World XI on their day

[Manee]

An interesting idea for a thread from me; who would be your World XI (current or all time) based on the players at their very best. Whether this (these) period(s) of their careers lasted a couple of months or a couple of spells in a series is moot in this case. However, the key is that this talent has to be have been displayed at least once at international level.

Somebody like Shahid Afridi would be a shoe-in for the ODI XI, for example, since he is the best ODI player in the world - on his day.

 

[Richard]

Bob Massie and Narendra Hirwani obviously have two of the bowling spots nailed-down. Added to James Laker, of course.

Rodney Redmond for one of the openers?

 

[BhupinderSingh]

Test XI:

Jack Hobbs
Len Hutton
Don Brradman
+Andy Flower
Viv Richards
Garry Sobers
*Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Wasim Akram
Malcom Marshall
Bill O'Reilly

ODI XI:
+Adam Gilchrist
Sachin Tendulkar
Viv Richards
Ricky Ponting
Michael Bevan
Inzamam-ul-Haq
*Imran Khan
Wasim Akram
Joel Garner
Muttiah Muralitharan
Glenn McGrath

Waqar,Hirwani,Barnes,Jimmy Adams,Hussey,Yousuf,Botham,Graeme Pollock etc were unlucky for they could not make either XI.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Current Test World XI (on their day)

Virender Sehwag (INDIA)
Herschelle Gibbs (SOUTH AFRICA)
Ian Bell (ENGLAND)
Marlon Samuels (WEST INDIES)
Mohammad Ashraful (BANGLADESH)
Tillekeratne Dilshan (SRI LANKA)
+ Kamran Akmal (PAKISTAN)
Steve Harmison (ENGLAND)
Danish Kaneria (PAKISTAN)
Chris Martin (NEW ZEALAND)
Monty Panesar (ENGLAND)

Current ODI World XI (on their day)

Virender Sehwag (INDIA)
Herschelle Gibbs (SOUTH AFRICA)
Ian Bell (ENGLAND)
Marlon Samuels (WEST INDIES)
Mohammad Ashraful (BANGLADESH)
Tillekeratne Dilshan (SRI LANKA)
Shahid Afridi (PAKISTAN)
+ Kamran Akmal (PAKISTAN)
Dilhara Fernando (SRI LANKA)
Daren Powell (WEST INDIES)
James Anderson (ENGLAND)

 

[andruid]

I can make a mean post on my day however....

Current ODI World XI (on their day)

Virender Sehwag (INDIA)
Herschelle Gibbs (SOUTH AFRICA)
Ian Bell (ENGLAND)
Marlon Samuels (WEST INDIES)
Mohammad Ashraful (BANGLADESH)
Tillekeratne Dilshan (SRI LANKA)
Shahid Afridi (PAKISTAN)
+ Kamran Akmal (PAKISTAN)
Dilhara Fernando (SRI LANKA)
Daren Powell (WEST INDIES)
James Anderson (ENGLAND)

wins hands down

 

[bond21]

im tired so ill just do a rough version.

9 Australian players, Tendulkar and Holding.

 

[bond21]

Panesar ahead of Murali?

Bell ahead of Ponting?

Oh i get it, youre excluding australian players to make it more challenging.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Panesar ahead of Murali?

Bell ahead of Ponting?

Oh i get it, youre excluding australian players to make it more challenging.

I'm not including players who are generally of World XI standard. It's a collection of "on their day" players. Not a collection of fantastic players in general. It's pretty obvious. But you should understand that Murali isn't Australian.

 

[jeevan]

On his day, in tests against good teams , Irfan Pathan has taken a first over hat-trick and also scored a century. Clearly belongs in such a listing.

 

[neville cardus]

Two players, mercurial as hydrargyrum, spring to mind. The first is Herschelle Herman Gibbs, the beau idéal for a topic like this. He fails -- and fails miserably, both off the field and on -- rather more often than he succeeds. But, on that rare occasion when, by some minor miracle, his wandering sprockets grind in perfect symmetry, he is as great a batsman as this game has known.

The other is Bill Lockwood, a name used mostly in conjunction with that of Tom Richardson. Like so many sidekicks, these two were diametrical in both style and character. Richardson was the honest pro, a tireless toiler and dependable deliverer; Lockwood was the flawed genius, ranging from unstoppable to all too easily stopped. For the most part, Richardson was his superior. "I was never in the same parish," Lockwood said, "let alone the same street". On his day, however, Lockwood surmounted all.

 

[SJS]

If 'on his day' means literally a day, it could be a strange list.

 

[bond21]

obviously, but saying Hogg is better than Murali would be foolish.

 

[SJS]

So, I took a day to mean an innings and made two sides.

The first is by taking the easy way out. Wisden had ranked the 100 greatest innings and the 100 greatest bowling spells and given rating points based on conditions (opposition etc)

The top seven spots in that list in that list were in oder of ranking. Bradman, Lara, Gooch, Botham, Bradman (again), Laxman and Hill. That gives a neat six top spots. Greenidge appears to be the only opener but actually Hammond opened five times and has a century and 3 fifties and an average of 78 plus. Botham becomes the allrounder since he also figures prominently in the best bowling list, the only one besides Sobers to do so.

Amongst the bowlers, the top five spots are taken by

1. HJ Tayfield
2. A Kumble
3. Laker
4. JC White
5. RJ Hadlee

I took the first two (spinners), dropped Laker since we have Tayfield above him and took the next two who are new ball bowlers. This gives me my team without a keeper as

Wisden XI
(minus keeper)

1. Clem Hill
2. Graham Gooch
3. Don Bradman
4. Brain Lara
5. VVS Laxman
6. Ian Botham
7. Richard Hadlee
8. Wicketkeeper ??
9. Anil Kumble
10. Jim Laker
11. Hugh Tayfield
12. JC White

Then I made a team of my own based purely on how I feel they would perform when 'in the zone'. The team came out slightly differently with a few surprises

My Favourites' XI

1. Gordon Greenidge
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Don Bradman
4. Brain Lara
5. VVS Laxman
6. Garfield Sobers
7. Keith Miller
8. Adam Gilchrist
9. Malcolm Marshall
10. Muralitharan
11. S F Barnes

I took Gilchrist as keeper since on his day, I hope he will keep as brilliantly as anyone else and will bat like the 4th of July lasting for ever !!
The players I felt sorry for having to leave out were

• Viv Richards - but I felt Laxman on his day was a sight fit only for the Gods
• Lillee and Holding - I think I chose Marshall to feel less guilty for not choosing him so many times in the past
• Denis Compton - I wish I could find a spot for him but cant.