All-time T20 XI

[Jager]

I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now. Who would you pick for your perfect domestic T20 side? There are a few standouts but it's surprisingly difficult to choose a great XI. Mine so far:

Gayle
Warner
Marsh
McCullum +
D Hussey
Pollard
Afridi
Malinga
Mendis
Tait
Nannes

Has firepower at the top of the order, some mature players in the middle and deadly bowlers especially at the death. What would yours be?

 

[AlanJLegend]

Looks pretty good, but Hodge at 3 for mine.

 

[Cevno]

Raina ?

 

[Jager]

I considered Hodge, I honestly chose Marsh over him purely on statistical merit seeing as Hodge has one less century and a lower average. I didn't consider Raina though, but he is on par with Marsh I'd say

 

[Agent Nationaux]

What about Gul?

 

[Crazy Sam]

Call me biased, but I'd have Symonds in my team. I think he was one of the better thinkers when it came to T20 early on in the piece in terms of timing an innings. Can bat to the situation, can bowl a bit if necessary and saves runs and takes his catches in the field.

 

[Cabinet96]

Raina ?

Yeah, would probably bring him in for one of the all rounders. Not sure which one though.

 

[Jacknife]

I'd have KP in instead of Dussey, it's not as if you need his extra bowling in the team listed, wouldn't have really thought of him in the first place tbh with a 25 average at a 122 strike rate.

Oh just read you put domestic side, meh still stands, England players don't play much domestic twenty20.

 

[Burgey]

Isn't the format about four or five years old?

 

[Jacknife]

It's been around 9 years in England, not sure how long everywhere else but yes it hardly been around 2 minutes yet.

 

[Jager]

I find it really interesting to discuss who the best players have been in any format. KP's definitely up there as well, hasn't really had the most successful career in domestic level though, whereas D Huss is the leading T20 run scorer ever.

 

[sonnench]

I would personally have Gibbs opening instead of Warner, the guy is a legend.

 

[smash84]

why is Dussey ahead of Mussey in an AT T20 XI?

 

[Dan]

The issue with T20 XIs is that you end up with the top 10 best performing batsmen all occupying positions 1 through 3. So, you either end up batting everyone out of position, with openers down to 6 (which in itself doesn't work - Gayle plays himself in then explodes, not necessarily from ball 1) or with a side that feels generally unbalanced.

1. Chris Gayle
2. David Warner
3. Suresh Raina
4. David Hussey
5. AB de Villiers (wk)
6. Cameron White
7. Daniel Vettori (c)
8. Shahid Afridi
9. Darren Sammy
10. Umar Gul
11. Lasith Malinga

Eoin Morgan barely loses out to White, as White has the most runs at 6. The side bats deep, and Sammy has surprisingly good T20 numbers.

 

[Migara]

Angelo Mathews at #6 over White. Afridi at #7 and Vettori at #8. Kohli over Raina any day BTW.

 

[Jacknife]

I find it really interesting to discuss who the best players have been in any format. KP's definitely up there as well, hasn't really had the most successful career in domestic level though, whereas D Huss is the leading T20 run scorer ever.

Wouldn't exactly hold that against him though, or any other player who has played more international matches than domestic ones in recent years. The standard in domestic leagues around the world isn't great even in the IPL.

Surprised to see exactly how many matches Dussey has racked up, 169 is a crazy amount. I suppose when you haven't been a regular in the Aussie team, you can quickly rack up games playing in all the leagues around the world.

 

[Zinzan]

Call me biased, but I'd have Symonds in my team. I think he was one of the better thinkers when it came to T20 early on in the piece in terms of timing an innings. Can bat to the situation, can bowl a bit if necessary and saves runs and takes his catches in the field.

^ Not biased, fair enough call to be honest, Symonds hit the ground running as much as any other batsman I remember in the early days of T20.

 

[Camo999]

What's going on here?

Surely my man IJ Harvey, the WG Grace of T20 should be just about the first guy picked in this.

 

[stumpski]

If Ian Harvey is the WG of Twenty20 Adam Hollioake is its Alfred Mynn.

 

[Cruxdude]

Cannot think of a team without Yuvraj.