Last bowling slot in my all-time XI

[Matt79]

So, with Murali retiring, my prejudice against including active players in my alltime XI becomes moot and I'm shoe-horning him in.

It's led me to a bit of a reshuffle of that XI. Currently undecided on the final make up of the bowling attack, have three options that seem near equally good. I'd be interested in what others think.

The four bowlers I'm pretty much set on would be:
Sobers (as a batting allrounder obvs)
Marshall
Imran
Murali

The last spot is a choice between Warne as a second spinner, McGrath/Ambrose as the third quick, or Barnes as Barnes. The wildcard would be to drop a batsman, push Sobey up to five, Gilly to six and Imran to seven, and take McGrath/Ambrose AND Warne or Barnes.

I'm a bit leary of having just Marshall and Imran as the two genuine quicks, but also attracted to having Barnes' 7 wickets per match or Warne's X-factor in the team. The downside is that they are theoretically playing the hypothetical second XI featuring a bowling attack with whichever two of McGrath/Ambrose/Warne/Barnes that wasn't selected here, plus Hadlee, Lillee, and Miller, so the team will need all the batting it can get.

What do people reckon, out of those choices?

 

[Teja.]

Barnes would be the second name on my XI.(After him)

 

[weldone]

The bowlers in my XI would probably be

Marshall
Hadlee
Barnes
Grimmett
Sobers

5 bowlers each of a different type (if you understand what I mean).

 

[Black_Warrior]

Either pick Murali or Warne.. Dont pick both.. I am always a bit biased towards fast bowlers..so I would definitely play 3 genuine fast bowlers.. Sobers is a batsman in my team.. yeah he was also a fantastic bowler..but apart from him I would play 3 fast bowlers

Marshall and Imran on default
Holding/McGrath/Ambrose/Wasim

 

[Himannv]

6. Sobers
7. Gilchrist
8. Imran
9. Marshall
10. Murali
11. McGrath

 

[weldone]

Hadlee's Bowling = McGrath's accuracy (both in terms of line and length) + slightly better outswing than McGrath + much better inswing than McGrath + better pace than McGrath

Everyone, who has seen both bowl, will probably agree.

 

[Jono]

Either pick Murali or Warne.. Dont pick both.. I am always a bit biased towards fast bowlers..so I would definitely play 3 genuine fast bowl

Fair enough if you're biased to fast bowlers. But seriously, even the best two batsman out there would struggle having Murali and Warne bowling from either end.

As for you Matt, I'd choose Warne, drop a batsman and also choose McGrath.

 

[cover drive man]

I wonder how Warne and Murali would play together? Both have been the biggest wicket takers of all time, wonder if there would be a factor of competition between the two or would they be professional and work for the team?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Warne ahead of Murali as a cricketer every time for my money. Fielding and especially batting he's way ahead, even if one regards Murali as the better bowler. Call yourself a Victorian, Matthew? For shame.

 

[Jono]

Warne's batting is always mentioned, but I don't see how it matters that much in an all-time XI selection. The guy will be batting 9 at most generally (if you've selected the top allrounders). Maybe 8 I guess.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Warne's batting is always mentioned, but I don't see how it matters that much in an all-time XI selection. The guy will be batting 9 at most generally (if you've selected the top allrounders). Maybe 8 I guess.

Belt and braces man, myself. Might not be needed, but still nice to have all the same.

 

[Slifer]

Sobers
Gilchrist+
Imran
Hadlee
Marshall
Mcgrath

 

[Matt79]

Reckon Warne would love bowling with Murali. He always regretted that after Tim May, he rarely got to bowl with a quality off spinner.

@ Slifer - can't see how including Hadlee adds more to the team's flexibility and ability to take all comers than including Murali or Warne, given Marshall, Imran and McGrath are already in, in your example.

 

[Pothas]

Always struggle a little bit with whether or not to play Imran. He is one of the best players of all time but is he actually needed?

A side with him is amazing no doubt:

Sobers
Gilly
Imran
Warne (Murali if you wish)
Marshall
Barnes

But are Hadlee/McGrath or others better bowlers than him? If so then would be tempted to go with them.

Other option is to put Sobers up to 5 and play another bowler but that seems a little but like overkill.

 

[Matt79]

Other option is to put Sobers up to 5 and play another bowler but that seems a little but like overkill.

Especially when you're weighing up whether that sixth bowling option adds more to the team than a Sachin Tendulkar or Viv Richards!

 

[Slifer]

Reckon Warne would love bowling with Murali. He always regretted that after Tim May, he rarely got to bowl with a quality off spinner.

@ Slifer - can't see how including Hadlee adds more to the team's flexibility and ability to take all comers than including Murali or Warne, given Marshall, Imran and McGrath are already in, in your example.

did it more for the batting depth than ne thing else.

 

[Prince EWS]

Especially when you're weighing up whether that sixth bowling option adds more to the team than a Sachin Tendulkar or Viv Richards!

Depends what you think of Sobers's bowling really. Against a theoretical team from another planet or a parallel universe with similar batting strength to the team you've picked, is Sobers really good enough to be the fifth bowler? Equally though I suppose you could ask whether Imran's good enough to bat six or seven although that really depends on which version of Imran you're picking.

 

[Prince EWS]

did it more for the batting depth than ne thing else.

I think a quality specialist spinner would a lot more to a team than a few extra runs at #9. Hadlee arguably a better bowler than Murali and Warne but certainly not by enough to trump the extra balance they'd give.

 

[NUFAN]

I always find the selection of Barnes odd in these sort of teams. What makes him so much more amazing in Test Matches than Charlie Turner or George Lohmann?

I personally think that a left arm quick in Wasim Akram would be ideal for Matt's team. He'd be providing more rough for his spinner Murali to bowl into as an added bonus.

.

 

[Dissector]

Personally I would go with Hadlee. A McGrath type bowler but just that little bit better with more movement. Obviously his batting was vastly better and makes it an easy choice. So my picks would be Sobers,Imran,Hadlee, Marshall and Murali.

Note that when I pick my all-time teams I stick with Bradman and after. The game was so vastly different in the early 20th century and before that it seems weird to pick the likes of Grace and Barnes along with modern greats.

Bradman is a good dividing line IMO because:
a) He is among the first generation of players who left behind a serious amount of video footage
b) He continued playing after WW2 and proved himself the best batsman in the early years of that era as well.
c)Everyone considers him an automatic pick anyway.