Sachin opening in Tests? Fella wouldn't even bat three lol.
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Create an all time best Test XI using only one player from each country...
- Thread starter The Hillside
- Start date
This just looks like you picked the best cricketer in each country and called that your XI
capt_Luffy
International Captain
Given Gavaskar exists..... But I am much much much more pissed about Flower batting after Imran and Hadlee!!?
Coronis
International Coach
I’m even more pissed about Shakib batting behind Imran and Hadlee.
Swamp Witch Hattie
School Boy/Girl Cricketer
Come on now, you ought to give the fellow a break: he has 5 posts, you have 10,699, he has 31 minutes, you have over 12 years! It's like Prime Mike Tyson beating up on a two-year-old!
Coronis
International Coach
Don’t tell me what I can’t do
Kenneth Viljoen
International Regular
My ODI side would be :
1.Sachin Tendulkar (IND)
2.Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)
3.Andy Flower (ZIM) (WK)
4.Viv Richards (WI) (C)
5.AB De Villiers (SA)
6.Ryan Ten Doeschate (NED)
7.Andrew Flintoff (ENG)
8.Rashid Khan (AFG)
9.Wasim Akram (PAK)
10.Shane Bond (NZ)
11.Glenn McGrath (AUS)
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Players that are fairly obvious for me because they're so obviously the best player from their side:
Bradman
Imran
Hobbs
Flower
Hadlee
Shakib
Rashid
50/50 calls afterwards based on balance etc:
Murali vs Sanga
Kallis vs Steyn
Tendulkar vs Gavaskar
Sobers vs Marshall
So looking at balance considerations with Sri Lanka - there are already two spinners in the side, and I also don't rate Flower's keeping so Sanga probably has to do it because there are no other keeper options. So that one kind of solves itself.
Tendulkar is clearly better than Gavaskar but we do need two openers. Batting one player our of position is an option but I think totally unnecessary while Gavaskar exists. So that just leaves those final two decisions.
I think we either get Kallis + Marshall or Sobers + Steyn. Really tough but I'm going for the former, even though I think most may disagree with me.
1. Hobbs
2. Gavaskar
3. Bradman
4. Kallis
5. Flower
6. Sanga
7. Shakib
8. Imran
9. Hadlee
10. Marshall
11. Rashid
Bradman
Imran
Hobbs
Flower
Hadlee
Shakib
Rashid
50/50 calls afterwards based on balance etc:
Murali vs Sanga
Kallis vs Steyn
Tendulkar vs Gavaskar
Sobers vs Marshall
So looking at balance considerations with Sri Lanka - there are already two spinners in the side, and I also don't rate Flower's keeping so Sanga probably has to do it because there are no other keeper options. So that one kind of solves itself.
Tendulkar is clearly better than Gavaskar but we do need two openers. Batting one player our of position is an option but I think totally unnecessary while Gavaskar exists. So that just leaves those final two decisions.
I think we either get Kallis + Marshall or Sobers + Steyn. Really tough but I'm going for the former, even though I think most may disagree with me.
1. Hobbs
2. Gavaskar
3. Bradman
4. Kallis
5. Flower
6. Sanga
7. Shakib
8. Imran
9. Hadlee
10. Marshall
11. Rashid
capt_Luffy
International Captain
AT ODI team (much more interesting with many more options):
Sachin Tendulkar
Andy Flower+
Viv Richards*
Ross Taylor
A B de Villiers
Shakib Al Hasan
Andrew Flintoff
Wasim Akram
Rashid Khan
Glenn McGrath
Mutthiah Muralitharan
12th Man: Ryan ten Doescharte
AT T20 team:
Brendon McCullum*+
Shane Watson
Babar Azam
A B de Villiers
Jos Buttler
Andre Russell
Sikander Raza
Rashid Khan
Mustafizur Rahman
Lasith Malinga
Jasprit Bumrah
12th Man: Corey Anderson
Sachin Tendulkar
Andy Flower+
Viv Richards*
Ross Taylor
A B de Villiers
Shakib Al Hasan
Andrew Flintoff
Wasim Akram
Rashid Khan
Glenn McGrath
Mutthiah Muralitharan
12th Man: Ryan ten Doescharte
AT T20 team:
Brendon McCullum*+
Shane Watson
Babar Azam
A B de Villiers
Jos Buttler
Andre Russell
Sikander Raza
Rashid Khan
Mustafizur Rahman
Lasith Malinga
Jasprit Bumrah
12th Man: Corey Anderson
Didn't get that far lol.
Coronis
International Coach
Even when he was keeping Sanga was always a 3, I’d have him bat at least above Flower.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
He was always clearly one of the best couple of bats in the side (not true here) and always kind of under performed with the bat when doing the double role. I'm was trying to not to over burden him.
But yeah Flower preferred to bat a bit lower down generally and was a spin specialist of sorts so swapping 5 and 6 there makes sense.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Haha he's actually one of the biggest Steyn fans on the forum tbf.
kyear2
International Coach
That's was the first thing I thought about when I saw the thread earlier this week.
No matter what I say it's going to be mocked, but...
In the comparison between Sobers and Kallis, Sobers is easily the better batsman. But as I've pointed out in the comp between Kallis and Sachin, Kallis was almost as productive.
Sobers was more prolific and offered more variety as a bolwer, but Kallis could get the job done, especially in this scenario.
While Sobers again offers the flexibility of being brilliant at multiple positions, Kallis was just as superb at 2nd slip, even if not possessing quite the same range.
On the other hand, no one else up for selection of this team (and possibly overall) combined Maco's skills, adaptability, the all round record, his express pace and the ability to be the enforcer that he was when required.
Personally when I'm looking at these scenarios, I just go with the 8 top teams and include the 4 players who for me are automatics, and the first 4 names on any ATG team. Bradman, Sobers, Marshall, Gilchrist. Some countries warrant two.
If compelled though, Marshall over Sobers.
kyear2
International Coach
I am.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
Contemporary accounts seem to suggest:
Sobers pace > Sobers wrist spin >>>> Sobers finger spin
... but that he bowled the latter there the most and it hurt his record.
kyear2
International Coach
This.
The wrist spin was seen, from what I've read, to be almost if not as good as the swing / pace bowling.
Prince EWS
Global Moderator
I thought a second XI might be fun to think about too.
1. Sutcliffe
2. Tamim
3. Williamson
4. Tendulkar
5. Sobers
6.... Asghar?
7. Gilchrist
8. Streak
9. Wasim
10. Steyn
11. Murali