Best against the best

[zaremba]

I know Boycott for one puts him at #2.

Geoff Boycott In Bigging Up The Chaps I Played Against In My Day When Cricket Was Properly Tough Shocker

 

[Spark]

Haha that did cross my mind.

 

[hang on]

I know Boycott for one puts him at #2.

after himself, of course.

 

[smash84]

after himself, of course.

haha.........joint second with his mum probably

 

[weldone]

My understanding of this issue would be along these lines. In most people's all -time Test sides, Garfield Sobers can comand a place in the top 6 as a pure batsman. The fact that he can bowl as a fifth option and pick up wickets is a blessing. So he is not accomodated at a bowler's or an all-rounder's expense. Keith Miller, would be a serious contender in my books as a better-rounded (for lack of a better term) player for the all-rounder spot.

Imran should either be picked as a bowler or not at all. IMHO, he surely cannot bat above No. 8 in an all-time side. So, leaving aside batting potential, you could make a fair case for Hadlee or Marshall replacing Imran on bowling merit alone. I would perhaps have all three - Khan at 8, Hadlee at 9 and the Bajan at 10. None of them were mugs with the bat, of course.

It's a judgement call, really. Someone might as well have Lillee/McGrath/Trueman at 10 and push up Hadlee and Marshall and that'd be perfectly logical as well.

You seem to be a sensible guy.

Welcome to CW

 

[vic_orthdox]

You can never really say you've got "enough" with any aspect of an all-time XI because you're supposed to be picking at a higher level. You could never really say that the 4 best county bowlers will always be enough in Tests, you're aiming for the best possible team. It's the same here.

In Test cricket, having 5 bowlers has regularly been seen as the ideal number to have. Hence why even the finest 4-man bowling attacks, such as the West Indies of the 1980s or the Australians of the 2000s have been desperate to find an allrounder to supplement the attack.

In the end, your fifth bowler will do well to bowl more than 10 overs in a day on most occasions. I would rather have Sobers play that role and change things up as the game is seen fit, and allow myself to pick 6-7 genuine batsman, than sacrifice further batting.

 

[hang on]

yep.

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

haha.........joint second with his mum probably

Boycott's grandmother, Margaret Gough, is undoubtedly the greatest player this game has seen. Followed by her daughter (Geoff's mom) and Sir Geoffrey himself at the second spot.

Ordinary sportsmen like Sobers, Hobbs, Bradman, Headley, Miller and Imran Khan follow after that.