CW Decides The XI of the Decade

[OverratedSanity]

Starc is so ****ing overrated. Goes missing in the big series, but always goes and gets 6fer against sl to get that average down. Wastes the new ball more than any prominent bowler in world cricket, is always wayward and gives away byes which don't show up in his stats, and his ability to clean up the tail in tests is a complete myth. Seriously, if his byes were actually wided like they should be, it'd add atleast a couple of points to his average.

Anderson on a flat pitch can keep it tight by giving nothing away and can let Steyn do the damage. Starc would bowl like a drain and release all the pressure Steyn builds up. Anderson's overrated too but jfc nowhere near as much as this guy is.

 

[Athlai]

Starc like Mitchell Johnson is head and shoulders the best bowler in the world when he is at the peak of his powers. When everything clicks into place there will be a spell of bowling that is just unplayable and it's hard to ignore that when weighing these things up.

He goes missing a lot and is certainly not in the top 20 most consistent Test bowlers in the world right now, but despite all that he is still in the argument for one of the best. He's the sort of bowler that makes you lie awake at night thinking about that one time you were totally powerless to defend against what he is sending your way. Maybe that's because he has a shadow longer than his actual day to day usefulness, but a long shadow is the sort of thing legends are made of. You remember the day they blew your mind a lot better than Stuart Clark doddering in and plucking away wickets consistently.

 

[OverratedSanity]

When has it actually clicked for starc at test cricket. It's happens against SL every time he plays them but little else. The great spells in odis where he runs through lineups by bowling 150 kph yorkers seem to have blinded people into thinking this happens with regularity in the longer format as well, when it really doesn't.

 

[NUFAN]

Good point, Shane Warne OS

 

[Gnske]

I can think of one time Starc "peaked" in Test cricket, and as OS said it was that SL tour and it turned out to not even be a real peak since the following summer he was back to his usual MO of bowling filth in between occasional good balls.

He still has time to do a Johnson though. Not sure if he could replicate his 2014 UAE performance.

 

[jimmy101]

Guess Mitch's best & worst are in Starc contrast to one another.

 

[morgieb]

Guess Mitch's best & worst are in Starc contrast to one another.

Kind of, but even at Starc's worst I still feel like he's a threat against the lower order at least, whereas he's yet to demolish a batting lineup in the same class as England and South Africa.

Even though the sample size was pretty lol, he honestly would be a better pick than Philander for the 3rd quick role in hindsight (Johnson)

 

[Athlai]

When has it actually clicked for starc at test cricket. It's happens against SL every time he plays them but little else. The great spells in odis where he runs through lineups by bowling 150 kph yorkers seem to have blinded people into thinking this happens with regularity in the longer format as well, when it really doesn't.

Maybe the best spell I've seen from Starc in Tests so far was in this match

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-test-new-zealand-tour-of-australia-2015-16

Now you'll look at the scorecard and think "whatever" but the spell he bowled with the 2nd new ball in the first innings on any other day would've skittled any team. NZ survived it by sheer miracle alone. There is a great injustice in cricket that sometimes phenomenal bowling goes unrewarded and utter pies can earn wickets that looks great on a stats sheet. If Starc could bottle that spell and bowl that well in every game he played, even just for a single spell. He'd be comfortably the best bowler in the world.

 

[morgieb]

Maybe the best spell I've seen from Starc in Tests so far was in this match

https://www.espncricinfo.com/series...nd-test-new-zealand-tour-of-australia-2015-16

Now you'll look at the scorecard and think "whatever" but the spell he bowled with the 2nd new ball in the first innings on any other day would've skittled any team. NZ survived it by sheer miracle alone. There is a great injustice in cricket that sometimes phenomenal bowling goes unrewarded and utter pies can earn wickets that looks great on a stats sheet. If Starc could bottle that spell and bowl that well in every game he played, even just for a single spell. He'd be comfortably the best bowler in the world.

Yeah that spell was ridiculous. It took close to the flattest wicket I've ever seen and two guys well "in" to stop it. That series + the Lankan one I honestly thought were going to be the launching pad for him to be the next Wasim. Turns out it was just a false dawn.

 

[Red]

If he was Keith Miller he'd have to be at 5 tho.

100% correct

 

[Athlai]

Yep totally lifeless pitch, against two of NZ's best ever well into their centuries and he wholly changed the momentum of the game from being well in our control to this electric moment where it felt like we were about to be totally skittled.

If it wasn't Taylor/Kane/Baz facing him, there is no doubt in my mind we wouldn't have even had luck on our side and we'd have been rolled for under 400.

 

[NZTailender]

That was the pitch where Mitch just thought "**** it, this is bullshit" wrt to Aussie home pitches and decided to reitre no?

 

[Athlai]

That was the pitch where Mitch just thought "**** it, this is bullshit" wrt to Aussie home pitches and decided to reitre no?

Haha yeah, Johnson's last hurrah.

 

[NZTailender]

I had forgotten Kane got out so 'early' in that innings. Taylor added so many runs with the tail, wafg.

 

[Bahnz]

Yep totally lifeless pitch, against two of NZ's best ever well into their centuries and he wholly changed the momentum of the game from being well in our control to this electric moment where it felt like we were about to be totally skittled.

If it wasn't Taylor/Kane/Baz facing him, there is no doubt in my mind we wouldn't have even had luck on our side and we'd have been rolled for under 400.

We were helped out a lot by the fact that both Ross and Baz were dropped (fairly straightforward chances too iirc, besides the fact that the ball was travelling ridiculously fast). Still not 100% sure I believe the 160kmh reading from that spell, but it was some of the most hostile bowling I've seen live outside of 13/14 Johnson.

 

[TheBrand]

We were helped out a lot by the fact that both Ross and Baz were dropped (fairly straightforward chances too iirc, besides the fact that the ball was travelling ridiculously fast). Still not 100% sure I believe the 160kmh reading from that spell, but it was some of the most hostile bowling I've seen live outside of 13/14 Johnson.

It's not too far from the truth surely, he was bowling consistently 150-154 in that spell, including the one that broke BMac's bat was 154.8. Given yorkers always measure quicker I'm far more inclined to believe that 160 was accurate.

 

[morgieb]

It's not too far from the truth surely, he was bowling consistently 150-154 in that spell, including the one that broke BMac's bat was 154.8. Given yorkers always measure quicker I'm far more inclined to believe that 160 was accurate.

It didn’t feel like 160, but without a doubt it was a fearsome as **** spell. Maybe not quite Johnson 13/14 esque, but close.

 

[CricAddict]

Now that current decade is done, how about predicting next decade's team. Whoever survives here for the next 10 years can see the predictions then and have a laugh/admire.

Mine:

Prithvi Shaw, Imam Ul Haq, Williamson, Shubman Gill, Labuschagne, Ben Stokes, Quinton De Kock, Cummins, Cornwall, Rabada, Bumrah

 

[Coronis]

Turns out Stokes won. Wouldn’t have predicted that.

Cook
Warner
Williamson
Smith
Kohli
Stokes
Watling+
Philander
Herath
Steyn
Anderson

Guess the only question is who should captain?

 

[ataraxia]

Kane.