Interesting that this thread came up, it's really similar to the team-building thing that I have been wondering about for the last couple of weeks. I created my own format for a greatest ever team, these are my rules (professionalism and balance are the most crucial aspects of the team).
A touring XV: The ultimate team
Concept, rules and regulations
Each person chooses fifteen players from the history of cricket.
The players are then sent around the world, playing a test team and a first class team from any era on any pitch that the nation produced. This means that a number is chosen at random (from the years that the team in question has played test cricket) and the first home match of that year give us the conditions and opposition. Explained in more detail below.
The era is not revealed until teams are selected, as to ensure teams are selected with balance in mind.
Fielding skills should be considered, as well as injury resistance.
The rules aim to promote the inclusion of team players and the exclusion of 'selfish geniuses'.
DG Bradman and GSA Sobers are banned.
Four extra players may be selected and switched in to the team at any stage.
It is assumed that the equipment of the era shall be used.
Trial
I just tried the new team/era method, came up with some very interesting prospects. I did Australia first and the field was Melbourne, 1981, The team included G Chappell, Hughes, Border, Walters, Marsh, Lillee and Pascoe (
3rd Test: Australia v India at Melbourne, Feb 7-11, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo). Next I did India and got a flat pitch in Mumbai against a second-rate team (
1st Test: India v West Indies at Mumbai (BS), Nov 28-Dec 3, 1958 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo). Just to keep experimenting, I did the West Indies... I got Bridgetown in Guyana in 1984 against a very scary squad (
1st Test: West Indies v Australia at Georgetown, Mar 2-7, 1984 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo) that included Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Lloyd, Dujon, Garner and Daniel. Certainly seems like a more exciting way of doing the 'tour' seeing as there are so many unknowns. I used
RANDOM.ORG - True Random Number Service to generate the year and then edited the URL of this
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/india/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=1;id=1984;type=year by putting the year in, then chose the first game (next time I will randomly pick them with the generator).
What do you think? It's pretty similar to your idea of a professional team, it just adds four players and presents different challenges to the players.
