the best XI from former British empire's nations

[jan]

One of those threads again.
This time we have two pools of test playing nations to select players from. No West Indies this time, sorry. And no Zimbabwe. Or Ireland or Scotland as well.

Pool 1:
England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand

Pool 2:
Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh

Id like to ask you to pick a test team from each pool twice.
First pick the best ever XI.
Second pick the best current XI. Only players who have played in internationals (any format) this year are eligible.
You dont have to pick players from each country in the pool to form one of the teams however it would be great if you could avoid making ie. India-only team.

 

[Howe_zat]

Jan, all major cricket-playing nations do so because of the spread of the British Empire, including the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Why have you left them out?

This is basically just picking a world XI. The only nation I can think of that isn't part of the former Empire that I've watched play any cricket is the Netherlands.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

Jan, all major cricket-playing nations do so because of the spread of the British Empire, including the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Why have you left them out?

This is basically just picking a world XI. The only nation I can think of that isn't part of the former Empire that I've watched play any cricket is the Netherlands.

This

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

This is basically just picking a world XI. The only nation I can think of that isn't part of the former Empire that I've watched play any cricket is the Netherlands.

Well, not part of the political empire, but culturally I wouldn't be so sure. At least as far as the cricketing legacy is concerned.

 

[Furball]

Well, not part of the political empire, but culturally I wouldn't be so sure. At least as far as the cricketing legacy is concerned.

The English spread cricket all over the world, AC Milan for example started life as a football and cricket club. The Netherlands just seem to have taken to it that wee bit more than the rest of continental Europe.

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

The English spread cricket all over the world, AC Milan for example started life as a football and cricket club. The Netherlands just seem to have taken to it that wee bit more than the rest of continental Europe.

Cricket in the Netherlands was introduced due to bilateral trade relations with England. For anyone interested, this is a good read on the nation's cricket history and the monumental Anglican influence involved.

The sun never did set on the English cricket empire, did it? And long may it stay so!

 

[Prince EWS]

Jan, all major cricket-playing nations do so because of the spread of the British Empire, including the West Indies and Zimbabwe. Why have you left them out?

This is basically just picking a world XI. The only nation I can think of that isn't part of the former Empire that I've watched play any cricket is the Netherlands.

Yeah, what he wants us to pick is an Anglosphere XI. It's a concept I brought up before (somewhat jokingly) in a match thread; I even dug up a flag for it.

 

[keeper]

Cricket in the Netherlands was introduced due to bilateral trade relations with England. For anyone interested, this is a good read on the nation's cricket history and the monumental Anglican influence involved.

The sun never did set on the English cricket empire, did it? And long may it stay so!

Interesting. Always assumed the link was England-South Africa-Boers-Netherlands but clearly more to it than that. The early games against Denmark don't appear top have sparked a longstanding rivalry.

 

[JBMAC]

Besides which one of the first tests played was in the good old USA

 

[hang on]

putting on my nitpicking pedantic hat here, but don't quite think that the match across the pond was a test.

 

[kyear2]

If I read correctly this can be seen as a S/C XI vs a Rest of the World 11, now that would be an interesting concept.
Gavaskar, Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Miandad, Sangakkara, Khan, Kumble, Akram, Younis & Muralitharan
vs
Hutton, Hobbs, Bradman, Richards, Lara/Hammond/Chappell, Sobers, Gilchrist, Hadlee, Marshall, Warne & Mcgrath/Lillee/Ambrose.
That would be a nice matchup

 

[smash84]

If I read correctly this can be seen as a S/C XI vs a Rest of the World 11, now that would be an interesting concept.
Gavaskar, Sehwag, Dravid, Tendulkar, Miandad, Sangakkara, Khan, Kumble, Akram, Younis & Muralitharan
vs
Hutton, Hobbs, Bradman, Richards, Lara/Hammond/Chappell, Sobers, Gilchrist, Hadlee, Marshall, Warne & Mcgrath/Lillee/Ambrose.
That would be a nice matchup

I think you can do away with Kumble and add another batsman to the side,

 

[Howe_zat]

I think you can do away with Kumble and add another batsman to the side,

Or a batting allrounder, seeing as a spin partnership I'd consider rather important for an Asian side. How about Vinoo Mankad?

 

[smash84]

considering that they will come up against an All Time XI from some other part of the world I think one spinner should be enough. Murali is good to perform in most places. Don't think we need a spin partnership.

 

[stephen]

I'd go with a specialist keeper instead of Sanga. He's much better with the bat anyway. Drop Kumble and pick Dhoni instead.

To be honest the other team would be stronger I feel and it would be difficult for many of the Asian players to break into this team. Tendulkar would be in at the expense of Lara and Murali might be able to push Warne out, but even that is a 50/50 shot, especially if Warne's batsmanship is taken into account.

 

[smash84]

awta, the other team would be quite strong with the likes of Bradman and Hobbs, McGrath and Hadlee, Miller etc. Warne wouldn't be such a big worry though if he were to bowl to an Asian XI. He would be pretty much neutralized by almost all the top order batsmen.

 

[Prince EWS]

awta, the other team would be quite strong with the likes of Bradman and Hobbs, McGrath and Hadlee, Miller etc. Warne wouldn't be such a big worry though if he were to bowl to an Asian XI. He would be pretty much neutralized by almost all the top order batsmen.

Pick O'Reilly or Laker instead then.

 

[smash84]

pick Grimmet

 

[The Sean]

Pick Michael Clarke TBH.

 

[smash84]

haha yeah.....he does have a good record against SC batsmen