Is there an ideal team balance?

[archie mac]

Here is Brian Crowley's (SA historian) all time AR team, picked circa 1988

Sobers
Miller
Botham
Rhodes
Grace
Procter
Constantine
Faulkner
Vinoo Mankad
Noble

"Add Leslie Ames of England, the best-ever w/k batsman, and we have an 11 to beat any other, with batting order changes depending on the run of play and a variety of bowlers for every wicket and occasion".

 

[SJS]

Here is Brian Crowley's (SA historian) all time AR team, picked circa 1988

Sobers
Miller
Botham
Rhodes
Grace
Procter
Constantine
Faulkner
Vinoo Mankad
Noble

"Add Leslie Ames of England, the best-ever w/k batsman, and we have an 11 to beat any other, with batting order changes depending on the run of play and a variety of bowlers for every wicket and occasion".

I have done this excercise many time in the last thirty years or more and probably come with slightly different side every time. Today it would be

Grace
Mankad
Sobers
Worrell
Ames
Miller
Proctor
Imran
Benaud
Hadlee
plus plus plus let me think of the best off spinning option

 

[archie mac]

I have done this excercise many time in the last thirty years or more and probably come with slightly different side every time. Today it would be

Grace
Mankad
Sobers
Worrell
Ames
Miller
Proctor
Imran
Benaud
Hadlee
plus plus plus let me think of the best off spinning option

A couple of Aussies who never seem to receive a mention any more are Jack Gregory and George Giffen, both great A/R, though Giffen was said to be a poor captain, his idea of a bowling change was for him to swap ends.

 

[honestbharani]

Have Boucher and ratra bowled in tests ?

As for Manoj Prabhakar, yes he can open but then i would go with Vinoo Mankad without hesitation.

By the way, we all tend to forget WG Grace when thinking of all rounders who opened the batting, what a disgraceful slip !!

Shame on you SJS

Yes they have and they have test wickets to show for it.

 

[SJS]

A couple of Aussies who never seem to receive a mention any more are Jack Gregory and George Giffen, both great A/R, though Giffen was said to be a poor captain, his idea of a bowling change was for him to swap ends.

I agree. I am a big fan of Jack Gregory's exploits. Many rate him alongwith Sobers and Miller as one of the three greatest all rounders of all time.

 

[whitedazzler]

in terms of modern allrounders heres 1

1 S Afridi
2 S Jayasuriya (c)
3 J Kallis
4 S Styris
5 T Dilshan
6 A Flintoff
7 A Symonds
8 T Taibu+
9 S Pollock
10 N Boje
11 C Vaas

its got ya left arm and right arm pace, ya off and leg spinner and a slow left arm

 

[Prince EWS]

He was not the 10th or 11th bowler to bowl like Lyttleton or Taibu.

Nor was Taibu. The sad state of the team meant that he was about the 3rd best bowler in the side, and he bowled 5th change.

 

[SJS]

All Rounders I have seen playing live.

1. Jayasuriya
2. Gilchrist
3. Dexter
4. Sobers
5. Kallis
6. Botham
7. Imran
8. Kapil
9. Hadlee
10. Benaud
11. lllingworth

Great side. Has everything.