Which team's alltime XI is best?

[Matt79]

If we put on our imagining hats, or our simulation programs, which teams all time XI would be the most consistently successful against the other alltime XIs?

For me, I think its hard to go past the Windies, v.good openers, great middle order (regardless which 3 of 6 great options you take), possibly the greatest allrounder ever, possibly a v.good spinner and a great pace attack. The Aussies would be the next best IMO.

What do you think?

 

[BhupinderSingh]

I think its really close between West Indies & Pakistan,but I've voted for Pakistan because of nice balance of batting & bowling.And they also have the greatest allrounder ever i.e Imran Khan.

 

[Matt79]

Thank you Pasag and Steds - always reliable clowns. I thought I better include them or I'd be accused of Grace-ism or whatever! Nobody's going to nominate Namibia though? Shame!

 

[pasag]

Australia for me (bias no doubt).

 

[Matt79]

I think its really close between West Indies & Pakistan,but I've voted for Pakistan because of nice balance of batting & bowling.And they also have the greatest allrounder ever i.e Imran Khan.

Yep, Pakistan are up there or abouts. For me they probably come in equal with England in a tie for third, behind West Indies and Australia. What counts against them, IMO, is a batting line up that is undoubtedly classy and very very good, but not spectacular like the Windies, Aussies or even Indians. Also the keeper is not as clear a matchwinner as it is for some other teams. Still, Imran is arguably the greatest allrounder ever, and that pace line up is at least equal to anything else out there (except possibly the Windies by a tiny margin)

 

[silentstriker]

Has to be the Aussies or the Windies.

I mean West Indies could really sport two or three all time XI's without much drop off in talent.

Their batting is as good as anyone (except Aussies with Bradman) and their bowling is better than anyone else.

The only thing that made me choose the Aussies is Bradman.

 

[steds]

Thank you Pasag and Steds - always reliable clowns.

 

[Dravid]

Australia, they have Bradman. Enough said.

 

[Slifer]

YEah that freak of nature Bradman does it for me. Australia by and small margin over the WI. It'd be interesting to see what u all thought about doing this same thing for each country's all time ODI XI

 

[Fusion]

West Indies. With a lineup that will likely consist of Sobers, Viv, Lara, Marshal, Ambrose, Walsh etc, they'll be hard to beat. Australia and Pakistan will come next for me.

 

[Sanz]

The team which has Bradman.

 

[PhoenixFire]

The team which has Bradman.

We don't really know the The Don could cope against Marshall, Holding, Walsh, Ambrose, Patterson and the like on fast, hard, bouncy pitches do we. He may have struggled and not scored the glut of runs that he did on the pitches he played on.

 

[Sanz]

We don't really know the The Don could cope against Marshall, Holding, Walsh, Ambrose, Patterson and the like on fast, hard, bouncy pitches do we. He may have struggled and not scored the glut of runs that he did on the pitches he played on.

We also dont know how Marshall, Holding and Co. would cope against Sir Don, do we ?

 

[Slifer]

I personally think that if Bradman had been around in the 80s he'd have averaged around 65 or 70. Still far and away the best batsman of all time.

 

[PhoenixFire]

We also dont know how Marshall, Holding and Co. would cope against Sir Don, do we ?

That's a fair point, I didn't see that one.

 

[Slifer]

Aust:

Hayden
Langer\
Bradman
G CHapell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
K Miller
S Warne
D Lillee
G Mcgrath

vs

WI

Hunte
Greenidge
Richards
Lara
Walcott/Weekes
Sobers
Dujon
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

Hmm i think the Aussies edge it!!!

 

[tooextracool]

Aust:

Hayden
Langer\
Bradman
G CHapell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
K Miller
S Warne
D Lillee
G Mcgrath

vs

WI

Hunte
Greenidge
Richards
Lara
Walcott/Weekes
Sobers
Dujon
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

Hmm i think the Aussies edge it!!!

Not with Hayden and Langer opening they wouldnt.

 

[silentstriker]

Aust:

Hayden
Langer\
Bradman
G CHapell
S Waugh
Border
Gilchrist
K Miller
S Warne
D Lillee
G Mcgrath

vs

WI

Hunte
Greenidge
Richards
Lara
Walcott/Weekes
Sobers
Dujon
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Garner

Hmm i think the Aussies edge it!!!

George Headley, Why do people repeatedly forget George Headley? The man only averaged 61 in test cricket.

 

[PhoenixFire]

George Headley, Why do people repeatedly forget George Headley? The man only averaged 61 in test cricket.

I was just thinking that. If he was playing now, then he would have scored over 10,000 test runs, head he played the amount of matches someone like Steve Waugh has (over 150?). It annoys me when people that are far inferior to Headley are called great, but I have very rarely heard him called great. I believe he is not that far off a certain IVA Richards.

 

[Perm]

I gave my vote to the West Indies, just for the pure class and exellence they have in every single position but I was tempted to go for Australia because of Sir Donald Bradman.