Test dream team from each nation. 1970-2020

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Gower has a way better record batting at 3 than at 4, despite more often playing as a #4 (decent sample size for both). The anti-Root in this regard.

I don't know if there's a simple explanation for this from those who followed his career in real time - maybe just a case of his peak years coinciding with his spot in the side being at #3?

 

[trundler]

Still, nobody who averaged 50 with the bat or sub 25 with the ball. A distinctly ATVG team, that. Decent options for each role though. Pakistan struggle for a 2nd opener, WI don't have a spinner of note and there aren't enough omnivores in India for example but England have multiple decent options for each of those. The 2nd XI would be pretty much interchangeable with the first.

 

[Red_Ink_Squid]

Cook
Boycott
Gower
Root
Pietersen
Stokes
Botham
Knott
Swann
Anderson
Willis

Hmmm... A quickly drawn up 2nd XI to take on FJ's picks:

Gooch
Stewart
Trott
Bell
Thorpe
Flintoff
Prior
Broad
Gough
Snow
Underwood

Yeah, you'd back the first team but agreed it's mostly marginal gains everywhere. And still got openers like Atherton/Strauss/Trescothick not called upon.

 

[trundler]

Would personally have Greigy there. The top 2 or 3 English ARs, openers and spinners are the same level. No clear standouts.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Still, nobody who averaged 50 with the bat or sub 25 with the ball. A distinctly ATVG team, that. Decent options for each role though. Pakistan struggle for a 2nd opener, WI don't have a spinner of note and there aren't enough omnivores in India for example but England have multiple decent options for each of those. The 2nd XI would be pretty much interchangeable with the first.

Yeah, there's probably a sports science PhD thesis waiting to be written about England failing to produce any unarguable ATG great batters or bowlers for nigh on 50 years.

We've done pretty well on the all rounder front in the time period though: Greig, Beefy, Freddie and now Sir Benjamin all have pretensions to being genuine all rounders at a period in their careers at least.

Don't think any other country has produced anywhere near as many in the same timespan.

 

[trundler]

Sir Beefy was churning out centuries and 5fers at an absurd rate for a good 7 year period so he's as genuine an all rounder as there ever was I'd say.

 

[OverratedSanity]

Stokes definitely not far from ATG status already imo.

 

[Dendarii]

We've done pretty well on the all rounder front in the time period though: Greig, Beefy, Freddie and now Sir Benjamin all have pretensions to being genuine all rounders at a period in their careers at least.

Don't think any other country has produced anywhere near as many in the same timespan.

South Africa?

Even if you discount Procter and Rice (and let England have Greig ), there's still McMillan, Pollock, and Kallis.

 

[BoyBrumby]

South Africa?

Even if you discount Procter and Rice (and let England have Greig ), there's still McMillan, Pollock, and Kallis.

Ha. Fair shout. Eddie Barlow went on quite deep into the 70s too.

Although Polly probably more of a bowling all rounder than a genuine one, I'd say.

&, much as I rated his bowling, one always had the slight suspicion Kallis was never a bowler who his skipper had to prise the ball out of his hands.

But yeah, definitely at least on a par with England.

 

[Dendarii]

Although Polly probably more of a bowling all rounder than a genuine one, I'd say.

Interestingly, when Pollock was captain of South Africa, he averaged 21 with the ball and 42 with the bat. Although obviously that's just a portion of his career and other players could very well look as good or better if you select their peak periods.

And while he did that, Kallis averaged 60 with the bat and 27 with the ball. So both were putting out some ridiculous figures at that time.

 

[Fuller Pilch]

NZ - Hadlee, Cairns, Oram, Vettori, De Grandhomme
India - Kapil, Shastri, Irfan Pathan, Ashwin, Jadeja

 

[honestbharani]

Don't think any other country has produced anywhere near as many in the same timespan.

South Africa threatened producing that many in the same generation and then, for some reason, they just stopped.

 

[bagapath]

I sure hope you're counting the 70s as being 1971 to 1980.

Yes I was

 

[jimmy101]

who gives a ****. these same old blokes commentate on current games and we usually think their opinions are awful. the same people who swear barry richards was some all conquering god are the same goobs who give us channel 9 world elevens.

barry richards may have been a great player, but im not going to take the word of an ex player on it.

Where is the logic in this? You're saying the opinions of ex-players should be universally dismissed upon first glance because they don't necessarily line up with your pre- conceived notions? Richie Benaud's ATG XI was an incredibly well-thought out exercise accompanied by invaluable insight from the great man himself.

There is a reason that books detailing the history of the the Vietnam War, for example, are based on sit down interviews with ex-soldiers. Because they were actually there when it happened.

 

[Line and Length]

Hilarious to think England have played like 600 tests in this period yet don't have a proper #3. And neither opening bowler can claim to be the best in the world at any point during his career.

David Gower played some of his best innings at number 3. He averaged almost 50 batting there, scoring 8 centuries and 10 fifties.

 

[Flem274*]

Where is the logic in this? You're saying the opinions of ex-players should be universally dismissed upon first glance because they don't necessarily line up with your pre- conceived notions? Richie Benaud's ATG XI was an incredibly well-thought out exercise accompanied by invaluable insight from the great man himself.

There is a reason that books detailing the history of the the Vietnam War, for example, are based on sit down interviews with ex-soldiers. Because they were actually there when it happened.

im saying ex players who are obviously full of **** on commentary should never be listened to yes, because they are full of ****.

it's telling you immediately grasped for the shining light in a sea of warnes, chappells and bothams.

 

[Red]

im saying ex players who are obviously full of **** on commentary should never be listened to yes, because they are full of ****.

it's telling you immediately grasped for the shining light in a sea of warnes, chappells and bothams.

My point was simply that the majority of guys who played with or against B.Richards at a really high level say he was really outstanding. It's hardly a difficult opinion to believe. Not sure why you're blatantly dissing this aggressively and completely with a broad paintbrush, but whatever.

 

[Burgey]

Lawry
Hayden
Ponting
Smith
Chappell, G
TOTAB (c)
Gilchrist (wk)
Warne
Johnson
Lillee
McGrath

Toughest spots for me are the third quick and a middle order spot between GC and SWaugh.

Third quick was a really tough choice. Really went Johnson because of his batting and the variety of left arm but tbh if I picked purely on bowling it would have been Reid, who was genuinely superb, just ahead of Cummins (still too soon but will probably jag an AT Aus 21st century spot when he's done) and McDermott also in the reckoning - properly underrated bowler.

Doesn't' much matter, the only side going close to the above is the WI team of the same era:

Greenidge
Haynes
Viv
Lara
Kanhai
Sobers (c)
Dujon (wk)
Marshall
Ambrose
Garner
Gibbs

Gibbs could easily make way for one of about three dozen quicks. Take your pick.

Actually think that side edges Australia's primarily due to Sobers as a fifth bowling option and their third quick being a great.

 

[Burgey]

Absence of consideration around here for both Lawry - given Australia's comparatively ordinary opening options; and for Kanhai, who barely rates a mention as he was in Sobers shadow for so long but was a genius too and a better bat than either Lloyd or Chanders, is an indictment and you should all be ashamed.

 

[Nintendo]

Absence of consideration around here for both Lawry - given Australia's comparatively ordinary opening options; and for Kanhai, who barely rates a mention as he was in Sobers shadow for so long but was a genius too and a better bat than either Lloyd or Chanders, is an indictment and you should all be ashamed.

Lawry is absent because the post specifies post-1970, and Lawry averages 32 with 0 100's between Jan 01, 1970, and his last test