The Art Of Reinvention

Atapattu - scored one run in first six innings.

Matt Prior has been in the column inches again this week. A couple of months ago, he claimed that he "just wanted to be liked as a person". Perhaps that has led to his most recent musing on giving up the gloves altogether: "The devil in me is thinking why not give it a red-hot go just as a batter?"

The art of reinvention, eh? If it's good enough for Madonna, it's good enough for Matt Prior. It was certainly good enough for these guys too...

MARVAN ATAPATTU:

"Marvellous" Marvan Atapattu went into retirement last year with reputation intact and a decent Test average of 39. It wasn't always so. After his first six Test innings, he had compiled the grand total of one run.

In the early stages of his career, the joke around was "we can't remember his face, because we hardly get to see him at the crease." Atapattu showed great strength of character and no little skill to score six double centuries during the rest of a career, a feat only bettered by Don Bradman, Wally Hammond and Brian Lara.

JUSTIN LANGER:

Another recent retiree, Langer was primarily a middle-order batsman during the first phase of his Test career but reinvented himself as an opener during the 2001 tour to England when Michael Slater fell out of favour with Australia's top brass.

The final Test at The Oval was the turning point as he made a courageous innings of 102. The new Langer blossomed into a luscious stroke maker, albeit one more in the mental mould of Steve Waugh, who later described him as the best batsman in the world

He shared 14 century partnerships with Matthew Hayden, a total exceeded only by Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes for West Indies (16) and England's Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe (15).

JACK RUSSELL:

Russell was a true eccentric, and as Prior might want to note, very popular with the public. His various quirks included multiple daily cups of tea, wearing his trusty battered sun hat and his increasing excellence as an artist.

His Test career ended rather suddenly in 1998 as England's obsession with batsmen-wicketkeepers began to take hold. However, the moustachioed one became the hub of Gloucestershire's all-conquering one-day side. Russell was an aggressive keeper in the right sense, standing up to the seamers to put pressure on the batsmen rather than chirping for the sake of it.

ANIL KUMBLE:

As a teenager, Anil Kumble was a medium pacer. When somebody called him a "chucker", he turned himself into a leg-spinner, developing the fast flipper that has trapped many an international batsman bang in front. Despite claims that he didn't turn the ball, variations like the slider and an improved googly helped win Tests in England, Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies. Nobody could question the Indian captain's longevity now.

MICHAEL BEVAN:

Concerned that he might be remembered as the man who was bounced out of Test cricket, Michael Bevan hired a US biomechanical coach and taught himself how to hook and pull all over again.

Bevan said. "I felt the short ball had been a downfall whilst I played, and I think there was definitely a perception out there still that I couldn't play the short ball."

The result was a record 1464 runs at a Bradmanesque average of 97.60 which earned him the Pura Cup player of the year award in 2005. Not bad for a one day expert.

MARK RICHARDSON:

The former Kiwi opener made himself into a batsman two years after his first class career as a spinner ended with a dose of the yips. His dour and dogged style ensured a Test average of 45 which, given the revolving door policy at the top of the New Zealand order before and after his retirement in 2004, shows how badly he has been missed.

At the end of every Test series, the extrovert Richardson challenged the slowest member of the opposition to a foot race, where he beat such fitness freaks as Darren Lehmann and Danish Kaneria.

DINESH KARTHIK:

After scoring just one fifty in his first ten Test matches as a wicketkeeper, Karthik rid himself of the gloves and was promoted as a specialist Test opener. Easing in himself in with a maiden Test century against Bangladesh, he was a central figure on the tour of England with three battling 50s in the series victory

Unfortunately, Karthik was dropped after a poor trot against Pakistan in favour of Virender "Boom or Bust" Sehwag. We all know what happened next...

Tim Ellis