No spinners worth considering in that era. Hardly any bats either- Imran almost makes the team as a specialist bat in the time period being considered.
I basically want Miller in every team I ever pick, and I'd argue that it wouldn't weaken the batting because I'd only be having him bowl 8 or so overs per innings. With a small bowling workload he'll average 45+ no problem.
I just sometimes find these teams more interesting sans Bradman, but yeh, definitely.
And one what do you base this theory of Miller averaging 45+? He didn’t only bowl 8 overs per match/innings in his first class career, he averaged highly against lesser competition. I think you’re letting your personal feelings about the man cloud your judgement.
I honestly don't know what point you're trying to make. "he averaged highly against lesser competition". "He didn't only bowl..."
I have read about him. Extensively. And from all the available evidence, you’re weakening your team unduly by having him in the top order over a more capable batsman.
So what makes you think he wasn't a good batsman?
no batting pair in the world will ever enjoy facing two of imran, hadlee, holding, marshall and garner all the time. they will definitely heave a sigh of relief if qadir or qasim or mallett (proabbly the most successful spinners of the 80s) came on to bowl their tweakers. that is exactly what we should not give them. i think it will be fun to pound the hell out of batting teams from both ends with relentless 90+ miles rockets.
Although the Windies showed that 5 is unnecessary. 4 is quite sufficient to rotate in 5 or 6 over spells, and keep them all fresh and firing at 90+ mph.
56 overs a.o. will help smooth things over
I prefer quality of cricket over quantity, but with career strike rates of Marshall (46.7), Garner and Hadlee (both 50.8), Holding (50.9) and Imran (53.7), if you select 4 out of those 5, I doubt many teams are batting for 75 overs.
Mathematically, that doesn't make sense. With those strike rates 10 wickets would take on average ~500 balls which is 83 overs
Sorry, yeah, I got my multiplication wrong
no. cant admire a bowler averaging 40 everywhere except england
the best spinenners in the windies era were qadir, qasim and mallett. with respect to them, i think every batsman in the world would rather face them than one of holding or garner who could be the casualty in the swap. and that is exactly why you don't need them.
Anderson's average outside England is lower than Bedser's.
I never said he wasn’t a good batsman. I said you’re weakening the middle order unduly if you’re having him in an ATG team with no Bradman to pick up the slack. Fact is, he’s not in the same league as other options and 5/6 in the batting order is more important than the 5th bowler.
