**Official** 'My Current World XI' Thread

[tooextracool]

Those ratings are not totally accurate. And I did not suddenly change my opinion on New Zealand after Harmison has a good series against them. I have made my views clear since the first time I came here that IMO the best 2 teams in the world are Australia and India. When was the last time New Zealand beat Australia? And who won the last Test series between India and England? Yet England easily beat the Kiwis. South Africa are also a quality side of course.

yes thats very interesting....and remind me when was the last time india beat NZ?so by your count doesnt that make NZ a better side than india?
oh and i notice you so very conveniently ignore harmison's oh so very high bowling average of 24 against the 'mighty' indian batting lineup in his debut series.

The only quality players Harmison has got out at least 3 times in Tests are Lara and Gibbs.

and since his career has spanned so many decades he should have dismissed every quality batsman in the world more than 3 times?

Once they were finally paired against eachother on a good batting track, Lara made 400 against a bowling attack which included Harmison.

and when 4 NZ players scored centuries against australia in that test match at perth you were saying that mcgrath,gillespie,warne and lee were useless? or do you only look at the flat tracks that harmison bowls on?

 

[chicane]

Since the start of 2002 Shoaib Akhtar has taken 79 Test wickets at 17.49, and since the start of 2003 its 37 wickets at 18.04. Pretty phenomenal by any standards. No one has taken more wickets at a lower average during this time. He has been the most lethal fast bowler of the last couple of years.

Yet some people will have Harmison rather then him.

 

[chicane]

Yet Sehwag averages 34 from memory.

And Gilchrist averages 35 odd. Both their strike rates are nearly 100, and that's what is important.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Once they were finally paired against eachother on a good batting track, Lara made 400 against a bowling attack which included Harmison.

And yet he bowled superbly in that match. Harmison certainly was not decked and, on one of the flattest surfaces I've seen, he even caused a few problems at times.

37-6-92-1 (2.48 econ) is not bad, given the rest of the attack was 6 bowlers for 165-17-650-4 (3.93 econ).

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

And Gilchrist averages 35 odd. Both their strike rates are nearly 100, and that's what is important.

Yet Gilchrist has averaged 42.30 over the past year. Sehwag is at 33.63.

All this aside from the fact that you can't justify the inclusion of Sehwag with the inclusion of Gilchrist, as the latter is picked as the wicketkeeper. If Sehwag could keep wicket, you may have an argument, but Gilchrist is quite simply the best of the ODI players in the wicketkeeper role at the moment.

 

[luckyeddie]

Yet some people will have Harmison rather then him.

I think that when you are selecting a world XI, only a complete dumbass would only pick one of them.

 

[chicane]

I think that when you are selecting a world XI, only a complete dumbass would only pick one of them.

He won't be in my 11, I'll pick Gillespie, Shoaib and Pollock.

 

[chicane]

Yet Gilchrist has averaged 42.30 over the past year. Sehwag is at 33.63.

All this aside from the fact that you can't justify the inclusion of Sehwag with the inclusion of Gilchrist, as the latter is picked as the wicketkeeper. If Sehwag could keep wicket, you may have an argument, but Gilchrist is quite simply the best of the ODI players in the wicketkeeper role at the moment.

Both their career stats look very similar though. And I would pick Gilchrist solely as a batsman, it's an added advantage he can keep. Sehwag too is useful with the ball and is an excellent fielder. I think he's the best choice to partner Gilchrist. If at all I can think of anyone else, it would be either Hayden, Gibbs or Gayle. But I would still pick Sehwag for his destructive strokeplay.

 

[luckyeddie]

He won't be in my 11, I'll pick Gillespie, Shoaib and Pollock.

 

[chicane]

very funny....

 

[luckyeddie]

very funny....

I see no reason to be anything other than humourous at the moment - too many ill feelings in other threads for my liking.

 

[~Michael~]

Test 11

Matthew Hayden
Sachin Tendulkar
Ricky Ponting (c)
Brian Lara(v-c)
Rahul Dravid
Jacques Kallis
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shaun Pollock
Shane Warne
Jason Gillespie
Steve Harmison

Extra's
Murali , Graeme Smith , Gibbs ,Vaas , mark richardson , Strauss.

ODI 11

Matthew hayden
Adam gilchrist (wk+v-c)
Ricky Ponting (C)
Sachin Tendulkar
Rahul Dravid
Freddie Flintoff
Michael Clarke/Symonds (i'll prefer Clarke)
Chris Carins
Brett Lee
Jason Gillespie
Murali

Extra's
Vaas, Bond , Sehwag, Trescothick,Dwanye Smith and lara.

(i added Clarke to my ODI 11 because we need 2 or 3 finishers
and i saw him in the
tvs cup final match and he performed v well as
a finisher. I Would have picked Bevan for this spot but as u all know
he has not been offered a new contract so he is not a current player
Clarke is
a very good Player)

 

[Langeveldt]

Freddie Flintoff

Please man... His name is Andrew...

 

[luckyeddie]

Please man... His name is Andrew...

Freddie as in Fred as in Flintstone - as in (often) 'yabba dabba oops'

 

[Deja moo]

Test 11

Matthew Hayden
Sachin Tendulkar
Ricky Ponting (c)
Brian Lara(v-c)
Rahul Dravid
Jacques Kallis
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Shaun Pollock
Shane Warne
Jason Gillespie
Steve Harmison

Why waste Dravid at number 5 ? And SRT opening ?

 

[DJellett]

TEST XII

M Hayden
G Smith
J Kallis
S Tendulkar
B Lara
R Ponting
A Gilchrist (wk)
S Pollock
C Vass
S Warne (c)
M Muralitharan
12th Man: Shoaib Akthar

 

[Mr. P]

TEST XII

M Hayden
G Smith
J Kallis
S Tendulkar
B Lara
R Ponting
A Gilchrist (wk)
S Pollock
C Vass
S Warne (c)
M Muralitharan
12th Man: Shoaib Akthar

swap kallis and ponting.

 

[DJellett]

Maybe - I faced that dillema

 

[Mr. P]

Maybe - I faced that dillema

Reasons why:

1/ Ponting ALWAYS bats at 3, Kallis can bat anywhere

2/ Kallis would need more rest as he is also a bowler

3/ Ponting is arguably a better batsman anyway

 

[delkap]

How does Brett Lee make a World Test XI? How does Vaughan make it ahead of Smith and Richardson?

Vaughan will be the captain.. and I believe he is better than Smith or Richardson. Richardson can only block. Vaughan can attack if needed too. Smith can't block well or its not in his nature... Vaughan proides a balance.
I would put Bond in the XI only that he is injured, and no guarantee he will be back to what he was in WC2003, hence Lee gets in for fire-power. I dont trust Akhtar, to select him.