Greatest Ever West Indies XI

There's a greatest ever South African XI so i deem it necessary to have one for the West Indies. My side goes like this:

Greenidge
Haynes
Richards*
Lara
Headley
Sobers
Dujon+
Gibbs
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose

Conrad Hunte
Viv Richards*
George Headley
Everton Weekes
Brian Lara
Gary Sobers
Clyde Walcott+
Malcolm Marshall
Michael Holding
Curtley Ambrose
Joel Garner

12th Man: Learie Constantine

1. Roy Fredericks
2. George Headley
3. Viv Richards
4. Everton Weekes
5. Frank Worrell*
6. Garry Sobers
7. Jeff Dujon+
8. Malcolm Marshall
9. Michael Holding
10. Curtly Ambrose
11. Joel Garner

That's right, no Lara. Watch me not care.

George Headley as an opener? That's a new one...

Okay. As advised by Dasa here is..

(Sorry for repeating from the other thread but this is where it really belongs )

MY WINDIES FIRST XI

1. Hunte - (3245 @ 45.1)
2. Greenidge - (7558 @ 44.72)
3. Headley - (2190 @ 60.8)
4. Richards - (8540 @ 50.2)
5. Lara - (11204 @ 53.9)
6. Sobers - (8032 @ 57.8)

7. Walcott - (3798 @ 56.7)

- 44500 PLUS RUNS
- 51.8 batting average
- 133 test centuries-1 every 4.1 test match

The top six batsmen (minus keeper) are all brilliant fielders with 505 catches in 509 tests between them !

8. Marshall - (376 @ 20.9)
9. Roberts - (202 @ 25.6)
10. Hall - (192 @ 26.4)
11. Gibbs - (309 @ 29.1)

Thats 1079 wickets at 25.1. Add Sobers' 235 to it and you have a staggering
1314 at 26.7.

and now...

As a tribute to those I left out

The Greatest 2nd XI ever - if you disagree, go face those fast bowlers

1. Haynes - 7487 @ 42.3
2. Worrell - 3860 @ 49.5
3. Weekes - 4455 @ 58.6
4. Kanhai - 6227 @ 47.5
5. Richardson - 5949 @ 44.4
6. Lloyd - 7515 @ 46.7

7. Dujon - 3322 @ 31.9 AND 272 victims in 81 tests

8. Garner - 259 @ 20.9
9. Ambrose - 405 @ 21.0
10 Holding - 249 @ 23.7
11. Walsh - 519 @ 24.4


Worrell is opening not to fit him in the side (he could bat anywhere he wanted) but Windies havent had too many great openers so why not get in Richardson one of the most under rated batsmen in cricket history.

The average for top 7 is down from 51.8 to 45.1.
Centuries from 133(1 per 4.1 tests) to 97 (1 per 5.9)

The batting looks weaker than the first side (surprise surprise - try picking a third Windies side and you may have to include - ugh- Chanderpaul) but that bowling is something else. The four fast bowlers have between them

1432 wickets at 22.7 each

and a wicket every 54 deliveries

Theoretically they would get you in 90 overs everytime for 227 runs. They could do with the second best batting line up

Best alltime WI XI :

Desmond Haynes
Roy Fredericks
Viv Richards
Brian Lara
Clive Lloyd (capt)
Gary Sobers
Deryck Murray (wkt)
Malcolm Marshall
Curtley Ambrose
Joel Garner
Lance Gibbs.

Is this the same fellow who touted the Windies four-prong pace attack to be the most lethal in the history of the game?

LongHopCassidy said:

Is this the same fellow who touted the Windies four-prong pace attack to be the most lethal in the history of the game?

Click to expand...

Yep. I should've put Lance Gibbs/Joel Garner depending on the conditions and switched Holding around with Garner.

Greenidge
Lara
Headley
Weekes
Viv
Sobers - Captain
Walcott - WK
Marshall
Ambrose
Holding
Garner

Thats really interesting. We have had Worrell, Headley and now Lara suggested to open. I am surprised no one has yet mentioned Sobers who, I am sure would succeed at it as he did at everything he tried and Richards who was actually very succcessful on the four occasions he opened getting 2 fifties AND a century in just four innings !!

But the point it raises is that Windies havent produced GIANTS of the same stature at the top of the order as they have in the middle hence this helps to serve two purposes.

Here is the Windies middle order while trying its hand at opening :-

PLAYER...Innings....Runs...Highest....Avg
Richards.......4...........279.........101......69.6
Lara..............2...........111..........91......55.0
Worrell..........6...........247.........191*....49.5
Sobers..........8...........295.........125.....36.9

WOW. They had more openers than we thought. I vote for both Richards to open with Hunte and maybe even Hunte could be replaced

PS : Walcott also tried his hand at opening but averaged only 8.7 in 3 innings so we will excuse him.

Actually it is the same with Windies spinners. There are so many fast bowlers that every one is tempted to play NO spinner at all.

I've limited mine to players I've seen play rather than pick Headley, Walcott, Worrel, Weekes, Ramadin and Valentine etc either based on stats or reputation.

1. Greenidge
2. Haynes
3. Richards
4. Lara
5. Lloyd
6. Sobers
7. Dujon
8. Marshall
9. Holding
10. Ambrose
11. Gibbs

If I had to choose from the ones I have seen it would be

1. Hunte
2. Greenidge
3. Richards
4. Kanhai
5. Lara
6. Sobers
7. Dujon
8. Marshall
9. Roberts
10. Hall
11. Gibbs

Reserves to make up the touring side
1. Holding
2. Garner/Ambrose
3. Haynes
4. Lloyd
5. Derryk Murray

Headley
Worrell (capt)
Weekes
Lara
Sobers
Richards
Wolcott (wk)
Constantine
Ramadhin
Marshall
Ambrose

I have seen them all play.

jamesicus said:

I have seen them all play.

Click to expand...

Oh how I envy you

Michael Manley, at the end of his A History of West Indies Cricket gives an al time West Indies side (perspective year 1988) , namely

1. Greenidge
2. Hunte
3. Headley
4. Worrell (capt)
5. Richards
6. Sobers
7. Hendrick (keeper)
8. Marshall
9. Holding
10. Garner
11. Gibbs

(The bolds are the ones where it corresponds to my first XI)

- Understandably there is no Lara so Worrell is there. Fair enough
- He prefers a pure keeper and picks Hendricks. Dujon was just halfway through his career having played 43 of his final 81 tests. He includes Dujon as reserve keeper though. No issues.
- He prefers Holding and Garner to Hall and Roberts. but includes Hall and Roberts in his reserves to make a touring party.

The reserves being
- Roy Fredricks
- Everton Weekes
- Jeff Dujon
- Wes Hall
- Andy Roberts.
- Valentine

He also choses a world XI for them to play against
1. Hobbs
2. Gavaskar
3. Bradman
4. Headley
5. Richards
6. Sobers
7. Oldfield
8. Holding
9. Lindwall
10. Lillee
11. O'Rielly

12. Len Hutton
13. Wally Hammond
14. Keith Miller
15. Godfrey Evans
16. Freddie Trueman
17. Clarrie Grimmett

Remember post 1988 stars are not considered

He restricts West Indians to four but includes all of them in the first eleven. Wonder what he would have done with Lara today ? Dropped Hammond I suppose

High class side nevertheless.

jamesicus said:

Headley
Worrell (capt)
Weekes
Lara
Sobers
Richards
Wolcott (wk)
Constantine
Ramadhin
Marshall
Ambrose

I have seen them all play.

Click to expand...

Constantine and Ramadhin must have been better players than I thought fo ryou to include them.