Pick An All Time XI Comp.

[archie mac]

Below is the first part of an article George Roberts and I have put together, about choosing an all time XI. We will publish the whole article in a few days.

We would like you to try and guess the makeup of the all time XI that we have come up with. It is no easy task, but in true Cricket Web tradition we have pulled out all stops and have a grand prize of a Cricket Web t-shirt, which we will send to the lucky winner.

By reading the below you will see that Bradman is an automatic selection, so that leaves another ten, but you must choose two players from each era, no more no less.

The only condition is that no Cricket Web Staff Member is allowed to enter.

Read the article

 

[SJS]

Q1. Ifa player has played in two eras which one do you consider him for ? Or is it the one in which he made his debut ?

 

[archie mac]

Q1. Ifa player has played in two eras which one do you consider him for ? Or is it the one in which he made his debut ?

We tried to rate them in relation to which era we felt they had the greatest impact on.

If their is a player you are not sure about which era they are being consider from, just post them here and I will let you know.

And if anyone chooses a player in their final XI from the wrong era I will let them know and they can re-select

Remember this is an all time XI so asking about someone like Mead who played in two eras would be a waste of effort (though I will be happy to answer)

 

[SJS]

Q2. By when does one have to make the guess?
Q3. Are you going to post further parts of this 'article' before one makes the guess ?

 

[Matt79]

Nice idea.

My guesses would be:
Era One:
WG Grace
SF Barnes

Era Two:
Jack Hobbs
Wally Hammond

Era Three:
Garry Sobers
Ray Lindwall

Era Four:
Malcolm Marshall
Alan Knott

Era Five:
Muralitharan
Sachin Tendulkar

Giving a team:
WG Grace
Jack Hobbs
Don Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Wally Hammond
Garry Sobers
Alan Knott+
Ray Lindwall
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
SF Barnes

I'm quite sure I haven't got it - with Archie involved in the selection in particular, there are so many golden age players I'm sure I've overlooked in going for the obvious Grace and Barnes. Sobers is the only selection I'm really sure of.

My XI using this criteria would be:
Era 1: Trumper, Barnes
Era 2: Hobbs, Hammond
Era 3: Miller, Sobers
Era 4: Marshall, Lillee,
Era 5: Warne, Gilchrist

Giving me:
Trumper
Hobbs
Bradman
Hammond
Sobers
Miller
Gilchrist+
Marshall
Warne
Lillee
Barnes

Can't believe Imran isn't in there. This is hard!

 

[archie mac]

Nice idea.

My guesses would be:
Era One:
WG Grace
SF Barnes

Era Two:
Jack Hobbs
Wally Hammond

Era Three:
Garry Sobers
Ray Lindwall

Era Four:
Malcolm Marshall
Alan Knott

Era Five:
Muralitharan
Sachin Tendulkar

Giving a team:
WG Grace
Jack Hobbs
Don Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Wally Hammond
Garry Sobers
Alan Knott+
Ray Lindwall
Malcolm Marshall
Muttiah Muralitharan
SF Barnes

I'm quite sure I haven't got it - with Archie involved in the selection in particular, there are so many golden age players I'm sure I've overlooked in going for the obvious Grace and Barnes. Sobers is the only selection I'm really sure of.

My XI using this criteria would be:
Era 1: Trumper, Barnes
Era 2: Hobbs, Hammond
Era 3: Miller, Sobers
Era 4: Marshall, Lillee,
Era 5: Warne, Gilchrist

Giving me:
Trumper
Hobbs
Bradman
Hammond
Sobers
Miller
Gilchrist+
Marshall
Warne
Lillee
Barnes

Can't believe Imran isn't in there. This is hard!

You have all of your choices from the correct eras (can't say anymore than that )

 

[archie mac]

Q2. By when does one have to make the guess?
Q3. Are you going to post further parts of this 'article' before one makes the guess ?

A2= We will publish it on cricket web on Saturday night Australian time

A3= no that is all the help we were planning on giving

 

[nightprowler10]

This is much tougher than I thought it would be.

Era I:

Ranji
Barnes

Era II:

Hobbs
O'Reilly

Era III:

Sobers
Tallon

Era IV:

Gavaskar
Lillee

Era V:

Tendulkar
McGrath

All Time XI:

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Tendulkar
Ranji
Sobers
Tallon
O'Reilly
SF Barnes
Lillee
McGrath

Certainly not what I think it should be, just what I feel it will be close to.

 

[SJS]

I cant locate a criteria for eligibility like minimum runs/wickets/matches. Is it not required or did I miss it ?

 

[SJS]

Is it one or two spinners (over and above the all rounder) ?

 

[archie mac]

This is much tougher than I thought it would be.

Era I:

Ranji
Barnes

Era II:

Hobbs
O'Reilly

Era III:

Sobers
Tallon

Era IV:

Gavaskar
Lillee

Era V:

Tendulkar
McGrath

All Time XI:

Hobbs
Gavaskar
Bradman
Tendulkar
Ranji
Sobers
Tallon
O'Reilly
SF Barnes
Lillee
McGrath

Certainly not what I think it should be, just what I feel it will be close to.

You have all of your choices from the correct eras (can't say anymore than that )

 

[archie mac]

I cant locate a criteria for eligibility like minimum runs/wickets/matches. Is it not required or did I miss it ?

There was no criteria as such, but all batsman have scored at least 1000 runs and all bowlers have taken at least one hundred wickets

 

[archie mac]

Is it one or two spinners (over and above the all rounder) ?

This is a hard question because from the first era it is hard to know what style they bowled

If you ignore the first era, then you can say there is only one spinner in the final XI

 

[SJS]

​

This is a really good one and tough

I made my own shortlist and here is how I went about doing it.

I think besides Bradman three players who are a must for any all time side are

- Sobers for the all round slot,
- Hobbs for one of the two openers slot and
- Barnes for one of the pacers (medium, medium fast, fast medium, fast, super fast or somethingsqueezed between these) slots.​

That also means we have one each from Era 1 (Barnes), era 2 (Hobbs) and era 3 (Sobers)

My shortlist for the rest of the spots with eras in brackets is

ONE OPENER FROM

- Trumper (Era 1)
- Sutcliffe (Era 2)
- Hutton (Era 3)
- Gavaskar (Era 4)​

*Since declared inelligible


TWO MIDDLE ORDER BATSMEN FROM

- Hammond/Headley (Era 2)
- Pollock (Era 3)
- Viv Richards (Era 4)
- SRT or BCL (Era 5)​

ONE KEEPER FROM

- Blackham (Era 1)
- Oldfield (Era 2)
- Tallon or Evans (Era 3)​

ONE SPINNER FROM

- Grimmett OR O'rielly (Era 2)
- Laker (Era 3)
- Warne OR Murali (Era 5)
​

TWO PACERS FROM

- Lindwall (Era 3)
- Lillee (Era 4)
- Hadlee (Era 4)
- Imran (Era 4)
- Marshall (Era 4)​

This may not include some of other folks absolute favourites but remember it is my, final, short- list.

Now starts the tougher part. Its tough because there are so many contenders from each era.

ERA....CERT......NEED.......SHORTLIST
1.............1.............1...................3
2.............1.............1...................4
3.............1.............1...................5
4.............0.............2...................5
5.............0.............2...................2​

AHA ! I have a perfect match for Era 5. I have two positions available and two in my shortlist. I dont think both Tendulkar and Lara or both Warne and Murali will make the final XI.

So I pen in my one middle order batsman (or a choice) and a choice of spinner and the Era 5 is closed.

I now have

1. Hobbs...............Era 2
2. ----------
3, Bradman
4. Tendulkar/Lara...Era 5
5. -----------
6. Sobers..............Era 3
7. ---------- (Keeper)
8. -----------(Pacer)
9. -----------(Pacer)
10. Warne/Murali.....Era 5
11. Barnes .............Era 1​

My balance sheet reads :-

ERA....CERT......NEED.......SHORTLIST...Open....MOB....Keeper....Spin....Pace
1.............1.............1...................3 ...............1...........0..........1............0...........0
2.............1.............1...................4 ...............1...........1..........1............1...........0
3.............1.............1...................5 ...............1...........1..........1............1...........1
4.............0.............2...................5 ...............0...........1..........0............0...........4​

The next era with a better fit between need and availabilty is Era 1. Since I need another player from Era 1. I have to decide whether it would be an opener, Keeper or fast bowler. Opener is my favoured choice but it may come down to a balancing act.

HELP !!

PS : With the clarification from Archie_Mac we knock off Trumper, Spofforth and Barry Richards.

 

[SJS]

There was no criteria as such, but all batsman have scored at least 1000 runs and all bowlers have taken at least one hundred wickets

in test matches ??

 

[honestbharani]

​

This is a really good one and tough

I made my own shortlist and here is how I went about doing it.

I think besides Bradman three players who are a must for any all time side are

- Sobers for the all round slot,
- Hobbs for one of the two openers slot and
- Barnes for one of the pacers (medium, medium fast, fast medium, fast, super fast or somethingsqueezed between these) slots.​

That also means we have one each from Era 1 (Barnes), era 2 (Hobbs) and era 3 (Sobers)

My shortlist for the rest of the spots with eras in brackets is

ONE OPENER FROM

- Trumper OR WG (Era 1)
- Sutcliffe (Era 2)
- Hutton OR Barry Richards* (Era 3)
- Gavaskar (Era 4)​

*Maybe Richards would be eliminated for having played only 4 tests.


TWO MIDDLE ORDER BATSMEN FROM

- Hammond/Headley (Era 2)
- Pollock (Era 3)
- Viv Richards (Era 4)
- SRT or BCL (Era 5)​

ONE KEEPER FROM

- Blackham (Era 1)
- Oldfield (Era 2)
- Tallon or Evans (Era 3)​

ONE SPINNER FROM

- Grimmett OR O'rielly (Era 2)
- Laker (Era 3)
- Warne OR Murali (Era 5)
​

TWO PACERS FROM

- Spofforth (Era 1)
- Lindwall (Era 3)
- Lillee (Era 4)
- Hadlee (Era 4)
- Imran (Era 4)
- Marshall (Era 4)​

This may not include some of other folks absolute favourites but remember it is my, final, short- list.

Now starts the tougher part. Its tough because there are so many contenders from each era.

ERA....CERT......NEED.......SHORTLIST
1.............1.............1...................3
2.............1.............1...................4
3.............1.............1...................5
4.............0.............2...................6
5.............0.............2...................2​

AHA ! I have a perfect match for Era 5. I have two positions available and two in my shortlist. I dont think both Tendulkar and Lara or both Warne and Murali will make the final XI.

So I pen in my one middle order batsman (or a choice) and a choice of spinner and the Era 5 is closed.

I now have

1. Hobbs...............Era 2
2. ----------
3, Bradman
4. Tendulkar/Lara...Era 5
5. -----------
6. Sobers..............Era 3
7. ---------- (Keeper)
8. -----------(Pacer)
9. -----------(Pacer)
10. Warne/Murali.....Era 5
11. Barnes .............Era 1​

My balance sheet reads :-

ERA....CERT......NEED.......SHORTLIST...Open....MOB....Keeper....Spin....Pace
1.............1.............1...................3 ...............1...........0..........1............0...........1
2.............1.............1...................4 ...............1...........1..........1............1...........0
3.............1.............1...................5 ...............1...........1..........1............1...........1
4.............0.............2...................6 ...............1...........1..........0............0...........4​

The next era with a better fit between need and availabilty is Era 1. Since I need another player from Era 1. I have to decide whether it would be an opener, Keeper or fast bowler. Opener is my favoured choice but it may come down to a balancing act.

HELP !!

Take the opener, SJS... With two openers from the same era, their understanding would be good, right?

 

[SJS]

That knocks off Spofforth, Barry Richards and WG from my short list.

 

[Perm]

So tempted to post the XI...

 

[SJS]

So tempted to post the XI...

You are worried that someone will use your ideas or you think you want to make some changes ?

Dont bother about the first and if its the second just say this is not your final side.

Comeone Perm this is for fun

 

[Perm]

You are worried that someone will use your ideas or you think you want to make some changes ?

Dont bother about the first and if its the second just say this is not your final side.

Comeone Perm this is for fun

Sorry bud, I'm a Staff Member and I've already seen archie and George's XI.