Current players who can/will make all time XI's

[Prince EWS]

About Mahela and the old stalwarts, those two played a lot in the 90's. At that time, scoring runs was difficult, especially in the subcontinent. They may not have a glamorous strike rate and average, but they served a purpose quite well. Mahela plays in an age of flat tracks, and seems to throw his wicket away a little too often. A lot of his best performances have come against India, and he's often failed against the top team- Australia.

I wonder, does Farveez Maharoof have a chance? He's a choice for seven/eight and is a far better bowler than the likes of Dharmasena and Chandana, and surely the best all-round option. This will get in a specialist wicketkeeper in the XI, though Sangakkara is good enough for his batting alone.

I don't mind Maharoof and he's an improved bowler of late, but he averages over 60 with the ball after twenty Tests. Hard to go from that to making your country's all-time XI I'd say.

 

[Arjun]

I don't mind Maharoof and he's an improved bowler of late, but he averages over 60 with the ball after twenty Tests. Hard to go from that to making your country's all-time XI I'd say.

That's no doubt frustrating, when you try to get him in as a strike bowler who can bat, but the options they have otherwise are really dire.

 

[sanga1337]

Mahela > Gurusingha too.

Pretty sure Mahela, Sangakarra, De Silva and Ranatunga would have to make all time Sri Lankan middle order.

Openers very likely to be Jayasuriya and Atapattu.

You could chuck in another batsmen as Sangakarra would keep, and De Silva and Sanath could bowl a bit.

Hashan tillerkeratne is also worth a mention IMO

 

[sanga1337]

About Mahela and the old stalwarts, those two played a lot in the 90's. At that time, scoring runs was difficult, especially in the subcontinent. They may not have a glamorous strike rate and average, but they served a purpose quite well. Mahela plays in an age of flat tracks, and seems to throw his wicket away a little too often. A lot of his best performances have come against India, and he's often failed against the top team- Australia.

I wonder, does Farveez Maharoof have a chance? He's a choice for seven/eight and is a far better bowler than the likes of Dharmasena and Chandana, and surely the best all-round option. This will get in a specialist wicketkeeper in the XI, though Sangakkara is good enough for his batting alone.

I can accept people rating Gurusinha better than Jayawardene but no way is Mahanama better than Jayawardne. Mahanama Only really scored runs against India (46.20) and New Zealand(58.00). He did alright against Australia (34.50) and failed against every other test team. Mahela Jayawardene is a much better player than you give him credit for. He averages around 20 more runs than Mahanama and has a much better record overall. You say he has struggled against Australia, but he still averages 32.27 which is certainly not terrible. He has done fantastic against England, India and South Africa who are definitely not weak teams. Even if conditions today are easier I doubt that Jayawardene would've averaged much below 40 if he had played in Mahanama's era

 

[Richard]

Actually, I'm not sure of the top South African quicks beyond Donald and Pollock.

Neil Adcock, Peter Heine, Peter Pollock, Michael Procter, PS de Villiers.

And Vince van der Bijl and Clive Rice from the completely-no-Tests time.

 

[S.P. Fleming]

Dan Vettori is a certainty for New Zealand. Brendon McCullam in the ODI XI and might make the test XI later in his career. Shane Bond wouldve made both the test and ODI teams even with his short and sharp career.

 

[Manee]

Neil Adcock, Peter Heine, Peter Pollock, Michael Procter, PS de Villiers.

And Vince van der Bijl and Clive Rice from the completely-no-Tests time.

Do any of them come near Steyn's current form in terms of Test bowling?

 

[Lillian Thomson]

England- Pietersen and Flintoff are the only ones left. Harmison had a chance, but couldn't sustain it. Neither could Trescothick, while Cook is still fresh and new.

Flintoff - no chance and there never has been. Harmison? He's not the pie thrower that he's sometimes portrayed as but isn't and never looked like being anywhere near the class of Trueman, Snow, Statham, Tyson etc, in fact he wouldn't even displace Gough or Caddick. Trescothick? Most people would have Hutton and Hobbs as openers and Trescothick is nowhere in that company. Cook, no chance.

 

[Laurrz]

ODI's are a range so i'll say tests

Ponting, Hayden, Murali, Tendulkar, Kallis

are in contention atm, cbs knowing who may make it in the future

 

[Flem274*]

Dan Vettori is a certainty for New Zealand. Brendon McCullam in the ODI XI and might make the test XI later in his career. Shane Bond wouldve made both the test and ODI teams even with his short and sharp career.

Vettori wouldn't make the XI unless there was spin. Plus iirc, John Reid could bowl both medium fast and off spin. My bowling line up in NZ would be:

R Hadlee
S Bond
J Cowie
B Taylor
J Reid

 

[bagapath]

I doubt if South Africa's all-time XI will ever have a spinner.

Oh, yes.. It'll be very difficult, near impossible, to leave out the great george aubrey faulkner and hugh tayfield from an all-time SA XI. faulkner was a great leg spinning allrounder and tayfield is one of the greatest off spinners ever.

 

[Richard]

Do any of them come near Steyn's current form in terms of Test bowling?

They all did far more than Steyn has done so far.

 

[Manee]

They all did far more than Steyn has done so far.

Indeed. No alterior motive on my part, just wondering if they ever dominated teams like Steyn has in the last few years.

 

[Richard]

Probably, I've never yet looked at the intricate details of the Tests of Adcock, Heine, Pollock and Procter really.

 

[GIMH]

Flintoff - no chance and there never has been. Harmison? He's not the pie thrower that he's sometimes portrayed as but isn't and never looked like being anywhere near the class of Trueman, Snow, Statham, Tyson etc, in fact he wouldn't even displace Gough or Caddick. Trescothick? Most people would have Hutton and Hobbs as openers and Trescothick is nowhere in that company. Cook, no chance.

Pietersen?

 

[Richard]

Pietersen isn't even close to being as good as Kenny Barrington yet - the most oft-underestimated candidate for an England all-time middle-order.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Pietersen?

I didn't mention Pietersen because I agree with the original poster that he's still a candidate for a future All Time XI. I didn't agree with what he wrote about the other players he mentioned.

 

[Flem274*]

Definitely Luke Wright.

 

[zaremba]

I reckon Tim Southee has the potential to get into the NZ All Time XI. Hasn't had a great tour of England but he's very young and very talented.

Pietersen isn't such a bad shout for England. Some pretty strong competition, obviously, but few of the obvious candidates have quite the same destructive ability as Flash Kev.

I find it striking that in these kinds of debate some people tend to be reluctant to acknowledge a player's genius until the end of his career.

 

[Shaggy Alfresco]

Pietersen isn't even close to being as good as Kenny Barrington yet - the most oft-underestimated candidate for an England all-time middle-order.

What's England's top order then?

Hobbs
Hutton
Barrington
Hammond
Compton

I don't think he's as good as Compton yet, but I can certainly see him having a case 10 years down the line.