Post WW2 Dream XI

[bagapath]

Post WW2 Dream XI

In the past several weeks, two dream teams were selected by CW members from a pool comprising of players from the past 64 years of test cricket since WW2. One team was representative of the Pre Packer era and the other one was of the Post Packer years.

The final 22 players are again available for selection now to create one definitive team representing post World War 2 test cricket. Since the stats have been analyzed in the individual threads and polls, I am just listing out the names here in order of seniority. The polls will start shortly.

Openers

Len Hutton
Sunil Gavaskar
Gordon Greenidge
Mathew Hayden

Middle Order

RG Pollock
GS Chappell
Viv Richards
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara

Batting All-rounder

Gary Sobers

All-rounders

Keith Miller
Imran Khan

Bowling All-rounders

Ray Lindwall
Richard Hadlee

Fast Bowlers

Fred Trueman
Dennis Lillee
Malcolm Marshall

Spinners

Jim Laker
Shane Warne
Mutthiah Muralitharan

Wicket Keepers

Alan Knott
Adam Gilchrist

Countrywise breakup of players:

Australia: 7
England: 4
India: 2
New Zealand: 1
Pakistan: 1
South Africa: 1
Srilanka: 1
West Indies: 5

 

[Lillian Thomson]

This is my XI. Probably not one that would ever take the field even if all were available - but it is only a Dream.

Gavaskar
Hutton
Richards
Tendulkar
Lara
Sobers
Knott
Warne
Trueman
Lillee
Murali

 

[Matt79]

My XI is:
Gavaskar
Hutton
Richards
Tendulkar
G. Chappell
Sobers
Imran
Gilchrist+
Hadlee
Marshall
Warne
12th Man: Miller.

Marshall, Hadlee, and Imran should be plenty in terms of 'specialist' seamers, especially with Sobers able to provide a left arm option/breather as required. With Warne in the team, well balanced, lethal bowling attack. Would normally have Lillee ahead of Hadlee, but its close enough with the ball that Hadlee's extra batting at 9 tempted me - I wanted a team that could legitimately have Warne batting at 11.

Chappell ahead of Lara was probably the toughest call among the batting, but one I'm happy to make. Suffice to say I would not be at all distressed to have Lara in there in place of any of my selected batsmen, but even with Imran at 7 and Gilly at 8, there's only so many batsmen you can squeeze in.

Damn near picked Miller ahead of either Hadlee or Lillee, but decided that was prioritizing batting too far for a number 9. Would be happy to bring in Miller for anyone else in that team pretty much, aside from the openers, Gilly or Warne.

 

[The Sean]

Hutton
Gavaskar
Richards
Tendulkar
Sobers
Miller
Gilchrist
Imran
Marshall
Warne
Lillee

I am fully aware that I don't really need Sobers, Imran AND Miller in the same side - particularly at the expense of a Hadlee or a Murali. But screw it, I want them all there regardless.

 

[bagapath]

i am looking forward to the middle order and fast bowling polls. should be cracking fun.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

screw it, I want them all there regardless.

That's what Geoff Miller said when picking Pattinson, Khan, Mahmood and Prior for the England Test team.

 

[The Sean]

That's what Geoff Miller said when picking Pattinson, Khan, Mahmood and Prior for the England Test team.

I'd like to think the talent pool I'm working with her means my margin for error is fractionally higher.

 

[99*]

Hutton
Gavaskar
Tendulkar
Lara
Sobers
Khan
Gilchrist
Hadlee
Warne
Marshall
Trueman

IMO.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I'd like to think the talent pool I'm working with her means my margin for error is fractionally higher.

My post was just another opportunity to take a cheap pot shot at the idiot England selectors and nothing to do with your selection.

 

[The Sean]

My post was just another opportunity to take a cheap pot shot at the idiot England selectors and nothing to do with your selection.

Ha ha I know mate - I probably needed a smiley at the end of my post to get that across!

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I think it would be a worthwhile experiment to have just one poll with all 22 players in it and let everyone pick their own XI along side the individual category polls. That way SilentStriker can ignore all spinners and have all five pace men plus Miller and Imran in his team and Aussie can just hand the irrelevant wicketkeeping role to any passing batsman who looks a bit bored.

 

[SJS]

Lets make two a Dream XI A team of Great Cricketers who play the beaytiful game as it was meant to be played

and

a Nightmare XI A team of players guaranteed to cause sleepless nights to any opposition and sore bodies whether batting or bowling.

Dream XI

1. Hutton
2. Gavaskar
3. Pollock
4. Weekes
5. Worrell
6. Mankad
7. Richard Hadlee
8. Alan Knott
9. Lindwall
10. Lillee
11. Murali

Nightmare XI

1. Barry Richards
2. Greenidge
3. Viv Richards
4. Tendulkar
5. Sobers
6. Walcott
7. Miller
8. Imran
9. Warne
10. Andy Roberts
11. Holding

 

[Uppercut]

McGrath was voted comfortably ahead of Lillee, yet Lillee features in this poll and McGrath doesn't. Go figure.

A post-WW2 XI for me:

Gavaskar
Hutton
Richards
Pollock
Sobers
Imran
Gilchrist
Miller
Warne
Marshall
McGrath

Oh ****, i forgot about Trueman. Gah...

 

[The Sean]

McGrath was voted comfortably ahead of Lillee, yet Lillee features in this poll and McGrath doesn't. Go figure.

He beat Lillee in the post WSC poll but still didn't make the team as Murali topped him. Lillee on the other hand romped into the pre-WSC side.

 

[Uppercut]

He beat Lillee in the post WSC poll but still didn't make the team as Murali topped him. Lillee on the other hand romped into the pre-WSC side.

Yeah, but that's because the general consensus was that fast bowling post-Packer was better than pre-Packer.

 

[The Sean]

Yeah, but that's because the general consensus was that fast bowling post-Packer was better than pre-Packer.

Possibly true. I was just explaining why Lillee - who was selected in one of the two sides - is in the final poll while Pidge - who wasn't selected - isn't.

 

[bagapath]

McGrath was voted comfortably ahead of Lillee, yet Lillee features in this poll and McGrath doesn't. Go figure.

so what?

denis compton and everton weeks got more votes than viv richards in the pre packer poll. none of the three made it to the team. but viv was selected in the post packer team so he has made it to this short list. obviously weeks and compton have not. the lillee/ mcgrath scenario is the same.

if mcgrath didnt make it to post packer XI he is not going to be selected in the post WW2 team either. and lets be honest. mcgrath was given one more shot at it too but failed to go past murali in the special poll. on the other hand lillee was clearly seen as a pre packer pacer and simply stormed into that team

 

[Uppercut]

so what?

denis compton and everton weeks got more votes than viv richards in the pre packer poll. none of the three made it to the team. but viv was selected in the post packer team so he has made it to this short list. obviously weeks and compton have not. the lillee/ mcgrath scenario is the same.

if mcgrath didnt make it to post packer XI he is not going to be selected in the post WW2 team either. and lets be honest. mcgrath was given one more shot at it too but failed to go past murali in the special poll. on the other hand lillee was clearly seen as a pre packer pacer and simply stormed into that team

Well Packer divided Lillee's career almost precisely in two, and both parts of his career were all but equal. The reason he made the pre-Packer XI but not the post-Packer XI was, largely, down to lack of competition.

Anyway, no big deal, i just thought it was strange. I can only pick a side on personal preference anyway.

 

[Michaelf7777777]

From players listed I would go with:

Gavaskar
Hayden
Richards
Pollock
Sobers
Miller (*)
Gilchrist
Lindwall
Hadlee
Warne
Marshall

 

[bagapath]

Well Packer divided Lillee's career almost precisely in two, and both parts of his career were all but equal. The reason he made the pre-Packer XI but not the post-Packer XI was, largely, down to lack of competition.

statistically the two halves may be equal. but i assume pre-packer lillee was faster and a world beater on his own. by post packer times he was slower and was playing for the second best team in the world. may be we should start a mcgrath vs lillee thread separately and watch people fight.