The ATG Teams General arguing/discussing thread

[jimmy101]

Brian Strang bowling his off-cutters IMO

or some part time offies from Trevor Gripper

Bryan Strang seems like the best option doesn't he.

As for Gripper, not sure if there would be enough room for him considering you've already got a better batsman in Grant Flower who can also offer some part-time spin. Another worthy candidate for the second spinners role must be John Traicos, whom I always seem to forget about.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I wouldn't actually want Gripper anywhere near the team tbh. Slowest batsman I've ever seen.

 

[jimmy101]

Test match strike rate of 32, plus a bowling average of 85 kinda makes it hard to select big Trev.

From Cricbuzz:

"A solid opening batsman with a lot of grit in him, Trevor relied on the basic fundamental of blunting the bowlers to get his runs. He wasn't that pretty to watch as a batsman with more emphasis on leg-side strokeplay but was effective nonetheless."

 

[Tom Flint]

It would have been so much better for world cricket in general, I feel, if Graeme Hick decided to play for Zim than England in the 90s.

I've always said this about all the players who play for a country they wasn't born in. Think how much better cricket would be if Ballance, de grandhomme, the currans ect all played for Zimbabwe now

 

[honestbharani]

And Stokes for NZ

 

[Tom Flint]

The list goes on

 

[AndrewB]

I've always said this about all the players who play for a country they wasn't born in. Think how much better cricket would be if Ballance, de grandhomme, the currans ect all played for Zimbabwe now

The Currans weren’t born in Zimbabwe (Sam was born in England, Tom in SA).

 

[stephen]

Even if they did play for those lesser countries I don't think they'd be as good as they are due to the lack of facilities and coaching that the big nations provide for.

 

[Flem274*]

cdg's batting would be very similar level if he played for zimbabwe, he's the most obviously instinctive and natural player in the nz side. he might even be a bit better but less adaptable if he played for zimbabwe since he'd cop less stick for batting like himself, whereas here he cops it but nz being better than zimbabwe has forced him to play against his own instinct sometimes for the good of the team.

his bowling would probably be terrible if he played in a less developed environment. he's pretty obviously a bowler of little talent who has worked hard to become h4x.

 

[Tom Flint]

The Currans weren’t born in Zimbabwe (Sam was born in England, Tom in SA).

Ok I didn't know that.

 

[TheJediBrah]

cdg would fit in very well with the current Zim side in that he's an ordinary club level cricketer at best

 

[Gob]

I'll be fine just with McGill coming in for May

Other possible improvements like Langer for Slater and Clarke for M Waugh are marginal imo. (I believe Clarke is slightly superior to Hussey)

Clarke was comfortably superior to Hussey

 

[bagapath]

The pacers are fine. McGrath Gillespie Reid would be a killer combo

 

[TheJediBrah]

Clarke was comfortably superior to Hussey

As a fielder, maybe

 

[Red]

Clarke was comfortably superior to Hussey

Can't really see how you'd justify this.

I probably view them about on par.

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

How would Hussey have fared in the 2005 Ashes?

 

[TheJediBrah]

How would Hussey have fared in the 2005 Ashes?

Impossible to determine, but I'd guess better than most of them. He was in special form around that time (less than a year before his Test debut IIRC) and funnily enough was actually on that tour with the Aus ODI side but wasn't in the Test squad.

 

[jimmy101]

Hussey should have been playing in the 1999 Ashes fwiw.

And Hodgey should have been there in 2005.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Hard to argue for any of the 2005 team to be dropped though. That was an ATG side (on paper).

 

[stephen]

Hard to argue for any of the 2005 team to be dropped though. That was an ATG side (on paper).

Yeah it took a very powerful confluence of circumstances to give England the victory in that series. How many times was Martyn sawn off by horrid umpiring? How many tests would England have win if it wasn't for a stray cricket ball for McGrath to stand on? How cheaply might England have been dismissed for if Warne hadn't dropped Pieterson (a sitter) on the final day?

It was an ATG series and that Australian side was as good as any that have ever graced the paddock but a huge part of its charm was due to a combination of strange external and internal factors.