All time Australia XI vs all time West Indies XI

[MARSHALLED]

I have come up with another all time Australia XI to face this time an all time West Indies XI. What do you think of it and how do you think I could improve my sides.

Australia:

Victor Trumper
Bill Ponsford
Don Bradman
Greg Chapell
Steve Waugh (cpt)
Keith Miller
Adam Gilchrist (wkt)
Ray Lindwall
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillie
Glenn Mcgrath

12TH MAN: Alan Border

West Indies:

Frank Worrell (cpt)
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
George Headley
Everton Weekes
Gary Sobers
Clyde Walcott (wkt)
Malcom Marshall
Michael Holding
Joel Garner
Curtly Ambrose

12TH MAN: Clive Lloyd

 

[archie mac]

They look like a great match up.

I think a leftie in the Australian top order would help, Harvey, Border or Hill. Or maybe you could open with Bardsley or Morris.

I don't like the opening set up for the Windies. And maybe a spin bowler Gibbs or those little pals of mine. Though you do have Sobers.

 

[vic_orthdox]

I don't like the opening set up for the Windies.

Yeah, although I don't envy his job. There are that many wonderful middle order batsmen for the Windies that deserve selection of Haynes and Greenidge as out and out batsmen, and as such it's probably fair enough to see them displaced.

Would have loved to have seen Viv opening the batting in ODIs these days, since the focus on hitting while there are fielding restrictions came in.

And maybe a spin bowler Gibbs or those little pals of mine.

If you were picking an all-time Windies side, it would be a travesty to not have four pace bowlers.

And would have the Windies bowling line-up ever have played with each other?

 

[Slifer]

My windies team would be:

Hunte
Richards
Headley
Lara
Weekes
Sobers
Walcott (to offset the Advantage the Ozzies have with Gilchrist)
Marshall
Holding
Garner
Ambrose

Over 5 tests home and away i think both teams would win in their own backyards but not by much.

 

[archie mac]

And would have the Windies bowling line-up ever have played with each other?

Must have come close, my gut feeling is no.

 

[a massive zebra]

My teams would be...

AUSTRALIA

Victor Trumper
Arthur Morris
Don Bradman*
Greg Chappell
Neil Harvey
Keith Miller
Adam Gilchrist+
Ray Lindwall
Denis Lillee
Bill O'Reilly
Glenn McGrath

12th Man: Shane Warne

WEST INDIES

Conrad Hunte
Viv Richards*
George Headley
Everton Weekes
Brian Lara
Gary Sobers
Jeff Dujon+
Malcolm Marshall
Michael Holding
Curtley Ambrose
Joel Garner

12th Man: Learie Constantine

 

[SJS]

Australia
1. Trumper
2. Ponsford
3. Bradman
4. Greg Chappell
5. Harvey
6. Miller
7. Warne
8.Lindwall
9.Oldfield
10.Lillee
11.Orielly

West Indies
1. Hunte
2. Worrell
3. Richards
4. Weekes
5. Lara
6. Sobers
7. Alexander
8. Marshall
9. Holding
10. Roberts
11.Gibbs


Both teams have top quality batsmen right upto number six. Seven and eight can bat too and have very good test knocks.

There are three top grade fast bowlers and two spinners in Australia and West Indies have three pure fast bowlers, one off spinner, one leg spinner(Worrell), one left arm spinner *** left arm fast bowler.

Both sides have arguably their best keepers of all time.

I would say West Indies is the stronger side but Australia have Bradman !!

Australian spinners are oth leg spinners. Cant help it. At leats Orielly is not a conventional leg spinner and was more in the fastish/Kumble mould.

Worrell HAS opened for West Indies six times and has a top score of 191 not out in that position. with an average of 49.4.

The very idea of a match between these two sides gives me goose pimples

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

My teams, for what it's worth...

Australia
Arthur Morris
Justin Langer
Don Bradman (c)
Greg Chappell
Steve Waugh
Keith Miller
Adam Gilchrist (k)
Alan Davidson
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Glenn McGrath

West Indies
Conrad Hunte
Gordon Greenidge
Viv Richards
George Headley
Brian Lara
Gary Sobers (c)
Jeff Dujon (k)
Malcolm Marshall
Andy Roberts
Michael Holding
Curtley Ambrose

Neil Harvey, Ray Lindwall, Bill O'Reilly, Joel Garner, Lance Gibbs and each of the 3 Ws all unlucky to miss out, of course. Someone has to though.

 

[Jamee999]

Walcott(wk)
Richards
Lara
Headley
Sobers
Marshall
Roberts
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Walsh

The 6 bowlers bowl you out for less than 200 and the 5 batsman wipe that out.

 

[twctopcat]

Walcott(wk)
Richards
Lara
Headley
Sobers
Marshall
Roberts
Holding
Garner
Ambrose
Walsh

The 6 bowlers bowl you out for less than 200 and the 5 batsman wipe that out.

Unorthodox, yet effective!!! Your recent pearls of wisdom are inspiring!

 

[Jamee999]

Only made for West Indian fast, seaming pitches.

 

[The King]

My windies team would be:

Hunte
Richards
Headley
Lara
Weekes
Sobers
Walcott (to offset the Advantage the Ozzies have with Gilchrist)
Marshall
Holding
Garner
Ambrose

Over 5 tests home and away i think both teams would win in their own backyards but not by much.

What I don't understand is that you put Worrell above Hunte in another post (Top ten WI batsmen and bowlers) yet you put Hunte as your opener despite the fact that Worrell was also an opener?

 

[Slifer]

Well to be honest I never knew that Worrell ever opened in tests so it was just lack of knowledge on my half.

 

[C_C]

I agree with Faaip's Aussie test side almost completely- i would bat Gilly above Miller and have Simpson over Morris.

For WI, i would pick this squad:

Hunte
Haynes
Viv
Lara
Kanhai
Sobers
Walcott(wk)
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding
Garner

 

[honestbharani]

Here is an interesting question. Who do you think would do well, the batters or bowlers if this match actually happened? Like if it is a low scoring game, then obviously the bowlers have done well or if it is a 300+ game for both sides, then the batters have done well. My gut feeling is that, even on the flattest track, the bowlers of both sides would still be able to bowl out the others for less than 300..... Bradman stranded on 99, I would think

 

[Slifer]

How about this (a bit of mixing and matching but give me a chance):

WI-A

Hunte
Greenidge
Headley
Richards*
Lara
Sobers
Dujon+
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

WI-B

Haynes
Fredricks
Weekes
Worrell*
Walcott+
Kanhai
LLoyd
Roberts
Croft
Walsh
Gibbs

WI-C

Rae
Stollmeyer
Richardson*
Rowe
Kallicharan
Nurse
D Murray+
Bishop
Hall
Griffith
Ramadhin

I think A and B should be good matches for most Aussie elevens. Any comments?

 

[aussie]

AUSTRALIA

Justin Langer
Arthur Morris
Neil Harvey
Sir Donald Bradman *
Greg Chappell
Keith Miller
Adam Gilchrist +
Ray Lindwall
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Glenn McGrath

Unlikely to miss out are the Steve Waugh & Allan Davidson mostly

WEST INDIES

Gordon Greenidge
Desmond Haynes
Brian Lara
George Headley
Viv Richards
Sir Garry Sobers *
Jeffery Dujon +
Malcolm Marshall
Wes Hall
Curtly Ambrose
Michael Holding

For WI Lance Gibbs & Conrad Hunte the unlucky ones to miss out

 

[grecian]

I find it very odd that Gordon Greenidge isn't in every side for the West Indies, a true genius, and maybe the greatest opener of all teams of all time.

 

[grecian]

Anywhoo

Ponsford
Taylor
Border
S Waugh
Trumper
G Chappell
Gilchrist
Warne
Lillee
Lindwall
Mcgrath


Grenidge
Haynes
Walcott
Weekes
Richards
Lloyd
Dujon
Marshall
Holding
Croft
Garner

 

[SJS]

I find it very odd that Gordon Greenidge isn't in every side for the West Indies, a true genius, and maybe the greatest opener of all teams of all time.

You are right. Two reasons. Firstly, West Indies have so many legendry batsmen who were not full time openers but cant all be fitted in the middle order. Hence the tendency to put someone like Worrell as an opener since he is two great a player not to be included in an all time Windies XI.

Secondly, Hunte was one of the greatest opening batsmen in the world. almost all those who saw him play agree on that. Thus inspite of the great stats of people like Greenidge and Haynes, it is difficult for mopst students of the game to leave out Hunte.

west Indies are so rich in individual talent that you can actualy make two sides which are almost as good as each other at least as far as middle order batsmen and fast bowlers are concerned.

This isnt really true to such an extent for other sides.

Just Count :

MIDDLE ORDER BATSMEN

• George Headley
• Weekes
• Worrell
• Wolcott (forget his keeping)
• Sobers
• Kanhai
• Richards
• Lara
  

FAST BOWLERS

• Constantine
• Martindale
• Hall
• Roberts
• Holding
• Croft
• Garner
• Marshall
• Ambrose
• Walsh
  

And you need two openers, a keeper and , if you want to make a balanced side one spinner (other than Sobers).

That leaves just 7 places. Above is a list of greats most of who could walk into all time world XI's. Compared to leaving out one of them, leaving out a Greenidge, a Haynes or a Stolemeyer seems an easier option to most people. That is why most people do not pick the best keeper and take walcott and take one of the middle order greats like Worrell who has a decent opening record in the few opportunities he had so as to acomodate more all time greats.

Its truly an embarassment of riches.