Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Nah he picked De Villiers.Fix'd
Bit biased, don't you think?
Nah he picked De Villiers.Fix'd
Bit biased, don't you think?
Weird squeezing of 5 bowlers in there, though I appreciate the effort. I think if you're going to do that you have to go Ashwin over Lyon and bat him at seven.Great thread. The teams here were picked pretty early in the decade, so it was almost entirely a prediction thread. Now we have a lot more evidence and performances in the decade to judge on. Looking back, it's fair to say that some of the selections are interesting, with hindsight, but we'll probably bump this thread again in a couple of years and my picks will look stupid.
Anyway, here's my effort.
1. Alastair Cook*
2. Shikhar Dhawan/David Warner/Joe Root
3. Hashim Amla
4. Cheteshwar Pujara
5. AB de Villiers +
6. Virat Kohli
7. Vernon Philander
8. Stuart Broad
9. James Pattinson
10. Dale Steyn/Trent Boult
11. Nathan Lyon
All of the second openers are pretty unproved, but I'd expect at least one of them to be pushing to open alongside Cook by 2020.
Steyn has been the outstanding bowler so far this decade, but could run out of steam too far away from finish line. Fast bowling stocks are really competitive. Roach and Southee unlucky to miss out. Certainly healthier than when people were suggesting Gul and Sreesanth.
Can't remember if I made predictions but I've made it this far in the thread and OMFG.Gambhir
Tamim
Khawaja
Williamson
Morgan
Matthews
Randiv
Steyn
Roach
Sreesanth
Chahar
Your argument with me about Raina is pretty awful for me in hindsight.Can't remember if I made predictions but I've made it this far in the thread and OMFG.
Some OK ones, but some major flops.**** knows. For example, my 2000's team would look like....
Hayden
Sehwag
Ponting
Dravid
*insert batsman here* (really there'd be 10 candidates for the 3rd batting position)
Kallis
Gilchrist
Pollock
Warne
Murali
McGrath
No-one for example, would've heard of Sehwag around 2000, and I doubt people would've included the bowlers.
I'll go....
Tamin
Hughes
Khawaja (cos I'm biased )
Clarke
de Villiers
Raina
Smith
Shakib
Morkel
Steyn
Amir/Roach
Worth noting that everyone in our 2000s side selected back in 2009 had made their debut by this point. So not necessarily.1. Cook
2. Dhawan
3. Amla
4. Pujara
5. Smith/Kohli *
6. de Villiers +
7. Jadeja
8. Starc
9. Pattinson
10. Steyn
11. Anderson
Ignoring the fact that half of the side we'll select in 7 years time probably haven't debuted yet. Biggest question marks over Smith and Starc, but I reckon if Starc can get his radar right as he develops he'll be gun, and, well, Smith will probably be the first to drop out for a future gun that we haven't seen yet (hence putting Kohli alongside).
Jadeja could also shunt it, tbh.
EDIT: Jimmeh's only 31?
Half probably an exaggeration, but it wouldn't surprise me if the last batting and bowling slots (potentially the all-rounder slot as well) are filled by guys not yet on the scene. We don't exactly have a huge number of spinners who look World XI worthy and have most of the decade left in them, for example.Worth noting that everyone in our 2000s side selected back in 2009 had made their debut by this point. So not necessarily.