The ATG Teams General arguing/discussing thread

[The Sean]

TBH I'd never considered Moin Khan as an option, despite an over-achieving Test career. Rashid Latif is up there for me, while I still sometimes wonder if after Imran at 7 and Akram at 8 I can still get away with Wasim Bari at 9. Whatever you think of him, Safaraz Ahmed has had a terrific career and I personally think that Mohammad Rizwan is quite possibly the best 'keeper-bat Pakistan has ever had, but due to form/politics/shenanigans has not yet proven himself to be unequivocally the greatest.

And I always select Mushtaq Mohammad. I think he was a tremendous cricketer.

 

[The Sean]

I think my team is currently:

Hanif Mohammad
Saeed Anwar
Younis Khan
Javed Miandad
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Mushtaq Mohammad
Imran Khan
A. Wicketkeeper
Wasim Akram
Waqar Younis
Saqlain Mushtaq

 

[number11]

TBH I'd never considered Moin Khan as an option, despite an over-achieving Test career. Rashid Latif is up there for me, while I still sometimes wonder if after Imran at 7 and Akram at 8 I can get away with Wasim Bari at 9. Whatever you think if him, Safaraz Ahmed has had a terrific career and I personally think that Mohammad Rizwan is quite possibly the best 'keeper-bat Pakistan has ever had, but due to form/politics/shenanigans has not yet proven himself to be unequivocally the greatest.

And I always select Mushtaq Mohammad. I think he was a tremendous cricketer.

Mushtaq was very useful indeed. I always rated Moin. He had that doggedness like Healy - annoying wkt-bat who riles the opposition up.

 

[The Sean]

Mushtaq was very useful indeed. I always rated Moin. He had that doggedness like Healy - annoying wkt-bat who riles the opposition up.

Fair enough, maybe I need to re-evaluate Moin.

 

[number11]

Fair enough, maybe I need to re-evaluate Moin.

If Rizwan or Sarfraz contine to churn runs, in time they will take that slot for themselves. Pakistan have an excellent AT XI [in various formations] and that piece completed would elevate it even further.

 

[smash84]

Mushtaq was very useful indeed. I always rated Moin. He had that doggedness like Healy - annoying wkt-bat who riles the opposition up.

I agree, Moin had that doggedness and fighting spirit that is rare among Pakistani cricketers. Heck, rare among most cricketers. Except maybe the Aussies, who have it in spades for some reason.

 

[BazBall21]

South Africa

Barry (if exclusively tests, Kirsten).
Smith/Mitchell
Nourse
Kallis
Pollock
De Villiers
Proctor
Faulkner
Pollock
Steyn
Donald

 

[ataraxia]

Barry (if exclusively tests, Kirsten)

Bruce Mitchell crying aws

 

[BazBall21]

Bruce Mitchell crying aws

Good shout.

 

[BazBall21]

Mitchell for Smith is arguable too. Don't think there's much between Bruce, Graeme and Gary.

 

[Adorable Asshole]

Smith c
Mitchell
Amla
Kallis
Pollock
Faulkner
De Villiers +
Pollock
Tayfield
Steyn
Donald

 

[ataraxia]

Mitchell for Smith is arguable too. Don't think there's much between Bruce, Graeme and Gary.

And Barry tbh (though not Kirsten for mine). I'm probably siding with the standard view of Barry > G Smith > Mitchell but it's pretty close and they're all very good.

 

[BazBall21]

Yeah Amla v Nourse is tough too.

 

[BazBall21]

And Barry tbh (though not Kirsten for mine). I'm probably siding with the standard view of Barry > G Smith > Mitchell but it's pretty close and they're all very good.

Yeah if it's exclusively tests, then Mitchell probably makes it. Mitchell is ahead of Kirsten I forgot him originally.

 

[The Sean]

Assuming Richards and Proctor are disqualified due to a lack of Tests, I reckon it's:

Graeme Smith
Bruce Mitchell
Jacques Kallis
Graeme Pollock
Dudley Nourse
AB De Villiers
John Waite
Shaun Pollock
Hugh Tayfield
Dale Steyn
Allan Donald

I hate omitting Faulkner, as I consider him to be one of South Africa's three greatest ever cricketers. But I don't need six bowlers and I'm not leaving Kallis out. Amla unlucky to miss out at 3 as he's probably the only truly outstanding first drop South Africa have had, but I wanted both Nourse and De Villiers and didn't want AB 'keeping.

 

[Prince EWS]

Assuming Richards and Proctor are disqualified due to a lack of Tests, I reckon it's:

Graeme Smith
Bruce Mitchell
Jacques Kallis
Graeme Pollock
Dudley Nourse
AB De Villiers
John Waite
Shaun Pollock
Hugh Tayfield
Dale Steyn
Allan Donald

I hate omitting Faulkner, as I consider him to be one of South Africa's three greatest ever cricketers. But I don't need six bowlers and I'm not leaving Kallis out. Amla unlucky to miss out at 3 as he's probably the only truly outstanding first drop South Africa have had, but I wanted both Nourse and De Villiers and didn't want AB 'keeping.

Rollercoaster ride for Faulkner. Yesterday I named him as one of the ten greatest cricketers of all time, but today you've dropped him from the AT RSA team!

 

[The Sean]

Rollercoaster ride for Faulkner. Yesterday I named him as one of the ten greatest cricketers of all time, but today you've dropped him from the AT RSA team!

Haha he's been a lock in my RSA team forever, dropping him is a brand new thing that I'm trying out. I've been thinking about team balance and whether having him in the side was worth leaving out Nourse or De Villiers, given that I already have a great bowling attack. I may well decide he's simply too valuable a cricketer to leave out and change my mind again tomorrow!

 

[Prince EWS]

Haha he's been a lock in my RSA team forever, dropping him is a brand new thing that I'm trying out. I've been thinking about team balance and whether having him in the side was worth leaving out Nourse or De Villiers, given that I already have a great bowling attack. I may well decide he's simply too valuable a cricketer to leave out and change my mind again tomorrow!

I don't think de Villiers is clearly a better batsman than him, even just on batting alone, so I'd probably leave him out.

Sometimes I think about not including Tayfield but Faulkner was much more of a batting allrounder than people tend to realise, and Pollock down at 9 is a bit unnecessary.

 

[trundler]

Faulkner could even bat at 3 which would allow Kallis to be at #4, his best position, and where he should be as the best batsman in the side.

 

[Coronis]

wrt what PEWS brought up in another thread regarding SR and results - considering the England XI has relatively weak bowling - especially overseas - isn’t stacking the batting even with slow players the better option here? Against other ATG squads I’d back them to save more tests than adding a Pietersen to win more. (assuming 5 day tests - imo bring back timeless tests for ATG XI’s)