For 139 years, cricket has produced some incredible players. Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara have lauded the sport. However, many other cricketers get excluded from the list for various reasons. Playing cricket for their country at an international level for billions of young people has become a dream. But, in reality, achieving such a level is not possible for everyone because of the tremendous popularity of cricket around the world. The most promising aspects that play a role in every cricketer’s life are luck and talent. Some cricketers are given opportunities purely by chance, even if they have little talent. On the other hand, many cricketers do not receive enough events despite possessing remarkable skills. A few unlucky cricketers who did not get enough chances are listed below.

1. Alex Hales

The England and Wales Cricket Board charged Hales and his teammate Ben Stokes with bringing the game to disgrace. The charge resulted from a dispute outside of a Bristol bar in September 2017, only hours after England’s one-day international match against the mighty Windies. Hales gets suspended for six white-ball games by the Commission. Hales was also fined £17,500 and given a 12 months suspension.

2. Lendl Simmons

The West Indian dynamic opener has undoubtedly been one of the hardest hitters of the ball, who doesn’t believe in the concept of offering respect to the bowlers or the opposition. Unfortunately, Simmons gets unrecognized in a power-packed West Indian batting side. Later, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran’s induction into the squad meant it was all over for the right-handed batsman.

3. Brad Hodge

In most other countries, Brad Hodge, who would have been a legend, is probably Australia’s unluckiest player in the last two decades. Unfortunately, being an Australian hampered his chances since his best years as a batter coincided with Australia’s golden era of dominance, which saw fierce rivalry for berths. Hodge had only a little opportunity to exhibit his brilliance in international cricket. When he did show glimpses of it throughout his brief tenure, it indicated towards the competition around him that a terrible series was all it needed to get him sent out.

4. Karun Nair

Karun Nair became only the second Indian batsman after Virender Sehwag to hit a triple century in Tests when he scored an undefeated 303 against England in the fifth Test during a home series in 2016. He hasn’t been able to play in an international match since then. Legends like Rohit, Rahul, Pujara, and Rahane in the team spelled disaster for the Karnataka batsman.

5. Adam Voges

In February 2007, he made his ODI debut against New Zealand, and two years later, against the West Indies, he scored his first international century. Voges was a fantastic cricketer, but the chink in his armor was his age. The right-handed batsman debuted at the age of 35, and the introduction of Bancroft, Labuschagne into the Aussie team, paved the path for him out of the squad as he grew old.

6. Mohammad Amir

Young Mohammad Amir burst onto the international scene at 17 as a fast bowler who swung the ball both ways. Many top-level international batters were bothered by Amir. At 18, Wasim Akram told the media that Amir was more intelligent than him. Unfortunately, Amir gets embroiled in the 2010 spot-fixing scandal that stunned the cricket world. He was found guilty of the crime and sentenced to a five-year suspension. He was already one of the finest bowlers in the world at that time, but this incident ruined his life.

7. Dinesh Karthik

Karthik has been one of India’s unluckiest cricketers in history. Despite making his international debut before MS Dhoni, he has only made infrequent appearances for India. The thirty-six years old Dinesh Karthik has had his share of ups and downs in his career. During the reign of former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, he tried out several wicket keepers. With the entrance of MS Dhoni, his options for India became limited. But, whenever the Tamil Nadu batsman had a chance, he made the most of it.

8. Shane Bond

Shane Bond, like James Bond, was fast, angry, and dashing, and he preyed on batters. Though action-packed, Shane’s career was cut short due to the recurrence of injuries, in stark contrast to James’ ultra-long tenure. The New Zealand’s pace ace would become one of the best fast bowlers in cricket history if the injuries didn’t occur. Despite the setbacks, Bond’s bravery and firepower stood out.

9. James Taylor

James Taylor was a terrific domestic middle-order batsman who remains one of the best accumulators England has ever produced. At the outset of his career, he gets likened to several greats and reliable batters. But his abilities, hard work, and determination were all in vain. He was diagnosed with (ARVD) arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, a dangerous cardiac ailment.

10. Ish Sodhi

Among all current New Zealand cricketers, the Indian-origin cricketer can be considered the unluckiest of them all. Sodhi’s issue is a lack of spin-friendly pitches at home; hence, the squad only plays one spinner. Mitchell Santner has grabbed this slot, and his accurate and tight bowling compensates for the lack of spin in the wickets. He’s also more than just a helpful batsman capable of a couple of big shots towards the end of a game.