Ever completely changed your mind about a player?

A follow-on from the recent discussions about Ian Bell really. Has anyone ever changed their mind about a player (from the team you support or otherwise) who you thought at one point was a total waste of space, and wondered how much they were paying the selectors to keep picking them, but then they turned it round and became a star performer, or at least a decent well-respected member of the team?

I'm struggling to think of any obvious examples from cricket. Particularly with England, most of those we all thought were muppets proved us right and the selectors eventually saw the error of their ways, even if after several years of undeserved recalls!

Hashim Amla

That's a good call.

I'm struggling to think of one for England.

gautam gambhir

I never thought Collingwood would make the grade. Admired his grit and attitude, but didn't think it would be enough in the long term.

Andrew Strauss. Didn't look a test player for any money....

As a county player he looked pretty ordinary for a good few years, but then something clicked with him and he became a run machine. Turned up in England's ODI side and looked perfectly at home in international cricket.

I was always pretty confident Strauss would go all right - didn't think he'd score a hundred (should have been two hundreds - Nasser!) on debut, mind...

Dello wrote:I never thought Collingwood would make the grade. Admired his grit and attitude, but didn't think it would be enough in the long term.

Yes, that's a fair comment I think.

Another one in the early days who I wondered whether he would make it is Alec Stewart, who seemed to be in the side because his Dad was coach to begin with.

These seem more of the "not sure he's quite good enough" than the "get this ****ing idiot out of our team" category though... although I know a few were quite strongly anti-Collingwood, probably still are when he hits a run of poor form!

Darren Pattinson. Oh wait........

beamer wrote:"get this ****ing idiot out of our team"

If BBB was here, Matty Prior would get his vote.

beamer wrote:These seem more of the "not sure he's quite good enough" than the "get this ****ing idiot out of our team" category though... although I know a few were quite strongly anti-Collingwood, probably still are when he hits a run of poor form!

Yep, hands up!

Dello wrote:

beamer wrote:"get this ****ing idiot out of our team"

If BBB was here, Matty Prior would get his vote.

Yeah, wonder if he's had a major change of opinion? Prior's keeping has definitely improved beyond all recognition, which some said would never happen, although you still wonder whether it's going to be at the expense of his batting and his career will go the same way as that of Geraint Jones.

Prior doesn't do the backs against the wall stuff very well, but he's handy if you want someone to bully a side when you're 400/4.

Basil wrote:Prior doesn't do the backs against the wall stuff very well, but he's handy if you want someone to bully a side when you're 400/4.

To an extent, that seems true.

But the last game only adds to the confusion as he top-scored with 70-odd in the first innings collapse, before folding like a cheap suit during the second innings collapse.

I think his problem is he's too loose and one-dimensional. He wants to get his bully on all the time, when sometimes you have to graft a little to earn the right.