Which would you pick for a Test bowling all-rounder spot on a team?

[shortpitched713]

Taken out some of the most obvious options in Test cricket history, and leaving you with the next tier.

Which would you pick to take the number 7 or 8 batting position on your team? Overall your team is good, but no huge standout players. Batting lineup 1-6 is good enough that none of below options are taking a specialist batting spot. Wicketkeeper averages ~24 with the bat. Good balanced bowling attack of support seamers and spinner, of which you are replacing 1 of. Think Hoggard, Lyon type players, etc. But all are of true tail end batting quality (but not like Monty bad, just typical tailenders).

All details above provided to assuage what would otherwise be @ataraxia 's crippling decision paralysis. You're welcome.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

Another thread where the answer is Jadeja

 

[trundler]

Lindwall or Wasim.

Philander lmao.

 

[PlayerComparisons]

Would go with philander or ashwin. Jadeja very close as well.

 

[shortpitched713]

So all the Marshall voters are comfortable with him batting 8, on a relatively weaker lower order/tail batting lineup?

 

[Socerer 01]

So all the Marshall voters are comfortable with him batting 8, on a relatively weaker lower order/tail batting lineup?

possibly because his bowling makes up for it

 

[Prince EWS]

This is kinda tough because having the #7 average 24 and then Marshall come in at #8 would really suck so I'm half tempted to pick Jadeja, but nah Marshall is definitely still worth it.

I would've picked Pollock if you included him in the poll.

 

[ataraxia]

So all the Marshall voters are comfortable with him batting 8, on a relatively weaker lower order/tail batting lineup?

Yes. The belief that all teams should conform to the same template is repulsive, and this is coming from someone who really values lower-order batting.

 

[The Sean]

So all the Marshall voters are comfortable with him batting 8, on a relatively weaker lower order/tail batting lineup?

Yep, in a team where the standard is good but not stratospheric and with those choices on offer, I'm prepared to accept a longer tail than I'd like if it means I get the player most likely to elevate my team to the next level and actually win more matches - and that's Macko.

 

[trundler]

Nobody said Marshall can't bat 9 tho

 

[Prince EWS]

Nobody said Marshall can't bat 9 tho

Why would you bat him below Hoggard or Lyon standard tailenders though? He did cover this in the OP.

 

[trundler]

Why would you bat him below Hoggard or Lyon standard tailenders though? He did cover this in the OP.

Wasim bats 8 and then Marshall. I'm cheating the system. I win.

 

[Prince EWS]

Wasim bats 8 and then Marshall. I'm cheating the system. I win.

He says you can't do that in the OP lol. It's not cheating the system if you can just ignore it all, otherwise I pick Imran and also replace the shitty keeper with Gilchrist.

 

[trundler]

He says you can't do that in the OP lol. It's not cheating the system if you can just ignore it all, otherwise I pick Imran and also replace the ****ty keeper with Gilchrist.

He didn't say pick only one to bat 8 and the rest aren't in your team. #Winning.

 

[Prince EWS]

He didn't say pick only one to bat 8 and the rest aren't in your team. #Winning.

He specifies what the rest of the attack is, so yes he does do that.

 

[trundler]

He specifies what the rest of the attack is, so yes he does do that.

no

 

[ataraxia]

He didn't say pick only one to bat 8 and the rest aren't in your team. #Winning.

He did.

 

[subshakerz]

Akram is the obvious choice unless you want a weak tail. Marshall isn't an allrounder.

 

[Prince EWS]

Akram is the obvious choice unless you want a weak tail. Marshall isn't an allrounder.

You'd still have a weak tail with Akram tbf. His median score was 11, and Marshall's was 10. That's what they're contributing on a normal day. He went big a couple of times more and Pakistan probably would have lost that game against Zimbabwe without him so it's silly to exclude that double as some people do, but unless he's good enough to bat ahead of the specialist keeper averaging 24 - which I reckon he's not - then I'll go with the clearly better bowler and marginally worse bat here.

I'll also argue that if Marshall was given more responsibility with the bat he'd have done a fair bit better, especially if you told him you didn't even mind if he averaged an extra 1-2 runs per wicket with the ball. Declaration runs in a strong team is a very different role to holding a lower order together, and he was an allrounder at domestic FC level.

 

[Bolo.]

How good the top order is might change things. Better than the below options just means better than a 24 average. If they all average 25, I'd pick Marshall. A bit of extra batting won't win you much. All ATGs, still Marshall. Top order is gonna fire often enough. All test standard bats, I'm torn between Marshall and jadeja. Jadeja better for balance, and Marshall simply better.