If Australia and New Zealand were one country

[Mike5181]

In a hypothetical world Australia and New Zealand joined together and became one country with NZ becoming a seventh state of Australia. Among other things such as the debate over the Pavlova/Rusell Crowe etc that would finally be over this as a result would affect the sports teams from both countries. Say now the international cricket team was then selected from both countries into one hybrid eleven if you like. If you were in charge of the selecting duties who would you pick in your T20/One Day International/Test teams.

You can pick players from anywhere within their respective domestic teams as well as the current international players.

To give you a start here are the New Zealand/Australia Test teams from their last international outing in the format.

Test

New Zealand
1st Test: New Zealand v Pakistan at Hamilton, Jan 7-9, 2011 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

Australia
5th Test: Australia v England at Sydney, Jan 3-7, 2011 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

What would your One Day teams and T20 teams look like?


I guess you could do this with other teams as well. Australia and New Zealand have had this sort of discussion on this topic before though.

Just a reminder
Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

New Zealand - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Chewie]

Tests:

Katich
Watson
Ponting
Clarke
Ryder
Hussey
Haddin
Vettori
Johnson
Harris
Hilfenhaus

Could potentially see Taylor coming in for Clarke or McCullum coming in as an opener but he's not tested enough.

 

[Flem274*]

I demand the immediate deportation of Mike5181 from our shores.

Chewie possibly following him.

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha I was thinking about this not long ago actually - Australia's main problems are finding a spinner who can contribute to the team as part of a five man attack, and the middle order. Those are really the only two things the New Zealand team has pretty well sorted at the moment. Slot Vettori and any two of Ryder/Taylor/Williamson into the Australian Test team and it'd solve a lot. Not saving Vettori is a strike spinner but he could certainly play a role in a five man attack with Watson, and his batting and experience would provide great balance to the team (he's good enough to play Test cricket as a batsman alone in most teams really).

 

[Chewie]

I'm thinking hypothetically... I wouldn't support it at all but it's nice to consider what would happen

 

[Mike5181]

I demand the immediate deportation of Mike5181 from our shores.

Chewie possibly following him.

 

[Burgey]

Finally some decent skiing in this country.

 

[kingkallis]

I demand the immediate deportation of Mike5181 from our shores.

Chewie possibly following him.

hahaha

 

[Flem274*]

If we were forced into making an Oceania XI (with both countries remaining very separate), I would field:

Ingram
How (c)
Sinclair
Taylor
Weston
Oram
van Wyk (w)
Bracewell
Wheeler
Mason
Milne

It's the only eleven players in the region who can win anything.

 

[Mike5181]

Test team

1. Shane Watson
2. Brendon McCullum
3. Michael Clarke
4. Ross Taylor
5. Michael Hussey
6. Jesse Ryder
7. Brad Haddin +
8. Daniel Vettori (c)
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Ryan Harris
11. Ben Hilfenhaus

Assuming Katich and Ponting are pretty much in the retiring stage.

Awesome team. Only really the bowling line up that is missing something.

 

[Flem274*]

Test team

1. Shane Watson
2. Brendon McCullum
3. Michael Clarke
4. Ross Taylor
5. Michael Hussey
6. Jesse Ryder
7. Brad Haddin +
8. Daniel Vettori (c)
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Ryan Harris
11. Ben Hilfenhaus

Assuming Katich and Ponting are pretty much in the retiring stage.

Awesome team. Only really the bowling line up that is missing something.

Martin's batting.

Would take Martin's bowling over Hilf as well.

 

[Zinzan]

lol, How mean would the Rugby League XIII be

 

[angad]

In a hypothetical world India and China can just encircle Australia and annex its land. India and China needs resources to keep expanding at the rate it has. They have population but soon the resources will dry up. The next "World War" might not even involve the US.

Test team -

1. V Sehwag
2. Shane Watson
3. Usman Khawaja
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Jesse Ryder
6. VVS Laxman
7. MS Dhoni + (c)
8. H Singh
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Zaheer Khan
11. Doug Bollinger

 

[Prince EWS]

Martin's batting.

Would take Martin's bowling over Hilf as well.

Siddle and Bollinger > both.

 

[morgieb]

I'd say....

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Ryder
Haddin
Vettori
Johnson
Bollinger
Siddle

Harsh on Taylor, but he's not quite as good as Clarke or Hussey.

 

[Zinzan]

I'd say....

Watson
Katich
Ponting
Hussey
Clarke
Ryder
Haddin
Vettori
Johnson
Bollinger
Siddle

Harsh on Taylor, but he's not quite as good as Clarke or Hussey.

^ Yup, agree that only Ryder & Vettori would make the combined test side atm with Vettori just lucky Aust have no wicket-taking spinners themselves. McCullum has the potential to be at least as good at Watson or Katich as an opener imho, but would be behind them right now. This could change in the next couple of years if McCullum continues to average >50 as a test opener.

As an aside, I'd have Harris >> Bollinger fairly comfortably atm since you'd already have two left-arm bowlers in the side with Johnson & Vettori

 

[Mike5181]

T20
1. Shane Watson
2. Brendon McCullum+
3. Jesse Ryder
4. Ross Taylor
5. Michael Hussey
6. Cameron White
7. David Hussey
8. Daniel Vettori
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Dirk Nannes
11. Shaun Tait

 

[M0rphin3]

Tests:

Katman
Twatto
Ponting
Ryder
Williamson
Hussey
Haddin+
Vettori
Johnson
Siddle
Martin

 

[M0rphin3]

T20:
1. Twatto
2. Mccullum+
3. Ryder
4. Taylor
5. Mussey
6. White
7. O'keefe
8. Vettori
9. Johnson
10. Nannes
11. Tait

 

[Mike5181]

Hmm ODIs are a bit harder

1. Shane Watson
2. Jesse Ryder
3. Michael Clarke
4. Ross Taylor
5. Cameron White
6. Michael Hussey
7. Brendon McCullum+
8. Daniel Vettori
9. Mitchell Johnson
10. Brett Lee
11. Shaun Tait

Team = Creamage