Why do we assume opening is more difficult?

[bayhaus]

I ONLY wanted to open! I opened from grade 3 until form 3. I was quite small so I used the pace of the ball and timing. I liked the ball coming ont the bat and I liked it when it was hard goes when you connected it went! These conditions were only available when I was opening. I loved the adrenaline of walking out to bat especially when we batted first. The only time I had an adrenaline rush that equaled going out top face the new ball was when i did the gorge swing in Vic falls(Never again!, but i dont mind opening though). The faster the bowling the better. I didnt like watching from the pavilion and then going out to bat which I had to do in my senior years, I couldnt bear the nervousness. I didnt like the guy who just came out to tell me how the bowler was bowling etc. So from my point of view opening wasnt difficult. Identify the people and groom them.

[betterdays]

True but just about every Zimbabwean opener has moved down the order at some point once they're established e.g. Grant flower, Ebrahim, Taylor, Vermeaulan, Hammie,

more because they couldn't do it successfully - and yes, i agree with Jemisi, when i make this jind of generalisation i am talking Test cricket

[betterdays]

So players like Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Michael Vaughan, and Virender Sehwag should be held in even higher regard then. They dominated tests while being openers.

They absolutely should, though I think Matty is held in pretty high regard (I regard each one higher than KP)!! My favorite cricketer (at times i feel by quite a bit) is Smith ... the KPs of this world will never excite me. In tests it's always about "getting through the first hour", "getting the shine off the ball" ...

[CrimsonAvenger]

The only time I had an adrenaline rush that equaled going out top face the new ball was when i did the gorge swing in Vic falls(Never again!, but i dont mind opening though).

Wow! That is some experience, there at the Vic Falls. Feeling envious

[Jemisi]

So players like Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Michael Vaughan, and Virender Sehwag should be held in even higher regard then. They dominated tests while being openers.

Yes - as I said you can safely add a couple of runs to the average.

[aydee]

We don't. Hhm did.