# 5 for 1966-85 World Test XI

[BhupinderSingh]

Sobers rarely averaged < 26 in a series (only 3 times), never mind over a decade. The best period I could find is pretty awsome though:

Jan-1962 to Jan-1967

21 Tests, 1923 runs @ 62.03, 80 wkts @ 27.55, 40 catches.


EDIT: I just tweaked it for 30-Jan-1962 to 30-Jan-1967

23 Tests, 2162 runs @ 65.51, 89 wkts @ 27.29, 44 catches.

Thats what cricinfo says about Imran"The greatest allrounder ever"Khan:

"And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last ten years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball".

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I don't see why Imran or Botham need to be at 6. The side doesn't need 6 bowlers, it's just overkill.

Pick Sobers at 5 or 6, but either way there should be another batsman in there. Imran or Botham can bat at 7 and Knott can be at 8, or the other way around. Then there's Marshall, Lillee and Underwood below that.

 

[bagapath]

I don't see why Imran or Botham need to be at 6. The side doesn't need 6 bowlers, it's just overkill.

Pick Sobers at 5 or 6, but either way there should be another batsman in there. Imran or Botham can bat at 7 and Knott can be at 8, or the other way around. Then there's Marshall, Lillee and Underwood below that.

I know. but quite a few have expressed the need to play sobers purely as a batsman and make use of the talents of beefy or imran. it is going to be a bit of problem if imran makes it and again if sobers makes it to the next team. though barrington, weeks, worrell, walcott, compton, may and hazare can be more than enough to fill up any middle order. miller and mankad are there as legitimate all-round options. the real loss could be border and miandad'. one of them would ahve made it as no.5 if sobey was not considered.

 

[JBH001]

Yes, it is regrettable that neither AB or JM may make it in - I would have voted for AB if not for Sobers. But I think putting Sobers in at #6 devalues the bowling as he was not a great bowler - though good enough.

Most ideal teams would have 5 bats/genuine all-rounder/wk/4 bowlers.

IMO, Sobers qualifies as a markedly batting all-rounder, not in the same terms as a team which might have Imran or Botham or Miller or Gregory at #6.
Therefore my preference for him at #5 - and, ideally (though this remains to be seen) Botham at #6 due to his superior batting and overall superiority as an all-rounder (batting/bowling/fielding) over Imran during the period. Though of course dependant on CW voting - which should be a close one, methinks.

 

[aussie tragic]

How about this Middle Order that has so far missed out on a spot in one of the XI's?

3. Rahul Dravid
4. Javed Miandad
5. Allan Border
6. Steve Waugh

Also, has anyone else noted the lack of English batting "Greats" in any of the teams

 

[silentstriker]

English batting "Greats"

Misnomer?



I'm kidding, I love your yorkie batsmen.

 

[aussie tragic]

Misnomer?

Well, there's the following that played an awsome 505 tests between them:

Atherton: 7728 runs @ 37.69
Hussain: 5764 runs @ 37.18
Lamb: 4656 runs @ 36.09
Gatting: 4409 runs @ 35.55
Butcher: 4288 runs @ 34.58
Hick: 3383 runs @ 31.32

 

[silentstriker]

Well, there's the following that played an awsome 505 tests between them:

Atherton: 7728 runs @ 37.69
Hussain: 5764 runs @ 37.18
Lamb: 4656 runs @ 36.09
Gatting: 4409 runs @ 35.55
Butcher: 4288 runs @ 34.58
Hick: 3383 runs @ 31.32

And none with an averaged of >40, let alone >50.

When was the last time two English players averaged 50+ at the same time? Hell, how long since a single guy averaged over 50 during his career?

Even Boycs, who I rate very highly, didn't manage it.

 

[bagapath]

must have been some time llast summer with strauss and pietersen averaging over 50 for a brief period. if not then you have to go back to barrington and may. or hutton and compton.

the next team is likely to have a lot of english batsmen. and it is also most likely to be led by one, hutton. lets see.

 

[Poker Boy]

About English batsmen - true in the 66-85 era the only one I'd consider is "Sir Geoffery"- and even he missed three years in the '70s because he was "scared of Lillee and Thomson". (well that's the myth - but when he pulled out people thought Lillee might never bowl fast again because of his back injury and Jeff Thomson was going from NSW to Queensland to get a game in a state team.) So how Boycs was supposed to know about them...still never let facts get in the way of a good story..

 

[Jono]

Even his batting(av 52+ considering he played for a minnow) to deserve a place amongst top 5 batsmen ever,IMO atleast.

Andy Flower top 5 batsmen ever?

He was very very good, but come on now.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I rate Flower as good as anyone, but to put him in the top 5 of all time is over the top. He is without doubt the best Zim ever, and maybe the best African Batsman, maybe excluding Pollock.