• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Your Country's Alltime XI

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
My Aussie all time XI:

Morris
Trumper
Bradman
G Chappell
S Waugh/ AB/ Ponting
Miller
Davo
Tallon
Warne
Lillee
McGrath
 

Chubb

International Regular
No Neil Johnson? I always thought he was a much better player than the stats may suggest. Shame he retired so early. I thought he was a better player than Guy Whittall anyway. Alastair Campbell is the only other decent rival for the captaincy position. Not much to choose between him and Fletcher in my opinion.

Adam Huckle could come in for Brandes on a spinning wicket - depending on whether you'd care to have two leggies in the same side. In an ODI, there's no need for Ray Price to be twelfth man when you can call on Grant Flower's non-spinning spinners, so could be that your twelfth man should be the best fielder - possibly Sean Ervine? Also in ODIs, Arnott would be out of the question... I may even be so bold as to suggest Brendan Taylor in that format... Not the most technically adept, but certainly a good clean hitter of a ball.
Everyone always says Neil Johnson, but I'd never select him because he didn't care about Zimbabwe. He never put any work in to develop cricket in Zim, unlike his fellow returnee Murray Goodwin, who moved to Harare and did loads of coaching. Dave Houghton said "Neil played for Neil, not for Zimbabwe". He probably was a better player than Guy Whittall, but Guy has a proven test record. Huckle was a good bowler but I just like Ray Price to be honest, I'd have him in every team I select- also, two leggies could be very expensive- the idea would be for Ray to block up an end and let Strang attack from the other.

ODI side- You're right that Arnott shouldn't be considered because he scored very slowly, and I'd put Ervine in the XI as well. This would be my ODI side;

Alistair Campbell
Grant Flower
Murray Goodwin
Dave Houghton
Andy Flower
Brendan Taylor (he could really have made an impact coming in to this side)
Sean Ervine
Guy Whittall
Heath Streak
Paul Strang
Henry Olonga

12th man Elton Chigumbura- another player who could have made so much more of an impact
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
My All Time Australian XI seems to change daily, so here are two that are almost interchangeable...

1st XI

Victor Trumper
Arthur Morris
Don Bradman (c)
Ricky Ponting
Greg Chappell
Keith Miller
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Bill O'Reilly
Glen McGrath

2nd XI

Matthew Hayden
Bill Ponsford
Neil Harvey
Alan Border
Steve Waugh
Monty Noble (c)
Alan Davidson
Ray Lindwall
Jack Blackham
Clarrie Grimmett
Fred Spofforth

And still no Benaud, Turner, McCabe, Macartney, Dougie, Chappelli, Junior, Giffen, Thommo...
 
Last edited:

HeathDavisSpeed

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Hmmm... You make a fair point about Johnson. As I recall, he also left Zimbabwe for slightly confused reasons... Certainly ahead of the pack of 'strikers' and he could have had a much longer test career.

I understand that Strang and Huckle in the same side would be more than a little risky. I guess it depends on the circumstances. I can guarantee that if (hypothetically) a Zimbabwe XI was playing an England XI in Australia, then England would have more problems with Strang and Huckle than Strang and Price.

There aren't too many other options to be honest. Matsikenyeri should have been significantly more successful than he has been, and Chigumbura as well. I'd imagine if they'd debuted in 1997/8 rather than 2003/4 (ish?) then their stats would look a lot better. Being in that successful late 90s Zimbabwe side would have helped them no end, I reckon.

As for Olonga, he really wasn't that good a bowler. People have a rose-tinted view of him being he's pretty much a top bloke, but as a bowler he was pretty poor. No better than Doug Hondo or Chris Mpofu really... None of those three should really be near a Zimbabwe First XI, but there aren't too many top quality quicks putting their hand up (Streak being the obvious). Its almost tempting to bring in Andy Blignaut... but he's certainly a worse bowler.
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
Rohan Kanhai was a "pretty" batsman..elegant strokemaker,moreso than Lara, and was not intimidated by any bowler where as Lara admittedly towards the end of his career became a "bunny" for some bowlers..eg McGrath. Khanhai in full flight was a joy to behold ( and I have seen both of them in full cry)

First of all, who did the "admitting" here and second of all, Lara wasn't anymore McGrath's bunny than McGrath was Lara's........
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Quote:
Originally Posted by bagapath
All time SA XI

G.Kirsten
B.Richards
A.D.Nourse
G.Pollock
J.Kallis
G.A.Faulkner
M.Boucher +
S.Pollock
P.Pollock
H.J.Tayfield
A.A. Donald

this team is filled with greats and can give any all time XI a run for its money

Does anyone remember Taylor? I know SF Barnes rated him very highly
Agreed. the number of batsmen who can claim to have ever gotten the better of SF Barnes is a number not much more than zero, but Herbie Taylor is there.

FWIW, my all time SA XI is

Barry Richards
Herbie Taylor
Dudley Nourse (c)
Graeme Pollock
Jacques Kallis
Aubrey Faulkner
Mike Procter
Shaun Pollock
Jock Cameron
Hugh Tayfield
Alan Donald

Harsh on Mitchell/Kirsten with the bat, Adcock/Heine/P Pollock with the ball and Waite/Lindsay/Boucher behind the stumps. But the real strength of this team is in its all round ability - 4 genuine all rounders of absolutely the highest quality, to the point where players like Barlow and Goddard don't even get a look in. You could argue that Richards and Procter didn't play enough Test cricket to be considered and fair enough if that's your point of view, but I can't bring myself to pick a greatest ever SA team without them.
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
1. Arthur Morris
2. Victor Trumper
3. Don Bradman
4. Greg Chappell
5. Steve Waugh
6. Keith Miller
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Shane Warne
9. Dennis Lillee
10. Bill O'Reilly
11. Glenn McGrath

2nd XI
1. Bill Ponsford
2. Matt Hayden
3. Ricky Ponting
4. Neil Harvey
5. Allan Border
6. Stan McCabe
7. Ian Healy
8. Ray Lindwall
9. Alan Davidson
10. Clarrie Grimmett
11. Fred Spofforth
Wow, just realised how similar both our Australian XIs are - nice work mate! :)
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
TEAM[in batting order]
Greenidge
Haynes
Richards
Kanhai
Sobers
Lloyd
Walcott[keeper]
Gibbs
Hall
Walsh
Griffiths
Worrell[12th man]

Very hard to leave out Gilchrist and Headley:unsure: :unsure:
My All Time WI side would look something like...

Frank Worrell (c)
Gordon Greenidge
George Headley
Vivian Richards
Brian Lara
Garry Sobers
Clyde Walcott +
Malcolm Marshall
Michael Holding
Curtley Ambrose
Lance Gibbs

Everton Weekes (12th Man)

Worrell opened with some degree in success in Test cricket but he wasn't a specialist there by any means, and Walcott isn't the best 'keeper the Windies have ever produced by any stretch. The power of this team, however, is illustrated in the fact that I had to pick both of them out of position (something I am usually loathe to do) just to get them in the side and that Weekes, who I consider actually the greatest pure batsman of the three Ws, has to carry the drinks.

If Worrell and Walcott both have to be considered for their normal positions only they would sadly miss out in that ludricously brilliant middle order. In that case, I'd pick Condrad Hunte to open with Greenidge, and I guess you can take your pick out of Dujon or Deryck Murray behind the stumps.

I'd be tempted to put Constantine in there somewhere too - not because his record entitles him to be in this team, but just for the spectacle of watching him in action. :)
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
Greenidge
Hunte
Richards (c)
Lara
Headley
Sobers
Dujon (wk)
Marshall
Holding
Ambrose
Gibbs

Better to have them close to their positions.
Worrell was not a regular opener. Walcott/Kanhai were not regular 'keepers.
Biggest regret was not having Worrell or Lloyd for the sake of captaincy, but a team of this calibre may not need find such leadership wanting
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Unbelievable that when you pick the players according to their specialist positions, NONE of the three Ws can make the side. What a team.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Only thing is, I probably wouldn't have a spinner in the WI team unless he was as good as Murali/Warne (eg, was as good as a frontline pace bowler in terms of S/R, average, etc).
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
Trumper
Ponsford
Bradman (c)
Border
G.Chappell
Gilchrist (wk)
Davidson
Warne
Lillee
Thomson
McGrath

Lillee 'n Thomson arguably one of the greatest opening attacks and s/b given full consideration.
Border has to be there, Aus greatest LH batsman to complement Bradman. A fighter.
O'Reilly misses out, cuz of Warne
Miller misses out, cuz there's nothing he can do that others in team cannot.

When picking a team, one has to consider balance over better players
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
Only thing is, I probably wouldn't have a spinner in the WI team unless he was as good as Murali/Warne (eg, was as good as a frontline pace bowler in terms of S/R, average, etc).
For an All-time XI, one wud have to consider that they'd be playing in diff conditions, eras, lands. The AT XI must showcase variety and balance.
Hence Gibbs who superceded spinners of his time such as Bedi, Unders, Chandra, Pras
 

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
Trumper
Ponsford
Bradman (c)
Border
G.Chappell
Gilchrist (wk)
Davidson
Warne
Lillee
Thomson
McGrath

Lillee 'n Thomson arguably one of the greatest opening attacks and s/b given full consideration.
Border has to be there, Aus greatest LH batsman to complement Bradman. A fighter.
O'Reilly misses out, cuz of Warne
Miller misses out, cuz there's nothing he can do that others in team cannot.

When picking a team, one has to consider balance over better players
Phillip Derriman chose an all time Australian XI in the 1980s (in his book The Top 100 and the First XI) along the same lines as you - with 5 batsmen, 5 bowlers and a keeper. His argument being that an all rounder at no.6 weakens your bowling and makes no difference to your batting under the theory that if five batsmen can't get the necessary runs, a sixth is unlikely to make any difference.

I disagree with this - firstly I think it makes the tail too long. I love Davo but I don't think he should be batting at no.7 in an all time XI (then again, he bats at no.6 in Derriman's team!) and in any case I don't think there's much between Miller/Davo/Thommo at their peaks as bowlers, in which case Nugget's much greater batting ability and, more importantly, his "X Factor" ability to produce that bit of matchwinning magic completely from nowhere makes him an automatic pick for me.

Or it could be that I hero-worship Miller to an almost unhealthy, SS-to-McGrath, kind of way. :)
 
Last edited:

The Sean

Cricketer Of The Year
For the record, Derriman's all time Australian XI (circa 1988) was:

Sid Barnes
Bob Simpson
Don Bradman
Neil Harvey
Greg Chappell
Alan Davidson
Don Tallon
Dennis Lillee
Clarrie Grimmett
Fred Spofforth
Bill O'Reilly
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
For an All-time XI, one wud have to consider that they'd be playing in diff conditions, eras, lands. The AT XI must showcase variety and balance.
Hence Gibbs who superceded spinners of his time such as Bedi, Unders, Chandra, Pras
But thats the thing, guys like Marshall proved that they can be just as effective in the 4th innings as any spinner. He averaged 17.65 in the fourth innings of a Test match...that's good enough for me.
 

Engle

State Vice-Captain
Bedi was SLA

Miller was Aus greatest AR and rightly commands a huge following. But emotion aside, he's not as fast as Thommo or brings variety like Davo.

I will concede that AT matches may get down as close to being decided by the tail-enders. However, because of DGB, only in Aus can this luxury be afforded.
 

Top