• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Playing selector: Lets pick the best test XI of different eras

aussie tragic

aussie tragic

International Captain
Okay, sorry to be so confusing. Based on comments, the minimum criteria is now locked in at 15 tests (3 series) during the period.

This means that Peter Pollock & Frank Tyson are now automatically considered, while we can grant a waiver for Graeme Pollock as he is only 1 test short and he has played > 20 tests over two selection periods (so it's a little unfair to discount him).

Also, due to numerous unfavourable comments regarding having a player in two different decade teams, which then proved correct when Imran's votes were held back in the 66-85 XI (and Marshall wasn't voted in the 86-05 XI because it was felt he should be in the preceeding era), I will not be considering Sobers and Bradman for this 1946-65 team

Note: Sobers already in 66-85 XI & his bowling doesn't qualify as an allrounder in this period anyway, while Bradman not included as he will walk into the 1919-39 XI without needing a Poll.

Any final comments before I start the polls?
 
Last edited:
aussie tragic

aussie tragic

International Captain
Last edited:
bagapath

bagapath

International Captain
not sure about that. one opener has been short of "all-time" class in all three teams; 1, 3 and 4 have been equally solid though. (hutton, walcott, weeks - gavaskar, richards, chappell - hayden, ponting, tendulkar). since hayden's greatness is questionable and morris' ranking in the all-time list is going to be slightly higher than greenidge's i guess you are right. but quite interested in the opinion of others too.
 
oz_fan

oz_fan

International Regular
I think the 1966-86 top 4 is the best so far. Although the 1946-66 top 4 is IMO a very close second. There isn't very much in it but I think that the 66-86 to 4 is a bit more balanced. IMO the 66-86 XI will be the best especially when you have that top order with Sobers at 5, Botham at 6 and good lower order batsmen (Knott, Marshall, Hadlee) with lots of bowling options. The only problem with the 66-86 XI is Underwood as spinner when you compare him to the likes of Warne, Murali, O'Reilly/Grimmet and Laker.
 
Matt79

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Have we had a left hand right hand opening combo in any of the previous teams? Not the 66-86 team, who was with Hayden, Sehwag wasn't it?
 
bagapath

bagapath

International Captain
yeah. it was anwar even though he tied with sehwag. we took him on coz he had collected more votes before. 46-65 has the first left right combo and i love it!
 
Last edited:
aussie tragic

aussie tragic

International Captain
Update on the three post-war XI’s

Batting Order

1. Matthew Hayden ---------- Sunil Gavaskar ----------- Len Hutton
2. Saeed Anwar --------------- Gordon Greenidge ------ Arthur Morris
3. Ricky Ponting --------------- Viv Richards -------------- Clyde Walcott
4. Sachin Tendulkar ---------- Greg Chappell ----------- Everton Weekes
5. Brian Lara -------------------- Gary Sobers
6. Imran Khan ------------------ Ian Botham
7. Adam Gilchrist -------------- Alan Knott
8. Shane Warne --------------- Richard Hadlee
9. Curtly Ambrose ------------- Malcom Marshall
10. Mutthiah Muralitharan --- Dennis Lillee
11. Glenn McGrath ------------ Derek Underwood

Bowling Order

1. Curtley Ambrose ------------- Malcom Marshall
2. Glenn McGrath --------------- Dennis Lillee
3. Imran Khan -------------------- Richard Hadlee
4. Shane Warne ----------------- Ian Botham
5. Mutthiah Muralitharan ------ Derek Underwood
6. Sachin Tendulkar ------------ Gary Sobers
7. N/A -------------------------------- Greg Chappell
8. N/A -------------------------------- Viv Richards
 
bagapath

bagapath

International Captain
after some more thinking, i agree with you.

on a different note, i think i have said this before, it will be impossible to come up with a more penetrative and balanced bowling attack than the 86-2005 team.
 
aussie tragic

aussie tragic

International Captain
bagapath said:
on a different note, i think i have said this before, it will be impossible to come up with a more penetrative and balanced bowling attack than the 86-2005 team.
Click to expand...
You're kidding surely. The 66-85 XI has Marshall, Lillee, Hadlee & Botham, plus two spinners in Underwood & Sobers. They also have Chappell & Richards as partnership breakers 8-)
 
Matt79

Matt79

Hall of Fame Member
Warne and Murali as the spinners for the 86-06 team are the difference. Best attack by a long way.
 
aussie tragic

aussie tragic

International Captain
Anyone have any objection if I add Worrell and Graveney to the No. 5 Poll?

They were already in the No. 3 poll (with no votes), however they also played > 20 innings at No. 5 and the nominee pool could do with a talent input.

This will mean that with the No. 4 runner-ups, the following would be the No. 5 nominees:

Barrington, Compton, Harvey, Pollock, Bland, Booth, Graveney, Parfitt, Umrigar, Worrell
 
oz_fan

oz_fan

International Regular
aussie tragic said:
Anyone have any objection if I add Worrell and Graveney to the No. 5 Poll?

They were already in the No. 3 poll (with no votes), however they also played > 20 innings at No. 5 and the nominee pool could do with a talent input.

This will mean that with the No. 4 runner-ups, the following would be the No. 5 nominees:

Barrington, Compton, Harvey, Pollock, Bland, Booth, Graveney, Parfitt, Umrigar, Worrell
Click to expand...
That sounds fine. I think Worrell will come close to being selected. We may end up with the three W's as our middle order.
 
nightprowler10

nightprowler10

Global Moderator
aussie tragic said:
Anyone have any objection if I add Worrell and Graveney to the No. 5 Poll?

They were already in the No. 3 poll (with no votes), however they also played > 20 innings at No. 5 and the nominee pool could do with a talent input.

This will mean that with the No. 4 runner-ups, the following would be the No. 5 nominees:

Barrington, Compton, Harvey, Pollock, Bland, Booth, Graveney, Parfitt, Umrigar, Worrell
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Top