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Most entertaining XI

Francis

State Vice-Captain
All-time entertaining XI.

1.Martin Crowe
2. Sanath Jayasuria
3. Viv Richards
4. Brian Lara
5. Sachin Tendulkar
6. Imran Khan
7. Adam Gilchrist
8. Wasim Akram
9. Shane Warne
10. Dennis Lillee
11. Muttiah Muralitharan

12. Stuart MacGill

The criteria is simple really, pick the guys you found entertaining. They don't have to be dashing and sparkling, they could be a player you enjoy watching for technique (Kallis just missed out), or whatever, just somebody you find enjoyable to watch.

Martin Crowe I admire for his swing playing abilities. Wasim Akram, I'm told, rated him the best player of his swing he played against. Jayasuria rocks, his record against Australia is incredible as well. Players like Lara do as well against Australia as they do any other country, which is impressive. In ODI's, Jayasuria has done better against Oz than just about any other country. What a legend. King Viv needs no explanation, the embodiment of theatre. Lara whole style I love. The bend of the knee after the ball is released, picking the line quicker than anybody, bat raised high... excitment. Tendulkar had this aura about him the 90s. Invincible. You knew if you got him out your team stood a chance, if not he'd carry India to victory like in 1998. Pakistan just hasn't had the same aura of excitment since Khan left. Charasmatic, enigmatic, endearing. Khan rocked! Gilchrist is one of my favorite batsman to watch. Not a slugger, and not technically flawed... yet there's a method to his flurries. Maybe it's his hand-eye coordination. Vettori said it's the best he's ever seen. Maybe he's just a clearn hitter. But he's gifted.

The best complement I can pay Wasim Akram is that there were times when all he needed was the ball and stump. There are players who can easily play pitched up deliveries. But Wasim, when he pitched the ball up and it swing one way and seamed the other... wow! Nothing you can do. I remember Allan Lamb going out in the 1992 World Cup final and I tell you, unplayable delivery! Wasim's got more fire and is more exciting than simple seam bowlers who keep looking for the edge. With Wasim you felt he could do anything with the ball and it would be exciting. Warne is Warne, nough said. Lillee was a great character with the whole wipe the brow, in your face attitude. He could go for edges, but also put intimidation in there. And it was legit intimidation, he knew how to hit the body and read the batsman's fear. Murali's facinating when it comes to keeping things tight. He's very hard to hit out and he's incredibly unpredictable. All you really have to pick him is his arm. If it's point at the stumps it's probably the doosera, if it's pointing at the slips it's probably the off-break. But he's a joy to watch.

I admire Stuart MacGill's drink delivering capabilities. He knows what to put in the drinks and how much water to add.
 
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JASON

Cricketer Of The Year
Voltman said:
So you heard about him and his manager too then?
I heard rumours about Martin Crowe that in a way forced his early retirement ...:laugh: is that what you are alluding to .
 

Smudge

Hall of Fame Member
Maybe...


And on that note, I'm off to Dunedin for two nights of debauchery. Adieu.
 

oz_fan

International Regular
1. Jayasuriya
2. Tendulkar
3. Viv Richards
4. Lara
5. Gower
6. Gilchrist
7. Imran Khan
8. Ian Botham
9. Akram
10. Warne
11. Donald

*edit* - some players (Richards, Gower, Khan, Botham) I haven't seen play but are basing it on what I have read, heard and seen in replays.
 
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aussie

Hall of Fame Member
from what i've seen from 97 to now:

Sehwag
Jayasuriya
Ponting
Lara
Tendulkar
Gilchrist
Flintoff
Klusener
Wasim Akram
Warne
Akhtar

12thman: Lee
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Francis said:
All-time entertaining XI.

9. Shane Warne
10. Dennis Lillee
11. Shane Warne

Warne is Warne, nough said.
Twice, apparently

Francis said:
Murali's facinating when it comes to keeping things tight. He's very hard to hit out and he's incredibly unpredictable.
That unpredictable, he's changed his name to Warne.
 

Pedro Delgado

International Debutant
Admiration 11.

Barnett
Gower
Richards
Hussain*
Thorpe
Stewart +
Flintoff
Botham
Cork
Warne
Fraser

12th - Reiffel
 

Perm

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
ODI

1. Jayasuriya
2. Gilchrist
3. Lara
4. Astle
5. Martyn
6. Symonds
7. Pollock
8. Warne
9. Lee
10. Akhtar
11. Muralitharan


Test

1. Jayasuriya
2. Gayle
3. Lara
4. Kallis
5. Tendulkar
6. Flintoff
7. Gilchrist
8. Warne
9. Bond
10. Akhtar
11. Muralitharan

As you can tell I'm only young.
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
1. Slater
2. Jayasuriya
3. Ponting
4. Tendulkar
5. M Waugh
6. Gilchrist
7. Flintoff
8. Lee
9. Warne
10. Akhtar
11. S Jones
 

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
sirjeremy11 said:
I am amazed that a New Zealander made it in to your team...
Martin Crowe was a delight to watch when in the mood. And he has great stats inspite of being pushed in too early, in his own words.
 

James90

Cricketer Of The Year
1. Afridi
2. Slater
3. Ponting
4. Tendulkar
5. Lara
6. Flintoff
7. Gilchrist
8. Warne
9. Malinga
10. Muralitharan
11. Bond

Notable mentions go to Lance Klusener and both Waugh's
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
1. Hayden
2. Sehwag
3. Richards
4. Tendulkar
5. Lara
6. Flintoff
7. Gilchrist
8. Afridi
9. Akram
10. Warne
11. Lee
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
I posted something similar a few days ago on another thread (where it was completely off-topic) Something like:

Slater
Hayden
Richie Richardson
Mark Waugh
Viv Richards
Lara
Sobers
Gilchrist
Warne
Wasim Akram
Ambrose
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
Cool thread. So I'll basically go on people I love watching, who entertain me the most when they bat, bowl or field etc. It'll only be from say 1994-onwards as that's when I have proper memories of watching cricket.

TESTS:
Sehwag
Jayasuriya
Laxman
Tendulkar
Lara
Flintoff
Gilchrist+
Warne
Shoaib Akhtar
Ambrose
Murali

Comment: I am always entertained when watching Sehwag and Jayasuriya in tests, their square cuts are awesome, and with Gilly in the team too, the opposition to this line-up would need two third mans and two deep points, and they still wouldn't stop the boundaries. Sachin and Lara are self explanatory, and Laxman is just wonderful to watch when he's in full rhythm in a test match. Freddy more for his bowling, but his batting is fun when he gets going, whereas the bowling is more explained in my comment below regarding ODIs. Murali and Warne are all-time great spinners, and Ambrose and Shoaib are my 2 favourite fast bowlers ever.

12th Man: Kallis or Bond

ODIs:
Jayasuriya
Gilchrist+
Lara
Tendulkar
Klusener
Afridi
Warne
Waqar Younis
Shoaib
Ambrose
Murali

12th Man: Ganguly or Bond

Comment: Yeah very bowler heavy but damn it I love those bowlers. Warne and Murali are self-explanatory, and as a spinner myself seeing them take wickets + keep it very tight despite batsman trying to launch them out of the park is brilliant. I love raw pace bowling so Waqar and Shoaib (probably the cricketer I love watching the most) are obvious choices, and Ambrose was brilliant to watch, just brilliant.
 
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TT Boy

Hall of Fame Member
Saeed Anwar
Sanath Jayasuriya
Brian Lara
Mark Waugh
Kevin Pietersen
Lance Klusener
Adam Gilchrist
Shahid Afridi
Wasim Akram
Shoaib Akhtar
Waqar Younis
 

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