Establishing the best decade for cricket: Finding the ATG XI from 12 decades of test cricket - then having a KO tourney to decide the best

[Fuller Pilch]

Anyway, I'll go Crowe too (ahead of Richardson, Vengsakar and Gower).

If Lloyd had played for a couple more years he would've been a good pick.

 

[ataraxia]

Who are the 3 part-time spinners? Border was a spinner, Viv and Crowe medium pacers

Huh. I guess I really should've known that. My point stands I guess. According to cricinfo Viv was a slow bowler (arguable meaning) and an off-break bowler.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Crowe was actually sharpish before his injuries. Opened the attack for NZ in a test/tests in Pakistan when they played lots of spinners.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Miandad was a part time spinner. I doubt that he reached 20 wickets but he did bowl a bit. Viv bowled off spin in the main if he bowled.

 

[honestbharani]

From what I remember of cricket trump cards, Miandad had a very good bowling averge. May have been in ODIs. And he bowled leggies, I believe.

 

[ma1978]

When Bradman and Hammond are grinding you down, you want that fifth pacer

 

[ma1978]

Richardson was every bit Crowe’s equal in that time period

 

[The Sean]

As much as people might not think we need five quicks (which is fair), we surely also don't to play six specialist batsmen PLUS Dujon, Imran, Hadlee and Marshall, and in doing so leave ourselves with only four frontline bowlers? Considering the bowling talent available in the 1980s, and the batting depth this team already has, that seems ridiculous.

I love AB like my own father - well, almost - and his 11-fer against the Windies in 88/89 is one of my fondest memories, but I even I struggle to pretend that he (or Richards, or Javed, or Crowe) should be considered a genuine fifth bowling option at this level.

 

[The Sean]

For what its worth, the Test bowling records of those four batsmen in the 1980s:

Viv: 78 Tests, 28 wickets at 56.25
Border: 97 Tests, 21 wickets at 35.14
Javed: 76 Tests, zero wickets (decade figures 0/126)
Crowe: 45 Tests, 13 wickets at 46.69

 

[Lillian Thomson]

We're going to end up with a team here that literally no one on the entire planet would ever pick.

 

[The Sean]

Anyway, loathe as I am to leave the team without a specialist spinner, I am voting Kapil Dev for the reasons I mentioned in my post yesterday.

 

[The Sean]

I'll go Ravi Shastri who will offer the spin option and solid batting to balance the things the side is currently missing(not that the batting is weak but Dujon and Imran at 6 and 7 I'm realising looks a little too funky) No doubt helped by the way the team has been formed, but oh well. Go Ravi

Do we have a winner here for the worst cricketer to get a vote for one of these all-decade teams? I think we might.

 

[Slifer]

I'm confused, we have a perfectly reasonable choice for a spinner since people insist on playing one and most are choosing another seamer who adds absolutely nothing much to the team??

I'll go with Qasim. I don't want to hear anyone argue we need a spinner again...smh

 

[Lillian Thomson]

At least no one has chosen John Emburey.

 

[morgieb]

Qadir, I think.

Someone like Mohammed or even Tanny Greig would be perfect for this side.

 

[The Sean]

I'm confused, we have a perfectly reasonable choice for a spinner since people insist on playing one and most are choosing another seamer who adds absolutely nothing much to the team??

I'll go with Qasim. I don't want to hear anyone argue we need a spinner again...smh

Yeah, that's a fair comment and to be honest I have broken my own rule to always have a spinning option if one of sufficient quality exists, which it does. I guess in addition to the reasons in my post yesterday I also voted Kapil as he seemed the most likely to be picked and thus avoid the ludicrous situation of over-stacking the batting and leaving ourselves a bowler short.

I'm not sure I've made the right call, and may well switch my vote to a spinner if it comes to it.

 

[mr_mister]

Border on a raging turner in India could probably nab a few wickets

 

[Coronis]

I'm confused, we have a perfectly reasonable choice for a spinner since people insist on playing one and most are choosing another seamer who adds absolutely nothing much to the team??

I'll go with Qasim. I don't want to hear anyone argue we need a spinner again...smh

Yeah I want a spinner. Qadir already has more votes though so I’ll vote for him as he looks to have a better chance so far over Crowe or an AR.

 

[h_hurricane]

I am going with Kapil Dev as well, if allowed to vote so late in this thread.

 

[The Sean]

Ha, it seems a lot more of us want a fifth bowling option than a sixth specialist batsman, but everyone who wants a batsman is voting for the same player whereas those of us who want the bowling balance are splitting our vote several different ways!