michael Holding could barely contain his joy as Karim winkled out one Aussie batsman after another.

 

[hailian]

Great thread, here is the list of some of the players I admired a lot yet they were under rated but I always wish they score big or bowl well.

Craig McMillan (in 98/99 he hit shane warne few meaty sixes with unorthodox batting stance and instantly became my fav )
Waqar Younis (when he started to struggle in late 90s)
Chunderpaul (he eventually crossed 10k test runs didn’t he?)
Asif Mujataba (only back in 90s though I regret now)
Misbah (I started supported him when everyone used to hate him)
Azhar Ali (Coz dumb people don’t like him)

 

[hailian]

So players you have a soft corner for thread?

For me it's Sohaib Maqsood.

Me too. Both Sohaib Maqsood and Haris Sohail has a great potential. Every time they play i wish they score runs.

 

[hailian]

Asif Karim - the Kenyan spinner notable for a terrific spell against Australia in the 2003 WC. I just love the commentary too - Michael Holding could barely contain his joy as Karim winkled out one Aussie batsman after another.

How could you miss Asif Karim maiden over when Tendulkar was playing on 99 in world cup 1999?

 

[Protea Fan]

Virender sehwag looks pretty coolest guy to me

His shenanigans on the pitch are quite famous especially with umpires n opposite players

Not a fan of kohli's batting but really liked his never give attitude n fighting nature which was previously shown by ponting,these players completely looks gutted n frustrated for every minor losses

And as like everybody players like AB,Amla,Misbha are obvious contenders because of their in born affable nature

The recent addition to the list is de kock,its strange that the lad looks very sympathetic even with that wolf eyes

 

[Bhaag Viru Bhaag]

India : Saha, Bhuvi, Umesh, Vijay

Pakistan : Misbah, Azhar Ali, Afridi, Younis, Akhtar

New Zealand : Nathan Astle, Craig Mcmillan, James Franklin

South Africa : Pollock, Du Plesis, Andrew Hudson, Gary Kirsten, Paul Adams, Brian Mcmillan, Boeta Dippenar, Makhaya Ntini, Neil Mckenzie

Australia : Bailey, Greg Blewett, Brad Hodge, Phil Hughes, Shaun Marsh, Hauritz

West Indies : Chanderpaul, Darren Bravo

Bangladesh : Sabbir Rahman

England : Eoin Morgan

Sri Lanka : Jayasuriya, Mathews, Murali, Malinga, Vaas, Attapattu

Afghanistan : Nabi

Ireland : N O'Brien

 

[Haroon786]

I dislike such threads as they simply become list of hated/liked cricketers.

I would suggest, like the OP, people put in a little effort to explain their choices or we will delete posts.

Anyone who posts in this thread must give a reason for mentioning a player.

 

[Thivagar]

Sachin
Ajay Jadeja
Nanti Hayward
Imran Nazir
Saqlian Mushtaq
Alok Kapali
Ashraful
Kaluwitharana
Lou Vincent
Nathan Astle
Steven Fleming
Gilchrist
Ridely Jacobs (don't ask)
Knick Knight
Trescothick
The Obuya brothers from Kenya
Andy Flower

 

[ahmadharis1]

Shoaib Malik, hands down my favorite player.

 

[HateKiller]

Anyone who posts in this thread must give a reason for mentioning a player.

Sachin
Ajay Jadeja
Nanti Hayward
Imran Nazir
Saqlian Mushtaq
Alok Kapali
Ashraful
Kaluwitharana
Lou Vincent
Nathan Astle
Steven Fleming
Gilchrist
Ridely Jacobs (don't ask)
Knick Knight
Trescothick
The Obuya brothers from Kenya
Andy Flower

Thivagar has a job on his hands.

 

[Donal Cozzie]

Sachin
Ajay Jadeja
Nanti Hayward
Imran Nazir
Saqlian Mushtaq
Alok Kapali
Ashraful
Kaluwitharana
Lou Vincent
Nathan Astle
Steven Fleming
Gilchrist
Ridely Jacobs (don't ask)
Knick Knight
Trescothick
The Obuya brothers from Kenya
Andy Flower

You left out Balaji Rao??Ashish Bagai? Jimmy Hansra??

 

[Thivagar]

Thivagar has a job on his hands.

I was very young, if I liked their face, I liked them and therefore I remember their name. No particular reason. Forced myself to believe that Sachin was Ajay Jadeja as Jadeja seemed a bit cooler and Sachin seemed too soft.

 

[Thivagar]

You left out Balaji Rao??Ashish Bagai? Jimmy Hansra??

Henry Osinde and Zubin Surkari Yes. Osinde gave me a lot of good mental and nutritional advice. Never interacted with others you've mentioned or seen them play enough to mention anything

 

[R1ddlR]

Temba Bavuma - such a legend, fought hard to get to where he is - scored that epic century and has found himself a spot in the SA Squad. what a legend.

Imran Tahir - Pakistani playing for SA, celebrating like a nut case.. can't not like him.

Mohammad Shehzad - Afghani Keeper, just such a happy bloke yet has so much rage.. he is Lala.

 

[Belawal2014]

Bilawal Bhatti. Will get tonked all 'round the park but will keep coming back for more. All heart. 100%.

 

[Donal Cozzie]

Stephen Cook. Another gritty opener I can add to my list.

 

[Abdullah719]

Sohail Khan. How can you not like the guy?

 

[Chrish]

Stephen Cook. Another gritty opener I can add to my list.

He is rubbish

 

[Shutdown Corner]

He is irritating behind the stumps (most wicketkeepers are) but he takes it to another level.

You can't even understand 90% of what he says.

 

[Tera Gawaandi]

I like Akmal brothers, people mistake naivety for cleverness. Senior Akmal was great batting talent, had far better start to his career than Dhoni and was compared to Gilly. His Mohali knock will be forever etched in my memory. Umar was never give a proper chance in Test cricket, was made to slog in ODIs and made scapegoat despite averaging 40 with SR-90. Adnan was best wicket-keeper, miles better than Sarfraz but lacked in batting department.

 

[Ashraful_Rox]

Mohammed Nabi, Shahzad (Afghan Keeper), Rashid Khan and Wahab Riaz (I liked it when he went for 114 runs), every time Wahab was getting hit for runs, I wanted him to bowl even more faster, and the faster it disappeared for sixers

 

[Executioner]

Umar Akmal

 

[slice]

Rahat Ali --- that chachish look and the ability which never quite shines save in patches.And that really unique action.
Zulfi---also chacha look and that really interesting hopping jumping bowling action.And he ability to be really unpredictable with his turn.

 

[umer187]

Kohli, his dedication and passion is second to none. Immense talent too

 

[Zak_Fan]

Ashish Nehra. Was very talented and didn't allow failures to turn him bitter. Heard good things about his work ethic too.

 

[Smbhayi]

Kaify - Starts watching cricket after Natwest final.

 

[Jan Sher]

Ahmed Shehzad - I like the swagger he possesses. If only he could perform well in domestic cricket, he could be a strong contender for the captaincy, because we need a captain with swagger.

Mohammad Rizwan - Just like his positive attitude, on and off field. I hope he fulfils his potential at International level, and becomes a great of the game.

Sohail Khan - I like his care free attitude, lol.

Hammad Azam - He is a very down to earth person. I hope he gets another go at International level.

 

[Syed1]

Muhammad Rizwan - I read his life story and how much he had to suffer, just to play the game he loves. Unfortunately his career hasn't gone as well as he would have hoped. I'm positive that he will be able to turn it around and perform on the international stage. Needs to be calmer and less hyper, it will do him a world of good.


Umar Amin - My favourite type of batsman is a classy left-hander who can play cover drives that make you sit up and admire. Amin belongs to the cadre of the Husseys and Sangakaras of the world in terms of playing a classy cover drive, this is why I have always backed him. However, he hasn't lived up to his potential and unfortunately time is running out for him.


Junaid Khan - Only because he destroyed India in India and showed Kohli his place.