Your countries worst XI this century

[Gnske]

1. Adam Lyth - 265 runs at 20.58
2. Ed Smith - 87 runs at 17.40
3. Ravi Bopara - 575 runs at 31.94, 1 wicket at 290
4. James Vince - 212 runs at 19.27
5. Usman Afzaal - 83 runs at 16.60
6. Samit Patel - 151 runs at 16.77, 7 wickets at 60.14
7. Geriant Jones - 960 runs at 26.66, endless dropped catches
8. Zafar Ansari - 49 runs at 9.80, 5 wickets at 55
9. Saj Mahmood - 20 wickets at 38.10
10. Boyd Rankin - 1 wicket at 81
11. Amjad Khan - 1 wicket at 122

Saj Mahmood probably doesn't deserve to be here given that he actually took some wickets but 10 years on I continue to be offended by his selection over Anderson

No Kerrigan?

What's going on here

 

[AndrewB]

Kerrigan deserves a look in, surely? Could be a lucky break for Ansari. Agree that Mahmood is slightly hard done by here, but can't think of any obvious replacements right now.

Jimmy Ormond? Darren Pattinson?
Ian Blackwell (4.00, 0 wickets) is also a contender alongside Kerrigan and Ansari.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Anyone who has played since 1 Jan 2001 is eligible.

1. Rob Quiney
2. Matthew Elliott
3. Alex Doolan
4. George Bailey
5. Callum Ferguson
6. Nic Maddinson
7. Graham Manou
8. Xavier Doherty
9. Bryce McGain
10. Brad Williams
11. Shaun Tait

Pretty good effort. For mine I'm trying to avoid picking one-Test players as I think playing a dozen mediocre Tests is more damning than 1 bad Test.

1. Quiney
2. Cowan
3. Doolan
4. Bailey
5. North
6. Maddison
7. Maxwell
8. Wade
9. Doherty
10. Williams
11. Tait

 

[fredfertang]

No Kerrigan?

What's going on here

the mighty Kegga will yet return and rescue English spin bowling from its sea of mediocrity

 

[SeamUp]

South African XI

1. Stiaan van Zyl
2. Imraan Khan
3. Boeta Dippenaar
4. Martin van Jaarsveld
5. Justin Kemp
6. Justin Ontong
7. Dane Vilas
8. Rory Kleinveldt
9. Steve Elworthy
10. Dewald Pretorius
11. Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Not too far wrong. 49 debutants for SA since then

Would probably try and find room for Thami Tsolekile , Ryan McLaren and Charl Willoughby possibly.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I thought Tsotsobe was allright tbh.

 

[SeamUp]

I thought Tsotsobe was allright tbh.

Mainly limited overs cricket he was any good at when batsman came after him. 9 wickets at 50.

Would probably take Elworthy & Vilas out and put Willoughby and Tsolekile in.

 

[Furball]

A lot of these are selections where players have come in for a handful of Tests, been rubbish, and swiftly dumped.

I challenge anyone to come up with an XI of players who were persisted with for a reasonable length of time despite being really mediocre. Shane Watson and Martin Guptill immediately strike me as being the two best examples of what I'm looking for, although they're quite rare.

Bopara for England a decent fit.

Gogogo

 

[Burgey]

South African XI

1. Stiaan van Zyl
2. Imraan Khan
3. Boeta Dippenaar
4. Martin van Jaarsveld
5. Justin Kemp
6. Justin Ontong
7. Dane Vilas
8. Rory Kleinveldt
9. Steve Elworthy
10. Dewald Pretorius
11. Lonwabo Tsotsobe

Poor old Elworthy. I recall Steve Waugh slog sweeping him in that crazy ton he made in the Super 6s or whatever it was in the 99 WC. He sledged him too, I remember him at the non-strikers just boring it up elworthy. Then next time he got on strike getting down on one knee a few times and pumping him the distance over midwicket.

Fmd it was a great hundred.

 

[anil1405]

Not too far wrong. 49 debutants for SA since then

Would probably try and find room for Thami Tsolekile , Ryan McLaren and Charl Willoughby possibly.

Ah yea. Didn't realize Tsolekile and Willoughby played test cricket. They should be the first names on team sheet for this thread.

 

[honestbharani]

A lot of these are selections where players have come in for a handful of Tests, been rubbish, and swiftly dumped.

I challenge anyone to come up with an XI of players who were persisted with for a reasonable length of time despite being really mediocre. Shane Watson and Martin Guptill immediately strike me as being the two best examples of what I'm looking for, although they're quite rare.

Bopara for England a decent fit.

Gogogo

Suresh Raina


We win

 

[OverratedSanity]

Didn't we once drop vvs for one of Raina/Yuvraj? Pretty sure it was some time in 08 or 09. That was pretty dumb.

 

[SeamUp]

Poor old Elworthy. I recall Steve Waugh slog sweeping him in that crazy ton he made in the Super 6s or whatever it was in the 99 WC. He sledged him too, I remember him at the non-strikers just boring it up elworthy. Then next time he got on strike getting down on one knee a few times and pumping him the distance over midwicket.

Fmd it was a great hundred.

Didn't Elworthy get a couple of early strikes ? Then Boje got a run-out.

Then S.Waugh took control and I remember that shot.

But tbf to the Rhodesian Elworthy - he had a decent international career coming in so late.

 

[SeamUp]

Ah yea. Didn't realize Tsolekile and Willoughby played test cricket. They should be the first names on team sheet for this thread.

I think all 3 of Dewald Pretorius, Charl Willoughby and Thami Tsolekile were on the same tour to England once.

 

[fredfertang]

A lot of these are selections where players have come in for a handful of Tests, been rubbish, and swiftly dumped.

I challenge anyone to come up with an XI of players who were persisted with for a reasonable length of time despite being really mediocre. Shane Watson and Martin Guptill immediately strike me as being the two best examples of what I'm looking for, although they're quite rare.

Bopara for England a decent fit.

Gogogo

Salisbury played more Tests than Ravi Bop

 

[vcs]

Didn't we once drop vvs for one of Raina/Yuvraj? Pretty sure it was some time in 08 or 09. That was pretty dumb.

I don't remember this.. VVS was usually an automatic pick when he was fit.

 

[listento_me]

I've just realised a lot of England's worst XI players would come from a time in the mid to late 90s and early 00s, who were all talented but never persevered with like latter day players have been (Bell springs to mind as someone who was a good bat with a lot of media backing and given an extended run in the test side, even when he wasn't doing so well). The ECBs selection policy and ideology really has improved in the last 10 years.

 

[anil1405]

Didn't we once drop vvs for one of Raina/Yuvraj? Pretty sure it was some time in 08 or 09. That was pretty dumb.

Easily one of the nominees for dumbest decision of the century IF its true.

 

[anil1405]

I think all 3 of Dewald Pretorius, Charl Willoughby and Thami Tsolekile were on the same tour to England once.

Willoughby and Pretorius did play in a test match together in England in 2003.

On another note, can't believe Proteas actually won a test match with this bowling unit. Must be the time when Kallis was at his peak with the ball.

 

[NUFAN]

Pretty good effort. For mine I'm trying to avoid picking one-Test players as I think playing a dozen mediocre Tests is more damning than 1 bad Test.

1. Quiney
2. Cowan
3. Doolan
4. Bailey
5. North
6. Maddison
7. Maxwell
8. Wade
9. Doherty
10. Williams
11. Tait

I nearly went with your philosophy but felt the performances of Elliott, McGain and Maddinson so far warranted selection.

Manou was a difficult decision as his keeping was quality it was just that he wasnt very good with the bat.

Your selection of Marcus North is an interesting one as I think he had an OK career. Some great hundreds, caught well and took some important wickets.

Good to see so many pick Tait and Williams. It is weird to think that Tait is still only 33.