Your all-time Test XI

[Craig]

Here it is:

SG Gavaskar (IND)
JB Hobbs (ENG)
GA Headley (WI)
*IVA Richards (WI)
RG Pollock (RSA)
+APE Knott (ENG)
SK Warne (AUS)
RJ Hadlee (NZL)
Wasim Akram (PAK)
MD Marshall (WI)
M Muralitharan (SRL)


Before you question why I havnt picked Bradman, Sobers or Tendulkar is because I first named my team in response to Bradman's all-time XI:saint:

 

[Mr. P]

this side is a HUGE call, and you have not seen all these players so you cannot name them all. you seem to have forgotten many players

 

[Tim]

Look, this topic has come up time & time again on this forum aswell as many others I have visited.

Basically no-one will ever agree with anyone else, there are just too many players to look at.

 

[age_master]

hahaha well i will have a crack, though i cant really agree with myself on this one, soo many great players


Gavaskar
Hobbs
Bradman
Tendulkar
Richards
Pollock
Glichrist
K Miller
Hadlee
Lindwall
Warne

 

[hourn]

i did this page a while back - http://cricketsbestxi.tripod.com/

the team was:

Herb Sutcliffe (England)
1894-1978. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Medium.
1924-1935; 54 Tests, 4555 runs at 60.73. Never Bowled. 23 catches.

Len Hutton (England)
1916-1990. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Leg spin.
1937-1955; 79 Tests, 6971 runs at 56.67. 3 wkts at 77.33. 57 catches.

Don Bradman (Australia) - captain
1908-2001. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Leg spin.
1928-1948; 52 Tests, 6996 runs at 99.94. 2 wkts at 36.00. 32 catches.

Graeme Pollock (South Africa)
1944-????. Left Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Leg spin.
1963-1970; 23 Tests, 2256 runs at 60.97. 4 wkts at 51.00. 17 catches.

Gary Sobers (West Indies) - vice captain
1936-????. Left Hand Batsmen, Left Arm Medium-Fast or Off spin and Leg spin.
1954-1974; 93 Tests, 8032 runs at 57.78. 235 wkts at 34.08. 109 catches.

Adam Gilchrist (Australia) - wicketkeeper
1971-????. Left Hand Batsmen, Wicketkeeper.
1999-2002; 37 Tests, 2434 runs at 57.95. Never Bowled. 148 catches, 12 stumpings.

Keith Miller (Australia)
1919-????. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Fast.
1946-1956; 55 Tests, 2958 runs at 36.97. 170 wkts at 22.97. 38 catches.

Malcolm Marshall (West Indies)
1958-1999. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Fast.
1978-1991; 81 Tests, 1810 runs at 18.85. 376 wkts at 20.94. 25 catches.

Jim Laker (England)
1922-1986. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Off spin.
1948-1959; 46 Tests, 676 runs at 14.08. 193 wkts at 21.24. 12 catches.

Joel Garner (West Indies)
1952-????. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Fast.
1977-1987; 58 Tests, 672 runs at 12.44. 259 wkts at 20.97. 42 catches.

Bill O'Reilly (Australia)
1905-1982, Left Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Leg spin.
1932-1946; 27 Tests, 410 runs at 12.81. 144 wkts at 22.59. 7 catches.

Clyde Walcott (West Indies) - 12th man
1926-????. Right Hand Batsmen, Right Arm Medium or Wicketkeeper.
1948-1960; 44 Tests, 3798 runs at 56.68. 11 wkts at 37.09. 53 catches, 11 stumpings.

 

[Deja moo]

Look Hourn, your team is based purely on statistics, and statistics are never a complete indicator of a players worth.

I cant believe anyone wouldnt have Gavaskar in their team, he played in what was arguably the best era of fast bowling, and didnt have to play just two or three teams as many of those in your list have....He began his career with a bang in the West Indies and ended it by playing the best innings fo his career in what was his last innings....

 

[age_master]

my point proved, so many great players, Hutton, Marshall, Laker, o'rielly etc, its just too hard to pick the absolute best 11 players

 

[luckyeddie]

I honestly cannot get my head round the fact that someone would pick Gilchrist as wicket-keeper in an 'all-time' XI. Need the extra runs, do you?

 

[Mr. P]

Everyone seems to be forgetting one Dennis Lillee

 

[hourn]

Adam Gilchrist = freak, and the amount of flexibility he offers a team far outweighs the fact he isn't quite the best wicketkeeper, but IMO his actual wicketkeeping is very underrated. His errors are noticed much more than other keeper's are because people are trying to bring him down - it's just natural.

Sunil Gavaskar i had as one of the final nominees for the opening batsmen spot, and he is a great player, but it comes down to a matter of opinion, and i chose Hutton and Sutcliffe.

 

[luckyeddie]

There's little doubt that Gilchrist would add a certain something to any side, but when would he ever get to bat in an all-time XI?

So, in keeping with XI's, here's XI (and a XIIth man) reasons why Gilchrist wouldn't make an all-time XI (but that's only my opinion)

Taylor, Knott, J.T. Murray, Evans, Ames, Engineer, Kirmani, Tallon, Lindsay, Grout, Deryck Murray, Marsh

 

[royGilchrist]

I personally would have replaced Hadlee with Imran in the above elevens, very similar bowling, Imran more intimidating in his heyday, and much better batsman.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I would think that Weekes would have to be there. What about George Headley?

 

[marc71178]

Look, this topic has come up time & time again on this forum aswell as many others I have visited.

Basically no-one will ever agree with anyone else, there are just too many players to look at.

Doesn't stop it being an interesting source of debate.

 

[marc71178]

Adam Gilchrist = freak, and the amount of flexibility he offers a team far outweighs the fact he isn't quite the best wicketkeeper,

The better keepers make up for their lesser runs by taking the key catches and making the key stops.

 

[hourn]

The better keepers make up for their lesser runs by taking the key catches and making the key stops.

gilchrist doesnt' actually drop that many - at least no more, or at least not that dramatically more, than any other.

most of his keeping errors have came off spinners, and that has got alot to do with him keeping against Shane Warne - hardly any batsmen can pick him, so it's even harder for the keeper having to contend with a flying piece of willow in the way, even if he can comminucate with Warne.

 

[Eclipse]

Gilly is vastly underated as a keeper he is not perfect but it's very hard when he is so bloody tall.

I cant remember his last droped catch witch must be a good thing.

 

[V Reddy]

Gilly is vastly underated as a keeper he is not perfect but it's very hard when he is so bloody tall.

I cant remember his last droped catch witch must be a good thing.

Yeah he is a good keeper. I saw him taking some great catches. He must have dropped some easy catches in the Ashes as some members don't rate him much as a keeper.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Yeah he is a good keeper. I saw him taking some great catches. He must have dropped some easy catches in the Ashes as some members don't rate him much as a keeper.

Dravid has taken good catches in the past.

Gilchrist is a good keeper, but not world class as a keeper.

 

[V Reddy]

Dravid has taken good catches in the past.

Gilchrist is a good keeper, but not world class as a keeper.

I have seen Dravid drop some easy ones :P . I remember only 1 easy catch which Gilly dropped, against Atherton of Lee's first ball in a Ashes series. I have seen him drop 2-3 against Warne which most keepers would have struggled to catch.