5 most overrated Test cricketers since 2000

Since the advent of 2000, the limited-overs formats have gradually begun to sideline Test cricket. At the turn of the millennium, ODIs became firmly entrenched in the minds of cricket aficionados across the globe. Following the success of the inaugural edition of the World T20 in 2007, the razzmatazz of the shortest format has attained alarming popularity.

However, the last eighteen years and counting have still managed to provide plenty of moments to rejoice for connoisseurs of Test cricket. While several stars from various teams have established themselves in the annals of the game, there have also been quite a few players who have failed to live up to the massive expectations that they themselves generated during their early years in the format.

In no particular order, let us take a look at five of the most overrated Test cricketers who have played in the post-2000 era. With no quantifying metric to evaluate hype, the criteria for selecting these players emanates from the inability to fulfill their potential in the purest format. While some of the names in this list have attained significant success in coloured clothing, they failed to deliver in Tests and thus created lingering doubts as to whether they really warranted all the hype surrounding them.

---

#5 Ashish Nehra

With his nonchalant demeanour and composed approach to the game, Ashish Nehra battled through numerous injuries to serve India's limited-overs teams in an adequate manner. In particular, he was a very useful bowler in the 50-over format. Accuracy and versatility helped him play a crucial role in India's 2011 World Cup triumph. For all his white-ball success, he could not quite adapt to the rigours of Test cricket.

Since making his debut during the Asian Test Championship in 1999, Nehra played 17 matches in the premier format. Paltry returns of 44 wickets at an underwhelming average of 42.40 and strike-rate of 78.3 reflect his struggles in the Test arena. When Sourav Ganguly took over the captaincy in 2000, Nehra was touted as India's next big hope in the pace bowling department. However, recurring fitness issues as well as lack of penetration with the older ball meant that his Test career never really took off.

#4 Imran Tahir

Imran Tahir has not been able to replicate his limited-overs success in Test cricket

Apart from Pakistan's Saeed Ajmal, no other spinner has been able to make as much of a sustained impact as Imran Tahir in ODIs and T20Is played in this decade. However, the same skills that have made him a lethal weapon in white-ball cricket have prevented him from achieving success in the Test arena. In an era where spin playing capacity is not much to speak of, his flatter trajectory and stump-to-stump line have enabled opposition batsmen to milk him without taking risks in red-ball cricket.

After impressing in the 50-over format, South Africa did not wait too long to hand him his maiden Test cap. A lot was expected of him as the Proteas looked towards the leg-spinner to solve their slow bowling woes. Notwithstanding the flash-in-the-pan match-winning spell against Pakistan in Dubai, the Lahore-born cricketer has not been able to suit his game to the demands of Test cricket. From 20 matches thus far, he has picked 57 scalps at an average of 40.24 and economy-rate of 3.50.

#3 Umar Akmal

Umar Akmal has not lived up to the expectations generated from his early years in the game

During the first Test in Pakistan's tour of New Zealand in 2009, a batting star was born. Or so it appeared. On a quick Dunedin track, Umar Akmal flayed a bowling attack comprising the likes of Shane Bond and Chris Martin in a whirlwind 160-ball 129. The knock swept almost every onlooker of his feet and it seemed as if Pakistan had unearthed their most promising batting talent since the days of Javed Miandad.

Almost nine years since the highs of Dunedin, Umar Akmal's journey in Test cricket can be categorised as a lost cause. A penchant for playing reckless shots and throwing his wicket away at inopportune moments have resulted in him being pigeonholed as a dispensable limited-overs batsman. 16 Tests, the last of which came in September 2011, have yielded 1003 runs at an average of 35.82. A strike-rate of 65.98 can perhaps sum up his travails in the longest format.

#2 Ajantha Mendis

Ajantha Mendis' mystery was decoded following his early success in the Test arena

Making his debut during the 2008 home series against India, Ajantha Mendis brought a famed batting lineup to its knees through inexplicable mystery. Batsmen, accustomed to playing quality spin, were left bewildered by the unconventional off-spinner. 26 wickets at an imposing average of 18.38 paved the way for Sri Lanka's 2-1 series victory. Yet, amidst all the debris, the swashbuckling Virender Sehwag managed to decode his variations.

Sehwag's ploy of treating Mendis as a medium pacer was soon lapped up by batsmen across the globe. The more he played, he became less mysterious. A spate of inadequate performances saw him lose his place in the Test team. The propitious spinner, earmarked as the great Muttiah Muralitharan's successor, has played just 19 Tests thus far. Excluding the rich haul in his debut series, he picked up only 44 more scalps in his last 16 matches.

#1 Mohammad Ashraful

Mohammad Ashraful is arguably the most over-hyped cricketer produced by Bangladesh

Having joined the Test fold in 2000, the Bangladeshi populace yearned for a batting hero capable of turning games on a regular basis. They began to rejoice when a 17-year old right-hander strode into the limelight during the 2001 Asian Test Championship. With a sparkling century on debut against a Sri Lankan bowling attack containing the feared Muralitharan, Mohammad Ashraful announced himself on the big stage.

Ashraful had to wait for more than three years before making his second Test ton. While he could play all around the wicket, his perennial issues around the off-stump prevented his growth in the format. During a brief period in the 2006/07 season, it seemed like he had finally turned a corner. However, his success turned out to be short-lived as those bouts of inconsistency returned to haunt him.

Extra Cover: Mohammad Ashraful - The story of a prodigious talent gone in vain

Lack of alternatives meant that Ashraful had the fortune of playing as many as 61 Tests. A tally of 2737 runs at a woeful average of 24 is as bad as it gets. In fact, his average of 15.53 from 22 matches is the worst among all specialist batsmen (with at least 20 matches) in Tests held outside Asia. To make matters worse, he admitted to spot-fixing during the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) and was consequently ostracized within the Bangladesh setup. At 33 years and counting, Ashraful's international career appears to be all but over.