How long should selectors persist with potential talent?

[ganeshran]

How long should selectors persist with potential talent even if they are not delivering? To find out how much rope selectors have given players who have ended up perfoming quite well, I took out the figures of all batsmen who averaged above 40 for India (Qualifier - 20 matches). 14 players made the cut overall. Then the cumulative averages over their career were calculated to see how they fared with each test match. First the current crop of batsmen who average above. Sachin, Sehwag and Dravid come in this club. As we see from the pic, Sachin consistently lifted his game over his formative years and broke into the 50s in his 29th match and except for a brief period never went into the 40s again till now. Now the next rung of current batsmen who average above 40. Laxman's case is the most interesting here. He underperfomed for nearly his first 40 matches but then turned the tide on its head after the 2001 australia series. The repeated chances that Laxman had been given have paid off and he is one of the most dependable players in the side. Dada's selection was an open and shut case following his classy performance in the debut series. Here are the retired batsmen who averaged above 45. No surprises here - Both Azhar and Gavaskar had great performances in their initial matches. Then the retired batsmen who averaged above 40. Here people who improved their performances over time considerably are Siddhu and Vengsarkar. So what factors should the selectors take into account to give more chances to players who have the potential to succeed at the highest level, yet are not giving their best currently? 1) Domestic Performances 2) Technical finesse 3) Mental toughness 4) Natural Strokemaking

[maniac]

You forgot patience...the current IPL generation lacks patience not to be confused with mental toughness because to be succesful in a T20 format you have to soak up the pressure... Take Raina for eg;his weakness against the shortball is much talked about but where is the patience to just let go and apply himself till he weathers the storm.the way he has played in ODI's and T20's in crucnch situations proves the mental toughness is there doesn't it?

[maniac]

^That was example of a batsmen similarly Sreeshanth,he is at his best when he sticks to the line and length he is conmfortable with but once things are not going his way tries way too many things. This is were PK a more inferior bowler was succesful in England as he stuck to his strengths

[ganeshran]

You forgot patience...the current IPL generation lacks patience not to be confused with mental toughness because to be succesful in a T20 format you have to soak up the pressure... Take Raina for eg;his weakness against the shortball is much talked about but where is the patience to just let go and apply himself till he weathers the storm.the way he has played in ODI's and T20's in crucnch situations proves the mental toughness is there doesn't it?

Patience is also a valid point. Someone like Raina also has the potential to improve his game to be an effective Test player. However - what remains to be seen whether he has got the motivation to go in that direction