• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Best Test XI from each nation (that you have seen)

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
India:
Navjot Sidhu
Virender Sehwag
Rahul Dravid
Sachin Tendulkar
VVS Laxman
Kapil Dev
Mahendra Dhoni*+
Anil Kumble
Harbhajan Singh
Javagal Srinath
Zaheer Khan
 

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
Pakistan:
Ijaaz Ahmed
Saeed Anwar
Inzamam-ul-Haq
Javed Miandad
Mohammad Yousuf
Younis Khan
Imran Khan*
Rashid Latif+
Wasim Akram
Saqlain Mushtaq
Waqar Younis
 
Last edited:

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
South Africa:
Gary Kirsten
Graeme Smith*
Herschelle Gibbs
Jacques Kallis
AB De Villiers
Daryl Cullinan
Mark Boucher+
Shaun Pollock
Dale Steyn
Makhaya Ntini
Allan Donald
 

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
England:
Alec Stewart+
Graham Gooch*
Alastair Cook
Graham Thorpe
Kevin Pietersen
Robin Smith
Ian Botham
Andrew Flintoff
Graeme Swann
Darren Gough
James Anderson
 

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
Interesting.

Cronje over Smith?
That is out of question. Not even Cronje over Gibbs in that lineup... (because we already have a batting allrounder in Kallis, and Gibbs was a better batsman than Cronje)

A Pak bowling attack without a spinner seems odd
I think you can replace Shoaib with Saqlain. IMO Shoaib is the better bowler, but the replacement might be good for balance - so yeah.
 
Last edited:

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
I rate Smith's captaincy more than Cronje's (even after overlooking the obvious reason). He's definitely one of their best 2 openers since Barry Richards. And, even if I have to replace a batsman in the lineup, the replacement is more likely to be Hashim Amla than Hansie Cronje.
 
Last edited:

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
Why not? And even if you rate Cronje as the better captain (which is fair enough), I don't see how that is good enough a reason to place him in the best South African XI since re-admission. I also don't see a reason why Smith shouldn't be a lock-in for an opener's slot in such a team.

I am not a Smith fan, FTR.
 
Last edited:

vic_orthdox

Global Moderator
At least Smith's captaincy has seen his team reach number one spot (in a more legitimate manner than Cronje's, having actually beaten Australia).
 

smash84

The Tiger King
yeah but the Aus and Smith's time and the Aus of Cronje's time, there is a world of difference.

Cronje's team would have whitewashed that Aus team of 2009 like England whitewashed India
 
Last edited:

NUFAN

Y no Afghanistan flag
yeah but the Aus and Smith's time and the Aus of Cronje's time, there is a world of difference.
I have to say that without excluding the obvious scandal, I think Cronje was the better captain, but he just wasn't productive enough with the bat to make the best XI. His bowling doesn't mean much either as he's going to be a 6th option.



1 Gary Kirsten
2 Graeme Smith*
3 Hashim Amla
4 Jacques Kallis
5 AB de Villiers
6 Brian McMillan
7 Mark Boucher
8 Shaun Pollock
9 Dale Steyn
10 Allan Donald
11 Paul Adams

Now Adams is a bit of a surprise, but with the make up of the team I really thought that it needed a spinner. It's difficult working out who the best SA spinner has been since re-admission..
 

Agent Nationaux

International Coach
I really don't rate Smith as a good captain. With the team he has, he should have got South Africa to be no. 1 a long time ago. Plus he is one of the most defensive captains ever.
 

LegendaryProtea

School Boy/Girl Captain
I really don't rate Smith as a good captain. With the team he has, he should have got South Africa to be no. 1 a long time ago. Plus he is one of the most defensive captains ever.
He is good tactically (field settings, juggling bowlers etc.) but rather defensive minded with his declarations. You can't really blame him though for South Africa not being number one. We've hardly lost a series in the last 4 or 5 years, with only the odd blip here and there. He should be praised for that at least.
 

weldone

Hall of Fame Member
He is good tactically (field settings, juggling bowlers etc.) but rather defensive minded with his declarations. You can't really blame him though for South Africa not being number one. We've hardly lost a series in the last 4 or 5 years, with only the odd blip here and there. He should be praised for that at least.
awta

South Africa is the most consistent side in world cricket today. The side most rounded to play in any condition.
 

Pothas

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
1.Strauss (c)
2.Trescothick
3.Smith
4.Pietersen
5.Thorpe
6.Stewart
7.Flintoff
8.Swann
9.Gough
10.Caddick
11.Fraser
A couple of years on

1. Cook
2. Trescothick
3. Smith
4. Pietersen
5. Thorpe
6. Stewart
7. Flintoff
8. Swann
9. Broad
10. Anderson
11. Fraser

Broad just edging out Caddick and is assuming that he keeps his current form going.

Prior has probably done more than enough to edge out Stewart but still more comfortable with Alec at 6, still a shame he did not just stay an opener.

Despite his recent troubles I wanted Bell but not done enough to get in above Thorpe.

Trott maybe should be at 3 but I love the Judge too much.

Problem is there is no captain.
 

Top