Prince EWS
Global Moderator
I'd pick McGrath and just ask him to bat left handed. Sure he'd get out for a duck but who cares?
Call me Mr Fussy if you like, but in a thread about left-handed batsman I would prefer it if the candidates batted left-handed.Ha ye i know. But do me need to be THAT precise in our line-up?
but dude, he should also bowl left handed. that is the issue.I'd pick McGrath and just ask him to bat left handed. Sure he'd get out for a duck but who cares?
You sure Morris bowled with his right hand??. I know for certain Trevor Goddard from South Africa did though..jayasuriya
morris
sobers
border *
leyland
woolley
gilchrist +
akram
davidson
wardle
peel
replaced hayden, harvey and lara coz they bowled with their right hand!!!
morris was a "pure" left hander, and so was wardle.You sure Morris bowled with his right hand??. I know for certain Trevor Goddard from South Africa did though..
Plus i think Wardle batted right handed, damn this is too hard limiting to just pure left handers . You could replace him with either Vaas, Vettori or Bill Johnston.
You are right. I should have put Border and Sangakkara at the very least. I just figured that no one would go for Sangakkara over Lara. But he will definitely be an all time great by the time he retires. Amazing batsman, easily Sri Lanka's best.Odd that Sangakkara and Flower have no mention. So are Border, Lloyd and possibly Kanhai
i always choose de silva first. may be that is just me.You are right. I should have put Border and Sangakkara at the very least. I just figured that no one would go for Sangakkara over Lara. But he will definitely be an all time great by the time he retires. Amazing batsman, easily Sri Lanka's best.
To each their own I guess. For me it's a no contest in tests; I would have De Silva third after Sangakkara and Jayawardene.i always choose de silva first. may be that is just me.
I tend to favour de Silva as well; hold him in very high esteem though I've never watched him bat live (on television).i always choose de silva first. may be that is just me
Kanhai was a right hander.Odd that Sangakkara and Flower have no mention. So are Border, Lloyd and possibly Kanhai
How can you put Pollock in an all time XI (not saying you have BTW) when he played about 20 tests and had his career curtailed?Yes, by a fair margin, followed (in no particular order) by Pollock and Lara. Those three are the ONLY left handed batsmen who have ever been seriously considered for an all-time world XI.
I like the look of this twelve.jayasuriya
morris
sobers
border *
leyland
woolley
gilchrist +
akram
davidson
wardle
peel
replaced hayden, harvey and lara coz they bowled with their right hand!!!
interesting. sutcliffe over jayasuriya is fine. lara over leyland is also perfectly alright. but why donnelly over border?Against all popular opinion, I would probably drop Border from the final eleven
Donnelly played only seven tests but from all contemporary accounts he was one of the great batsmen of his time.interesting. sutcliffe over jayasuriya is fine. but why donnelly over border?
fair enough sjs. i have sent you an email. check it outDonnelly played only seven tests but from all contemporary accounts he was one of the great batsmen of his time.
I am a bit biased in the case of Border I must admit. He has a fabulous record and he has it in-spite of not being a really great batsman. Border's great grit and determination are a great component of his batting. I tend to discount that a bit when choosing all time sides. I am not justifying what I do just explaining my personal methods. Its the same with being reluctant to chose bowlers with very unorthodox actions.
As I said, its a bias and a bias can never be justified
It's always difficult to rate players who for one reason or another played very little Test cricket. This applies not only to to the South Africans of Pollock's generation but also to other players like George Headley. I think, however, that if we were to ask cricketers, journalists and ordinary fans to list the greatest batsmen of all time Pollock would be named far more often than any left hander other than Sobers or Lara.How can you put Pollock in an all time XI (not saying you have BTW) when he played about 20 tests and had his career curtailed?
He was a great player, don't get me wrong, but for him to be considered for an AT XI strikes me as odd. Going off that sample size, it's fortunate that Jimmy Adams' career didn't end after 20-odd tests. IIRC he was averaging 70-odd.
Should say it'd be Sobers for mine, quite handily. But the lack of Border love on here is ****ting me no end
that's not a function of pollock's inherent quality itself but his reputation driven by the biased accounts of his admirers.I think, however, that if we were to ask cricketers, journalists and ordinary fans to list the greatest batsmen of all time Pollock would be named far more often than any left hander other than Sobers or Lara.