All-time Test XI with a twist

[Prince EWS]

Averaging 30 is pretty much fine for a keeper-batsman though, especially one who played before 21st-century batting averages. Post-Gilchrist ones who average 40 are the exception.

That's why allrounders are less common this century though. If your keeper can average mid 30s and you have a balanced attack then 6-1-4 works perfectly well and we're seeing more evidence of that. If your keeper is basically just a good #8 (or worse) with the bat though then you generally need to balance your side a bit differently.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Your all-time Test XI with the criteria being;

1) Batsman averaging less than 46
2) Bowlers averaging more than 27
3) Wicket keeper averaging less than 30 with the bat and;
4) Maximum of two genuine all-rounders

My usual since 1990 rules apply -

1. Gooch
2. Taylor
3. Langer
4. Mark Waugh
5. De Silva
6. Fleming
7. Flintoff
8. Healy +
9. Vaas
10. Kumble
11. Ntini (edited from Bishop who I thought averaged 27)

 

[harsh.ag]

Trumper | Greenidge | Ranjitsinghji | Gower | Kallicharran | Botham | Kapil | Healy +| Benaud | Lee | Kumble/Gibbs

Don't consider Benaud to be an all-rounder. Many batting options - Richie Richardson, Cowdrey, Abbas, Graveney, Lehmann, Hanif, Boon, Rowe, Gooch, Fredericks, Chappelli, Waugh. Obviously not considering Grace and Shrewsbury.

 

[cricmahanty]

Mark Taylor
Gordon Greenidge
Stephen Fleming
Martin Crowe
Ian Chappell
VVS Laxman
Ian Botham
Kapil Dev
Ian Healy (w/k)
Richie Benaud (c)
Jason Gillespie
Harold Larwood

The thing that struck me after I made up my eleven was the number of takers I have for the skipper's cap. Tubs, Flem, Chappelli, Benaud and Dev were all good leaders of men in their own unique ways. Saying goes that too many cooks spoil the broth but this seems just about a perfect agglomeration of some top-notch cricketing brains, all in one team.

Lots of able slip fieldsmen too, to assist Healy behind the stumps.

I was glad to find VVS Laxman ended up with an average of 45.97 and thus very nearly makes the cut.

As for the bowling, Dev and Botham with their swing should gel pretty well with Larwood, and his pace, and Gillespie with his accuracy. I was left to choose either of Dizzy or Thommo but having already selected a pace demon in Larwood, I'd to go for some variety.

Chandra was in contention for the spinner's spot too, as was Kumble. But Benaud was probably as good a leggie as both of them (if not better) and he also averaged close to 25 with the bat. Plus, he's the captain of my side.

 

[GuyFromLancs]

Perhaps the captains had their averages affected by virture of them being captains.

I too thought of VVS but thought he'd just about made an average of 46 for some reason. I know for most of his career he was only about 41.

 

[Himannv]

1. W.G Grace
2. Victor Trumper
3. Charles Macartney
4. David Gower
5. Colin Cowdrey
6. Frank Woolley*
7. Ian Botham
8. Harold Larwood
9. Don Tallon +
10. Lasith Malinga
11. Lance Gibbs

I don't think my team changes very much but I tend to dislike most current day cricketers. The only modifications I'd make are probably just ones I probably should have made in the first place.

1. W.G Grace
2. Victor Trumper
3. Charles Macartney
4. Aravinda de Silva
5. Ranjitsinhji
6. Frank Woolley*
7. Ian Botham
8. Godfrey Evans+
9. Harold Larwood
10. Jeff Thompson
11. Subash Gupte

Wish I could have a bit of Basil D'Oliveira somewhere in there.

 

[harsh.ag]

Has Grace, Macartney, Woolley and Botham. Claims 2 genuine all-rounders

 

[adub]

All time is a bit too many to choose from. I started watching cricket in the 70s so just went with guys from that era:

Glenn Turner
Gordon Greenidge
Ian Chappell
John Edrich
Alvin Kallicharran
Tony Greig
Kapil Dev
Rod Marsh
Sarfraz Nawaz
Jeff Thomson
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

Would have had Lloyd and Snow in, but they just missed qualification. Vishy and Zaheer next in line for batting spots, and Bedi and Mallett close to the spinner spot. Good quicks were the hardest to find that met the qualification Chris Old probably next in line with maybe Tangles. Still a handy side.

 

[benchmark00]

I love a good twist.

 

[morgieb]

1. Grace
2. Trumper
3. May
4. Ranji
5. Crowe
6. Botham
7. Dev
8. Tallon
9. Larwood
10. Hall
11. Gibbs

 

[adub]

to continue with the theme, from the 80s:

Graham Gooch
Desmond Haynes
Richie Richardson
Dilip Vengsarkar
Martin Crowe
Ian Botham
Syed Kirmani
Merv Hughes
Abdul Qadir
Craig McDermott
Terry Alderman

Bit lighter on for batting than the 70s side with Botham at 6, Kirmani at 7 and Merv at 8. Could bring Azharuddin into the top 6 and drop a quick to strengthen things, but I'll keep Azza for the 90s.

 

[adub]

90s:

Mark Taylor
Gary Kirsten
David Boon
Mohammad Azharuddin
Aravinda de Silva
Mark Waugh
Chris Cairns
Ian Healy
Heath Streak
Anil Kumble
Angus Fraser

Waugh probably called on to do a bit more bowling than I'd like but a super deep batting line up and a better than handy pace attack. Slater, Goughy, Saqlain, Robin Smith unlucky.

 

[adub]

and lastly the noughties

Sanath Jayasuriya
Chris Gayle
Michael Vaughan
VVS Laxman
Simon Katich
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Ridley Jacobs
Brett Lee
Makhaya Ntini
Stuart MacGill

Harsh on Strauss, but I wanted Sanath's bowling and the destruction he and Gayle could cause if they both got going. Jones, Anderson and Vaas close.

 

[hendrix]

would have Anderson over probably Lee or Jacobs.

Fleming over Collingwood.

 

[Prince EWS]

would have Anderson over probably Lee or Jacobs.

Interesting tactic to drop your wicket keeper for an opening bowler, I must say.

 

[hendrix]

Interesting tactic to drop your wicket keeper for an opening bowler, I must say.

meant Ntini, whoops

 

[hendrix]

would also pick Boucher over Jacobs

 

[Howe_zat]

and lastly the noughties

Sanath Jayasuriya
Chris Gayle
Michael Vaughan
VVS Laxman
Simon Katich
Paul Collingwood
Andrew Flintoff
Ridley Jacobs
Brett Lee
Makhaya Ntini
Stuart MacGill

Harsh on Strauss, but I wanted Sanath's bowling and the destruction he and Gayle could cause if they both got going. Jones, Anderson and Vaas close.

If that's true I'd say you've been harsher on Vaughan and Trescothick.

 

[Himannv]

If that's true I'd say you've been harsher on Vaughan and Trescothick.

Vaughan did make his lineup though.

 

[adub]

would also pick Boucher over Jacobs

So would I if his average was only 0.31 lower...