Fuller Pilch
Hall of Fame Member
I'd pick Kallis anyway, but if I wasn't I'd have both Pollock and Cairns ahead of Flintoff.
Pollock isn't good enough to bat in the top seven. Cairns a worse bowlerI'd pick Kallis anyway, but if I wasn't I'd have both Pollock and Cairns ahead of Flintoff.
Wonder what the ATG ODI XIs would be if we can split by eras -
- Pre 1985
- 1985-1999
- 2000-2015
- 2015+
I like the 85-99 side the best, even if Healy is sllightly weak as far as wicket keepers go. But then again, I grew up in the 90s and I may well be biased towards that era. But what a side.View attachment 27968
Pre 1985
Greenidge
Haynes
Richards
Abbas
Lloyd
Kapil
Botham
Marsh
Lillee
Garner
Quadir
1985-1999
Jayasuria
Tendulkar
Lara
Jones
De Silva
Bevan
Healy
Wasim
Pollock
Warne
Ambrose
2000-2015
Hayden
Amla
Ponting
Kohli
DeVilliers
Dhoni
Watson
Lee
Muralidaran
Bond
McGrath
Post 2015
Warner
Sharma
Kohli
Azam
DeVilliers
Stokes
Butler
Jadeja
Starc
Boult
Bumrah
What?Pollock isn't good enough to bat in the top seven. Cairns a worse bowler
NoWhat?
Cairns was a terrible ODI bowler, but he was a better test bowler than Flintoff.
I really dont think Jamieson, Ashwin, even Woakes can be classed as full allrounders, more like bowlers who can bat. But yeah, pretty amazing depth at this point. You did not even mention Sundar there. Or Shadab. These guys can be in there too in that list.The depth in allrounders now is amazing (up with the 4 from the 80s and the banned Saffas):
Shakib, Holder, Jadeja, Stokes, Ashwin, Jamieson, De Grandhomme, Woakes, Curran, Faheem, Mitchell (if he can take wickets), Hardik, even Moeen
plus all the potential of Green, Mulder, and Ravindra
Not even mentioning guys like shadab Khan delay o poetgieter and Ollie Robinson either. The depth in all-rounders worldwide atm is crazyThe depth in allrounders now is amazing (up with the 4 from the 80s and the banned Saffas):
Shakib, Holder, Jadeja, Stokes, Ashwin, Jamieson, De Grandhomme, Woakes, Curran, Faheem, Mitchell (if he can take wickets), Hardik, even Moeen
plus all the potential of Green, Mulder, and Ravindra
Forgot about them. Sundar looks amazing with the bat. Also Axar Patel has a 1st class batting av of 33.I really dont think Jamieson, Ashwin, even Woakes can be classed as full allrounders, more like bowlers who can bat. But yeah, pretty amazing depth at this point. You did not even mention Sundar there. Or Shadab. These guys can be in there too in that list.
Axar's batting is more of a myth than early career jadeja's was. Bloke is barely an international #8.Forgot about them. Sundar looks amazing with the bat. Also Axar Patel has a 1st class batting av of 33.
If you must pick both Warne and Murali, then Kallis is sufficient as a third pacer. McGrath and Steyn/Ambrose/Wasim is an excellent new ball combination and Kallis was good enough to be a third pacer most of the time for South Africa. But honestly, despite them both being excellent, I would only pick one of those two and take both Steyn and Wasim alongside McGrath. Kallis gets into the side on batting alone, but having him as a fourth pacer is a huge luxury. Tendulkar could roll his arm over on a raging turner anyway.I've said this before when I picked the best team I've seen (post 95), I always pick both Warne and Murali which means I need a bowling all rounder so I end up picking Flintoff who is, despite the stats, is a far superior bowler to Kallis.
Also there is a question mark over Kallis's effect at number 6 where ideally you'd want a counter attacking batsman. Make no mistake Kallis is arguably the greatest cricketer of his generation so if you want him in the side, maybe push Lara to 3 and slot Kallis in at 5 where he'll get more time to build an innings. You can do it with your team cos you have 3 front line pacemen and Kallis is very useful 4th pace option
Some one like AB DeVilliers or Steve Waugh at six won't be the worst idea
True. I don't think batsmen would be overly thrilled with that "downgrade" tbh.Surely Ambrose over Steyn considering Steyn only played 6 years in the timeframe provided.
To playPost 2015
Warner
Sharma
Kohli
Azam
DeVilliers
Stokes
Butler
Jadeja
Starc
Boult
Bumrah
Flintoff just weakens a side too much, however well suited he is to the role you are giving him.I've said this before when I picked the best team I've seen (post 95), I always pick both Warne and Murali which means I need a bowling all rounder so I end up picking Flintoff who is, despite the stats, is a far superior bowler to Kallis.
Also there is a question mark over Kallis's effect at number 6 where ideally you'd want a counter attacking batsman. Make no mistake Kallis is arguably the greatest cricketer of his generation so if you want him in the side, maybe push Lara to 3 and slot Kallis in at 5 where he'll get more time to build an innings. You can do it with your team cos you have 3 front line pacemen and Kallis is very useful 4th pace option
Some one like AB DeVilliers or Steve Waugh at six won't be the worst idea
Knowing you I'm assuming you mean CraigTop 10 all rounders 1990-2010 (not including Steve Waugh, Wasim, and Chaminda Vaas as allrounders). Apologies to anyone I've forgotten.
Kallis
Pollock
Shakib (more for post-2010 play)
McMillan
Cairns
Flintoff
Vettori
Oram
Irfan Pathan
Klusener/Afridi