Greatest 1980s test side...

[Zinzan]

This should be a beauty. The 80s was a great era for test cricket.

here is my team along with their stats from test played in the 80's.
Batting Bowling
Gavaskar 4475 236* 46.13 12 20
Greenige 5094 223 45.89 12 25
Richards 5113 208 49.16 15 28
Miandad 5642 280* 54.77 16 26
M.Crowe 3127 188 45.31 10 11
Border 7386 205 55.11 20 40
Imran K (c) 2430 135* 44.18 5 13 256 wks 19.12 8-58 18 5 2.43
Dujon (wk) 2884 139 36.05 6 8
Hadlee 2040 151* 30.90 2 14 289 wkt 19.28 9-52 28 7 2.41
Marshall 323 wkts 19.91 7-22 22 4 2.68
Garner 210 wkts 20.62 6-56 7 - 2.38


Note. Because the 80s was so dominated by seam bowling and there was a real lack of class spinners (with the possible exception of Abdul Qadir) I went for the 4 prong pace attack.

Also I've left out the odd player that started in the 70s but played a bit in the 80s like Lloyd, Lillee and Chappell (all would make my 70's side) and have also left out players who played a bit in the late 80s but more in the 90s such as Ambrose, Akram, and De silva


Your thoughts??

 

[mavric41]

Without looking at the stats, and just going on gut feeling, I'd have Border at 5 and put in Botham at 6. The man was a freak, a real game breaker and good enough batsman to bat at 6.

edit : Botham's stats 75 4051 208 33.75 10 19
258 8/103 32.39 15 79 0

Hmm Maybe not as good as I remembered but the stats don't say everything.

 

[mavric41]

Greg Chappell instead of Martin Crowe

26 1939 204 51.02 7 6

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Sunil Gavaskar
Gordon Greenidge
Viv Richards
Javed Miandad
Greg Chappell
Allan Border (c)
Imran Khan
Jeff Dujon (k)
Richard Hadlee
Malcolm Marshall
Michael Holding

12th Man: Ian Botham

Chappell and Border both averaged over 55 in the 80s with Border scoring 2,000 runs more than his nearest competitor. Miandad not too far behind in the average or the runs. Gavaskar and Greenidge easily the best of the openers, and Richards is a sure pick. Imran beats out Botham because of his bowling abilities - Botham in the early 80s was one of the greatest players ever seen, but he tailed off far too much later on to make the team of the decade. Hadlee and Marshall self explainitory, being the two highest wicket takers in the decade and averaging under 20 with the ball, while Holding just tips out Lillee and Garner for the last bowling spot, despite declining somewhat as the decade went on.

 

[Blaze]

Zinzan if you were to pick Martin Crowe then he should be captain over imran IMO

 

[Zinzan]

Zinzan if you were to pick Martin Crowe then he should be captain over imran IMO

Hogan would be good, but I've always rated Imran as a captain

 

[C_C]

Its laughable to give Border Captaincy before one of the greatest and most astute captain the world has ever seen - Imran Khan.

Hell, the only one i can think of getting captaincy over Imran is Brearley.

 

[sledger]

spot on including malcom marshal, he was a great bowler, one of the best ever and a personal favourite of mine. god bless his soul.