Auto Picks

[Coronis]

My ideal English side has all 3 of them (Hutton at 3), but if I’m only allowed to take 2 I’ll have Hobbs and Sutcliffe. I know mine isn’t the prevailing opinion but surely people can admit they’re close enough for one not to be an automatic selection.

 

[Red]

My ideal English side has all 3 of them (Hutton at 3), but if I’m only allowed to take 2 I’ll have Hobbs and Sutcliffe. I know mine isn’t the prevailing opinion but surely people can admit they’re close enough for one not to be an automatic selection.

Fair points.

 

[Slifer]

My ideal English side has all 3 of them (Hutton at 3), but if I’m only allowed to take 2 I’ll have Hobbs and Sutcliffe. I know mine isn’t the prevailing opinion but surely people can admit they’re close enough for one not to be an automatic selection.

That was my thought process. Most people omit Sutcliffe but any 2 out of the three would do.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Botham should be the first auto pick for any England XI.

 

[Pup Clarke]

Boycott

 

[h_hurricane]

Given that England had 5-6 ATG batsmen and 3-4 ATG bowlers, there is a fair chance that picking Botham would diminish either batting or bowling, when it is avoidable. He is a strong contender but not an automatic pick.

Imran, Kapil and Hadlee are different cases though. They walk into their national teams ATG XI on bowling alone.

 

[Coronis]

Given that England had 5-6 ATG batsmen and 3-4 ATG bowlers, there is a fair chance that picking Botham would diminish either batting or bowling, when it is avoidable. He is a strong contender but not an automatic pick.

Imran, Kapil and Hadlee are different cases though. They walk into their national teams ATG XI on bowling alone.

Similar reasoning for Miller I’d say.

 

[Slifer]

Similar reasoning for Miller I’d say.

Yup.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

LOL. As they say on Facebook.

 

[honestbharani]

Greenidge the the best of their openers, the remaining spot would be fought out between Haynes, Fredericks and Hunte. Lara and Richards deserve a spot in the middle order on talent/longevity combined. Headley is debatable, as there is potential for Weekes or Walcott to be included in the middle order. Marshall and Ambrose are above all the quicks, however marginal you might see the gap. Other contenders are well known, Garner, Holding and Roberts are the frontrunners. Keeping spot could go to Dujon, Walcott or Hendriks.

Lol.. Sobers so good that it does not even warrant an explanation.

 

[Red]

Lol.. Sobers so good that it does not even warrant an explanation.

Just overlooked him tbh, knew he was there. I would've only said "Sobers is Sobers" anyway.

Similar reasoning for Miller I’d say.

Miller's interesting. If you're happy with him batting top 6 as a batting A/R (which I am) you're overlooking guys who are (arguably) better bats.

If you're batting him below the keeper as one of the 4 bowlers, he's competing with Lindwall and Davidson, who were both very good bats themselves, and you have to factor in that Miller was best used in short sharp bursts as a quick.

Imo Miller is a lock at 5 or 6 in an Aust ATG team, but I can also completely understand someone's reasoning if they dont even include him and go with 6 bats and 4 bowlers.

 

[honestbharani]

Just overlooked him tbh, knew he was there. I would've only said "Sobers is Sobers" anyway.

haha.. I am agreeing with you mate. Rare as it is.

 

[Line and Length]

Boycott

Surely you jest. Ahead of Hobbs, Hutton and Sutcliffe?

 

[tony p]

Glen Turner for NZ & Hugh Tayfield for SA are auto-picks for me. The best ever opener & best spinner from their respective countries.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Surely you jest. Ahead of Hobbs, Hutton and Sutcliffe?

Now you mention it, many of England's best players have been opening batsmen. Maybe you could make a full team out of them....

1. Hobbs
2. Sutcliffe
3. Boycott (6)
4. Hutton
5. Grace (1)
6. Gooch (5)
7. Stewart+
8. Brearley*
9. Lloyd (4)
10. Rhodes (3)
11. K Jennings (2)

Would probably draw a lot of matches.

 

[crus07]

West Indies: Sir Vivian Richards, Brian Lara, Curtly Ambrose, Shivnarine Chanderpaul
England: Kevin Pietersen, Alastair Cook
Australia: Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne
India: Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble
New Zealand: Chris Cairns, Shane Bond
Sri Lanka: Chaminda Vaas, Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan
South Africa: Jacques Kallis, AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla
Pakistan: Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, Imran Khan
Zimbabwe: Heath Streak, Andy Flower
Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan
Afghanistan: Rashid Khan

 

[_00_deathscar]

Kumble? Wouldn’t even have him in this team let alone an India All Time as a lock!

 

[Gob]

Matt Wade

 

[trundler]

Chanders not even in the top 5 West Indian middle batters too. Lara, Sobers, Viv and the 3 Ws ahead for sure and maybe not even the best out of Guyana (Kanhai). On the other hand, Pietersen is one of many not-ATG batsmen that you could reasonably include in an England all time XI. May, Gower, Root etc. How uninspiring.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

How uninspiring

Hence my new look England atg xi above.