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The Professional XI

silentstriker

The Wheel is Forever
If you wanted to build a side with tough, thoroughly professional cricketers (no fuss, no overt assholes, etc), what would it look like? People who carry themselves well (No drama off the field as well) and put in the work day in and day out and don't give an inch. Batsmen who stand up when no one else does, bowlers who will bend their back and bowl into the wind whether they are up by 500 or down by an innings.

I'll start off: Border, Dravid, Waugh.
 
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Dan

Hall of Fame Member
Siddle - Big heart. Runs in all day, no matter what the score.
Andy Flower - a world class bat head and shoulders above the rest of his side, and he always performed. Kept wickets when needed.
 

Flem274*

123/5
Iain O'Brien - volunteered to bowl into the wind, won a test match with a dislocated finger
Glenn McGrath - top three bowler of all time, and did it day in day out
 
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Mike5181

International Captain
Kane Williamson seems to be a bit of a cricket nerd. Doesn't qualify performance-wise obviously.

Dravid, Sangakkara, Gilchrist come to mind.
 

Jager

International Debutant
Interesting that this thread came up, it's really similar to the team-building thing that I have been wondering about for the last couple of weeks. I created my own format for a greatest ever team, these are my rules (professionalism and balance are the most crucial aspects of the team).

A touring XV: The ultimate team


Concept, rules and regulations

Each person chooses fifteen players from the history of cricket.
The players are then sent around the world, playing a test team and a first class team from any era on any pitch that the nation produced. This means that a number is chosen at random (from the years that the team in question has played test cricket) and the first home match of that year give us the conditions and opposition. Explained in more detail below.
The era is not revealed until teams are selected, as to ensure teams are selected with balance in mind.
Fielding skills should be considered, as well as injury resistance.
The rules aim to promote the inclusion of team players and the exclusion of 'selfish geniuses'.
DG Bradman and GSA Sobers are banned.
Four extra players may be selected and switched in to the team at any stage.
It is assumed that the equipment of the era shall be used.

Trial

I just tried the new team/era method, came up with some very interesting prospects. I did Australia first and the field was Melbourne, 1981, The team included G Chappell, Hughes, Border, Walters, Marsh, Lillee and Pascoe (3rd Test: Australia v India at Melbourne, Feb 7-11, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo). Next I did India and got a flat pitch in Mumbai against a second-rate team (1st Test: India v West Indies at Mumbai (BS), Nov 28-Dec 3, 1958 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo). Just to keep experimenting, I did the West Indies... I got Bridgetown in Guyana in 1984 against a very scary squad (1st Test: West Indies v Australia at Georgetown, Mar 2-7, 1984 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo) that included Greenidge, Haynes, Richards, Lloyd, Dujon, Garner and Daniel. Certainly seems like a more exciting way of doing the 'tour' seeing as there are so many unknowns. I used RANDOM.ORG - True Random Number Service to generate the year and then edited the URL of this http://stats.espncricinfo.com/india/engine/records/team/match_results.html?class=1;id=1984;type=year by putting the year in, then chose the first game (next time I will randomly pick them with the generator).


What do you think? It's pretty similar to your idea of a professional team, it just adds four players and presents different challenges to the players.
 

Zinzan

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Kallis - end of thread - the ultimate professional cricketer.

Sir Dick Hadlee is up there as well in that respect.
 

Spikey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
"no fuss, no overt assholes"

Well....Border, Waugh, McGrath and Siddle may not have been arseholes, but they were all more than willing to call you a ****ing stupid **** if they felt it could get them a wicket so I'm not really sure if they fit in here.

J. Trott and A. Cook came to mind instantly. S. Clark is a pretty relaxed dude too.
 

Jager

International Debutant
Legend has it that in the tied Madras test of '86, Jones was violently vomiting on 180 runs. He pleaded with AB to let him retire, but AB told him that he'd drop him from the test side for the rest of his career if he didn't make a double century. :laugh:
 

Ruckus

International Captain
S. Clark is a pretty relaxed dude too.
Reckon he came off as a bit too relaxed to be seen as 'professional' (irrespective of whether he actually was or not).

I see a typical professional as someone who has a bit of intensity, but without going overboard and never letting it get in the way of doing their job. Trott and Cook are good examples, and I think McGrath is a pretty good one too actually. Ryan Harris is perhaps another one...or at least when he isn't injured. Always seen Michael Hussey as a complete professional as well...totally dedicated to his craft, often the last in the nets, knows the history of the game through and through, can make the tough runs etc.

Michael Clarke as captain is also probably worthy. Ever since taking over, pretty much everything he has done, on or off the field, has been the epitome of professionalism for me. What a man.

Good idea for a thread btw.
 

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