• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

# 5 for 1966-85 World Test XI

# 5 for 1966-85 World Test XI


  • Total voters
    41
  • Poll closed .

aussie tragic

International Captain
This is a 5-day Poll to pick the # 5 batsman for the “1966-85 World Test XI” (Only 1966-85 records are considered and criteria is minimum of 20 tests with an batting Ave > 40.00)

The following are the # 5 nominees:

Zaheer Abbas: 78 tests, 5062 runs @ 44.79, HS 274 (12/20) ----- 3 wkts @ 44.00
Allan Border: 77 tests, 5834 runs @ 51.62, HS 196 (16/30) ----- 15 wkts @ 41.66
David Gower: 76 tests, 5385 runs @ 45.63, HS 215 (12/25) ---- 1 wkt @ 15.00
Tony Greig: 58 tests, 3599 runs @ 40.43, HS 148 (8/20) ----- 141 wkts @ 32.20
Clive Lloyd: 110 tests, 7515 runs @ 46.67, HS 242* (19/39) ----- 10 wkts @ 62.20
Saleem Malik: 27 tests, 1268 runs @ 42.26, HS 119* (5/6) ----- 3 wkts @ 20.33
Javed Miandad: 71 tests, 5350 runs @ 56.91, HS 280* (14/28) ----- 17 wkts @ 39.52
Seymour Nurse: 20 tests, 1923 runs @ 53.41, HS 258 (5/3) ----- 0 wkts
Gary Sobers: 41 tests, 3582 runs @ 59.70, HS 178* (12/16) ----- 125 wkts @ 32.62

Note: 3 runner-ups will go into the # 6 Poll with the allrounders (Greig & Sobers already in # 6)

The 1966-85 World Test XI so far:

1. Sunil Gavaskar
2. Gordon Greenidge
3. Viv Richards
4. Greg Chappell
5. ---------------------
6. ---------------------
7. Alan Knott
8. ---------------------
9. Malcom Marshall
10. Dennis Lillee
11. Derek Underwood (Poll still running)
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
Well, I really can't decide between Miandad, Border and Sobers, so I'm going to base it on their # 5 stats during the period.

Border: 34 Inn, 1574 runs @ 58.29 (5/8)
Miandad: 26 Inn, 1299 runs @ 61.85 (3/8)
Sobers: 16 Inn, 927 runs @ 71.30 (4/2)

All impressive, however as Sobers has a century every 4 innings and has the highest average at # 5 (and overall), I'll pick him.........

btw, more # 5 stats:

Abbas: 42 Inn, 2048 runs @ 53.89 (6/7)
Lloyd: 72 Inn, 3049 runs @ 46.19 (8/14)
 
Last edited:

aussie tragic

International Captain
Jono said:
Javed, slot in Sobers at 6.
That will mean only one of Imran, Botham, Hadlee and Dev will get in the team (in the final bowler slot), which would be a shame considering they're four of the best genuine allrounders ever :(

btw, I rate Sobers as a batting allrounder, rather than a genuine allrounder like Keith Miller and the other 4 mentioned above.

EDIT: Didn't mean to rate Hadlee as a genuine allrounder, as he's more of a bowling allrounder :)
 
Last edited:

Lillian Thomson

Hall of Fame Member
aussie tragic said:
That will mean only one of Imran, Botham, Hadlee and Dev will get in the team (in the final bowler slot), which would be a shame considering they're four of the best genuine allrounders ever :(

btw, I rate Sobers as a batting allrounder, rather than a genuine allrounder like Keith Miller and the other 4 mentioned above.
I would dispute Hadlee as a genuine allrounder, he's not a Number 6 at all. Sober's is certainly a better bowler than Hadlee is a batsman.
 

aussie tragic

International Captain
Lillian Thomson said:
I would dispute Hadlee as a genuine allrounder, he's not a Number 6 at all. Sober's is certainly a better bowler than Hadlee is a batsman.
Sorry, I was a bit hasty as I agree that Hadlee was a bowling allrounder (and btw he's not in the # 6 poll).
 
Last edited:

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
aussie tragic said:
That will mean only one of Imran, Botham, Hadlee and Dev will get in the team (in the final bowler slot), which would be a shame considering they're four of the best genuine allrounders ever :(

btw, I rate Sobers as a batting allrounder, rather than a genuine allrounder like Keith Miller and the other 4 mentioned above.
Hadlee's less of an allrounder than the other 3, and then you'd say that Dev was less of an allrounder than the other 2.

You can't really have all 4 allrounders in the team, and Sobers is definitely the better allrounder than 2 of those 4, and most people believe that he's better than Botham and Imran as well. Stats don't tell the whole story.
 

JBH001

International Regular
No, but they do tell a good part of it! :)

Seriously though, placing Sobers at #5 really aids team balance - as I have been saying for quite a while. It enables you to play Botham (or Imran) at #6, and allows for Hadlee's inclusion at #8 and the flexibility of choice between batsman/bowler (say a spinner)/or another all-rounder (Greig/Imran/Botham) at #12.

Choosing Sobers at #6 would reduce the bowling stocks for no real appreciable gain in batting strength. I have nothing against Miandad and consider him one of the great batsman - but his record against the WI during the period in question is woeful, just terrible. It was only in 1988 that he settled the score with a couple of 100's in WI.

Sobers at #5 would allow a bowling attack of Lillee, Marshall, Hadlee, Botham/Imran, Underwood backed up by Sobers and Richards. The batting would be strong enough too, in fact all the way down to #10 - in fact #11 if Underwood could wield a willow, and I do not know if he could. In any case, Sobers record at #5 is appreciably better than the others.
 

aussie

Hall of Fame Member
JBH001 said:
No, but they do tell a good part of it! :)

Seriously though, placing Sobers at #5 really aids team balance - as I have been saying for quite a while. It enables you to play Botham (or Imran) at #6, and allows for Hadlee's inclusion at #8 and the flexibility of choice between batsman/bowler (say a spinner)/or another all-rounder (Greig/Imran/Botham) at #12.

Choosing Sobers at #6 would reduce the bowling stocks for no real appreciable gain in batting strength. I have nothing against Miandad and consider him one of the great batsman - but his record against the WI during the period in question is woeful, just terrible. It was only in 1988 that he settled the score with a couple of 100's in WI.

Sobers at #5 would allow a bowling attack of Lillee, Marshall, Hadlee, Botham/Imran, Underwood backed up by Sobers and Richards. The batting would be strong enough too, in fact all the way down to #10 - in fact #11 if Underwood could wield a willow, and I do not know if he could. In any case, Sobers record at #5 is appreciably better than the others.
solid point, i'm with you on this one..
 

oz_fan

International Regular
I went with Sobers. He will give the team more balance and provide an extra spin bowling option. I would have liked Miandad or Border to be in the team somewhere but the fact that there were so many great all rounders in the period means they have to be left out.
 

Matt79

Global Moderator
Dev was a genuine allrounder for the first half of his career, but his bowling definately did decline after a decade of carrying the Indian pace attack on decidedly pace unfriendly pitches - but for the first half of his career, especially considering his lack of a quality pace partner and the pitches he bowled on, he's was a genuine allrounder for mine.
 

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I thought Javed ahead of chappel, so now I have to vote Sobers. Yet Miandad was one of the most obdurate players I've ever seen.
 

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
Sobers I think. Sobers was easily a top five batsman all time (Bradman, Tendulkar, Chappell, Sobers, Sir Viv IMO). And definatly should come at five or so, which still means he has enough time to build an innings.

Forget his bowling, his batting alone would catapult him easily into an all time side.

As a bowler in an all time team (or a two-decade team) he won't be doing much bowling. UNLESS something happens (like an injury) or nothing is working (as in you think you need a second spinner), in which case he could act as an extra pace bowler or an extra spin bowler. He would add such great versatility obviously, but he wouldn't be a mainline bowler.

I'm not selling his bowling short, but if Lillee, Khan, Marshall, Hadlee (for example) make it, with Underwood as the spinner....I don't think Sir Gary will get the ball much.
 
Last edited:

Slifer

International Captain
aussie tragic said:
That will mean only one of Imran, Botham, Hadlee and Dev will get in the team (in the final bowler slot), which would be a shame considering they're four of the best genuine allrounders ever :(

btw, I rate Sobers as a batting allrounder, rather than a genuine allrounder like Keith Miller and the other 4 mentioned above.

EDIT: Didn't mean to rate Hadlee as a genuine allrounder, as he's more of a bowling allrounder :)
None of Imran, Dev or Botham (+Miller) can be classed as genuine allrounders either, for all four had a sub 40 average which IMO is the benchmark for a batsman. Imran and Miller IMO were more bowler allrounders and Dev and Botham were pretty good at both disciplines but not particularly brilliant in either one (Please note Im basing my conclusions totally on stats). Actually, I cant think of an 'allrounder' who would make a test XI based on either one of his attributes. I guess Sobers,, Imran and Miller are the closest.
 

Slifer

International Captain
BTW I think that the #5 spot should go to Sobers (humblest apologies to the great Miandad) and I'd have Imran at 6 and Hadlee at #8. Now that team would be awesome.
 

Top