Vinod Kambli's tragic talent show
When Vinod Kambli was a teenager, many cricket commentators reckoned he was more talented than Sachin Tendulkar
Tariq Engineer
25-Feb-2013
When Vinod Kambli was a teenager, many cricket commentators reckoned he was more talented than Sachin Tendulkar. It was initially easy to see why as he racked up consecutive double-hundreds against England at home, but his Test career was over at 23, despite an average of 54. Kambli, who has not played a first-class game for six years, officially announced his retirement from first-class cricket last month. In the Wall Street Journal, Richard Lord writes that Kambli’s career is a reflection of the thin line between success and failure, and how that line is often to be found in the head.
A batsman of gloriously uninhibited attacking inclinations, with a hint of the great West Indian Brian Lara in his technique, he was a clean hitter of the ball, but even more than that a sweet timer of it, with a full array of seemingly effortless attacking shots. He was particularly effective against spin bowling, his twinkle-toed nimbleness around the crease allowing him to move forward and back with speed and decisiveness, and helping to make him unusually effective at hitting over the top.
Tariq Engineer is a former senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo