Rest of World XI

[irfan]

Test
1. C Gayle
2. R Dravid
3. K Sangakkara (k)
4. B Lara
5. M Yousuf
6. J Kallis
7. A Flintoff
8. S Pollock
9. A Kumble/S Bond (depending on pitch/conditions)
10. M Ntini
11. M Muralitharan

ODI
1. C Gayle
2. S Jayasuriya
3. R Dravid
4. S Tendulkar
5. K Pietersen
6. M Dhoni (k)
7. A Flintoff
8. S Pollock
9. D Vettori/ S Bond (again .. depending on conditions)
10. M Ntini
11. M Muralitharan

 

[irfan]

Oh and btw Dravid as captain of both teams since I dont have either Vaughan or Fleming (who I rate as higher captains.)

 

[Matt79]

Seems to be very much picked on form.

I'd have to argue with Collingwood, Oram and Fleming to be honest.

I thought the topic was to pick a ROW team to take on Australia now, ie on current form. Hence I given precedence to recent form, particularly recent performances against Australia. An XI picked on overall career form, or whatever would obviously be different. Current form is more likely to produce a decent team than reputation or what have you - witness the actual ROW XI vs Australia matches...

Fleming was selected primarily for captaincy, and Collingwood's fielding got him into my team...

It has that feel of a team of someone who suddenly rates a player after they do well when they've been watching recently

May be true, I don't pay much attention to ODIs around the world. I'll watch them on telly if they're on, but I don't follow the format as closely as I do Test matches...

 

[NZTailender]

Leaves the team a bit short of opening bowlers to partner Ntini IMO

Maybe Flintoff?

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Maybe Flintoff?

Prefers the older ball.

 

[C_C]

Have to say it's only the Vaas/Kumble option that would make me worry.

Leaves the team a bit short of opening bowlers to partner Ntini IMO

Well IMO Vaas is an extremely good bowler and he'd do well if he had a good opening bowler to partner him.
With McWarne gone, i think its safe to say that this is officially the weakest period for international bowling since WWII so i am not trying to find a 'best of the bad lot' bowling attack really. I'd stick to the gameplan of ' make a lot of runs and hope for kumble-murali duo to run through the side for less'
But anyways, Ntini-Flintoff-Vaas-Murali-Kallis sounds worse than it is really.

 

[marc71178]

The thought of someone as inconsistent as Vaas can be (not to mention his age beginning to catch up with him) does put him out of the reckoning for (although it'd be hard to find someone clean to replace him - I'd suggest Hoggard is probably a better option since Asif should be banned)

 

[Matt79]

Yeah, as I said, I'd have Collingwood in my team for his fielding...