Battle of the ROWs

[Bolo.]

Looking at the scorecard its seriously impressive that lineup managed to bowl Australia out for 199.

I’m assuming looking at the team it was intentionally made to include a player from every other test side bar Bang/Zim? Or was that an unintentional quirk? (not that either could have fielded a player without it being a joke)

IIRC, it may have been somewhat intentionally inclusionary vis-a-vis star power and getting people from multiple countries to watch.

But it wasn't just that. Bowling was horrific worldwide for a couple of years. Aus were great, but that's not relevant. SL were decent, but that's mostly cos of Murali, who was already playing. Meh bowlers like Harmison and Flintoff had showed some spectacular recent form, and there was nobody better to pick. The (very few) quality career bowlers from the era like Akhtar and Pollock had injury issues. Pollock actually played the ODI part of this tour as a specialist bat, cos he was really shot as a bowler at that time.

 

[peterhrt]

Proctor was part of the 1970 RoW team in England, but didn't tour Australia in 71/72.

Procter and Richards had secured employment elsewhere. The Pollock brothers missed the first two internationals due to other commitments.

England had been scheduled to tour the sub-continent in 1971-72 but the trip was cancelled due to security concerns. Boycott and Snow were not planning to go anyway and had found other work. So had Knott. Boycott, Snow, skipper Illingworth and others then pulled out of the tour to the region when it took place the following year, leaving uncapped Welshman Tony Lewis to lead a weakened team.

 

[Migara]

That 2005 bowling lineup is horrific as a world XI.

Spectacularly so if we disregard form. The only player you would actually be very happy to have in even a regular (good bowling) side as a pure bowler over the course of a career was Murali, and his track record in Aus left something to be desired.

Asian XI would have done way better. Just because all players understand themselves even they speak different languages.

Sehwag
Sangakkara
Dravid
Tendulkar
Y Khan
Inzamam
PJ
Zaheer Khan
Shoaib Akthar
Lasith Malinga
Murali

 

[trundler]

T-bar rows with chest support are my absolute favourite.

 

[Coronis]

Asian XI would have done way better. Just because all players understand themselves even they speak different languages.

Sehwag
Sangakkara
Dravid
Tendulkar
Y Khan
Inzamam
PJ
Zaheer Khan
Shoaib Akthar
Lasith Malinga
Murali

I know you’re an expert on Sri Lankan cricket, but why on earth would you pick Malinga over Vaas in a 2005 Test XI? Also Sangakkara was still keeping at the time, why not have him keep and another batsman up top?

 

[Migara]

I know you’re an expert on Sri Lankan cricket, but why on earth would you pick Malinga over Vaas in a 2005 Test XI? Also Sangakkara was still keeping at the time, why not have him keep and another batsman up top?

Malinga was way more deadlier than Vaas in 2005, and Zaheer was in pretty good form as well. Vaas was a holding bowler by 2005 in tests, but kept performing in ODIs.

True, you can have an opener, but no one seems to fit the bill among Asian sides. Tamim Iqbal may be. But I( don't want to waste Sanga the batsman aby allowing him to keep.

 

[Coronis]

Malinga was way more deadlier than Vaas in 2005, and Zaheer was in pretty good form as well. Vaas was a holding bowler by 2005 in tests, but kept performing in ODIs.

True, you can have an opener, but no one seems to fit the bill among Asian sides. Tamim Iqbal may be. But I( don't want to waste Sanga the batsman aby allowing him to keep.

The **** are you on mate?

SL bowlers between Malinga’s debut and the ICC test

Vaas 12 matches 48 @ 22.45 4 5’fers
Malinga 10 matches 37 @ 28.86 1 5’fer
Muralitharan 5 matches 36 @ 13.25 3 5’fers 1 10’fer

Gambhir as an opener averaging 45 at that point. Sangakkara was also nowhere near the bat he became at that point.