All time Australia XIs - a discussion

[CricAddict]

Creating a separate discussion thread to discuss the teams and the players in it, so that it will be easier for people to view the voting thread separately and also for people to discuss freely. Arrows indicate promotion/demotion from the teams created during the 2018 polls.
Team so far

Australia XI:
1. RB Simpson
2. ML Hayden
3. DG Bradman *
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. DK Lillee
11. GD McGrath

 

[Nintendo]

@CricAddict Sorry for clogging the main thread, thought I was typing in the discussion thread.

Based on this:

Now please select..

1. the best spin bowling option
2. Numbers 4 and 5 in the batting order

I thought we where voting for who we wanted at #4, then #5. My bad.

 

[kyear2]

Don't get the lineup, but to be honest a line up of

Hayden, Simpson
Bradman, Smith, Chappell
Miller, Gilchrist
Warne, Lillee, O'Reilly, McGrath

Gives the opposition more of a chance.

 

[CricAddict]

@CricAddict Sorry for clogging the main thread, thought I was typing in the discussion thread.

Based on this:



I thought we where voting for who we wanted at #4, then #5. My bad.

No, you are right. I initially didn't mean it that way but looking from that angle, it seems right to have Steve Smith at #4. Sorry @capt_Luffy . Looks like that's the consensus too.

 

[CricAddict]

First XI for Australia. Can the world XI beat this team?

Australia XI:

1. RB Simpson

2. ML Hayden

3. DG Bradman *

4. SPD Smith

5. GS Chappell

6. KR Miller

7. AC Gilchrist +

8. SK Warne

9. WJ Reilly

10. DK Lillee

11. GD McGrath

 

[CricAddict]

Don't get the lineup, but to be honest a line up of

Hayden, Simpson
Bradman, Smith, Chappell
Miller, Gilchrist
Warne, Lillee, O'Reilly, McGrath

Gives the opposition more of a chance.

So, what do you see as the weak link here?

 

[Coronis]

First XI for Australia. Can the world XI beat this team?

Australia XI:

1. RB Simpson

2. ML Hayden

3. DG Bradman *

4. SPD Smith

5. GS Chappell

6. KR Miller

7. AC Gilchrist +

8. SK Warne

9. WJ Reilly

10. DK Lillee

11. GD McGrath

Well for me my RoW XI would be

Hobbs
Sutcliffe/Hutton
Hammond*
Tendulkar
Lara
Sobers
Knott+
Hadlee
Marshall
Steyn
Murali

Honestly idk. I think RoW shades it maybe but it’d be a close and thrilling contest imo.

 

[kyear2]

So, what do you see as the weak link here?

To start, yes, they have Bradman, but he's also one dismissal as anyone else, especially in a final.

So yes, still the best team, but...

They already have the weakest opener duo of the top 4 teams (I'm opening Greenidge and Worrell for the WI), now you're also inserting Miller at 6, and for those who don't like long tails, this one isn't that special.

Most did prefer a pacer, but Lindwall, Cummins and Davidson (all decent lower order bats as well), split the vote.

Playing the WI or SA in a home and away series, not sure that advantage the extra spinner and a reluctant 3rd seamer gives you, and you're playing a batsman short vs two brilliant pace attacks.

Not myopic, just rationally looking at the team, it could have been better imo.

Greenidge
Worrell *
Headley
Richards^
Lara^
Sobers^
Dujon / Walcott + (depending on if a spinner is selected)
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding / Gibbs
Garner

Me personally, a quartet and Sobers bowling chinamen.

Richards
Smith
Kallis
Pollock
deVilliers
Nourse
de Kock
Procter
Tayfield
Steyn
Donald

Neither of those are walkovers.

 

[Coronis]

Very surprised at the near unanimous support Lawry is receiving.

 

[kyear2]

The corpse of all.people

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I'm very interested in the order of the remaining openers now the 1st 2 teams are completed.

I'd assume Morris will be next, but have no idea how CW will rank the following:

Bardsley
Collins
Ponsford
Woodfull
Brown
Barnes
McDonald
Redpath
Stackpole
Wessels
Boon (likely to make a side as a 3 first)
Taylor
Slater
Langer
Katich
Rogers
Watson
Warner
Khawaja

 

[trundler]

Ponsford is ahead of the pack surely.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

I also forgot about Archie Jackson

 

[capt_Luffy]

Assuming Boon not opening and so for Watson as an all-rounder.

Morris
Ponsford
Woodfull
Barnes
Langer
Taylor
Slater
Jackson
Bardsley
Khwaja
Warner
Collins
Wessels (should he be even included??)
Redpath
Brown
Fingleton
Stackpole
Katich
McDonald
Rogers
Darling
Bannerman
Marsh
Jacques
McCosker
Hughes
Wood
Laird

Sure forgetting a few, but these for now. Probably Khwaja should be higher.

 

[Coronis]

Archie Jackson - Australia’s Barry Richards.

Somehow should be ahead of Khawaja based purely on reputation. At least Barnes has quality stats to back himself up, without quite the reputation.

 

[trundler]

Khawaja is at least on the same level as Woodfull, Langer, Taylor and Slater.

 

[Coronis]

fwiw Khawaja is currently 13th in runs amongst Aussie openers (behind Warner, Hayden, Taylor, Slater, Lawry, Langer, Simpson, Morris, McDonald, Wood, Katich and Marsh) and 3rd in average amongst those with 1000+ runs (behind Simpson and Ponsford - Barnes averages 71.38 but played 5 innings as a non-opener so doesn’t make 1000)

 

[capt_Luffy]

fwiw Khawaja is currently 13th in runs amongst Aussie openers (behind Warner, Hayden, Taylor, Slater, Lawry, Langer, Simpson, Morris, McDonald, Wood, Katich and Marsh) and 3rd in average amongst those with 1000+ runs (behind Simpson and Ponsford - Barnes averages 71.38 but played 5 innings as a non-opener so doesn’t make 1000)

So like, should we just ignore his career as a middle order?? But yeah, I actually agree, he should be ahead on the list, probably behind Slater atm for me.

 

[Coronis]

So like, should we just ignore his career as a middle order?? But yeah, I actually agree, he should be ahead on the list, probably behind Slater atm for me.

Are you picking him as an opener or a middle order bat? They’re different roles and distinct phases of his career.

 

[capt_Luffy]

Are you picking him as an opener or a middle order bat? They’re different roles and distinct phases of his career.

I am picking him as a batsman. They're different roles, but I am taking his median batting, can't really ignore his MO stint.