In cricket, a lot of players managed to become a brute force in any one format of the game. Few players were destructive in one format but failed to affect much in the same way in the other formats.
After the inception of T20I, we witnessed a lot of people who focused on Tests and ODIs more but weren't as impactful in T20Is.
However, today, Cricwizz presents a list of some top cricket players who were exceptional in ODIs but couldn't impact on the same level in Tests.
Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)
Lasith Malinga, one of the world's most lethal bowlers, played over 225 ODIs and has 338 scalps in them, with over 100 wickets in T20Is too.
However, the legend played only 30 test matches in his career. It was not that Malinga's performance was a problem in this format Malinga picked 101 in these tests at an average of 33.16 but he had a lot of fitness issues that forced him to quit the longest and the oldest format of the game.
Andrew Symonds (Australia)
Another player, a ferocious batsman who threatened every bowler, Symonds scored over 5000 runs in less than 200 ODIs. However, he only represented Australia in Tests on 26 occasions.
Strange isn't it. Even in 26 Tests, Symonds had 1462 runs and an average of 40.61, but a lot of issues outside of the played a huge role in affecting his longevity.
Symonds had immense potential but unfortunately, it wasn't fulfilled well.
Yuvraj Singh (India)
A once in a generation all-rounder, Yuvraj Singh had one of the most impactful careers in the history of cricket. Yuvraj played 304 ODIs, scoring 8701 runs, and his performances in T20Is were second to none.
However, he featured for the Blues in just 40 Tests, scoring 1900 runs, with an average of 33.93. The reason? Well, cancer had a very negative impact on his career and ended his test career the moment he was diagnosed with it.
But the fact that Yuvraj Singh beat cancer and made a phenomenal comeback in limited-overs cricket, there is not much to blame.
Dwayne Bravo (West Indies)
Another all-rounder, Bravo has played 164 ODIs until now and is close to completing 3000 runs and 200 wickets. He has 1168 runs in 79 matches in T20Is too, but even he managed to play just 40 Tests for West Indies.
His record in those tests is evident that he would have achieved more, with 2200 runs in 40 tests, with 86 wickets too. He may not be recognized as a legend by a lot of people but he was one of the consistent performers with the bowl and bat in a West Indies side that craved consistency.
Shahid Afridi (Pakistan)
Afridi had a long career in cricket, featuring for Pakistan in almost 400 ODIs, 99 T20Is but he only played 27 test matches throughout his career.
With 8064 runs in ODIs and 1416 in T20Is, Afridi's record in 27 tests wasn't awful, 1716 runs, an average of 36.51, and 48 wickets.
Afridi was a player who made very abrupt decisions in his career. Perhaps that was the reason why he had such a short test career.
Kieron Pollard (West Indies)
One of West Indies' most valued and consistent performers, Kieron Pollard has represented his nation in over 115 ODIs and 84 T20Is, with 2564 and 1343 runs respectively, it must be a no-brainer that Kieron Pollard may have thought to give it a try in the most traditional format of the game too.
However, it is quite intriguing to see that in such a long career, Pollard has never been a part of the West Indies test squad, a perfect example for this list.
Other possible additions to the list could be Jacob Oram, Jonty Rhodes, Ian Harvey, and more.
What was very common in this list was players who had issues off the field, some had fitness concerns, while some just couldn't go through the tiresome nature of Test cricket. Some of the biggest names in cricket couldn't turn up in Test matches and that is what makes test cricket very unique.
You cannot hit the ball out of the park always, while only defending your wicket is not the way out. Perfect execution of the plan is required where to be it a bowling side or a batting side, needs to be executed in the best way possible. Mistakes in the first innings could come to haunt you in the second, while some brilliant performances in one innings could bear you fruits in the other.
It is mostly about not giving up and trying to achieve or at least come as close to what your adversary achieved. If you perform better in the next innings then you still stand a chance.
Over the years, we may have a lot of additions to this list. With the T20 format's increasing popularity, Test cricket has been losing its charm but that is why the World Test Championship will be there to remind everyone that Test Cricket s and will remain as the greatest format of the game.
Let us know which players should've made it according to you via our social media accounts. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. We bet you won't be disappointed.
Stay tuned for more updates.
