Just wondering what you guy's team's would be.
My combined Test team would be:
M Hayden
M Richardson
R Ponting
S Fleming (c)
N Astle
D Martyn
A Gilchrist +
S Warne
S Bond
J Gillespie
G McGrath
It would be harsh to break up that Hayden/Langer partnership, as it has been so succesful over the past few years. But you got to put Richardson there somewhere, and I don't like the look of Langer and would rather have a fit again Astle. Fleming makes it on default as a captain, and it will be interesting to see what the make-up of the Aussie order will be without Waugh. Glenn McGrath will be back, and there is no room for Daryl Tuffey, unless you play Gilchrist at 6.
The combined ODI team:
M Hayden
A Gilchrist +
N Astle
R Ponting (c)
D Martyn
S Styris/ C Cairns
S Warne
S Bond
D Tuffey
J Gillespie
G McGrath
Fleming would be the main casualty, and his ODI batting isn't in the same level as in the Tests. Gilchrist and Hayden would be my openers, with Astle at his newfound position at 3 and Ponting following him, and captain as well. Martyn is a world-class player, and the likes of McMillan aren't in the same league. Styris over the past year has proved to be a genuine allrounder, and is NZ's most consistent batsman and a more than useful medium pacer in the middle stages of an innings. He would get the nod over Symonds and Clarke at this stage. The bowling attack is might strong, with McGrath and Bond to open up and with Tuffey and Gillespie as the change bowlers. No room for Lee in my side, he isn't as fast as he used to be anymore, and that is his main weapon. And Vettori would be no match for a non-mum-drug-influenced-Warne.
Fun excersise this.
If you go on averages for both ODI and Test, only Richardson would sneak into the batting for the Test team.
OK just to give you a bit of indication what I mean...
Tests
Batting
M Richardson 49.02/ J Langer 44.30
L Vincent 29.00 / M Hayden 58.54
S Fleming 38.48/ R Ponting 56.36
S Styris 37.33/ D Martyn 46.77
C McMillan 41.55/ S Katich 36.33
N Astle 39.04/ M Love 46.60
C Cairns 32.17/ A Gilchrist 57.43
Bowling
S Bond 24.30/ G McGrath 21.71
D Tuffey 27.32/ J Gillespie 24.89
I Butler 35.08/ B Lee 30.55
J Oram 23.18/ A Bichel 32.24
C Cairns 29.11/ N Bracken 36.33
D Vettori 35.65/ S Warne 25.71
Interesting to know Tuffey and Cairns are in the Top 10 Best Bowling Strike Rates of current players for Tests.
ODI
Batting
S Fleming 30.94/ M Hayden 41.58
N Astle 34.40/ A Gilchrist 35.04
L Vincent 21.78 / R Ponting 42.19
S Styris 27.34/ D Martyn 43.09
C McMillan 26.23/ A Symonds 32.26
C Cairns 29.18/ M Bevan 55.74
Bowling
S Bond 19.00 (4.24)/ G McGrath 22.38 (3.81)
D Tuffey 29.50 (4.64)/ J Gillespie 24.14 (4.17)
J Oram 30.73 (4.54)/ B Lee 21.43 (4.69)
C Cairns 32.98 (4.75)/ A Bichel 30.21 (4.47)
S Styris 31.78 (4.81)/ I Harvey 29.14 (4.64)
D Vettori 37.27 (4.35)/ S Warne 25.82 (4.25)
Dam did that take a while...
My combined Test team would be:
M Hayden
M Richardson
R Ponting
S Fleming (c)
N Astle
D Martyn
A Gilchrist +
S Warne
S Bond
J Gillespie
G McGrath
It would be harsh to break up that Hayden/Langer partnership, as it has been so succesful over the past few years. But you got to put Richardson there somewhere, and I don't like the look of Langer and would rather have a fit again Astle. Fleming makes it on default as a captain, and it will be interesting to see what the make-up of the Aussie order will be without Waugh. Glenn McGrath will be back, and there is no room for Daryl Tuffey, unless you play Gilchrist at 6.
The combined ODI team:
M Hayden
A Gilchrist +
N Astle
R Ponting (c)
D Martyn
S Styris/ C Cairns
S Warne
S Bond
D Tuffey
J Gillespie
G McGrath
Fleming would be the main casualty, and his ODI batting isn't in the same level as in the Tests. Gilchrist and Hayden would be my openers, with Astle at his newfound position at 3 and Ponting following him, and captain as well. Martyn is a world-class player, and the likes of McMillan aren't in the same league. Styris over the past year has proved to be a genuine allrounder, and is NZ's most consistent batsman and a more than useful medium pacer in the middle stages of an innings. He would get the nod over Symonds and Clarke at this stage. The bowling attack is might strong, with McGrath and Bond to open up and with Tuffey and Gillespie as the change bowlers. No room for Lee in my side, he isn't as fast as he used to be anymore, and that is his main weapon. And Vettori would be no match for a non-mum-drug-influenced-Warne.
Fun excersise this.
If you go on averages for both ODI and Test, only Richardson would sneak into the batting for the Test team.
OK just to give you a bit of indication what I mean...
Tests
Batting
M Richardson 49.02/ J Langer 44.30
L Vincent 29.00 / M Hayden 58.54
S Fleming 38.48/ R Ponting 56.36
S Styris 37.33/ D Martyn 46.77
C McMillan 41.55/ S Katich 36.33
N Astle 39.04/ M Love 46.60
C Cairns 32.17/ A Gilchrist 57.43
Bowling
S Bond 24.30/ G McGrath 21.71
D Tuffey 27.32/ J Gillespie 24.89
I Butler 35.08/ B Lee 30.55
J Oram 23.18/ A Bichel 32.24
C Cairns 29.11/ N Bracken 36.33
D Vettori 35.65/ S Warne 25.71
Interesting to know Tuffey and Cairns are in the Top 10 Best Bowling Strike Rates of current players for Tests.
ODI
Batting
S Fleming 30.94/ M Hayden 41.58
N Astle 34.40/ A Gilchrist 35.04
L Vincent 21.78 / R Ponting 42.19
S Styris 27.34/ D Martyn 43.09
C McMillan 26.23/ A Symonds 32.26
C Cairns 29.18/ M Bevan 55.74
Bowling
S Bond 19.00 (4.24)/ G McGrath 22.38 (3.81)
D Tuffey 29.50 (4.64)/ J Gillespie 24.14 (4.17)
J Oram 30.73 (4.54)/ B Lee 21.43 (4.69)
C Cairns 32.98 (4.75)/ A Bichel 30.21 (4.47)
S Styris 31.78 (4.81)/ I Harvey 29.14 (4.64)
D Vettori 37.27 (4.35)/ S Warne 25.82 (4.25)
Dam did that take a while...