Choose ONE all-rounder for the all-time ODI XI

[Days of Grace]

I have decided to change the voting for this team. The batsmen (top 6) remain as is.

However, I am changing the voting for the bowlers, so one can choose two spinners or just one. So, the poll below for THREE bowlers will now only be for selecting TWO new-ball bowlers. So far, it looks like Wasim and Garner have the vote.

The last two polls will be for an all-rounder (this poll, one choice) and, finally, the FINAL TWO bowling positions. McGrath will be one of the options (the choice will be between a mix of pacemen and spinners).

The team so far:


1. Gilchrist (wk)
2. Tendulkar
3. Richards
4. Ponting
5. Lara
6. Bevan
7. ?
8. Wasim Akram
9. ?
10. ?
11. Garner


Okay? Cheers.

 

[Lostman]

12k runs and almost 300 wickets has to be sanath

 

[pasag]

Imran who would be my captain as well.

 

[Raghav]

Where is Chris Cairns?

 

[Fiery]

Where is Chris Cairns?

Or Ian Botham?

Chris Harris? OK, now I'm pushing it

 

[alternative]

Ian Botham should have been there, anyway voted for Imran Khan.

 

[Days of Grace]

Ian Botham wasn't that good in ODIs. Poor batting record.

Cairns' bowling let him down. And he should have averaged in the 30s with the bat.

 

[Days of Grace]

IMO, Styris is a better all-rounder than Cairns, if judging at this moment.

 

[Perm]

Kapil Dev

He doesn't have the same batting record as Imran, but with the top 6 likely to do most of the work then I didn't place as much importance on batting as I did on bowling and bowling was what swung it in Dev's favour. Good average and superb economy rate.

 

[Perm]

IMO, Styris is a better all-rounder than Cairns, if judging at this moment.

He doesn't come close to Cairns.

 

[The_Bunny]

Imran Khan

I would have thought Symonds deserved a spot on that list... although I personally wouldnt have voted for him.

 

[Days of Grace]

Symonds bowling is not all that great TBH. It's more his fielding that tempt some into calling him an 'all-rounder'.

 

[Days of Grace]

He doesn't come close to Cairns.

Not in tests, of course.

But in ODIs, take a look at their stats:

Batting:
Styris: 31.89 (S/R: 78)
Cairns: 29.46 (S/R: 84)

Bowling:
Styris: 32.62 (E/R: 4.7)
Cairns: 32.80 (E/R: 4.8)

Statistically, the only thing that Styris loses out on here is batting S/R. Probably because he bats higher up the order than Cairns did.

Although, granted, Cairns had more match-winning ability than Styris.

 

[Perm]

Not in tests, of course.

But in ODIs, take a look at their stats:

Batting:
Styris: 31.89 (S/R: 78)
Cairns: 29.46 (S/R: 84)

Bowling:
Styris: 32.62 (E/R: 4.7)
Cairns: 32.80 (E/R: 4.8)

Statistically, the only thing that Styris loses out on here is batting S/R. Probably because he bats higher up the order than Cairns did.

Although, granted, Cairns had more match-winning ability than Styris.

Chris Cairns definately had more match-winning ability than Scott Styris and the stats don't really tell the full story, Chris Cairns could and did play as an opening bowler at times and Scott Styris doesn't come close to that kind of ability. Granted that the stats are pretty equal, but I'm sure Cairns played quite a few games as a specialist batsman due to injury.

 

[Days of Grace]

"but I'm sure Cairns played quite a few games as a specialist batsman due to injury."

Which makes his average of below 30 even more of an underachievement.

 

[Perm]

"but I'm sure Cairns played quite a few games as a specialist batsman due to injury."

Which makes his average of below 30 even more of an underachievement.

Not really, considering he was never good enough to play as a specialist batsman. Styris played 53 innings in the top 5 compared to the 20 played there by Cairns. Styris is a batting all rounder, Cairns was a pure all rounder. Simple really.

 

[Days of Grace]

I'm surprised so far at the lack of votes for Klusener. Reputation only based on the 1999 world cup alone?

And Imran only took 182 wickets in 175 matches. Did he play many matches as a specialist bowler? His average of 26 with the ball is also a little high.

 

[Days of Grace]

"Styris is a batting all rounder, Cairns was a pure all rounder. Simple really."

The thing is, how many 'pure' all-rounders are there? Sobers wasn't one by your criteria.

If defining all-rounders as people who are very skilled at one thing and also very adequate to very skilled at another thing, then it is very close between Styris and Cairns IMO.

 

[Days of Grace]

"Not really, considering he was never good enough to play as a specialist batsman."

Don't know about that to be honest. Cairns might have made a very good no.5/6 in tests if he concentrated solely on his batting.

 

[Perm]

I'm surprised so far at the lack of votes for Klusener. Reputation only based on the 1999 world cup alone?

And Imran only took 182 wickets in 175 matches. Did he play many matches as a specialist bowler? His average of 26 with the ball is also a little high.

I didn't think that Klusener's bowling was good enough to make it into an All Time ODI XI, which was more important than batting in my selection.

Imran has a superb economy rate, I think it makes up for his high average.