Building A Side From Scratch: Which Player Do You Choose First?

[Richard]

I voted for "other", because I'd have Kumar Sangakkara.
Best batsman-wicketkeeper going around for a while now.
Why?
Because if I don't pick a wicketkeeper first I always forget one.

 

[Pedro Delgado]

I voted for "other", because I'd have Kumar Sangakkara.
Best batsman-wicketkeeper going around for a while now.
Why?
Because if I don't pick a wicketkeeper first I always forget one.

Just like the England selectors.

 

[GIMH]

I've gone for Freddie - the guy is fast approaching legend status.

Now go back a quarter of a century, and this is how we felt about Botham - and probably explains why every time a so-called all-rounder popped his head out from village cricket, the press went mad with the 'New Botham' label.

When Freddie retires will the call then be for a new Flintoff? Or a Botham the 3rd?!!!

 

[Pothas]

Flintoff just ahead of Warne. It is good to start with an allrounder but Warne is a brilliant captain

 

[Richard]

When Freddie retires will the call then be for a new Flintoff? Or a Botham the 3rd?!!!

Botham wasn't the new Greig, was he?
Nor was Greig the new Hirst\Rhodes (surely there was someone else in between...?)

 

[Richard]

Just like the England selectors.

Well... like most selectors these days.
Wicketkeeping is becoming an ever less important part of the game.
Matthew Engel recently described it as "no more than a quasi-specialist position, like a glorified first-slip".
And I, for one, see little wrong with that. A good slip-cordon is vital to a good seam-attack, same way a good short-leg and silly-point are vital to a good spin-attack.