All Time Cricket Test XI

All Time Cricket Test XI

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Marty Funkhouser

Original Poster:

5,426 posts

180 months

Monday 30th March 2015
quotequote all
1. Gooch
2. Sehwag
3. Ponting
4. IVA Richards
5. Tendulkar
6. Kallis
7. Gilchrist
8. Warne
9. Marshall/Murali (dependant on the wicket)
10. Wasim Akram
11. Curtley Ambrose

Black can man

31,816 posts

167 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
1. Greenidge
2. Haynes
3. Sir Viv
4, Tendulker
5. S.Waugh
6 Kallis
7. Botham
8. Gilchrist
9. Warne
10. McGrath
11. Ambrose

suthol

2,154 posts

233 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
What's with young people these days, those named above are pretty useful but my money says every last one of them would have had " The Don " in there somewhere.

I doubt that Kallis and Botham would be picked in the same team and maybe neither ahead of Sobers

Black can man

31,816 posts

167 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
suthol said:
What's with young people these days, those named above are pretty useful but my money says every last one of them would have had " The Don " in there somewhere.

I doubt that Kallis and Botham would be picked in the same team and maybe neither ahead of Sobers
I never saw Bradman or Sobers play .


I guess i'm just too young

suthol

2,154 posts

233 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Black can man said:
suthol said:
What's with young people these days, those named above are pretty useful but my money says every last one of them would have had " The Don " in there somewhere.

I doubt that Kallis and Botham would be picked in the same team and maybe neither ahead of Sobers
I never saw Bradman or Sobers play .


I guess i'm just too young
I don't see an issue with age of the poster here when the thread title is "All Time Cricket Test XI" not just the best you saw play.

Never saw Bradman but caught the back end of the Sobers career, their numbers speak for themselves.

At least some on here should remember the good old days when pitches in Australia were covered in a fashion but no so much the run ups, in England rather perversely the run ups were covered quite well and the pitches left bare which led to the name of a Sticky Wicket.

Bradman still prevailed in those conditions to finish with an average of 99.9 and Sobers also prevailed who apart from being able to bat a bit bowled sharpish left arm seam, wrist spin and conventional spin, and was a hell of a fieldsman ( an allrounder by any measure ).

WG was before all of our time and apart from being a cheating bastrad also had rather magical figures.

Dapster

6,877 posts

179 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
1. Greenidge
2. Barry Richards
3. Ponting (c)
4. IVA
5. Sir G st A S
6. Sir Beefy
7. Dujon (w)
8. Imran
9. Marshall
10. Holding
11. Murali


This is my "All time XI" that would be "quite exciting to watch". I'd find a place for Sangakkara before Tendulkar.

Legend83

9,947 posts

221 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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As with others, this is based on players I have witnessed (either live or historical footage).

Graham Gooch
Alan Border
Brian Lara
Sachin Tendulkar
Viv Richards
Gary Sobers
Adam Gilchrist
Shane Warne (beats Murali as Warne could bat a bit)
Wasim Akram
Courtney Walsh
Allan Donald



Cheib

23,114 posts

174 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
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This would take some thinking about but I am not sure there is a need for a genuine all rounder like Sir Beefy when you have someone like Gilchrist at WK....you can go with five world class bowlers or even four. Whilst he's right up there as an English bowler I don't think he makes the Top 10 as a bowler in the last thirty years.

Warne
McGrath
Marshall
Walsh
Ambrose
Holding
Garner
Akram
Hadlee
Murali

Just to start!

Legend83

9,947 posts

221 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
I wouldn't put him in my XI but a classic case of brilliant player gone under the radar - Daniel Vettori.

"He is only one of three men to have scored both 4,000 Test runs and taken 300 Test wickets, along with acknowledged all-round greats Sir Ian Botham of England and India's Kapil Dev."

Marty Funkhouser

Original Poster:

5,426 posts

180 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
suthol said:
What's with young people these days, those named above are pretty useful but my money says every last one of them would have had " The Don " in there somewhere.

I doubt that Kallis and Botham would be picked in the same team and maybe neither ahead of Sobers
Kallis:

13289 runs at an average of 55.3

292 wickets at an average of 32.6


Sobers:

8032 at 57

235 at 34


Very similar but I would argue that modern records stand more scrutiny owing to the increased quality/professionalism of the cricket.

Cheib

23,114 posts

174 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Marty Funkhouser said:
Very similar but I would argue that modern records stand more scrutiny owing to the increased quality/professionalism of the cricket.
Disagree wholeheartedly there. Modern batting records just don't compare with those from previous era. Wickets are a batsman's dream compared to even twenty years ago (the differences in the amount of 100's scored at Lords in the last ten years vs the previous ten is significant) and equally important the batsmen have much,much better protection and modern day bats are just ludicrous when compared to bats from even fifteen years ago never mind what people used in the 60's and 70's. Vaughan said that he used one of Atherton's bats once and though the bat he got to play with was worth four runs on his career average. Oh and the bowlers were just as quick....and oh yeah spinners now have the DRS. Imagine how many more wickets Warne would have got using DRS....it's totally changed how spin is played and especially how potent off spinners are turning the ball into a batsman.

The only thing I can think of that has made batting harder in the modern game is fielding. Different level to even twenty years ago.

Marty Funkhouser

Original Poster:

5,426 posts

180 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
Cheib said:
Disagree wholeheartedly there. Modern batting records just don't compare with those from previous era. Wickets are a batsman's dream compared to even twenty years ago (the differences in the amount of 100's scored at Lords in the last ten years vs the previous ten is significant) and equally important the batsmen have much,much better protection and modern day bats are just ludicrous when compared to bats from even fifteen years ago never mind what people used in the 60's and 70's. Vaughan said that he used one of Atherton's bats once and though the bat he got to play with was worth four runs on his career average. Oh and the bowlers were just as quick....and oh yeah spinners now have the DRS. Imagine how many more wickets Warne would have got using DRS....it's totally changed how spin is played and especially how potent off spinners are turning the ball into a batsman.

The only thing I can think of that has made batting harder in the modern game is fielding. Different level to even twenty years ago.
You can't say that batting is easier these days and that the bowlings harder with DRS??

Hammer67

5,706 posts

183 months

Tuesday 31st March 2015
quotequote all
1. Bradman
2. Greenidge
3. Tendulkar
4. Steve Waugh (C)
5. Kallis
6. Botham
7. Gilchrist (WK)
8. Warne
9. Marshall
10.McGrath
11.Holding


Dapster

6,877 posts

179 months

Wednesday 1st April 2015
quotequote all
Hammer67 said:
1. Bradman
2. Greenidge
3. Tendulkar
4. Steve Waugh (C)
5. Kallis
6. Botham
7. Gilchrist (WK)
8. Warne
9. Marshall
10.McGrath
11.Holding
Ohh brave man. Are you going to tell Viv that he's running drinks whilst Beefy pads up!!

Cheib

23,114 posts

174 months

Thursday 2nd April 2015
quotequote all
Marty Funkhouser said:
You can't say that batting is easier these days and that the bowlings harder with DRS??
No idea what I was thinking! DRS has made a massive difference to spinners....think for quicks it's much of a muchness.

dav123a

1,220 posts

158 months

Sunday 5th April 2015
quotequote all
Len Hutton
Barry Richards
Don Bradman
Lara
Sobers
Kallis
Gilchrist
Warne
Wasim
McGrath
SF Barnes

suthol

2,154 posts

233 months

Sunday 5th April 2015
quotequote all
dav123a said:
Len Hutton
Barry Richards
Don Bradman
Lara
Sobers
Kallis
Gilchrist
Warne
Wasim
McGrath
SF Barnes
That would be a team to watch, possibly put in Holding or Marshall for Barnes though

dav123a

1,220 posts

158 months

Sunday 5th April 2015
quotequote all
Barnes was a one off , those that saw him play say he was the finest bowler. He only played against SA and Aus no easy wickets there. He got Victor Trumpet out for 3 consecutive ducks. Wilfred Rhodes thought he was the best bowler he ever played with. If not him I would have gone for Lillie or Ambrose.

suthol

2,154 posts

233 months

Sunday 5th April 2015
quotequote all
dav123a said:
Barnes was a one off , those that saw him play say he was the finest bowler. He only played against SA and Aus no easy wickets there. He got Victor Trumpet out for 3 consecutive ducks. Wilfred Rhodes thought he was the best bowler he ever played with. If not him I would have gone for Lillie or Ambrose.
Fair call, despite being an aussie I think I would have R. Hadlee ahead of DKL.

Just this afternoon I was thinking about the spell he bowled at Dean Jones who was unable to get bat to ball was absolutely stunning and even more importantly during his whole career he never had a Thommo / Pascoe / Walker at the other end to apply extreme pressure.

Personally I think that Lillee & Hadlee are the two greatest fast bowlers in my lifetime ( so far ) and I had the pleasure to meet them together at the SCG during the first SA tour post apartheid.

The great WI attacks were just that but unlike Lillee and Hadlee who both had a fair bit of variety the WI boys didn't have the same range of weapons in their quiver it was just raw pace bowled at two lengths.

Hammer67

5,706 posts

183 months

Sunday 5th April 2015
quotequote all
suthol said:
Fair call, despite being an aussie I think I would have R. Hadlee ahead of DKL.

Just this afternoon I was thinking about the spell he bowled at Dean Jones who was unable to get bat to ball was absolutely stunning and even more importantly during his whole career he never had a Thommo / Pascoe / Walker at the other end to apply extreme pressure.

Personally I think that Lillee & Hadlee are the two greatest fast bowlers in my lifetime ( so far ) and I had the pleasure to meet them together at the SCG during the first SA tour post apartheid.

The great WI attacks were just that but unlike Lillee and Hadlee who both had a fair bit of variety the WI boys didn't have the same range of weapons in their quiver it was just raw pace bowled at two lengths.
Malcolm Marshall certainly did, he had everything. Extreme pace, bounce, seam, swing ~ the whole 9 yards. And he was a gentleman.