Apr 17, 2006 09:34 AM
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(Updated Nov 25, 2006 04:36 PM)
Ajit Agarkar was born at worli on 17 12 1977he is 27 now. He had joined tata team under 16 he tour Pakistan with India A team he bang 16 wickets in two test matches with two 5 wickets haul. He was when selected in India senior team for independence cup in he has taken 50 in 23 matches He snatched the record from none other than Australian legend Dennis Lillie in 23 September 1998. He had scored fastest 50runs by Indian in ODI agarkar had taken 200wickets in133 matches 4th'Indian to reach this mark but fastest .1000and more runs and 200wickjet 2nd Indian to reach this mark but fastest in world he scored 202 runs in 11matches he bat just 8 times in it. Salvi like agarkar both are good Player agarkar first played for tata team under 16 and mumbai his best figure is in test unbeaten 109*against at lords and 16.2-241-6against Australia in Adelaide in one day 95 run against west Indies in India and 9-2-42-6 in Melbourne against Australia he is ba from rupale and fatima is mba he is wedding anniversary is on 9 Feb. he has written many articles on cricket in Marathi and English there is a picture of ball from which he has broken the stump Mumbai seamer developed flu yesterday. this photo is of agarkar when he wicket of Justin langer IN MY OPINION AJIT AGARKAR IS A BETTER AND PROVEN ALLROUNDER. IN FACT THE TEAM MANAGEMENT ERRED IN ITS POLICY AND WAS JUST HELL BENT ON GIVING CHANCES ONLY TO PATHAN WHEREAS WHENEVER AGARKAR WALKED TO THE CREASE IT WAS IN A PRESSURE SITUATION. HE IS ONE OF THE CLEANEST HITTERS OF THE BALL AND HAS PROVEN HIS BATTING SKILLS EARLIER ALSO ON MANY OCCASIONS WHEN HE WAS SENT UP THE ORDER. ALSO HE HAS COME TO THE SIDE AFTER A LAYOFF AND HIS CONFIDENCE AS FAR AS HIS BATTING IS CONCERNED IS NOT THAT HIGH. SENDING HIM UP THE ORDER WILL ALSO BOOST HIS CONFIDENCE AND HE CAN BAT FREELY ONCE HE HAS PLAYED ONE OR TWO GOOD INNINGS. AS FAR AS BOWLING IS CONCERNED HE IS QUICKEST TO TAKE 50 AS WELL AS 100 AND 200 WICKETS IN ODIS FOR THE COUNTRY. FOOLS LIKE KIRTI AZAD AND MANINDER SINGH WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF HIS ACHIEVEMENTS JUST KEEP ON HARPING AGAINST HIM. IN A CHAT PROGRAMME IN ONE OF THE TV CHANNELS WHEN MANINDER AND KIRTI WERE CONFRONTED WITH A VIEWER WHO BLASTED THEM FOR OPPOSING AGARKAR IN SPITE OF HAVING SUCH A SUCCESSFUL CAREER WHAT THE TWO HAD TO SAY WAS REALLY PATHETIC. WHEN INFORMED BY THE VIEWER THAT AGARKAR HOLDS THE WORLD RECORD FOR TAKING THE QUICKEST 50 WICKETS ONLY IN HIS 23RD MATCH BEATING DENNIS LILEE'S RECORD, WHAT THESE 'GREAT EXPERTS' HAD TO SAY WAS 'HOW MANY WICKETS HE HAS TAKEN AFTER THAT? AND LIKE VERY LEARNED JUDGES ANSWERED THEMSELVES - 70 WICKETS OR SO. WELL SUCH IS THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE ON THE PART OF THESE SO CALLED EXPERTS. AJIT AGARKAR ON THAT DAY WAS HAVING CLOSE TO 220 ODI WICKETS UNDER HIS BELT WHICH THESE PEOPLE CANNOT EVEN DREAM OF. SO 220 MINUS 50 MAKES OUT TO 170 WICKETS. SO HELL BENT WERE THEY ON ERASING HIS REPUTATION AND SHOWING HIM IN BAD LIGHT THAT THEY REDUCED 100 WICKETS FROM HIS RECORDS. AJIT AGARKAR IS A SOFT SPOKEN MAN. IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER MAN LIKE GANGULY IN HIS PLACE, HE WOULD SEEK A PUBLIC APOLOGY FROM THESE TWO PEOPLE FOR HARMING HIS REPUTATION. BUT THEIR MENTALITY OF TRYING TO GET RID OF A MUMBAIYA MAN LIKE AGARKAR, A TEAM WHICH HAS TIME AND AGAIN BEATEN THEM, IS QUITE UNDERSTANDABLE, FOR THEY CAN'T EVEN IN THEIR DREAMS RAISE THEIR VOICES AGAINST THE OTHER MUMBAIYA MAN, SACHIN.
If one has to single out the most disappointing Indian cricketer in recent times, it has to be Ajit Agarkar. Not only the fans but also cricket aficionados like Raj Singh Dungarpur hailed him as an all-rounder in the making when he made his one-day debut against Australia at Kochi in 1997-98 seasons.
Early in his career, it seemed that he would indeed fulfill that promise when he became the fastest bowler in the world to complete 50 wickets in one-day internationals. He snatched the record from none other than Australian legend Dennis Lillee.
But looking back at Agarkar's career so far, one can say it has been an up-and-down one. He was backed a lot by his teammates, particularly Sachin Tendulkar and the present skipper, Saurav Ganguly hates him
Ravi Shastri, now a respected television commentator, went to the extent of calling him an all-rounder. But a player with a batting average of 8.26 in ten Test matches and 15.90 in 75 one-dayers can hardly be called an all-rounder.
His physique has also not served him well. Injuries and illnesses have constantly dogged this 23-year-old from Mumbai , and the latest one was a joke. His selection for the on-going tourney in Sri Lanka itself had raised a lot of eyebrows and, till India's victory over Sri Lanka, he was yet to figure in any game.
The explanation given for his omission was that he got sunstroke in the aircraft. International sportsmen can't afford to be so delicately built!
Let's look at Agarkar's contribution to Indian cricket. Famous for the seven consecutive ducks against Australia in Test matches, he has taken 24 wickets in ten Tests for his country at 38.83, with three for 43 against Australia in Adelaide his best effort.
The less said about his batting, the better. He has scored a measly 124 runs at an average 8.26. That's an all-rounder for you.
Let's analyse the 75 one-dayers that he has played for the country. He has taken 116 wickets at 29.65, with four for 25
Just what is Agarkar doing in Sri Lanka? He is not even carrying drinks! If they had to take a passenger, then they should have taken an absolute raw youngster. At least he would have got an idea about the game at the highest level from close quarters.
With the kind of performance that he has churned out of late Agarkar, under no against Sri Lanka as his best effort. Again, his bat has let him down.
Just 477 runs at an average of 15.90 in 75 matches are a disgrace for someone dubbed as an all-rounder. This brings us to his performance in the last ten one-dayers that he has played.
In the last ten games, he has taken 19 wickets, giving away 250 runs and has scored 135 runs. And not to mention all those games that he has missed because of injuries and of course, sunstroke! stretch of imagination, deserves a place in either the one-day side or Test squad. He is not a strike bowler, is proving to be a rabbit with the bat and is average as a fielder. So why does Agarkar get so many chances, and for what?
His being a part of the team
