ICC Greatest Test Team

[bagapath]

The official team is out and it's lolerific:

International Cricket Council - News

Virender Sehwag, Sunil Gavaskar, Donald Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara, Kapil Dev, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Shane Warne, Wasim Akram, Curtly Ambrose, Glenn McGrath

there will soon be a day when my country will rule this planet in every sphere of life. hopefully I will be dead by then.

 

[smash84]

there will soon be a day when my country will rule this planet in every sphere of life. hopefully I will be dead by then.

Sorry bagapath but all that I can say at this statement is...........FOOL

 

[Ikki]

I remember Chappelli picking Sehwag and although I didn't really agree I thought his reasoning was interesting. He thought it almost certain that the batting line-up would score some runs but a batsman like Sehwag hitting his stride is pretty much an end to the match.

 

[gvenkat]

Apart from creating stir, What is the point of these teams?

Say hypothetically this team were to play some one? What is the objective ? Winning I would think.

So Why not have Sewag ahead of everyone else.. Apart from Kapil Dev, There is no other selection that can be complained about

Unfortunate not to see Viv/Macco in the list.. But it appears as though the folks who voted were youngsters.. and certainly Lara and McGrath are worthy replacements

 

[bagapath]

Sorry bagapath but all that I can say at this statement is...........FOOL

i guess you didnt get the embarrassment in my tone.

 

[bagapath]

it appears as though the folks who voted were youngsters..

and Indians. as long as the English waste their time on soccer and Aussies play footy, this is what we will end up with. don't get me wrong. I love kapil. but without sobers, no all time XI deserves to be even discussed. nincompoops who know nothing beyond their backyards have voted en masse.

 

[gvenkat]

and Indians. as long as the English waste their time on soccer and Aussies play footy, this is what we will end up with. don't get me wrong. I love kapil. but without sobers, no all time XI deserves to be even discussed. nincompoops who know nothing beyond their backyards have voted en masse.

I would not just blanket the Indians. It seems like voters were those who have just voted based on what they have seen. Your grouse of Sobers not in the eleven is perfectly valid, but I find these exercises just a plain waste of time

For instance if the English and Aussies would have voted. They would have voted en masse to Trumper and Hobbs and the likes.. Just saying.

 

[bagapath]

I don't think non Indians would even consider kapil in such a team. I wouldn't have been so pissed off had imran been there. he is a worthy member of any dream team, not kapil.

 

[gvenkat]

I don't think non Indians would even consider kapil in such a team. I wouldn't have been so pissed off had imran been there. he is a worthy member of any dream team, not kapil.

In all fairness, Imran or Sobers should have been there.. Instead of Kapil

 

[smash84]

i guess you didnt get the embarrassment in my tone.

I did........but my point was that if your country rules the world......it is something to rejoice about I suppose.......or at least the in the that way I see the world

 

[Cevno]

Yep.Kapil doesn't deserve to be there. Though he wasn't as bad as some people seem to be making out together as a all rounder.

Can see why people would have picked Sehwag though, with recent memory also playing a part plus his distinctive style.

Nice to see Wasim(for balance) and Curtley there though.Interesting Warne got picked ahead of Murali too.

No Marshall though

 

[BlazeDragon]

there will soon be a day when my country will rule this planet in every sphere of life. hopefully I will be dead by then.

Nah that will be staying with the Americans. But cricket wise though as long as over 50% of fans are Indians they will always have the last say.

 

[BlazeDragon]

Apart from creating stir, What is the point of these teams?

Say hypothetically this team were to play some one? What is the objective ? Winning I would think.

So Why not have Sewag ahead of everyone else.. Apart from Kapil Dev, There is no other selection that can be complained about

Unfortunate not to see Viv/Macco in the list.. But it appears as though the folks who voted were youngsters.. and certainly Lara and McGrath are worthy replacements

Yes winning is the purpose and to win you need the best players. I think most people will agree with me if I say that there are better openers that Sehwag.

The purpose of this was to select the greatest team and the most popular team. We already know who is more popular.

 

[gvenkat]

Yes winning is the purpose and to win you need the best players. I think most people will agree with me if I say that there are better openers that Sehwag.

The purpose of this was to select the greatest team and the most popular team. We already know who is more popular.

Sewag is possibly the most destructive Test opener of our times.. ffs, we need to come out of the past for once.. His strike rate is phenomenal. I would not be pissed if you select a Hayden or Langer to replace him. But if you are going to go in the past and select a slow poke like Boycott or some one else.. that will not cut it.

 

[kyear2]

The selection of Kapil Dev invalidates this entire exercise. Almost every Indian nominated got into the team. The result showed that the voters have no knowledge/respect of the past or the ability to look past nationalistic ambition. This I feel is a sad day for cricket.
The next time an exercise like this is carried out, either create a real short list of only deserving candidates or counterbalance it with expert picks like what cricinfo has done.
Congrats to Amby and Mcgrath for finally earning some much deserved recognition, and thankfully for Gilly, Dhoni wasn't nominated. At the very least Sir Don made it, otherwise this have been truely even a greater waste of time.

I truely hope that the cricinfo effort (though flawed), is regarded as truely the All Time 11.

 

[BlazeDragon]

Sewag is possibly the most destructive Test opener of our times.. ffs, we need to come out of the past for once.. His strike rate is phenomenal. I would not be pissed if you select a Hayden or Langer to replace him. But if you are going to go in the past and select a slow poke like Boycott or some one else.. that will not cut it.

This is the greatest Test squad not ODIs strike rates doesn't have much meaning. You never saw Adam Gilchrist open for Australia in tests did you?

 

[gvenkat]

This is the greatest Test squad not ODIs strike rates doesn't have much meaning. You never saw Adam Gilchrist open for Australia in tests did you?

So what's your point? Are we selecting this eleven to win a Test or Just select an ornamental eleven?

 

[BlazeDragon]

So what's your point? Are we selecting this eleven to win a Test or Just select an ornamental eleven?

My point is that strike rates is something that enough to make him all time best test opener. The like of Hobbs, Hutton are not considered legends because their name sounds cool. They have won their team matches and they didn't need a massively high strike rate because this is test cricket.

Plus if we were focusing on strike rates why put Gavaskar in there? Because he is Indian?

 

[BlazeDragon]

Plus if you just want a modern player I would say Hayden is the better choice.

 

[gvenkat]

My point is that strike rates is something that enough to make him all time best test opener. The like of Hobbs, Hutton are not considered legends because their name sounds cool. They have won their team matches and they didn't need a massively high strike rate because this is test cricket.

Plus if we were focusing on strike rates why put Gavaskar in there? Because he is Indian?

Sunny should not be there if we want to win the game.. I would rather pick Matty hayden ahead of him.. if I want to win the game. When I have the likes of Bradman, Tendy, Lara, Gilly to follow.. I wont really want them to be protected by a stone-waller.