Draft idea - bid for position

[JOJOXI]

Gary Kirsten, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Tony Greig, I think they are all still unpicked if not mistaken


GORDON GREENIDGE (7558 runs @ 44.72)
GARY KIRSTEN (7289 runs @ 45.27)
RAHUL DRAVID (13288 runs @ 52.31)
STEVEN SMITH (7227 runs @ 62.84) (captain)
SHIVNARINE CHANDERPAUL (11867 runs @ 51.37)
TONY GREIG (3599 runs @ 40.43, 141 wkts @ 32.20)
ADAM GILCHRIST (5570 runs @ 47.60) (wk)
PAT CUMMINS (647 runs @ 17.02, 143 wkts @ 21.82)
ANIL KUMBLE (2506 runs @ 17.77, 619 wktd @ 29.65)
DALE STEYN (439 wkts @ 22.95)
SYDNEY BARNES (189 wkts @ 16.43)

For me Gordon Greenidge is right near the top of the list of openers in recent history and it says a lot about Gary Kirsten that he has almost as many runs as Greenidge at a marginally better average. The determination of his style also gives Greenidge the freedom to do what he done in his career - be a great opener whilst having an expansive rather then limited game. Get past the opening partnership and you have the wall at number 3 in Rahul Dravid. Then a batsman who is up there in the conversation as being the best pure batsman after Bradman in Steve Smith - 3659 runs @ 70.36 as captain is a scary prospect too hence he will captain the side. Chanderpaul another great accumulator of runs and if you get past the top 4 without major damage being done, Chanderpaul can repair the crisis. Tony Greig a solid number 6 averaging just over 40 and more then good enough to be a 4th seamer. After the top 6 hopefully grind their opponents down Gilchirst can make merry at 7. Perhaps not the strongest tail but Cummins a capable batsman and Anil Kumble has a Test hundred.

In terms of bowling Steyn a quality fast bowler and surely the best we've seen for a decent while, Sydney Barnes can open the bowling with him, with Cummins as 1st change. Hugely successful spinner Kumble as the spinner with Greig as 4th seamer. With Barnes famous for his variety if the pitch took spin he could effectively be a 2nd spinner rather then seamer and Greig bowled spin with success against the West Indies - if on an absolute dustbowl this 4 seamer, 1 spinner attack quickly becomes 2 seamers, 3 spinners.

 

[StephenZA]

Bruce Mitchell

 

[StephenZA]

Bruce Mitchell
Victor Trumper
Jacques Kallis (4)
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Quinton de Kock+
Clive Rice* (3)
Wilfred Rhodes (6)
Hugh Tayfield (5)
Allan Donald (1)
Joel Garner (2)

 

[trundler]

Vinoo Mankad

 

[kingkallis]

Bruce Mitchell
Victor Trumper
Jacques Kallis (4)
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Quinton de Kock+
Clive Rice* (3)
Wilfred Rhodes (6)
Hugh Tayfield (5)
Allan Donald (1)
Joel Garner (2)

Lara, Tendulkar, Kallis can be the better order, I feel.

 

[trundler]

Bob Simpson 6
Sunil Gavaskar
Viv Richards
Everton Weekes
Allan Border*
Andy Flower+
Vinoo Mankad 5
Richard Hadlee 1
Andy Roberts 3
Waqar Younis 2
Clarrie Grimmett 4

Openers aren't going to throw away many starts. The 2 greatest openers from the last 60 years, if you ask me. Exceptional players of pace and spin alike. Richards and Weekes are 2 of the fastest scorers in the history of the game. Plenty of X factor in that top 4. In case things go south, 2 steel nerved lefties in Border and Flower would be able to resurrect any innings from any situation as they often did in their careers, shouldering the entire weight of their batting lineups. Mankad was good enough to score a double century in England and would be an able spin twin for Grimmett in India, where he averaged 26 with the ball. Not much more can be said about Richard Hadlee than the fact that he is one of the greatest match winners in the history of the game and possibly the greatest ever bowler. Certainly the greatest from NZ. Waqar and Roberts steaming in at 90+ mph would give no respite to the batsmen, especially at their peaks. Grimmett got Bradman more than anyone else in FC cricket and he also bowled more balls per match than anyone else as indicated by his ludicrous WPM ratio. I've got 2 bowlers used to bowling unchanged for entire sessions which would ensure my strike weapons Waqar and Roberts remain fresh and lively. And of course Mankad and Grimmett on turning decks would do very well. Throttle Simpson's leggies into the mix too. With Waqar's reverse swing, Hadlee's metronomic accuracy and ability to swing it anywhere and Roberts's express pace and sharp bouncers the pace trio is superbly skilled and well rounded. New or old ball, subcontinent or SENA — all bases are covered. A truly all conditions team with 6 bowling options and centuries down to 8.

 

[ataraxia]

Monty Noble
John Waite

 

[Line and Length]

Should perhaps make it clear that those are Dhoni’s figures in ODIs.

Edit: that was supposed to be in reply to Line and Length’s post of his XI’s averages.

Thanks for that. I have corrected my summary. I use "Howstat" to obtain my info and, in Dhoni's case, his ODI reference appeared before his Test info. My careless error.

 

[ankitj]

So all teams complete?

This was fun game. Thanks AndrewB for running it. An ODI version of it will be great too I think.

 

[trundler]

I would like to do the test chronological draft now. Would run it too.

 

[kingkallis]

It ended rather well for me. I thought I'd end up with a weaker bowling attack but I ended up building a very good bowling unit of Trueman, Spofforth, Larwood, Laker, Sobers, Macartney.

This surely was a fun draft idea, AndrewB! Thank you for running it.

 

[Line and Length]

Good fun and I learned a tactic or two. Thanks Andrew B

 

[honestbharani]

It was a fun game.. I did not give it as much thought as I should have coz things have been getting crazy here personally but really enjoyed the concept and format and was very well run. Hope we can do one more like this soon and I am in a better space to enjoy it more.

 

[StephenZA]

Lara, Tendulkar, Kallis can be the better order, I feel.

I notice people saying and doing this a lot. I just feel that Kallis is a better 3 than a 5. Kallis at 5 feel like a player you putting there for when things go wrong. I like him at 3 because I don't want things to go wrong in the first place. He guarantees a solidity at the top of the order that allows, players like Tendulkar and Lara lots of freedom to take the game away from the opposition. But whichever way you put it a 3-5 of Lara, Kallis Tendulkar is likely to do well

 

[StephenZA]

Bruce Mitchell
Victor Trumper
Jacques Kallis (4)
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Quinton de Kock+
Clive Rice* (3)
Wilfred Rhodes (6)
Hugh Tayfield (5)
Allan Donald (1)
Joel Garner (2)

Two great openers. Trumper well known. Mitchell less so, but probably deserving of an ATG mention. Many believe he deserves the spot in the SA ATG XI line-up ahead of the great Graeme Smith. I won't bother commenting on the middle order. QDK is a young selection but I suspect he will take Waite's place in the SA ATG XI by the end of his career. Will see if he sticks at wk or moves onto become a pure batsmen in time. Rice is decisive. I like picking him in teams as a player often forgotten and disregarded. I personally think that he was a greater all-rounder than Procter, because I rate batting all-rounders higher than bowling all-rounders. Clive was a much better bat, not quite as good a bowler as Procter but still excellent. Reading up on his partnership with Hadlee is a great way to understand the man. I have also picked Rice as captain due to his drive and determination to lead from the front and bring the best out of the players with him. Rhodes is a complicated player to analyse because depending on what he is needed for depends on what he is used for. I am picking him to partner Tayfield; both having great guile with the ball, and an ability to control the pace of an opposition innings when needed. When some rate you as good or better than Steyn you must have been doing something right, so a fast bowling partnership of Donald and Big Bird will be as good as some better than most.

Overall great batting down to 8, both solidity and flair throughout the batting order. A great fast bowling combination, depth with quality bowling options for all conditions. No truly attacking ATG spinner, but few of those exist in history.

 

[AndrewB]

Thanks to all for taking part (and picking very quickly!)

Poll is now up.

 

[JOJOXI]

Thankyou for setting up the draft it was good fun.