Which is the best test team of all time?

[Nowhowsthat]

In Wisden in 2002, David Frith asked the question as to whether the 2001 Australian side was the greatest test side of all time. He listed the following as contenders for the title with that side: the 1902, 1921, 1948, and 1975 Australian sides, the 1950's English side, the 1969/70 South African side, and the 1984 West Indian side.

So, how does the current England side compare with the aforementioned great teams in terms of the greatest test side of all time?

The attached link (http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Articles/Retro_ICC_Rankings_rev2.pdf) contains the ICC rankings as applied retrospectively from the 1890's - 2003. Interesting, England was last ranked number 1 between 1978-80 under Mike Brearley, and prior to that during the early 1970's under Ray Illingworth.

 

[G.I.Joe]

And so it begins .......

 

[flibbertyjibber]

At present we are way down the list. Come back and ask again in 5 years IF we are still the top side and have dominated in those years.

We are good, no doubt about that but lets not run before we can walk.

 

[GIMH]

It must be us. If any of those other sides were better surely they'd be ranked number one?

 

[fredfertang]

- that's chasingthedon's work - I'd recognise it anywhere

 

[smash84]

At present we are way down the list. Come back and ask again in 5 years IF we are still the top side and have dominated in those years.

We are good, no doubt about that but lets not run before we can walk.

Flibbertyjibber can make some decent posts at times ......

but yeah completely agree with the above

 

[smash84]

The WI side

 

[Cevno]

This thread was made to include the present England side, wasn't it?

Just have gotten to number 1 right now and some are getting ahead of themselves already?

 

[Cevno]

And in before this becomes another West Indies vs Australia thread

 

[GIMH]

This thread was made to include the present England side, wasn't it?

Just have gotten to number 1 right now and some are getting ahead of themselves already?

Sorry mate, can't hear you from down in 3rd

 

[Cevno]

Sorry mate, can't hear you from down in 3rd

Come back to me after we have played a few series at home or a couple of series more against Srilanka.

And the rankings haven't been published yet ending a more than 2 and a half year long reign

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Flibbertyjibber can make some decent posts at times ......

but yeah completely agree with the above

Is that a compliment or a dig?

 

[Neil Pickup]

Voting England (i) before reality kicks in, and (ii) because it's a private poll.

Wait...

 

[chasingthedon]

In Wisden in 2002, David Frith asked the question as to whether the 2001 Australian side was the greatest test side of all time. He listed the following as contenders for the title with that side: the 1902, 1921, 1948, and 1975 Australian sides, the 1950's English side, the 1969/70 South African side, and the 1984 West Indian side.

So, how does the current England side compare with the aforementioned great teams in terms of the greatest test side of all time?

The attached link (http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Articles/Retro_ICC_Rankings_rev2.pdf) contains the ICC rankings as applied retrospectively from the 1890's - 2003. Interesting, England was last ranked number 1 between 1978-80 under Mike Brearley, and prior to that during the early 1970's under Ray Illingworth.

Since I published this original article, I revised these rankings to reward dominance and away form - link. Much better IMHO.

 

[smash84]

Is that a compliment or a dig?

a bit of both tbh

 

[Darth018]

Feels like a spin-off of the Aus vs WI thread.

Since I didn't get to vote there I voted here. I was siding towards the Aus guys in that debate. I thought the WI guys were being biased.

 

[Quaggas]

Since I published this original article, I revised these rankings to reward dominance and away form - link. Much better IMHO.

Hard to argue against...

 

[G.I.Joe]

Since I published this original article, I revised these rankings to reward dominance and away form - link. Much better IMHO.

The comments section at the bottom of this article gave me a shock just now, tbh. Why are those posts there?

Anyway, only goes to further cement my credentials as cricket pundit.

 

[weldone]

The timeline for the aussie side should be 1999-2008 (or 1997-2009 at best). 1990-1997 Australian team was not that special. Border's team was merely good, Taylor's team was very good and arguably the best team in the world, but Waugh's team reached Mt. Everest. Ponting's team kept one or two ladders above Mt. Everest (before the subsequent downfall).

 

[DriveClub]

WIs FTW, pace like fia