Amla the one-day run machine

Scroll up the list of players with the best one-day averages and you'll see expected names with means boosted by a high number of not-out innings. MS Dhoni, check. Michael Hussey, check. Michael Bevan, check. And then, at No. 2, there's Hashim Amla. Steady, calm, former Test-specialist Amla, who wasn't in that ODI chart a few months ago. Amla averages 57.67 in one-day internationals, a figure that towers over his Test mean of 45.10, when you might have expected it to be the other way around. He is one among several players who have significantly better statistics in one format compared to the other.

Amla made his Test debut in November 2004 and played 22 Tests for South Africa before getting an ODI cap. He started steadily but not spectacularly in the limited-overs format and had only one hundred to go with five half-centuries after 24 games. He was averaging 48. The rapid upturn began in May 2010 during South Africa's tour of the West Indies. Amla scored 402 in five matches in that series and followed up with 244 in three against Zimbabwe at home. Those performances raised his average by nine runs and his century count to five. He will now face Pakistan's more testing attack in the UAE to try and widen the gap between his ODI and Test mean.

Amla's team-mate JP Duminy is another batsman whose one-day average is superior to his Test average, but it wasn't always so. At the end of his debut series in Australia, Duminy averaged 61 in Tests, but mediocre performances thereafter caused his mean to fall to 28.77 after 12 matches. In one-day internationals, Duminy averaged 5.80 after five games and 19.80 after 13. Following his second century in his 61st game - 129 against Zimbabwe in Benoni - Duminy's ODI average is 38.52, nearly ten runs more than his Test figure.

ODI specialists - batting (minimum of 20 innings in Tests and ODIs)

Player	Tests	Mat	Runs	Ave	HS	100		ODIs	Mat	Runs	Ave	HS	100		Diff
MG Bevan (Aus)	1994-1998	18	785	29.07	91	0		1994-2004	232	6912	53.58	108*	6		-24.50
Saleem Elahi (Pak)	1995-2003	13	436	18.95	72	0		1995-2004	48	1579	36.72	135	4		-17.76
NV Knight (Eng)	1995-2001	17	719	23.96	113	1		1996-2003	100	3637	40.41	125*	5		-16.44
RG Twose (NZ)	1995-1999	16	628	25.12	94	0		1995-2001	87	2717	38.81	103	1		-13.69
Imrul Kayes (Ban)	2008-2010	13	453	17.42	75	0		2008-2010	26	808	31.07	101	1		-13.65
HM Amla (SA)	2004-2010	46	3383	45.10	253*	10		2008-2010	32	1615	57.67	140	5		-12.57
NC Johnson (Zim)	1998-2000	13	532	24.18	107	1		1998-2000	48	1679	36.50	132*	4		-12.31
HH Dippenaar (SA)	1999-2007	38	1718	30.14	177*	3		1999-2007	107	3421	42.23	125*	4		-12.09
BRM Taylor (Zim)	2004-2005	10	422	21.10	78	0		2004-2010	108	3172	33.04	145*	3		-11.94
JM How (NZ)	2006-2009	19	772	22.70	92	0		2005-2009	31	930	34.44	139	1		-11.73
RS Morton (WI)	2005-2008	15	573	22.03	70*	0		2002-2010	56	1519	33.75	110*	2		-11.71
A Jadeja (India)	1992-2000	15	576	26.18	96	0		1992-2000	196	5359	37.47	119	6		-11.29
JP Duminy (SA)	2008-2010	12	518	28.77	166	1		2004-2010	61	1541	38.52	129	2		-9.74
MS Dhoni (India)	2005-2010	48	2602	40.65	148	4		2004-2010	172	5733	50.28	183*	7		-9.63
CZ Harris (NZ)	1992-2002	23	777	20.44	71	0		1990-2004	250	4379	29.00	130	1		-8.55
DR Pringle (Eng)	1982-1992	30	695	15.10	63	0		1982-1993	44	425	23.61	49*	0		-8.50
CWJ Athey (Eng)	1980-1988	23	919	22.97	123	1		1980-1988	31	848	31.40	142*	2		-8.43
L Klusener (SA)	1996-2004	49	1906	32.86	174	4		1996-2004	171	3576	41.10	103*	2		-8.24
SC Williams (WI)	1994-2002	31	1183	24.14	128	1		1994-1999	57	1586	32.36	105*	1		-8.22

Pakistan's Younis Khan, who is making a comeback in the ODI series against South Africa after all sorts of problems with the PCB, has had a one-day career that hasn't matched his Test career. Younis' Test average leapt from 39 to 44 in his 35th game - a match in which he scored 267 and 84 in Bangalore - and has stayed above 40 ever since. He's steadily improved since then and now averages a shade over 50 after 63 Tests. In one-dayers, however, Younis presently averages only 32.57 after 202 games and has never passed 35 after his second limited-overs appearance for Pakistan.

Is VVS Laxman the best batsman to have never been selected for a World Cup? He never quite managed to cement a long-term spot in India's ODI team, a format in which he averaged 30.76 compared to 47.40 in Tests. Not featuring in a World Cup campaign was tough luck, though, considering India have taken less capable batsmen such as Dinesh Mongia, S Ramesh and Mohammad Kaif on previous campaigns.

Test specialists - batting (minimum of 20 innings in Tests and ODIs)

Player	Tests	Mat	Runs	Ave	HS	100		ODIs	Mat	Runs	Ave	HS	100		Diff
TT Samaraweera (SL)	2001-2010	60	4244	53.72	231	12		1998-2010	41	748	27.70	105*	2		26.01
GRJ Matthews (Aus)	1983-1993	33	1849	41.08	130	4		1984-1993	59	619	16.72	54	0		24.35
GR Viswanath (India)	1969-1983	91	6080	41.93	222	14		1974-1982	25	439	19.95	75	0		21.97
VG Kambli (India)	1993-1995	17	1084	54.20	227	4		1991-2000	104	2477	32.59	106	2		21.60
DPMD Jayawardene (SL)	1997-2010	113	9408	54.06	374	28		1998-2010	326	9003	32.73	128	12		21.33
KC Sangakkara (SL)	2000-2010	91	8016	56.85	287	23		2000-2010	276	8510	36.83	138*	10		20.01
Shoaib Mohammad (Pak)	1983-1995	45	2705	44.34	203*	7		1984-1993	63	1269	24.40	126*	1		19.94
AR Border (Aus)	1978-1994	156	11174	50.56	205	27		1979-1994	273	6524	30.62	127*	3		19.93
KD Walters (Aus)	1965-1981	74	5357	48.26	250	15		1971-1981	28	513	28.50	59	0		19.76
MJ Slater (Aus)	1993-2001	74	5312	42.83	219	14		1993-1997	42	987	24.07	73	0		18.76
JF Reid (NZ)	1979-1986	19	1296	46.28	180	6		1980-1986	25	633	27.52	88	0		18.76
V Sehwag (ICC/India)	2001-2010	81	7152	53.37	319	21		1999-2010	228	7380	34.64	146	13		18.72
SR Waugh (Aus)	1985-2004	168	10927	51.06	200	32		1986-2002	325	7569	32.90	120*	3		18.15
Younis Khan (Pak)	2000-2009	63	5260	50.09	313	16		2000-2010	202	5765	32.57	144	6		17.52
JD Ryder (NZ)	2008-2009	11	898	49.88	201	2		2008-2010	24	695	33.09	105	1		16.79
MJ Prior (Eng)	2007-2010	35	1896	42.13	131*	3		2004-2010	55	1066	25.38	87	0		16.75
DL Houghton (Zim)	1992-1997	22	1464	43.05	266	4		1983-1997	63	1530	26.37	142	1		16.67
VVS Laxman (India)	1996-2010	114	7490	47.40	281	16		1998-2006	86	2338	30.76	131	6		16.64
A Flower (Zim)	1992-2002	63	4794	51.54	232*	12		1992-2003	213	6786	35.34	145	4		16.20
BM McMillan (SA)	1992-1998	38	1968	39.36	113	3		1991-1998	78	841	23.36	127	1		15.99

The largest difference between the Test and ODI batting average, however, belongs to Sri Lanka's Thilan Samaraweera, whose stats in the respective formats are 53.72 and 27.70. Before Samaraweera made a comeback to the ODI side in July 2009, the difference between his Test and ODI average was 34 runs. Since then, he's improved his ODI mean to 27.70, reducing the gap between his Test figure to 26.

You'd expect a player who has a ODI bowling average of 103.63 compared to a Test mean of 31.43 to be a part-timer who had a few good spells in one format and little success in the other. That difference of 72, however, belongs to Pommie Mbangwa, who was a specialist fast bowler for Zimbabwe between 1996 and 2002. He had a average Test record but his ODI career was poor - Mbangwa was wicketless in 21 out of 29 innings and took only 11 wickets in the other eight.

Test specialists - Bowling (minimum of 2000 balls in Tests, 1000 in ODIs)

Player	Tests	Mat	Wkts	Ave	BBI	5		ODIs	Mat	Wkts	Ave	BBI	5		Diff
M Mbangwa (Zim)	1996-2000	15	32	31.43	3/23	0		1996-2002	29	11	103.63	2/24	0		-72.19
JG Bracewell (NZ)	1980-1990	41	102	35.81	6/32	4		1983-1990	53	33	57.09	2/3	0		-21.27
KD Ghavri (India)	1974-1981	39	109	33.54	5/33	4		1975-1981	19	15	47.20	3/40	0		-13.65
Shabbir Ahmed (Pak)	2003-2005	10	51	23.03	5/48	2		1999-2005	32	33	36.12	3/32	0		-13.08
DJ Nash (NZ)	1992-2001	32	93	28.48	6/27	3		1992-2002	81	64	40.96	4/38	0		-12.48
DS de Silva (SL)	1982-1984	12	37	36.40	5/59	1		1975-1985	41	32	48.65	3/29	0		-12.25
SB Doull (NZ)	1992-2000	32	98	29.30	7/65	6		1992-2000	42	36	40.52	4/25	0		-11.22
TBA May (Aus)	1987-1995	24	75	34.74	5/9	3		1987-1995	47	39	45.43	3/19	0		-10.68
KR Pushpakumara (SL)	1994-2001	23	58	38.65	7/116	4		1994-1999	31	24	49.20	3/25	0		-10.55
BA Reid (Aus)	1985-1992	27	113	24.63	7/51	5		1986-1992	61	63	34.96	5/53	1		-10.33
Tauseef Ahmed (Pak)	1980-1993	34	93	31.72	6/45	3		1982-1990	70	55	40.85	4/38	0		-9.13
Mohammad Asif (Pak)	2005-2010	23	106	24.36	6/41	7		2005-2010	38	46	33.13	3/28	0		-8.76
DN Patel (NZ)	1987-1997	37	75	42.05	6/50	3		1987-1997	75	45	50.24	3/22	0		-8.19
SD Anurasiri (SL)	1986-1998	18	41	37.75	4/71	0		1986-1994	45	32	45.75	3/40	0		-7.99
RJ Sidebottom (Eng)	2001-2010	22	79	28.24	7/47	5		2001-2010	25	29	35.82	3/19	0		-7.58
DW Steyn (SA)	2004-2010	41	211	23.13	7/51	14		2005-2010	41	58	30.65	4/16	0		-7.52
JR Thomson (Aus)	1972-1985	51	200	28.00	6/46	8		1975-1985	50	55	35.30	4/67	0		-7.30
MS Panesar (Eng)	2006-2009	39	126	34.37	6/37	8		2007-2007	26	24	40.83	3/25	0		-6.46
RA Harper (WI)	1983-1993	25	46	28.06	6/57	1		1983-1996	105	100	34.31	4/40	0		-6.24
JEC Franklin (NZ)	2001-2009	26	80	32.65	6/119	3		2001-2010	75	69	38.79	5/42	1		-6.14
CA Walsh (WI)	1984-2001	132	519	24.44	7/37	22		1985-2000	205	227	30.47	5/1	1		-6.02
MD Marshall (WI)	1978-1991	81	376	20.94	7/22	22		1980-1992	136	157	26.96	4/18	0		-6.01

Former New Zealand allrounder Chris Harris is the only player to appear in both the batting and bowling tables for ODI specialists. Harris averages 29 with the bat in 250 ODIs compared to 20.44 in 23 Tests. With the ball, Harris took only 16 wickets at 73 apiece in Tests, whereas his figures in ODIs were 203 at 37.50.

Australia's Greg Matthews, another spinner, was an unsuccessful Test bowler but a successful Test batsman and an unsuccessful one-day batsman but a satisfactory one-day bowler. Matthews didn't have enough guile to take more than 61 Test wickets at 48 apiece but was determined enough to score four Test centuries and average 41 as a batsman. In ODIs, he managed 57 wickets in 54 innings at 35.15 but score only 619 runs in 50 innings at an average of 16.72.

ODI specialists - Bowling (minimum of 2000 balls in Tests, 1000 in ODIs)

Player	Tests	Mat	Wkts	Ave	BBI	5		ODIs	Mat	Wkts	Ave	BBI	5		Diff
EAR de Silva (SL)	1985-1991	10	8	129.00	2/67	0		1986-1992	28	17	56.88	3/38	0		72.11
HA Gomes (WI)	1976-1987	60	15	62.00	2/20	0		1978-1987	83	41	25.48	4/31	0		36.51
CZ Harris (NZ)	1992-2002	23	16	73.12	2/16	0		1990-2004	250	203	37.50	5/42	1		35.62
GI Allott (NZ)	1996-1999	10	19	58.47	4/74	0		1997-2000	31	52	23.21	4/35	0		35.26
MF Maharoof (SL)	2004-2007	20	24	60.75	4/52	0		2004-2010	94	121	25.89	6/14	2		34.85
IVA Richards (WI)	1974-1991	121	32	61.37	2/17	0		1975-1991	187	118	35.83	6/41	2		25.54
Shoaib Malik (Pak)	2001-2010	32	21	61.47	4/42	0		1999-2010	192	134	36.29	4/19	0		25.17
BA Murphy (Zim)	2000-2001	11	18	61.83	3/32	0		2000-2003	31	29	38.96	3/43	0		22.86
GA Hick (Eng)	1991-2001	65	23	56.78	4/126	0		1991-2001	120	30	34.20	5/33	1		22.58
C Pringle (NZ)	1990-1995	14	30	46.30	7/52	1		1990-1995	64	103	23.87	5/45	1		22.42
Mohammad Sami (Pak)	2001-2010	34	84	50.73	5/36	2		2001-2007	83	118	28.44	5/10	1		22.28
GW Flower (Zim)	1992-2004	67	25	61.48	4/41	0		1992-2010	221	104	40.62	4/32	0		20.85
AB Agarkar (India)	1998-2006	26	58	47.32	6/41	1		1998-2007	191	288	27.85	6/42	2		19.47
Tapash Baisya (Ban)	2002-2005	21	36	59.36	4/72	0		2002-2007	56	59	41.55	4/16	0		17.80
A Ranatunga (SL)	1982-2000	93	16	65.00	2/17	0		1982-1999	269	79	47.55	4/14	0		17.44
DBL Powell (WI)	2002-2009	37	85	47.85	5/25	1		2002-2009	55	71	31.53	4/27	0		16.32
VC Drakes (WI)	2002-2004	12	33	41.27	5/93	1		1995-2004	34	51	25.35	5/33	2		15.91
JC Adams (WI)	1992-2001	54	27	49.48	5/17	1		1992-2001	127	43	34.86	5/37	1		14.62
SC Ganguly (India)	1996-2008	113	32	52.53	3/28	0		1992-2007	311	100	38.49	5/16	2		14.04
BAW Mendis (SL)	2008-2010	12	50	32.88	6/117	2		2008-2010	44	78	19.37	6/13	3		13.50
CL Hooper (WI)	1987-2002	102	114	49.42	5/26	4		1987-2003	227	193	36.05	4/34	0		13.37
GRJ Matthews (Aus)	1983-1993	33	61	48.22	5/103	2		1984-1993	59	57	35.15	3/27	0		13.07