Talent: plenty, caps: zero
To date 2621 men have played Test cricket. Here are 11 who might well have but for various reasons didn't
Steven Lynch
18-Apr-2011
Alan Jones has a Test cap but no Tests to his name • PA Photos
Franklyn Stephenson
These days Stephenson would walk into the West Indian side: tall and fast, with a wicked slower ball, he took 125 wickets for Nottinghamshire in 1988 - and completed the double as well, by making more than 1000 runs, most of them at an entertainingly rapid rate. But the 1980s was a time of plenty for West Indian fast bowling: Stephenson, spotting the problem, decided to go on an unauthorised tour of South Africa and copped a ban, after which he never quite got back into the reckoning.
These days Stephenson would walk into the West Indian side: tall and fast, with a wicked slower ball, he took 125 wickets for Nottinghamshire in 1988 - and completed the double as well, by making more than 1000 runs, most of them at an entertainingly rapid rate. But the 1980s was a time of plenty for West Indian fast bowling: Stephenson, spotting the problem, decided to go on an unauthorised tour of South Africa and copped a ban, after which he never quite got back into the reckoning.
Rajinder Goel
Slow left-armer Goel took 750 first-class wickets, most of them for Haryana and Delhi, at an excellent average of less than 19. But he never sniffed a Test cap, as his career coincided with that of another great Delhi spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi. "It was not written in my fate to play Test cricket," said Goel. "I used to play for my own pleasure and when I got wickets it used to feel good... There were so many spinners, but only one left-armer could play for India and Bishan Bedi was the man. So I didn't really feel cut up about it."
Slow left-armer Goel took 750 first-class wickets, most of them for Haryana and Delhi, at an excellent average of less than 19. But he never sniffed a Test cap, as his career coincided with that of another great Delhi spinner, Bishan Singh Bedi. "It was not written in my fate to play Test cricket," said Goel. "I used to play for my own pleasure and when I got wickets it used to feel good... There were so many spinners, but only one left-armer could play for India and Bishan Bedi was the man. So I didn't really feel cut up about it."
Don Shepherd
A Glamorgan legend, Shepherd took more wickets - 2218 - than anyone else who never played Test cricket. He started as a teetotal fast-medium bowler, but after being told by his captain Wilf Wooller that he'd "never bowl fast drinking orangeade", he turned to beer - and later throttled back and bowled brisk offcutters with even more success.
A Glamorgan legend, Shepherd took more wickets - 2218 - than anyone else who never played Test cricket. He started as a teetotal fast-medium bowler, but after being told by his captain Wilf Wooller that he'd "never bowl fast drinking orangeade", he turned to beer - and later throttled back and bowled brisk offcutters with even more success.
Alan Jones
The record for the most first-class runs with an official Test cap also belongs to a long-serving Glamorgan player: adhesive left-hand opener Jones made no fewer than 36,049. He did play for England once, against the Rest of the World in 1970 in a match that was considered a Test at the time but later ruled unofficial. Jones, who failed twice (he made 5 and 0, and was not selected again), was issued with all the regalia of an England player, and - despite reports that he had been asked to hand them back - he retained them: "I was never contacted formally and still have the cap, blazer and jumpers."
The record for the most first-class runs with an official Test cap also belongs to a long-serving Glamorgan player: adhesive left-hand opener Jones made no fewer than 36,049. He did play for England once, against the Rest of the World in 1970 in a match that was considered a Test at the time but later ruled unofficial. Jones, who failed twice (he made 5 and 0, and was not selected again), was issued with all the regalia of an England player, and - despite reports that he had been asked to hand them back - he retained them: "I was never contacted formally and still have the cap, blazer and jumpers."
Jamie Siddons
The man who was Bangladesh's coach until recently, Siddons was one of the unluckiest Australians never to play a Test. He held the Sheffield Shield run-scoring record for a while, finishing with more than 11,000 at a shade under 45 in first-class cricket overall. He did play one one-day international, in Pakistan late in 1988, but also picked up a stomach bug on that tour that affected him for a year. And then, in 1991-92, his cheekbone was fractured by a bouncer from his old Victoria team-mate Merv Hughes: "It ruined my chances of playing for Australia," said Siddons, "and it was my worst moment in sport."
The man who was Bangladesh's coach until recently, Siddons was one of the unluckiest Australians never to play a Test. He held the Sheffield Shield run-scoring record for a while, finishing with more than 11,000 at a shade under 45 in first-class cricket overall. He did play one one-day international, in Pakistan late in 1988, but also picked up a stomach bug on that tour that affected him for a year. And then, in 1991-92, his cheekbone was fractured by a bouncer from his old Victoria team-mate Merv Hughes: "It ruined my chances of playing for Australia," said Siddons, "and it was my worst moment in sport."
Vince van der Bijl
Towering fast bowler van der Bijl might have been a Test legend - had his country been allowed to play. It was van der Bijl's misfortune that he matured as a player just as South Africa were excommunicated from Test cricket because of their government's racist policies. "Big Vince", who was selected for the cancelled Australian tour of 1971-72, had to content himself with being part of the all-conquering Transvaal "Mean Machine" in the 1970s - and had one memorable season of county cricket with Middlesex in 1980, when he took 85 wickets at 14.72 and helped them win the Championship. He also dented the Lord's sightscreen with a couple of his trademark straight flat sixes.
Towering fast bowler van der Bijl might have been a Test legend - had his country been allowed to play. It was van der Bijl's misfortune that he matured as a player just as South Africa were excommunicated from Test cricket because of their government's racist policies. "Big Vince", who was selected for the cancelled Australian tour of 1971-72, had to content himself with being part of the all-conquering Transvaal "Mean Machine" in the 1970s - and had one memorable season of county cricket with Middlesex in 1980, when he took 85 wickets at 14.72 and helped them win the Championship. He also dented the Lord's sightscreen with a couple of his trademark straight flat sixes.
Charles Kortright
Kortright, an amateur, was widely considered the fastest bowler of the 1890s, and also a useful batsman: at this distance it is hard to work out why he was never chosen for England. Selection in those far-off days was done by the ground staging the match, and he also played for a relatively unfashionable county (Essex). But Stanley Jackson, later a successful England captain, wrote in Wisden that "Kortright was generally regarded as the fastest bowler of his time in this country. Not only was he a very fast bowler, but also a very good one." Kortright was a member of that now-vanished breed, the English gentleman of private means, without the irritating necessity of earning a living. John Arlott once asked Kortright what he did, apart from bowling fast. He expected some kind of job description, and was rather surprised when, after some thought, the reply was: "Well, I also bowled a bit of legspin."
Kortright, an amateur, was widely considered the fastest bowler of the 1890s, and also a useful batsman: at this distance it is hard to work out why he was never chosen for England. Selection in those far-off days was done by the ground staging the match, and he also played for a relatively unfashionable county (Essex). But Stanley Jackson, later a successful England captain, wrote in Wisden that "Kortright was generally regarded as the fastest bowler of his time in this country. Not only was he a very fast bowler, but also a very good one." Kortright was a member of that now-vanished breed, the English gentleman of private means, without the irritating necessity of earning a living. John Arlott once asked Kortright what he did, apart from bowling fast. He expected some kind of job description, and was rather surprised when, after some thought, the reply was: "Well, I also bowled a bit of legspin."
Bhausaheb Nimbalkar
Nimbalkar was a stylish batsman who had a long career with various Indian teams. At a time when India rarely had a settled batting order, it's surprising that Nimbalkar - who averaged nearly 50 in first-class cricket - never came closer to a cap than an unofficial Test against a Commonwealth XI in December 1949 (he batted at No. 9, and made 3 and 12 not out). That was a year after his most famous innings - 443 not out for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in Poona (now Pune), when he was denied a shot at Don Bradman's then world record of 452 when the opposition conceded the match.
Nimbalkar was a stylish batsman who had a long career with various Indian teams. At a time when India rarely had a settled batting order, it's surprising that Nimbalkar - who averaged nearly 50 in first-class cricket - never came closer to a cap than an unofficial Test against a Commonwealth XI in December 1949 (he batted at No. 9, and made 3 and 12 not out). That was a year after his most famous innings - 443 not out for Maharashtra against Kathiawar in Poona (now Pune), when he was denied a shot at Don Bradman's then world record of 452 when the opposition conceded the match.
Tom Pritchard
Don Bradman's Invincibles thought that Warwickshire's Pritchard was the fastest bowler they encountered during their triumphant 1948 tour. But they didn't have to face him in the Tests, as Pritchard was a New Zealander (he had played for Wellington before the war). In those days, even though they had never won a Test (and did not do so until 1955-56), New Zealand generally chose not to select anyone who played abroad - which was their loss, as Pritchard finished with 818 first-class wickets at the fine average of 23.
Don Bradman's Invincibles thought that Warwickshire's Pritchard was the fastest bowler they encountered during their triumphant 1948 tour. But they didn't have to face him in the Tests, as Pritchard was a New Zealander (he had played for Wellington before the war). In those days, even though they had never won a Test (and did not do so until 1955-56), New Zealand generally chose not to select anyone who played abroad - which was their loss, as Pritchard finished with 818 first-class wickets at the fine average of 23.
Alistair Brown
Long seen as a limited-overs specialist - he won 16 one-day caps for England, and made a hundred against India in only his third match, in 1996 - Brown is also the proud owner of a fine first-class record: he is one of the few batsmen to average over 40 without ever winning a Test cap (Andy Moles is another, but at 40.70 he has to give best to Brown's 43.13). Brown's 268 in a 50-over match for Surrey against Glamorgan in 2002 remains a List A record by a distance, and he also came close to a first-class triple-century with 295 not out against Leicestershire in 2000. Now 41, the stylish but big-hitting Brown is the senior county cricketer still playing, and last season helped Nottinghamshire win the Championship.
Long seen as a limited-overs specialist - he won 16 one-day caps for England, and made a hundred against India in only his third match, in 1996 - Brown is also the proud owner of a fine first-class record: he is one of the few batsmen to average over 40 without ever winning a Test cap (Andy Moles is another, but at 40.70 he has to give best to Brown's 43.13). Brown's 268 in a 50-over match for Surrey against Glamorgan in 2002 remains a List A record by a distance, and he also came close to a first-class triple-century with 295 not out against Leicestershire in 2000. Now 41, the stylish but big-hitting Brown is the senior county cricketer still playing, and last season helped Nottinghamshire win the Championship.
Raees Mohammad
Four of the five Mohammad brothers played Test cricket for Pakistan, but Raees (the second-oldest) missed out, despite being a handy batsman and legspinner for various Karachi teams. Hanif Mohammad wrote: "In my opinion, had he played, he would have proved himself to be a better allrounder than even Mushtaq." The closest Raees came was being named as 12th man against India in Dacca (now Dhaka) in 1954-55.
Four of the five Mohammad brothers played Test cricket for Pakistan, but Raees (the second-oldest) missed out, despite being a handy batsman and legspinner for various Karachi teams. Hanif Mohammad wrote: "In my opinion, had he played, he would have proved himself to be a better allrounder than even Mushtaq." The closest Raees came was being named as 12th man against India in Dacca (now Dhaka) in 1954-55.
Steven Lynch is the editor of the Cricinfo Guide to International Cricket 2011. And Ask Steven is now on Facebook