Wisden names All Time World XI

[SpofforthLohman]

Miller's probably the most remarkably underrated All rounder here imo. The more I read about his exploits and the way he played, the more I admire him.

Yes he seems very underrated here for some reason.

 

[Acko88]

Good team, Flower was so obvious. I have seen Bangladesh only once, when Steve Waugh played them so I have no idea about any of them. Hadlee was obvious too but I'd probably just put in Ponting for Viv and Ambrose for Marshall just to be contrary and immediately boot Sharma out for Tendulkar., I would put Steve waugh in somehow as well, he makes nearly every team I make up in my head.

I love Steve Waugh and he was in my first draft when I did this, but my middle order was a little crowded, and Warnie has to be the first picked aussie. It's a bit of a juggling act, because you need to search for guys who stand out against their fellow countrymen(Hadlee, Flower, Botham, Khan) and then try to get guys who stood out in their profession(Marshall, Warnie) and put everyone in position and come up with the best team.

 

[SpofforthLohman]

Of course he is entitled to his opinion but I'd rather take Richie Benaud's opinion over your grandfather. I hope you don't mind

He was a better cricketer than my pop but that is not to say pop wasn't a very handy cricketer himself. As for Ritchie, I don't know him, we never met so I haven't had the chance to ask him why. Then again he would have been a kid when Miller was hitting his prime. There are many others who think of Miller as a genius of the game. If you get a chance to have a beer with some ancient cricket fans, ask them about the players they admired most, I have done it before and learned stuff and got drunk as well/// it's a win - win.

 

[SpofforthLohman]

I love Steve Waugh and he was in my first draft when I did this, but my middle order was a little crowded, and Warnie has to be the first picked aussie. It's a bit of a juggling act, because you need to search for guys who stand out against their fellow countrymen(Hadlee, Flower, Botham, Khan) and then try to get guys who stood out in their profession(Marshall, Warnie) and put everyone in position and come up with the best team.

Yes I always find that I just can't fit 14 players into a 11 man team and the middle order does get crowded. Once I just picked a team with Bradman and ten allrounders, and you know what ?... I came up with a basically unbeatable team. Best way around this is to name a ground the match would be played on then pick a team for those conditions only, so Waugh makes any side I pick to play in England but maybe Clarke for say Adelaide tests. Waugh was unusual for recent aussie teams as he played well in every country against all bowling attacks and he is the only batsman I saw that ended up conquering Ambrose, at first Ambrose blew him away but the pure guts of the man won out in the end. I remember how dejected Ambrose looked in those last few innings he played against Waugh.

 

[SpofforthLohman]

Agree entirely, for reasons I explained here

I just started reading your article, seems very good. I wanted to make a comment on something you said about Faulkner, it was the mention of the farcical triangular series. It reminds me of my favorite incident in all cricket history. Those 6 greats that did not go on that tour after the cricket board boss said something Clem Hill didn't like and they had a massive punch up in the ACB headquarters. That Australian team was illegitimate for sure. Those old cricket officials needed more Clem Hill's to beat the sense into them.

 

[SpofforthLohman]

Agree entirely, for reasons I explained here

Excellent read, thanks mate.

 

[The Battlers Prince]

Agree entirely, for reasons I explained here

Not having a lot of time to pour through the record books as I would like I often feel misguided when I put Miller in my ATG side. His approach to the game is my favourite part of why I like putting him in so much. I really enjoyed your article.

 

[kyear2]

170 wickets at 22.98 runs each is a nice kind of reluctant.

In the big matches they had during the War, Miller was indeed a batsman who bowled rarely but that changed quickly when he started taking wickets. By Millers test stats he is more of a bowling allrounder, wouldn't you agree ?

His average is very good, but his strike rate of 61 and 3 WPM show that he was an exceptional 5th / situational bowler rather than an ATG front line bowler.
Regarding being a bowling All Rounder, Miller was a top order batsman so if anything he is a batting or true all rounder.
So not sure if his batting numbers are good enough to Justify a place In the top order in an ATG Xi and his bowling numbers on closer inspection are not as good as Imran's or in my opinion good enough to be a front line pacer in an ATG XI.

Just my opinion.

 

[marc71178]

I criticized Don's team for not including Gilchrist... and Hayden in his Aussie XI.

Was he meant to be able to predict the future then, or perhaps you want him to pick his team from beyond the grave?

 

[fredfertang]

Was he meant to be able to predict the future then, or perhaps you want him to pick his team from beyond the grave?

Considering he averaged 99.94 I don't think that's an unreasonable ask

 

[Sharry2013]

He was an amateur fast bowler

Can't help but think that the reason he never played a proper Test match (ie one against Australia) is that he wasn't one of the best players of his own generation, let alone of all time

He wasn't a professional cricketer dude just an amateur fast bowler who played the game for fun and usually professionals were considered for test. Bearing in mind he was an amateur fast bowler playing very less first class matches and hardly any training his record is excellent against when australia went to england to play he captained sussex to victory over australia in a few matches and his average against australia is 24 excellent if u consider the wet wickets of his times when fast bowlers could not easily get a foot hold on the crease and spinners enjoyed success. Just wondering had he played sufficient number of test matches how many wickets he would get

 

[fredfertang]

If that is your rationale I would have thought Kortright would be a better bet

 

[watson]

To my knowledge only two fast bowlers have hit the side-screen on the full, or near full - Kortright and Thomo.

So, I've always wondered why Kortright didn't play more Tests for England when he was so damned fast. Surely he couldn't have been that inaccurate as to prohibit his selection.

 

[smash84]

Didn't know where to post this but this footage of Michael Holding bowling to Brian Close is so awesome

Michael Holding gets annoyed at Brian Close - YouTube

In his pomp arguably the finest of the WI quartet was Michael Holding

 

[kyear2]

Didn't know where to post this but this footage of Michael Holding bowling to Brian Close is so awesome

Michael Holding gets annoyed at Brian Close - YouTube

In his pomp arguably the finest of the WI quartet was Michael Holding

In the late '70's he was the best of the quartet and at worst the equal of Lillee. His peak only lasted to about '83 though and it about that time that Marshall usurped his title.

 

[smash84]

I always thought that Michael Holding was much more exciting to watch. That long run up to the crease was just so awesome.

 

[fredfertang]

To my knowledge only two fast bowlers have hit the side-screen on the full, or near full - Kortright and Thomo.

So, I've always wondered why Kortright didn't play more Tests for England when he was so damned fast. Surely he couldn't have been that inaccurate as to prohibit his selection.

He never did play a Test - I believe he thought it was because he played for an unfashionable county, Essex, but in truth he was only bowling well enough to have been considered for the 1896 home series or the 1897/98 one in Aus - the competition was men like Tom Richardson, Jack Hearne, George Lohmann, Johnny Briggs, Bobby Peel and Bill Lockwood so it was no real snub to be left out in favour of that lot - he was also a stroppy sod who, fair play to him, would sledge WG, but doubtless there were those to whom he didn't endear himself as a result

 

[the big bambino]

He never did play a Test - I believe he thought it was because he played for an unfashionable county, Essex, but in truth he was only bowling well enough to have been considered for the 1896 home series or the 1897/98 one in Aus - the competition was men like Tom Richardson, Jack Hearne, George Lohmann, Johnny Briggs, Bobby Peel and Bill Lockwood so it was no real snub to be left out in favour of that lot - he was also a stroppy sod who, fair play to him, would sledge WG, but doubtless there were those to whom he didn't endear himself as a result

Not to be contrary but I don't think those were the reasons. Lockwood (for various personal reasons) went awol not long after his debut to around the turn of the century before re establishing himself in the famous 1902 series. So as a fast bowler Korty could've partnered Richardson with Mold as possibility inspite of what Migara thinks about is physique.

We tend to look at the make up of old style XIs through a modern perspective which is naturally biased toward pace. But there seemed a policy back then that often only allowed for one fast bowler. If that man was Richardson and you were someone else - well you spent a lot of time playing for Essex no matter how quick you were.

 

[fredfertang]

Not to be contrary but I don't think those were the reasons. Lockwood (for various personal reasons) went awol not long after his debut to around the turn of the century before re establishing himself in the famous 1902 series. So as a fast bowler Korty could've partnered Richardson with Mold as possibility inspite of what Migara thinks about is physique.

We tend to look at the make up of old style XIs through a modern perspective which is naturally biased toward pace. But there seemed a policy back then that often only allowed for one fast bowler. If that man was Richardson and you were someone else - well you spent a lot of time playing for Essex no matter how quick you were.

My comments seem to be what Kortright's biographer felt was the case, but as you say in those days the bowling was opened by a quick man and a slow man - England did try a pair of pace bowlers (Mold/Lockwood then Mold/Richardson) on a couple of occasions in 1893 but don't seem to have done so again for a few years

 

[the big bambino]

Hmm I suppose its something to think about if Richardson played for Essex and Kortright Surrey.