yeah.. got the same feelings myself.. dng the write up and avgs as we speak.. will post it in a while
OK.. Here is the write up for the Honest Hunks:
The Top Order:
Sanath Jayasuriya, one of the pioneers of modern day attacking opening batsmanship. and one of the all time greats of Sri Lanka. With a test match batting average of above 40 and his more than useful left arm offspin, he is an asset to any test match side. He can graft his way to the big ones as well, when the situation demands, as shown by his highest score of 340.
Mudassar Nazar, with a batting average of 37 at a time when pitches were much much more conjusive to bowling lends a lot of stability to the other end, partnering the comparitively mercurial Jayasuriya. His steady medium pace at a bowling average of 40 will be a bonus to this side as he will come on and deliver steady stuff and keep the batsmen honest giving the main bowlers a bit of a break.
Martin Crowe, captaining this all time XI simply because of his unconventional and yet effective tactical nous, is one of the most outstanding batsmen ever produced by NZ. But for the fact that he was thrust on the world stage when he was not ready, he would have definitely ended up averaging 50+. As it is, an average of 45+ during the golden era of fast bowling (the 80s and early 90s) having played mostly on the greentops of NZ shows that he is one of the most underrated batsmen of the modern era. He fits in nicely at 3, batting with aggression and yet technique after rousing starts from Sanath with a more sedate Nazar for company.
The Middle Order:
Mushtaq Mohammed, one of the mainstays of the Pakistan middle order in the 60s and 70s, was an extremely organized and gifted batsman. And his underrated legspin makes him that much more valuable. Batting at 4, he is the best person to guide the team through to totals big enough for the bowling attack to do their stuff and win us the game, under any condition. A batsman capable of the big ones under any situation, he is worth his weight in gold in any line up.
Ken Barrington, the man who averaged 58 under much tougher conditions for batsmen, is one of the greatest middle order batsmen England has ever produced. And as an additional more than decent medium pace option, he once again justifies himself in any all time XI squad. Any good side will have a #5 who can grind the opposition to dust after a good start AND still be capable of holding the team together in case of a bad start and few in cricket history are better suited for this dual role than Barrington.
Clyde Walcott, one of the legendary 3 Ws of the Windies.. A batting average of 57 from a wicket keeper means he is one of the frist names in most all time XI sheets. A batsman who can take the attack to the opposition, he will enjoy the freedom of batting at 6 in this line up and will provide the ideal foil to Barrington in this awesome 5th wicket partnership. As a keeper, he was always good but had to give it up only because he was that phenomenal as a batsman. IN the interests of the team, the great man has decided to give one more go as a keeper and batting at 6 in this line up means he will have lesser work to do as a batsman than he normally did for the Windies.
Tony Greig, with a batting average of 40+ and a bowling average of 32 odd, is an ideal all rounder in most squads. A man capable of hanging around and holding the innings together and yet at the same time, capable of aggressively taking over the game when required. And his medium pace swing and bounce will get this team A LOT of wickets in most conditions. A near perfect fit at 7 considering the balance of this squad.
The Bowlers:
Shaun Pollock, with a test match bowling average of 22 is one of the greatest fast medium bowlers the world has seen. The ability to drop ball after ball on the proverbial coin and the ability to cut the ball both ways and the possession of a mean bouncer, all at a pace that will keep any batsman honest. The batting average of 30+ is a BIG bonus from the #8. ONe of the greatest cricketers of all time fits in fine in this side.
Ian Bishop, a man who was pre-injury the quickest contemporary bowler from the Caribbean even when Ambrose and Walsh were around... A man who had just about everything and seemed like a perfect fast bowler before a succession of back injuries laid him low. A handly lower order bat as well and a man who was also seen as part of that rare breed "the thinking fast bowlers". A great man to have coming in at 9.
Dennis Lillee, arguably the greatest fast bowler Australia has produced. Pace, venom, bounce, seam movement. He had it all and loads of the famous "never say die" Aussie spirit. The very man to lead the bowling attack of an all time XI such as this one. The man could win you games on just about any kind of surface with the ball.
Bhagwat Chandrasekar, the ultimate skid on leg break and googly bowler.. His bag of tricks proved too much for England in England, one of the ultimate tests for spinners back in the 60s and 70s. An awesome man to be the lone spinner in the side.
Concluding remarks:
All in all, this team is a mighty fine assembly of some of the greatest and yet most under rated players around the world. Suffice to say, this side will give most sides a run for their money if we were to sim the games.
